The Cupcake Caper

 

AMAZON

***** 5.0 out of 5 stars Kelle Z Riley's The Cupcake Caper

ByCarol Smithon November 5, 2016

Format: Paperback

Fresh and unique!! Incorporates scientific research data recording with investigating and solving a murder. Dr Bree (Gabriella) Mayfield-Watson arrives at work. When she attempts to swipe her pass card, she finds she does not have it??? Going to a meeting with her boss, it is discovered he is dead in his office. The detectives discover that Bree’s card was used to sign into the building earlier than when she says she arrived. Who used her card to sign into the facility?

The death is found to be murder with a chemical used in Bree’s lab. How did the chemical get into the boss’s system? Bree is being set up. She decides to approach the murderer by using the deductive methods used when she does her research projects. Will this work??

Bree adopts her former boss’s cat, Sherlock so that the cat has someone to care for him. Little does she know Sherlock will provide the best clue to the murderer. A fun read with suspense, plenty of mystery, murder, drama, vivid and interesting characters is an intriguing plot.

I volunteered to read this book. Thanks to the author via Facebook’s Cozy Mystery Review Team for the book. My opinion is my own.

 

**** 4.0 out of 5 stars  A smart and engaging main character and new cozy series, November 12, 2016

I'm a cozy kinda gal. ALWAYS looking for the next cozy read and this one came across my path. I started reading it and was surprised to find a smart, intelligent business woman who I could relate to and started reading with gusto. Until my puppy decided he wanted to devour the book as well. Luckily I found another copy and was able to finish the story.

Bree is a scientist that has a way of approaching most of her life the way you she does her science....with facts, notes and analysis. From the lab to cooking she experiments and documents everything the same way. When her boss turns up dead and she's being framed for murder, Bree's scientific mind kicks in and she finds herself trying to solve the murder with the same scientific approach.

From cooking up yummy treats to sleuthing, Bree is does her best to stick to the facts and uncover the murderer before she is arrested for something she didn't do. When her data helps her determine who the murdered is, will she be able to get to the police in time or will he be the next victim?

Be sure to check out the yummy recipes included and take a completely different look at the science of cooking.

 

**** 4.0 out of 5 stars I'm not a science person but I enjoyed seeing how one works and it was an interesting ...ByLindaon November 4, 2016

Format: Paperback

Very enjoyable first book in the series. We meet Bree just as her orderly, scientific life gets turned upside down and she gets to employ her armchair detective skills. I'm not a science person but I enjoyed seeing how one works and it was an interesting take on solving a murder by using her skills and methods as a scientist (also fun seeing that in her baking!). I got to use my armchair detecting skills as I was able to come up with the cause of death right away but not the means and definitely not the murderer, I was in the dark as much as Bree. There are also some romantic possibilities on the horizon so I'm interested to see what happens there. I also liked how the recipes at the end of the book were set up like science experiments, complete with metric measurements. I think this might be helpful to readers outside the USA who want to make the yummy sounding treats. Go Bucks!!

 

5.0 out of 5 starsCozy Meets Science!

***** 5.0 out of 5 stars By C. Fowler on November 21, 2016  Cozy Meets Science!

Format: Paperback

I really enjoyed The Cupcake Caper which is the first book in the Undercover Cat Series. Dr. Bree Mayfield-Watson works for the Chemical Industries Corporation (CIC) and one morning discovers her boss, Buckminster Davis, dead in his office. "Buckster" was not well-liked at CIC, so there is no shortage of suspects, and Bree is the main one as far as the police are concerned. Using her training as a scientist and analyst, she is determined to find the real killer and clear her name.

This book is fast-paced and Bree is very likable, intelligent and determined. I found her analytical approach to the murder interesting and was amused at how she used the same approach when coming up with recipes for the sweets she baked for the company, which was quite often. The book also includes recipes, which sound delicious. I was kept guessing until the end as to the identity of the killer, and was impressed with how Bree's logic and theories flushed the killer out.

I highly recommend this book, and am really looking forward to the next one in this wonderful new series.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book, and the the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

 

Interesting new Mystery Series

***** 5.0 out of 5 stars By Kelly Pfister on November 18, 2016

Format: Paperback

This is a great start to a new series. Lots of twists and turns, with a scientific twist as the main character is a scientist. Bree goes into her boss' office, only to find that he is dead. Using scientific deduction, Bree works on figuring out who the murderer is.

Additionally, the recipes in this book are written as if they are for science projects- listing raw materials and synthesis. As an Ohioan, I was amused to find a recipe for Buckeye Brownies in this book!

I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to the next book in this series!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from the Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

 

 

 

**** 4.0 out of 5 stars  Fun new mystery series. Cannot wait for more

ByMichelle Palmeron November 21, 2016

Format: Paperback

A fun and well-paced mystery set in a new setting: A chemical company. A scientist working at a chemical company arrives at work to discover her boss has been murdered. Several people believe she is the culprit since she has much to gain from his death so she decides she needs to investigate.

Two hot guys are showing an interest in her. One works in the marketing department of her company while the other is one of the detectives investigating the murder. There is light flirtation between the characters.

The characters were fun and three-dimensional. The setting was well described. The plotting was well paced and full of twists.

 

 

**** 4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing as a lemon cupcake!

ByMelissa Lowrieon November 19, 2016

Format: Paperback

I found The Cupcake Caper by Kelle Z. Riley be as refreshing as a lemon cupcake! Dr. Bree (Gabriella) Watson has been on the road for work and is running behind as she comes into the office on a Monday morning. To add to her chagrin, she is unable to locate her key card to get into the building. Her day continues to worse and she is scheduled to have a meeting with her boss and walks into his office to find him lying on the floor. It’s later determined that her boss was murdered and Bree can’t help but put her scientific mind to work trying to solve the puzzle of who might have wanted him dead and why.

The character interaction throughout the book is entertaining and the characters, especially the main ones, are very well developed. Bree is funny and smart, and reading about her escapades is captivating. In addition to getting wrapped up in solving the murder, she also finds herself caring for her boss’s cranky cat, fighting an attraction to her co-worker who is married and who she believes may be a killer, and dealing with a handsome detective on the case.

 

*****  5.0 out of 5 stars Murder, cupcakes, cats Oh My

ByAntonette C Nymanon November 17, 2016

Format: Paperback

This is the first book in a new series and it is very well written. The main character, Bree, is a smart, self sufficient scientist. This story has so many twists it is hard to know where to start. She walks into her bosses office only to find him dead on the floor. She immediately starts using her scientific skills to solve the murder even though she is one of the prime suspects. She needs to find out who framed her and quickly. The good looking marketing manager could be a contract killer or is trying to keep her safe. There is a good cop and a bad cop investigating the case and good cop is also good-looking! She feels that solving a murder case is no different than solving science puzzles and secret recipe ingredients. She soon finds out different which makes for a very interesting story. This book is mostly about her work and the murder with just a touch of romance which is quite refreshing. It is a must read for mystery lovers.

 

*****  5.0 out of 5 stars5.0 out of 5 starsAn enjoyable cozy

ByCentralEast2on November 16, 2016

Format: Paperback

I enjoyed this mystery that had a different take on solving things. Dr. Bree Watcon meshes together her love of science and solving puzzles with the mystery that she faces of finding her boss dead. She finds herself juggling all the clues as well as the detective who is on the case. Along with this she has a menagerie of animals to take care of including a cranky cat and a goose chasing dog. I also enjoyed the recipes and the introduction to this undercover caper.
I received a free copy of this book, the review is voluntary and my own.

*****  5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!

ByKatherine Asbery , MAon October 11, 2016

Format: Paperback

This is the first in a new series and it will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to read what happens in the next books with the cat the heroine Dr. Bree Watson ends up with in this story. Full of hapstances that could really occur in your daily life, Bree takes things one piece at a time until she figures out what is going on. It was a light hearted, suspenseful story with well defined characters and a steady plot. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. The recipes are a hit as well.

 

 

NET GALLEY

 

16 votes  3.8/5 stars

1.       Debra Menard -- Last updated on 29 Oct 2016

I Recommend This Book ****

Review

Last updated on 29 Oct 2016

Cute book,you wouldn't like reading a book about cupcakes.

 

2.       Kai Rochford -- Last updated on 07 Nov 2016

I Recommend This Book*****  Strongly

Review

Last updated on 07 Nov 2016

Provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

 

An excellent start to the series!  I loved the main character from the beginning.  Bree is a great chemist and logical, so sleuthing comes a little naturally to her.  Working out puzzles is part of her daily job.  She's very human and very relatable.  It was easy to empathise with some of her feelings of inadequacy and self doubt, but she got over those pretty quickly and marched forward to the conclusion of the book.  Definitely would recommend and can't wait for the next instalment!

 

3.       Faouzia Ben Khoud -- Last updated on 08 Nov 2016

I Recommend This Book ****  Yes

Review

Last updated on 08 Nov 2016

This was a very enjoyable and refreshing mystery. A brilliant chemist with great cooking/experimenting abilities, a dead boss, a mysterious sexy colleague, an irresistible detective and a grumpy cat. What more can we ask for! Oh yes, someone also wants her dead!

The mix was so good and the result was a very interesting story.

And once i started reading, i couldn't stop. I finished it in a day which is not very usual for me!

 

Dr Bree Mayfield-Watson is a fascinating character. I really liked her and it was funny to follow her with her own investigation of the murder, her hypothesis and her almost failed attempts to improve her social skills. I found that most of the character were very interesting and we have an insight on most of them, which would be helpful for the next books of the series i guess.

I can't wait for the next one.

 

I also liked very much the final touch of the Author. Putting some of the "invented" recipes of Dr Bree was a very good idea. Can't wait to try them.

I recommend this book to my friends.

 

4.       Erika Dunn -*****- Last updated on 11 Nov 2016

I Recommend This Book   StronglyReview

Last updated on 11 Nov 2016

I received the unpublished The Cupcake Caper by Kelle Riley for free to read and review. I have not read anything by author Kelle Riley before I like the author style of writing.  I find this is going to be an interesting series. Scientist that is a detective. The series is Undercover cat  I am excited to see where they take this series and how it ties into the name of the series. The book started a little slow but a quarter of the way through picked up. Some of the science terms and explanation was a little over the top at times but I think it needed to be explained on how the answers came to be. I am curious to read the next book in the series to see where they take it from there and how Bree handles her career change. And if there is going to be any romance between Matthew or James O'Neil. I would recommend this book to bakers, crime solvers and anyone up for a new series!

 

5.       Daisy Mae (Reviewer) has just reviewed The Cupcake Caper.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Full Text:
I don't know what it was but I simply couldn't even finish the book, it had everything for me to love it but the writing was just meh at best. Didn't pull me in.

 

6.       Irene Squib (Reviewer) has just reviewed The Cupcake Caper.

Full Text:
Very interesting and different premise for a new series. At least to me. A brainiac, brilliant, easy-to-relate-to female protagonist. Really left me guessing as to the culprit until the end. Especially liked the way Ms. Riley left it open for the continuation of the series. Very good job!

Links:

Member Email: noirsmom09@gmail.com

Member Profile: https://s2.netgalley.com/publisher/member/308965

 

7.       I Recommend This Book F.E. Duivis   Maybe  ***  3 out of 5Review

Last updated on 15 Nov 2016

This is a murder mystery that contains geese, cats, rats and toxics. And of course cupcakes. Bree, short for Gabrielle, is a chemist and an avid cupcake baker. She tries to solve the murder of her boss Buckster. Not many women at her work liked him, but that doesn't mean they wanted him dead. Bree is determined to find out who is responsible, because it seems she is the main suspect. 

The recipes for everything Bree tried to cook at home is included in the book.

 

8.    Connie Stein                       no star rating
-- Last updated on 22 Nov 2016

Review

Last updated on 22 Nov 2016

I loved The Cupcake Caper which is the first book in the Undercover Cat Series. Dr. Bree Mayfield-Watson works for a Chemical Company and discovers her boss, Buckminster Davis, dead in his office. There are no shortage of suspects, and Bree is the main suspect.  She uses here scientific background and her love of problem solving to try to figure out the murderer. 

This book is fast-paced book with a lot of twist and turns.  I found her analytical approach to the murder interesting and loved that she used the same approach when coming up with recipes for the sweets she baked for all the employees at the company. The book also includes recipes that she created.  This book kept me guessing who the murderer was until the end.

 

I volunteered to read this book. Thanks to the author via NetGalley for the book.  My opinion is my own.

 

 

9.      I Recommend This Book *****    Strongly

Review Laura Collins

Last updated on 22 Nov 2016

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author.

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Member Links

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1817951605  

 

 

10.   Mandie Griffiths  4/5

 Last updated on 25 Nov 2016

Last updated on 25 Nov 2016

Science is about solving puzzles. Why should solving a murder be any different? Dr Bree Watson is comfortable solving chemistry problems. She isn't comfortable finding her boss dead and being a suspect in his poisoning.

The Cupcake Caper is the first in the Undercover Cat series by Kelle Z Riley. This is a cozy mystery book and a change from the style I have been reading a lot of lately.but a welcome change of pace.

Bree is your typical scientist who loves solving problems  however when she turns up to work for a meeting with her boss it sets her off on a murder investigation that ultimately puts her life in danger. Her analytical mind goes into overdrive and she starts making notes on all her observations on the crime scene and the staff present at the company. She has a couple of friends in the company that she can trust but once she becomes a prime suspect she keeps what she is doing to herself. She finds herself in line to take over the position once held by her boss and she uses this to talk to people in the hopes of finding the murderer. What she does find is a lot of gossip and secrets that point to any number of people being the culprit.

I did wonder to start with why this book had the title of The Cupcake Caper and why it was classed as an undercover cat mystery. Apart from being a top Scientist Bree likes to bake as she sees this as another type of experiment (one where she gets to try out different flavour combinations). The cat belonged to her boss and after his murder Bree takes it upon herself to look after him (aptly nicknamed Sherlock by one of the Detectives on the case). In the end both Cupcakes and the cat have clues that lead to the identity of the killer.

I enjoyed this book as the main character in the story was both intelligent and analytical, dealing with everything in a methodical manner while not deliberately putting herself of her friends in danger with her investigations. She also made sure that she provided the police with any information that she found despite being the main suspect rather than hindering their investigations by keeping this information to herself. I look forward to further books in the series to see how Bree deals with her new career in the aftermath of the company she worked for being sold.

There is a lovely bit at the end of the book too where you can try all the recipes that Bree uses for her cupcakes...they sound so nice even a lazy baker like me is tempted to try them....maybe I could try them out on my colleagues at work......

 

r Links

http://www.amazon.co.uk

http://www.goodreads.com

 

 

11.   Susan Johnston 
-- Last updated on 29 Nov 2016

Princess Fuzzypants here:When I saw the cover and write-up, I expected this to be a very lightweight cozy.  It turned out to be so much more.  That is not to say the book is not frothy and fun but the characters have more substance.  It's the first of a series and I think it has lots of potential.  Bree is a brilliant chemist and fascinating character.It doesn't hurt that she is adopted by Sherlock, the cat who previously owned the murder victim.  I was purring at the interaction between those two as they got to know each other.What sets this book apart is the quality of the mystery and the skills used to uncover the bad guy.  I did wonder if he might be the one earlier in the piece but not for the reason he did it.  It's a fast read yet satisfying.  It might be a cupcake caper but it is meaty as well.I give this five purrs and two paws up 

 

12.  ezza syuhada   Last updated on 02 Dec 2016  3/5 stars

The book was okay for me. The protagonist is Bree and sometimes I find myself quite annoyed or exasperated by this heroine. I admire that she is an excellent chemist, has a PhD, is a hardworker and keeps studious notes on everything form her cooking to her detective work but at times I find her reaction to be that of a teenager rather than that of an accomplished woman.

 

Also, I find the plot to be so monotonous. It was so monotonous for me that when we get to the part  of uncovering the killer it lost its momentum for me and I am like "oh wow, that was it?". The plot is pretty much about Bree talking to her co-workers and trying to be an amateur detective which is cool in my books but it lacks humor and it lacks any type of hook to reel the readers in. I also find myself disappointed that Bree's love life did not advance much as there was no clear indication of who she will be with in the book. I mean what is the damn point of making it a romance if there was barely even any flirtation going on? I am not too sure if I will continue to read the second book in the Undercover Cat Series, it all depends on how the plot will improve.

 

 

 

13.   Stephanie Ayadassen 
-- Last updated on 04 Dec 2016     5/5

I Recommend This Book     Strongly   5/5 

Last updated on 04 Dec 2016

Great book,  loved the storyline and the characters.

 

 

14.   Lisa Morin 
-- Last updated on 04 Dec 2016     3/5

This book, The Cupcake Caper puts a new spin on the cozy mystery series. Dr. Watson is a chemist, a true lover of all things science.Finding a dead body doesn't make her happy and neither does being a suspect in the murder.  While I wasn't swept away by the book, the story was unique and refreshing. It always fun to read a new style of cozy mystery. I will most likely read the next one in the series. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1829767023