When I chose this audiobook, Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay, I had no idea it was book#15 of a series. Oops. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have chosen it. It turned out to be pretty entertaining and funny. BUT I have a few complaints. First off, I don't think the age of Mel and Angie were ever revealed. I initially thought that they were in their 40's or possibly 50's. The narrator's voice sounds older to me. In the first few chapters, there were many characters introduced (or reintroduced for those following the series). It seemed like there was a rich history with some of them but I felt like I was missing out on details. Angie's child seemed like an afterthought. Poor kid. I may start the series from book#1 but not something I am motivated to get right away.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced audiobook copy.

3.5 (which I’m not rounding up to 4 stars)

Another cute cupcake mystery that I was lucky enough to listen to in advance, not long after finishing listening to the earlier books. It centers around Angie’s good friend Shelby who is an up-and-coming singer who toured with Angie’s ex, Roach and his band the Sewers.

Other parts are repetitive. They are catering VIP parties as Shelby performs night after night at some resort in Scottsdale. I feel like we spend a lot of time with them catering things in large hotels. In the background, Mel is supposed to cook Christmas dinner for family that grows from fewer than 10 people to more than 50 and she’s never done Christmas before. Apparently, Joyce’s kitchen is being remodeled or something and won’t be done in time. I have a hard time believing she would just give up that control. Anyway, there is much less character development with Mel and Joe and Angie and Tate and the domestic life. Some shenanigans with the brothers as usual, but none of that really shined (that’s a bad pun but she’ll understand when you read the book).

I have to say that I called the murder way early and hoped maybe I was wrong and maybe some things were different, but in the end, it wasn’t a huge mystery to me based on how things progressed. There was hardly any interaction with Detective Martinez the who works with Uncle Stan.

The narrator was good as always. I think the Mel voice comes out like Angie’s and her Jersey Italian accent, but otherwise they are pretty good. I especially love Marty and she does a great job of moving back-and-forth between others and especially him.

If you just want another cozy mystery like you’ve come to know, this won’t be far off, but don’t jump into it thinking it’s going to be the best so far. I was blown away by some of the descriptions of the Christmas cupcakes and wish I had a bakery doing that right now.


I received a free copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for providing an unbiased review.

This is the 15th book in this series and it is one of my favorite cozy series. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one since the moment I finished book 14 and it was everything I hoped for! Jenn McKinlay is one of the best authors for cozies- she is great with entertaining mysteries and quirky characters that are so well written you feel like you know them. Highly recommend this one but make sure you read the series in order, lots of character development takes place. The narrator is awesome! I have listened to the audiobooks for the entire series and she becomes the characters.

Fun and simple holiday mystery. I was looking for a mystery that would not be intense and this satisfied that need. The characters are entertaining. The story is simple but kept my interest. Great for the holidays.

Mel, Dear Joe, Angie, and Tate have long been among my favorite characters, and that hasn't changed, even after what seems like a long hiatus. Sleuthing with Mel and Angie never gets old, especially with support from Dear Joe and Tate and comic relief from the DeLaura brothers and Marty. Think Christmas Vacation with dancing Santas. So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Essentially, the movie clues and time with Joe and Tate were at a minimum. I need more, but I have high hopes for the next outing. If the way you feel when the last word is read is any indication of the book, this one is a winner. It left me chuckling and smiling and wanting more.

I was pretty excited to receive an audio copy of this book to review, as I am a fan of the series!

Mel and Angie and the gang get caught up in another murder mystery when the manager of an up and coming singer is found dead. And this isn't the first time this has happened. Of course, Mel starts to investigate, and finds herself in her own mortal danger.

I love this series and the characters. Besides the mystery, I love all the baking references and descriptions of the cupcakes. The wacky side characters and their antics keep me smiling.

A must read if you like cozy mysteries. This one is perfect for the holidays!

It’s Christmas-time and Mel and Angie are busy with the holidays. Add in the visit of Angie’s friend, Shelby Vaughn, and the planning of a huge Christmas dinner, and they are swamped but right in their element. This was another fun addition to the series and I never tire of investigating with them, as well as any cameos with Angie’s brothers, and although I figured out who the murderer was before the reveal, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this mystery. I love the way Oz can still be a part of the story even though he doesn’t work at the bakery anymore; I was scared we wouldn’t get to see him anymore. I love how the characters evolve and grow; can’t wait to see what they get up to next.

Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinley is a cozy holiday mystery. Mel is the main POV character, who works for her friend Angie, who agrees to provide cupcakes for the VIP lounge of a singer–an old friend–who’s manager winds up dead. The death doesn’t happen until around 35% of the way in, so readers get some time to meet Mel, Angie, Shelby and other characters that feature prominently in the story..

That was a good thing. Though it's the 15th book in the series, this is the first one that I’ve read. I didn’t feel like that was a problem at all. The author did a good job of incorporating the past so that it felt natural.

I listened to the audiobook. Narrator, Susan Boyce, did a good job of creating a cozy atmosphere and leaning strongly into Mel’s voice.

Overall, it's a solid cozy mystery with holiday vibes that are not too over the top. I did guess the murdered fairly early on, but it was still a lovely read that has me looking forward to holiday cupcakes.

Favorite quote: “That’s the hard thing about having children, I suppose. You can’t stand in the way of their dreams even when those dreams take them away from you.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to listen to this book as an ARC to review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sugar Plum Poison is the 15th installment of the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. We are back with Mel and her friends as they stumble upon another mystery they have to solve. This time, we have plenty of holiday cheer and a nice dose of romance.

This has always been my favorite cozy mystery series and this installment was great as always. Susan Boyce is back narrating it, making the dialogue shine and nailing the humor. Got me ready for December!

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy dropping into Fairy Tale Cupcakes to see what Mel and Angie are up to, especially during the holiday season. In this case, Angie gets the story rolling with the visit of an old friend. When Angie was touring with Roach, Shelby Vaughn was the opening act. Now out on the road again after the death of her manager in a house fire, Shelby is spending Christmas doing a show at the local Hotel Grande and Angie is beyond excited. In fact, she's so excited that Mel briefly feels a bit of jealousy at that relationship. There's a murder to distract Mel, however, when Shelby's controlling manager is found dead in her dressing room. Not exactly the Christmas any of them were expecting.

I won't detail the plot further except to say there are several suspects and twists and turns, not to mention some good ol' fashioned Christmas cheer and humor. See if you can catch and identify all the movie quotes. And, big hint, don't ever allow Ray to be decorate your home for Christmas. But, anyway, who killed surly manager Doc Howard? Shelby was with Angie, phew, or, hmm, was she? How about his angry ex-wife who blames Shelby for the breakup, not to mention the daughter of her former manager who has some blame to cast Shelby's way, too. Maybe it was the loan shark? Doc did owe him a considerable amount of money. Maybe we should take a long look at....oh, never mind. Enough teasers. I sorta had it figured out by the end but was going back and forth between suspects until almost the big reveal, so it kept me guessing, which is part of the fun.

Note, I read/listened to the audio book. Chapter changes are simply stated and flow naturally from one into the next. Given that the story takes place over the Christmas holidays, the cast is fairly large and of diverse ages. I was definitely impressed by narrator Susan Boyce who did an excellent job differentiating these voices, not to mention making them match the conditions of the moment. Nope, not explaining that one. You'll just have to read the book. Jenn McKinlay's prose comes alive in this version. Thanks #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for allowing me this early listen to an author I have thoroughly enjoyed for years no matter which series I'm reading. Thanks to #Berkley for keeping those books coming, too!

Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay is a cozy holiday murder mystery full of small-town cuteness, supportive friends, and Hallmark holiday vibes!

When a singing star Shelby Vaughn plays the holiday shows at a small-town hotel, her cutthroat manager in tow, drama comes with her - said mean guy manager is found dead shortly after their arrival! The bakers, who were hired to supply cupcakes for the VIP lounge, don their amateur sleuth caps and get to work cracking the mystery. Of all the people who disliked Doc Howard, Shelby's dead manager, who wanted him dead the most?

The twists are fun and make sense. The town is cute, the Christmas vibes are very front-and-center, and Mel and Angie are easy to root for.

This is #15 in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, but I haven't read any of the other books and it still worked really well as a standalone. Don't feel like you need to read the whole series to enjoy this.

Thanks, NetGalley and Berkley, for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.