Icing on the Casket

Cookies & Chance Mystery #9

by Catherine Bruns

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes the next humorous romantic Cookies & Chance mystery!

Full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio finally has everything she’s always wanted—a beautiful baby, loving husband, and a thriving business. Now that she’s a mother, Sal has vowed she’ll stay out of future murder investigations. But when her eccentric father’s friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, is found dead in one of his own caskets, Sal's father begs her to help find the killer.

With their famous coffins cookies in hand, Sal and her best friend Josie “undertake” the process of questioning mourners and employees at the funeral home, hoping for a lead to Eddie’s killer. Between a recently fired hearse driver, resentful family members and a wacky, love-struck makeup artist there’s no shortage of suspects. Once again, Sal’s snooping has attracted the attention of a killer, and her good intentions may have only succeeded in digging herself an early grave…

*Recipes Included!*

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Catherine is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in Upstate New York with her very patient husband, three sons and several spoiled pets. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Performing Arts and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. Catherine also writes the Italian Chef, Maple Syrup, and Cindy York mysteries. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally Donovan has her hands full with a new baby, husband, and bakery so when her father wanted her to investigate his mortician friend's murder, she tries to get out of it. But her wacky dad won't take no for an answer so she and her best friend and co-worker Josie set out to find out what they can by catering their famous fortune cookies and new coffin cookies at wake receptions at the funeral home. As always, expect a wild and crazy time as Sally and Josie investigate a murder. Sally seems to attract murders and manages to get herself in the line of danger, sometimes crazy danger. This was a murder with twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end. Another winner to the Cookies & Chance Mysteries!
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

[Sandy Bartles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally Donovan is happy in her life with her bakery, husband and their baby daughter, Cookie. She had decided on giving up solving murders. That is until her father talks her into solving the murder of his good friend, the owner of a local funeral home. The description of the items she and her best friend bake in their bakery makes my mouth water. This is such a wonderful book and terrific series. Each book gets better and better!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icing On The Casket
Cookies & Chance Mystery, Book #9
Catherine Bruns
5 Stars

Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes the next humorous romantic Cookies & Chance mystery!

Full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio finally has everything she’s always wanted—a beautiful baby, loving husband, and a thriving business. Now that she’s a mother, Sal has vowed she’ll stay out of future murder investigations. But when her eccentric father’s friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, is found dead in one of his own caskets, Sal's father begs her to help find the killer.

With their famous coffins cookies in hand, Sal and her best friend Josie “undertake” the process of questioning mourners and employees at the funeral home, hoping for a lead to Eddie’s killer. Between a recently fired hearse driver, resentful family members and a wacky, love-struck makeup artist there’s no shortage of suspects. Once again, Sal’s snooping has attracted the attention of a killer, and her good intentions may have only succeeded in digging herself an early grave…

*Recipes Included!* (Goodreads)

Review:

I really like this series, it has everything I look for in a cozy mystery: engaging characters, humorous situations and an intriguing mystery.

The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. I really enjoyed reading about the struggles of Sally and her husband and their baby, it really showed what it is like to be a new parent. I love the relationship between Sally and Josie, you can tell how much they care about each other. I also enjoy Sal’s family, they are crazy and loveable, and they create some humorous situations.

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions kept me engaged in the book from the beginning. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. I was not completely convinced of the culprit until it was revealed.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. You cannot go wrong reading any of this author's books.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

ICING ON THE CASKET, the ninth book in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries by Catherine Bruns, is another heart-warming addition to an entertaining series! Protagonist Sally Muccio Donovan has finally achieved her heart’s desire: married to her high school sweetheart and finally a mother to an adorable baby girl, nicknamed “Cookie”. Not only that, her cookie shop, Sally’s Samples, is successful and her baker/best friend, Josie, cranks out delicious treats to tempt the town. One of Ms. Bruns greatest strengths is creating characters that readers love to get to know and then follow as the stories unfold. Sally, her friends, and especially her close-knit family are people I enjoy spending several hours with and feeling like I’m a part of their antics. The author paints each scene with vivid words that make them come alive and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as Sally and her husband adjust to parenthood. I’ve also found Sally’s father, Domenic Muccio, and his Father of Death blog quite humorous and I was pleased to see that this newest book gives him a larger role.

When Domenic’s good friend, Eddie, (a funeral home owner) disappears and is subsequently found murdered, her father can’t help but pull Sally into finding out what happened despite her promise she’d steer clear of murderers. Honestly I’ve been a bit squeamish about mothers getting involved in investigations and putting themselves and their children at risk for violence. However, Ms. Bruns does an admirable job of writing an exciting read yet not overstepping the boundaries of what makes me uncomfortable. The investigation takes Sally, her father, and her best friend into the funeral home realm and let me tell you, I had no idea there were so many undertaker and funeral puns and jokes! This humorous approach to finding the killer lightened the scenes and kept me entertained as I turned the pages, without taking a pause, until I’d read the very last word!

With Sally’s Samples taking center stage and with Josie baking tempting cookie treats, it’s a natural fit for delectable cookie recipes to be included at the back of the book. Ms. Bruns does not disappoint and I want to try them all!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you are a devoted fan of a book series, and you open up the latest book in that series, you take the chance that you may not surface until you finish that book. Icing on the Casket is the ninth book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series by Catherine Bruns and the people in this series are my family. I have invested time with the people in this series and I feel what they feel.......

In Icing on the Casket main character Sally Muccio Donovan is a new mom, having given birth to her daughter at the end of Ginger Snapped to Death, the eighth book but even being a new mom cannot stop her from getting involved in solving a murder !!! We know that that is not how she rolls !! And when he father, as crazy as he is, asks for her help, she cannot say no......even though her husband, Mike, is totally against it.

A friend of Sal's father is found in a casket in his family funeral home and, of course, Domenic is the one to find him !! To make matters more complicated the deceased, Eddie, was already embalmed. That might make it easier to solve the case knowing that embalming is not something everyone knows how to do but not for Sally when her father keeps butting into her "investigating".

All Sally wants to do is get a good night's sleep next to her loving husband and enjoy being a new mom and run her bakery with her best friend Josie and let the police solve the murder. Unfortunately she cannot let her father down and she does seem to have a knack of solving cases so what would it hurt to talk to a few people ???

Bruns will, as always, have the reader on the edge of their seat reading this latest installment in the Cookies & Chance mystery series and BOY, OH, BOY......will your heart race when you get to a certain place in the story. I so want to say more but I am not one to give spoilers out, I want the reader to get that heart racing, can't breathe feeling that I always get. And I guarantee that you will get that feeling !!!!

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series! Funny, entertaining, weird and very readable. The family dynamics are tight. The storylines are believable. If you like books about women who are loyal to their friends and families and like good mysteries, then you need to read this one!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great one. Sally and Josie are always fun to read. i can't wait to see what her dad gets into with his new business in the next one.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icing on the Casket earns 5/5 Pine Boxes...Deliciously Entertaining! Catherine Bruns...a favorite author. Cookie and Chance...favorite series. I am greatly entertained by this ninth book with its clever mystery, motives, suspects, and always a challenge to figure out before the ending. Sally and Mike are having a bit of the baby blues, but there’s a whole family of willing babysitters to volunteer since they both are overstretched at work. However, Sally’s dad Domenic is adding to their stress pushing Sal to look into the death of his friend. Eddie Phibbins, director of Phibbins Mortuary, had been missing for forty-eight hours, until found hidden in one of the funeral home’s coffins: dead, embalmed, and all ready for his final send off! Domenic touts Sally’s detective skill, essentially volunteering her skill to the widow. So, she’s got a new born baby to care for, a business to run, several Easter cookie orders to fill, and a murder mystery to solve. Lots of suspects and rumors painting Ed and the business in a bad light. Add her father’s intrusive manner, and it’s just another day in the life of Sally Muccii-Donovan. After nine books, it’s still fresh and engaging with personal peril, again, and justice for all. But, the victim seemed so nice, helpful, who would want him dead? The obvious avenues of interest were included, but misdirection and “I didn’t see that coming” make it quite the page turner. Catherine likes to leave you guessing. Along with the entertaining drama, Catherine’s characters are realistically illustrated in description and dialogue. The Muccio/Donovan/Sullivan families, neighbors, and customers seem reflective of friends and family. Ok, if anyone really knows a “cringe-worthy” Nicoletta Gavelli...I’m sorry. Anyone with a grandmother like Rose? Raise your hand. Of course, life goes on in between the questions, spying, and troublemaking, there’s taking care of the bakery, lots of baking, family dinners, keeping marriages healthy, and taking care of an infant, toddler, and four others. Loved it! BONUS! Catherine adds to several easy-to-follow recipes: Cappuccino Crinkle Cookies, Spiced Apple Sugar Cookies, No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, and Sprinkled Lemonade Cookies. I love it all! Is there a Cookies & Chance cookbook in the future? Let’s see what the fortune cookie says…

Disclosure: I received an ARC from Gemma Halliday Publishing. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.

[RO G'ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icing on the Casket is the ninth book in Catherine Bruns’ awesome Cookies & Chance Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted and flows smoothly in this steadily paced cozy whodunit. The three-dimensional characters are affable, the mystery is interesting, and there’s a perfect mix of mystery, family, friendship, romance, and humor. There are plenty of twists and turns, red herrings, and suspects to keep the reader engaged. Ms. Bruns’ is very talented in descriptive writing and draws the reader in, making them feel like they are participating in the action. I recommend this delightful series to readers who enjoy well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Sally “Sal” Donovan and her husband, Mike, who owns a small construction company, are the proud parents of a four-month-old daughter, Corinne, who they’ve nicknamed Cookie. They’re still adjusting to life with an infant and wondering if they’ll ever have a full night’s sleep or time for each other. Sal is the owner of Sally’s Samples in Colwestern, New York, and Josie Sullivan, her best friend since childhood, is the shop’s talented baker. Sal’s younger sister, Gianna-Gavelli, a successful attorney, and her husband, Johnny, a history teacher, have a one-year-old son named Alex. Grandma Rosa lives with Sal’s parents, Domenic and Maria, and has the adorable habit of mixing up the words in everyday clichés.

Domenic’s been worried about his friend and funeral home owner, Eddie Phibbins, whose wife reported him as missing. When he finds Eddie’s embalmed body in one of his own coffins, he wants Sal to figure out who murdered his friend. Sal tries to tell him that she promised Mike she wouldn’t get involved with murders and investigations now that they were parents, but her dad turns a deaf ear and keeps drawing her in. Mike isn’t at all happy, and neither is Officer Brian Jenkins, but neither of them is surprised when she finds herself deeply involved in the investigation and in harm’s way once again.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sally and Gianna's dad has a friend who has gone missing.
Many people think he left because of some bad press he had been receiving.
Eddie Phibbins is the owner of a mortuary, and Dom finds his body in one of the coffins he keeps for display.

He asks Sally to help him find Eddie's killer, and in doing so puts her in danger again.

This is a well written story that had a little humor, and a lot of stress for the characters.

I lost all respect for Dom in this story, he put finding his friend killer over the importance of
Sally's willingness to honor her husband's wishes and stay out of another murder investigation.
This cause a lot of strife between them, and a lot of unnecessary worry, and friction between Sally and Mike.

Sally's grandmother has always had great intuition, but in ignoring simple advice she was given, Sally put herself into danger once again and almost paid for it with her life.

If this would have been the last adventure for her, I wouldn't have been overly upset. She put herself in the position of being in the danger she was in.

As it is, I have another story in the future to look forward to and really hope Sally has learned her lesson, and will be smarter in the future about how she goes about her investigations.

Yes, I know that the MC's needs to be put in situations that require fast thinking and quick actions to come out of the situations in a positive manner. But they also need to be smart in the manner they do things.

I really struggled with the rating on this one, and almost gave it a 3 instead of a 4. While it's true I didn't like many of the actions that the characters did, but that's part of the story, so I rated it on the writing itself.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

bought for 99 cents 4 9 2025, so glad i got it, i want to read the whole series

i love this series
she owns a bakery
she got married and has a little baby girl
her father is obsessed with funerals and has a coffin in her old bedroom (it was in the living room)

his good friend who owns the funeral home was murdered, he found him in the coffin
the mans brother is mad the father left the funeral home to his brother and nothing to him, he wants to buy it from the widow who never wanted it. its in the red, the owner had a gambling problem. one of his employees stole urns and sold them on ebay and now customers are saying their jewelry was stolen from dead people

her dad is insisting she figure out who killed his friend. her husband is mad, she is always tired from the baby and bakery and has no time for him

she starts looking into who killed his friend and her parents neighbors house gets firebombed. they mixed up her house and her parents. the neighbor is her sisters husbands mom and she insists on staying with them , her sister cant stand her and they dont get along. no one gets along with her

the wife of the dead man and his brother have her in the funeral home and hurt her
they put her in a coffin, but it was a cheap one and she managed to get out. they were fighting with her but her friend let the police know she was missing and they guessed where she was so she was saved

her dad ended up buying the funeral home!

[Bonnie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc in return for an honest review.
I have enjoyed every book I've read by Catherine Bruns. You are guaranteed a good mystery, great characters, laugh out loud moments and many great recipes. You do not need to read all of the books in order, but it's definitely more fun. In this book, Sal (Sally), who can't help but get involved in solving mysteries, finds out that her Dad's mortician friend is found dead in one of his caskets. Naturally, she just has to take some goodies from her shop, Sally's Samples, where her best friend Josie is the baker, to the funeral home. Now that she is Mom to 4 month old Cookie (Corrine), she has promised her husband Mike that she'll stay away from murders. Spoiler alert: that doesn't happen. This mystery has so many fun characters, twists and turns and family moments that it was hard to put down. Each book in the series just keeps getting better and better.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's yet another great cozy in a loveable series, that will keep you up past your bedtime to read "just one more chapter." No spoilers in my review, but here's what you need to know: Does well as a standalone but you will want to go back and read the others for the backstory, this cozy is full of wonderful characters that can't help themselves when it comes to getting involved in finding a body and helping to solve the murder. There is some humor for a laugh out loud moment or two or three, twists and turns and situations that you just don't see coming, and each time you think you've solved the mystery, alas, the reader is taken in a completely different direction. And don't forget the recipes included. Catherine Bruns certainly delivers to meet the expectations of every cozy lover out there. This book was an ARC and I am delighted to leave my honest review. I can hardly wait for the next in the series!

[Julie Trapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio finally has everything she’s always wanted—a beautiful baby, loving husband, and a thriving business. Now that she’s a mother, Sal has vowed she’ll stay out of future murder investigations. But when her eccentric father’s friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, is found dead in one of his own caskets, Sal's father begs her to help find the killer. With their famous coffins cookies in hand, Sal and her best friend Josie “undertake” the process of questioning mourners and employees at the funeral home, hoping for a lead to Eddie’s killer. [amazon synopsis]

OMG!!! If those old bats don't annoy you to death, this could be a good mystery. Sally has a strange family - and not in a good way. A twit for a mother and a disgusting father. I just might be done with this series.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally has promised Mike that she won’t get involved in any more murder investigations. She really wants to concentrate on her new baby daughter and her bakery. When her father finds the body of his close friend in a casket at the funeral home he asks her to help investigate. There is a crazy cast of characters in this book, from Sal’s family, the employees at the funeral home, and all the mourners involved. It seems if Sal has asked questions in the right places as she appears to become a target herself. This is a very entertaining cozy mystery!

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sally Muccio has a prospering bakery, a great husband and a beautiful baby.
And she has vowed to stay out of any future murder investigations.
Unfortunately her father's friend, the owner of the local mortuary has passed away under mysterious circumstances. Her father is very distraught and asks Sally to find the killer.
Sal and Josie her baker go to the funeral parlor to take over some of their famous coffin cookies and start to question some of the employees about what they saw.
Sally finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer and may not come out of this on alive..
Fun cozy series.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun visit with Sally Donovan and family. New mother Sal is struggling (like most moms) to adjust to the many extra demands of 4 month old baby Cookie. Saddled with wacko parents, she gets pulled into a murder investigation of her father's funeral home owning friend. Packed with mystery and dangers, so many side issues keep Sal on her toes. Without caffeine the struggle is daunting. Good thing she has friends and family to help!
A wonderful addition to this terrific series!

[K Huskić · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her father's friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, goes missing and is later found dead, Sally's father enlists her help to solve the case.

Sally, who has a newborn and is suffering with sleep deprivation, has marital issues and has her own business to run, very reluctantly agrees to help. How can she say no to family?

This was another fun addition to the series, with all the usual characters - a few more quirky than others! A great read!

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icing on the Casket is a wonderful mix of mystery, family, and humor. I love the Cookies & Chance mysteries. What happens after the murder is solved is absolutely perfect for this crazy family. The characters are so well done that they have become like family for me. Sally's dad is insisting she help with the case of his missing friend - despite Sally's promise to Mike to stay out of things. There are lots of clues and several suspects in this well paced mystery. I could not put it down.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting cozy mystery set in a funeral home when a dead body is found in casket, and not one that was supposed to be there. When the owner of the funeral home is found murder and stuffed into a casket, the MC and her father, who sometimes works at the home, have to find out who the killer is before there are more murders. It is a quick read and a good one for mystery lovers.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally thought she could give up investigating now that she is happily married and has a baby, but after a mortician friend of her father is found dead in one of his own caskets, she has to help. So many suspects. Lots of twists and turns in this fun cozy mystery! I loved this book!

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love everything about this series. Not only do you get a mystery with every story but the comedy is amazing. Every book is a delight to read. I hope there will be many more in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute series. Love the mysteries and the characters. I look forward to reading more.