The second book in the adorable Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series by Laura Bradford, SILENCE OF THE FLANS is a solid, entertaining addition! Winnie Johnson is an engaging protagonist with a smart sense of humor and witty dialog. I love her interaction with her elderly friends who are more like family to her. One of the fun things about this series is the absolutely creative, whimsical names for desserts that Winnie bakes and delivers! The author enlisted the help of a couple of people to come up with the names in this book and I think it would be so much fun to see the variety they created before narrowing it down to a few. I am not a pun creative type of person which makes me appreciate and admire those who can.

Winnie has a heart of gold: taking in a cat that hates her (which provides some comedy) along with helping out a troubled college student, whose grandmother is dying. Even though she’s warned about the girl, she still feels like she needs to do her best to help. Winnie says, “How much trouble can 1 college girl really cause?” and from there the story takes off with a bang when another college girl drops dead after eating Winnie’s Fade to Blackberry Crisp. Becoming a suspect with her dessert the cause of the poisoning, Winnie’s business comes to a standstill. Winnie’s tenacious determination to keep her business going and prove to the town that she’s innocent propels her into tracking down the real killer. Besides being a fun, entertaining read the mystery had a good flow and I enjoyed seeing her find new suspects and then rethinking old suspects which made it believable. The reveal wrapped up the plot and subplots with a satisfactory conclusion and made me anxious to find out what happens next!

With all the adorable, pun-filled dessert names floating around the book, I am grateful that the author provides several recipes for the reader to drool over! I tried her recipe for Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen. I’ve never had Kuchen before and was impressed with the yummy pastry crust, rich custard filling, and tart apples. The recipe is definitely a keeper!

Silence of the Flans: An Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery
By Laura Bradford
Berkley
March 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

Although a drastic hike in rent forced Winnie Johnson to give up her beloved bakery, an unexpected inheritance allowed her to create the Emergency Dessert Squad, where on-demand customized delicacies are delivered by a vintage ambulance. Less welcome is the gift that came in the form of hissing feline Lovey, who seems to love everyone except Winnie. Otherwise, prospects for the business look to be on an upswing; at least right until the recipient of one of the Emergency Dessert Squad’s latest deliveries is found poisoned to death by pastry.

Gossip and local media immediately condemn Winnie’s business as being responsible for the death of college newspaper investigator Melinda Tully. As a result, requests for emergency desserts dwindle to the few pity orders called in by Master Sergeant Hottie Greg Stevens, a stunning member of Silver Lake’s Ambulance Corps. Winnie’s heart leans toward college professor Jay Morgan, although his daughter’s absolute loathing of Winnie seems to be a massive roadblock in their relationship. At least, that was before an even bigger obstacle came in the form of Jay’s apparent condemnation and avoidance of Winnie following the murder. Infuriated and determined to prove her innocence, Winnie unites with her senior citizen friends to investigate who may have had a hand in the young journalist’s death and used Winnie as a scapegoat.

This second in the series is full of quirky characters who feel perfectly enmeshed in the Silver Lake college town. Nosy Mr. Nelson, a lecherous geriatric former sailor, may flirt with every female within his vicinity, but his crusty exterior shields a mushy core that will have him dedicated to helping Winnie save her business. Winnie’s romantic life might be on a back burner, but her creativity continues to be sparked by her D’éclairs éclairs and other inspired delights. Although the sustainability of an on-demand dessert delivery service may be in question, what is never doubtful is the prevalence of delicious creations and humorous dialogue, all led by one very engaging lead heroine.