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Cupcake Crime at Maplewood Bakery: Where the Cupcakes Are Sweet and the Motives Are Sticky
Cupcake Crime at Maplewood Bakery
A cozy mystery with frosting, friendship… and one murder too many.
The Berry Festival was supposed to be Mia Harper’s big break. Instead, it turned into a crime scene—and her cupcake was the murder weapon.
Running Maplewood Bakery has always been Mia’s dream. Her lemon cream-filled, triple-berry cupcakes are local legends, and this year’s Berry Festival bake-off is her shot at finally outshining her glitter-obsessed rival and winning the blue ribbon. But when celebrity judge Hank Devlin drops dead during the tasting—with one of Mia’s cupcakes in his hand—she’s not just out of the competition.
She’s the main suspect.
Now her bakery is shut down by the health department, her reputation is toast, and her future is looking less like a sweet success and more like an episode of Dateline. To clear her name (and reopen her doors), Mia’s going to need more than her signature frosting swirl—she’ll need answers.
Armed with her sharp-witted best friend Emma, a cat with serious attitude, and a growing suspect list that includes a vengeful ex, a shady berry farmer, and a rival baker with a fondness for sabotage, Mia rolls up her sleeves and digs in. But someone in Maplewood doesn’t want the truth to come out. When a threatening package shows up on her doorstep—including a charm linked to someone from her past—Mia realizes the murder wasn’t just personal. It was planned.
And she was supposed to be the target.
Perfect for readers who
🧁 Small-town cozies with snark and heart
🔍 Female sleuths who don’t wait for permission to start investigating
🐾 Cats with opinions and best friends who bake under pressure
🥧 Sweet treats, twisty clues, and second-chance romance
💔 A mystery that goes deeper than frosting and flour
Cupcake Crime at Maplewood Bakery is the first book in a feel-good cozy mystery series full of warmth, sass, and cinnamon-sugar suspense. It’s got a small-town vibe, laugh-out-loud banter, and a heroine who’ll fight to save her business, her name, and her secret recipe—while dodging lies, laced cupcakes, and the one man she thought she was over.
The mystery continues in Book 2—Shortbread Scandal at Maplewood Shelter, coming soon.
A cozy mystery with frosting, friendship… and one murder too many.
The Berry Festival was supposed to be Mia Harper’s big break. Instead, it turned into a crime scene—and her cupcake was the murder weapon.
Running Maplewood Bakery has always been Mia’s dream. Her lemon cream-filled, triple-berry cupcakes are local legends, and this year’s Berry Festival bake-off is her shot at finally outshining her glitter-obsessed rival and winning the blue ribbon. But when celebrity judge Hank Devlin drops dead during the tasting—with one of Mia’s cupcakes in his hand—she’s not just out of the competition.
She’s the main suspect.
Now her bakery is shut down by the health department, her reputation is toast, and her future is looking less like a sweet success and more like an episode of Dateline. To clear her name (and reopen her doors), Mia’s going to need more than her signature frosting swirl—she’ll need answers.
Armed with her sharp-witted best friend Emma, a cat with serious attitude, and a growing suspect list that includes a vengeful ex, a shady berry farmer, and a rival baker with a fondness for sabotage, Mia rolls up her sleeves and digs in. But someone in Maplewood doesn’t want the truth to come out. When a threatening package shows up on her doorstep—including a charm linked to someone from her past—Mia realizes the murder wasn’t just personal. It was planned.
And she was supposed to be the target.
Perfect for readers who
🧁 Small-town cozies with snark and heart
🔍 Female sleuths who don’t wait for permission to start investigating
🐾 Cats with opinions and best friends who bake under pressure
🥧 Sweet treats, twisty clues, and second-chance romance
💔 A mystery that goes deeper than frosting and flour
Cupcake Crime at Maplewood Bakery is the first book in a feel-good cozy mystery series full of warmth, sass, and cinnamon-sugar suspense. It’s got a small-town vibe, laugh-out-loud banter, and a heroine who’ll fight to save her business, her name, and her secret recipe—while dodging lies, laced cupcakes, and the one man she thought she was over.
The mystery continues in Book 2—Shortbread Scandal at Maplewood Shelter, coming soon.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2025
7 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Loyer
5 books15 followersValérie Loyer is a Canadian author and business analyst who writes cozy mysteries with heart, humor, and just enough bite. She’s the author of Cupcake Crime at Maplewood Bakery and Shortbread Scandal at Maplewood Shelter, the first two books in the Baked Whispers Mysteries series.
Outside of fiction, she created UnscatterMagic, a project offering practical tools and gentle structure for ADHD minds seeking balance without the overwhelm.
When she’s not plotting fictional crimes or simplifying complex systems, you’ll find her walking her dog, Dixie, planning her next trip, or trying to finish a thought before it slips away.
Outside of fiction, she created UnscatterMagic, a project offering practical tools and gentle structure for ADHD minds seeking balance without the overwhelm.
When she’s not plotting fictional crimes or simplifying complex systems, you’ll find her walking her dog, Dixie, planning her next trip, or trying to finish a thought before it slips away.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2025
Sweet story about mysteries and second chances
Mia gets a shock when her entry in a baking contest is pointed to as the murder weapon in the death of a foodie judge. Mia and her friend begin to investigate and find way more suspects than she was expecting. One suspect was old flame Ben whom she had hoped to have a second chance with.
As with all first books in a series we get a glimpse of many town residents. I wish this book had been a tad longer to drive more into the Maplewood community, shops and people, so we might come to see the cozy part of this small town whodunit. Definitely worth the read.
Mia gets a shock when her entry in a baking contest is pointed to as the murder weapon in the death of a foodie judge. Mia and her friend begin to investigate and find way more suspects than she was expecting. One suspect was old flame Ben whom she had hoped to have a second chance with.
As with all first books in a series we get a glimpse of many town residents. I wish this book had been a tad longer to drive more into the Maplewood community, shops and people, so we might come to see the cozy part of this small town whodunit. Definitely worth the read.
August 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this deliciously delightful cozy mystery. Mia’s dream comes true when she pours her heart and soul into her business, The Maplewood Bakery.
The local Berry Festival is underway and Mia is entering her famous cupcake into the competition.
When the famous judge Hank Devlin is found dead with one of Mia’s cupcakes in his hand she becomes a suspect and her bakery is shut down and her livelihood is in jeopardy.
Her friend Emma helps her to try and solve the crime. There are four suspects and each has a different motive. Many secrets are uncovered.
When the true killer is uncovered there is a sweet satisfying conclusion and Mia might also have a second chance at friendship and love.
The local Berry Festival is underway and Mia is entering her famous cupcake into the competition.
When the famous judge Hank Devlin is found dead with one of Mia’s cupcakes in his hand she becomes a suspect and her bakery is shut down and her livelihood is in jeopardy.
Her friend Emma helps her to try and solve the crime. There are four suspects and each has a different motive. Many secrets are uncovered.
When the true killer is uncovered there is a sweet satisfying conclusion and Mia might also have a second chance at friendship and love.
October 4, 2025
A sweet and cozy read
This is a quick read, but a fun one. I love Loyer's knack for creative prose (e.g., "Across the counter, Emma nibbled at a corner of a still-warm mini pie, though her expression said she tasted only tension."), and the pacing of her sentences reflects tension or reflection when needed.
I highly recommend this book and series, especially if you love cosy mysteries featuring baking, recipes, and a tiny dash of romance.
This is a quick read, but a fun one. I love Loyer's knack for creative prose (e.g., "Across the counter, Emma nibbled at a corner of a still-warm mini pie, though her expression said she tasted only tension."), and the pacing of her sentences reflects tension or reflection when needed.
I highly recommend this book and series, especially if you love cosy mysteries featuring baking, recipes, and a tiny dash of romance.
October 6, 2025
This is such a weirdly thin story. More like an outline than an actual book. Why?
December 1, 2025
Cozy little read. Felt a little rushed. A local food critic dies during the judging of a food festival. Mia the baker whose cupcake he was eating tries to find out who did it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews