Freaky Fires and Cupcakes: A Small Town Summerfield Cozy Mystery

by Callie March

151 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2025

Reviews

[Samsboeken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freaky Fires and Cupcakes is another sweet and cosy mystery in the Summerfield series. It is short, easy to read, and has that warm small-town feeling that makes this series so enjoyable.

I really liked returning to the characters. Adele is a lovely main character to follow: curious, warm, and just brave enough to get involved when things become suspicious. Baxter adds a lot of charm to the story too. A clue-sniffing dog in a cosy mystery? Yes please. Lucy also brings that cosy cupcake feeling, making Summerfield feel familiar and comforting.

The mystery is light and fun, and as a reader you can play detective along the way. I did notice that my attention slipped a little halfway through the book. I would have loved a few more surprises in the story to keep me fully on my toes.

Still, ‘Freaky Fires and Cupcakes’ is a charming and positive read. It is the perfect book for when you want something light, cosy, and easy to enjoy. Honestly, this was a lovely book to read on a plane: cupcakes, clues, and no turbulence for the brain.

[Zury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the author did a great job in keeping you on your toes with each chapter. By the last few chapters of the book, you already have an idea of the type of person who is causing the fires, but the buildup was clever. It had me stumped as to what was going on. I enjoyed how both Lucy and Adele were strategic in their detective work and how they got the rest of the crew involved towards the end. I loved how in each chapter you get reminded of which POV you're reading between Lucy and Adele. The baker has a lot of baking-related jokes or comparisons to get the point across, which I thought was so cute. While at the bookstore, there were many mentions of her English teacher background and, of course, Baxter. Would be cute to learn more about Baxter since he gives me retired detective or retired police dog vibes lol. The first book was cute as an introduction but this second book far surpassed the first of this series with the writing style and cleverness of it. Overall, a great book that's about a 2-3 hour read. Looking forward to book #3.

[Michelle Kssili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freaky Fires and Cupcakes had a fun premise, but for me, it fell a little flat. The story felt boring at times and was way too predictable, which made it hard to stay fully engaged. I kept hoping for more twists or surprises, but they never really came.

That said, Baxter, the dog was an absolute highlight — easily my favorite part of the book. He added charm and warmth whenever he appeared and honestly stole the scenes he was in.
Overall, it was an okay read, just not one that pulled me in or kept me guessing.