Beagles Love Cupcake Crimes

The Beagle Diner Cozy Mysteries #1

by C.A. Phipps

If you love cooking wrapped around a mystery, then this is the series for you!
Is this Murder, She Baked?

Cooking is all celebrity chef Lyra St. Claire ever wanted to do. Plucked from school and being thrown into the limelight was not the plan. When everything goes wrong, she yearns for her hometown and a simpler life. Where people aren’t pretending to be your friend.

But first, she must find a murderer. Sure, it isn't the wisest thing to do, but since the police have no leads, and Cinnamon the beagle agrees, it's time to sniff out who dislikes Lyra and her friends enough to ruin their lives.

Crimes and clues aside, what could be the motive?

Beagle Diner Cozy Mysteries features one clever beagle who owns a celebrity chef and together they discover a talent for the amateur sleuth business.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Dogs, Animals, Amazon

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2021

About the author

C. A. Phipps is a USA Today best-selling author from beautiful New Zealand. Cheryl lives in a quiet suburb with her wonderful husband of more than four decades.

With a large family to keep her busy when she's not writing, there is just enough space for a crazy mixed breed dog who stole her heart!

She enjoys family times, baking, rambling walks, and her quest for the perfect latte.

You can find her at www.caphipps.com

C. A. Phipps also writes romance as Cheryl Phipps at www.cherylphipps.com.

Reviews

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming the Chef by C.A. Phipps is the fourth A Celebrity Corgi Romance. Lyra and Kaden were friends in culinary school, but fates conspired to keep them apart. They have now reconnected, and it is like they have never been apart. Someone, though, is not happy for the chefs and takes matters into his own hands. Lyra St. Claire is a strong female character with a plus-sized figure. I like that this series features females who are not a size six. Cinnamon, Lyra’s corgi, is a wonderful companion and friend to Lyra. There is romance, cooking and intrigue in this charming story. Charming the Chef contains good writing and it proceeds at a snappy pace. I liked the chemistry between Lyra and Kaden plus the way they were at ease with each other. There are great secondary characters like Maggie, Dan and Colin (he adds humor too). We get to see how hard it is to run a restaurant and pull off big events. It takes a team as we see in Charming the Chef. I do wish there had been an epilogue to show how the couple are faring a little way into the future. Charming the Chef has delectable dishes, heated situations, a cuddly canine, and two captivated chefs.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A celebrity chef is having problems with her agent, and people around her keep dying. She goes to Portland, to emcee a contest, and meets a lost love. Strange things start to happen. The love's restaurant burns down. Someone tries to run over him with a car.

All the deaths happen off the page, as does the solution. I'm not really sure this qualifies as a mystery.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fun cozy mystery. The characters are great especially Cinnamon the beagle. I enjoyed the twists and turns that kept me guessing.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just call me a little Cinnamon on the side! Can you tell my owner's a chef and proud of it?!🐶
August 2, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
👍💕4.5 🌟stars🐶🍴
A great combination of romance and intrigue with a loyal Corgi companion that adds a bit of warmth to the tale. Two🍴🔪 chefs who lost each other's close friendship along Lyra's way to fame and fortune reconnect and voila, a restaurant romance unfolds. Geographic distance, competing work schedules and a villain or two conspire against their reunion becoming a continuing relationship. All the makings for a good story with just enough adversity to make them work at it! Meanwhile, Lyra's rescue Corgi Cinnamon provides emotional support but no shenanigans. What a go-o-o-d dog!🐶

This is a sweet story with some minor violence that ends on a positive note, but I might wish for an epilogue that takes their story a little further along the line.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being the first of the series, I would have appreciated more character development. Also for as many different money making opportunities, an accountant would have helped with the financial situation. It was a quick read.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh I just love this little beagle, Cinnamon! I was kinda wondering about the whole Beagle Diner series name as I read, but figured this book was more to give readers a background on Lyra and how said diner came to be. There's a nice excerpt from the next book at the end which tells a little about it, and I signed up to get the author's newsletter after being enticed by the words "bonus epilogue" to this story (available only through the newsletter and BookFunnel.)

I really grew to like Lyra and her whole crew: Maggie, Dan and once they were back to the restaurant the crew included George, Jim the pilot and James the chef. They were all just awesome good people, (I honestly think Dan or George would've taken a bullet for Lyra) and it made me happy to hear what transpired later in the book. Boy, the showdown was a little nail biting, but apparently Lyra had expected the perp to show up. Now I'm eager to read that little bonus epilogue and get going on book two which I'll borrow in KU as well when it's available.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was delightful. The well written storyline combines lots of emotions, tension, drama, intrigue, sweetness and romance into a flavorful seasoning that is then librerally sprinkled throughout this friends to rivals romance. I liked Lyra and Kayden and I felt that their relationship struggles were very realistic. It is so easy to lose the people you care about (be they friends, lovers or even family) on the road to success if you are not extra careful. Cinnamon was just adorable! A terrific read that is filled with charm and heart. This is my honest, voluntary review.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beagles Love Cupcake Crimes is a delight! I had so much fun reading this book. Lyra and Kaden trained together in culinary school. Their friendship ended when she left to star in a cooking TV show. Four years later the friendship is renewed when she happens to eat at his restaurant. This book has it all: good friends, romance, intrigue, murder, a darling beagle. schemers, celebrity weddings (Lyra helping Kaden for the mayor's daughter; Kaden helping Lira for a movie star's wedding), and successful restaurants in different states. You do not want to miss this interesting mystery.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Professional chef Lyra St. Claire has had a lot on her plate since she was first whisked away to fame and fortune. She's happy to be able to support animal charities on behalf of her furbaby Cinnamon the Beagle and to help up and coming chefs like judging this new food competition. Before she leaves Portland for Boise, Lyra learns one of the competition contestants has died. The police rule death by suicide but Lyra's assistant Maggie isn't so sure. When Lyra tries to help the dead woman's parents, they blame her instead. Moving on back to Portland and the winner of the reality competition means Lyra has to deal with nasty paparazzi, the lack of involvement of her manager Symon and the reappearance of her old best friend from chef school, Kaden, who wants nothing to do with the woman who left him in the dust. Lyra must figure out how to make amends. As Lyra and Kaden become close again, mysterious things begin to happen. Lyra is certain Symon is behind at least some of them but how can she prove it?

I really liked this modern cooking themed/dog themed cozy. It sure seems like it starts with a bang but then nothing happens until the halfway mark but it comes together at the end. The conclusion was very rushed and I was confused as to why the series is titled what it is. I signed up for the author's newsletter and bonus epilogue which answered my question.

I liked the characters well enough. I love to bake and watch all the baking shows on TV. I have read a few other mysteries taking place behind-the-scenes of reality TV but this was different. This book shows you what happens once the person WINS. Lyra's life is way too frantic for me. She's on the go constantly, barely ever sleeping in her apartment in L.A. and never returning to her hometown. She allows her sleazy manager to dictate her life, trusting him to do the right thing, which he obviously isn't. Lyra is a non-confrontational person. She can't even tell her mom she doesn't like her mom's boyfriend let alone tell her manager he's fired. Her best friend is her Beagle, Cinnamon. Cinnamon is so adorable! She knows exactly when people need her to look into their eyes with her own liquid ink dark eyes and melt. She melts hearts left and right with her sweet charm. She loves her Mommy and is a better judge of character than Lyra. Lyra should know Symon is shady because of the way Cinnamon reacts to him.

Lyra's best human friend Maggie is a sweetheart. She's way too selfless and devoted to be real. She's given up her own hopes and dreams to help Lyra. I like Maggie's intelligence and good humor but feel bad she's given up everything and has to settle for being a celebrity assistant. Lyra has two other good friends in her entourage. There's Dan, her driver, who sometimes acts as bodyguard. Like Maggie, he's devoted to Lyra and will go anywhere with her. There's also her pilot, Jim, a good friend, along with his wife, who has a great sense of humor and keeps Lyra grounded. Her staff seem devoted to her as well. There's James, the head chef, who indicates he can run things without her but something made me pause and wonder whether he was telling the truth. George, the maitre d is fun and keeps the front of the house running smoothly with or without Lyra. Then there's Kaden. Lyra's best friend from chef school was left in the dust when she became famous. He is not at all happy about that and is angry she didn't try to keep in touch. Now as successful as he always hoped, Kaden isn't interested in Lyra's excuses and attempts at reconciliation but is willing to start small and accept help when he needs it most. Maggie and Dan try to play matchmaker and I think even Cinnamon is as well. Lyra denies having feelings for Kaden but I think they have good chemistry and a shared passion for cooking but as she states, both are too busy for a relationship. I don't really feel sorry for Lyra but at the same time, she didn't ask for fame and fortune, she was discovered. Still, she should put her foot down more often and just state what she wants and if she doesn't get it, fire the manger!

In the negative column, are Lyra's manager Symon. It's obvious from the get-go that he's a shady dude and doesn't have Lyra's best interests at heart. He's a fan of the saying all publicity is good publicity and there's no such thing as bad publicity. Symon causes a lot of trouble and doesn't even care about Lyra's physical or mental well-being, only the money she brings in. He's tight with the paparazzo photog, Duane, who keeps bothering Lyra with his slimy insinuations, turning innocent moments into sordid stories. The first death occurs while the reality show is filming. A contestant, Justine Long, fell from her balcony. None of the other contestants liked her at all. Justine was the mean girl who made life difficult even for Lyra. Justine was super jealous of all Lyra had and determined to make Lyra look bad while making herself look good. This doesn't sound like a woman on the verge of suicide. Another awful contestant is the winner from Boise, Cameron Willett. He creates an embarrassing situation for Lyra and puts her on the spot. I think, like Justine, he craves fame and fortune. The overall winner, Adam, is whiny and needy and also tries to put Lyra in a tough spot.

I want to read the next book in the series which sounds like it might be more to my liking being set in a diner but it's not available until December. Poo!

At Phoenix, Kaden's restaurant, Rita Lowe, in charge of vegetables, seems suspicious to me. I sense she's jealous of Lyra and possibly wants to romance Kaden to rise to the top. She's suspicious but I don't know what she's up to. Rita is arrogant at best.

Colin from Phoenix is a great guy. Kaden is lucky to have someone easy going and with a good sense of humor to manage the restaurant. Angie, the waitress, dreams of becoming a chef. She's a sweet young woman with big dreams and needs someone decent to look after her who won't ruin her life. Lyra's accounts person, Lisa, hands Lyra some papers just as Lyra is getting back to business. She indicates they've switched suppliers. Is she in league with James or only doing what he told her to do? I don't trust her.

There are two celebrity weddings in this book and of course they both go off mostly without a hitch and the brides are nice and not bridezillas. Like that's realistic!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyra, Cinnamon and Kaden make a great team. Lyra and Kaden reunite years later after a misunderstanding. Loved how they helped each other and rekindled their friendship. Lyra's assistant Maggie is the absolute best. When a crime is committed Lyra just has to get involved in solving the case. Looking forward to more books in this series.

[dnsyl57 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celebrity chef Lyra St Claire seemed to have it all but a lot of strange things were happening. A contestant in a cooking contest she was judging died, her manager wasn't as active in protecting her interests and many other incidents were leading her to believe someone was out to destroy her and her reputation.

This is the first book in the new series from C A Phipps. A fun read but my early suspicion of the culprit proved to be correct. Yes there were a few decent suspects and some may have been guilty of other actions which helped to keep me interested and wondering just how all of this would play out and who would be left standing.

A handful of minor errors could have been caught with another proof read but overall a good read.

One thing that I found rather annoying and a bit tacky on the authors part was requiring readers to sign up for her email newsletter in order to receive an epilogue to this book. I reluctantly signed up out of curiosity. What I downloaded and read nicely tied up some unanswered questions and did a decent set up for the next phase of Lara's life. As this is the first book of hers that I've read, I don't know if this is a regular practice or a one off but either way it is a shameless ploy to get more subscribers.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many of Cheryl Phipps cozy mysteries and have enjoyed them all. In this we have Lyra, chef extraordinaire who is finding her life as a star not all it’s cracked up to be. When things start to happen, including a murder, she starts to get paranoid. Add in her old friend, Kaden, and things get even more interesting and dangerous. Will Lyra solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Hoping we get to see more of Lyra and Kaden in future books in this series... I don’t think their story is over just yet...

[Carole Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Puppies, cupcakes, and crime? Sign me up! Plus it was free ;)

Here we follow celebrity chef Lyra and her sidekick Cinnamon. She loves cooking, but being thrown into the limelight was not the plan and not everything it cracked up to be. She wants to go back home, but first....there is a murder that needs solving. The police has no leads and nothing is being done. Who hates Lyra and her friends so much to commit murder??

Okay. Maybe I need a break from the genre. This is the 3rd one in a row that I have been left feeling super, duper meh. Maybe it's me? Maybe I'm the problem!?!?!?!?

Nothing was necessarily wrong with this. I liked the characters. Loved the puppy. The murder was a decent whodunnit....but I just couldn't care. I only stuck around to see who did the crimes. I felt zero connection with anything or anything MINUS the puppy. I have a soft spot for cute ass animals and Cinnamon was a puppy that stole my heart.

But yes...this didn't hit the mark, but this is the 3rd one in a row of this genre so I will step away for a bit. Cleanse the palate if you will.

2 stars from me. Cinnamon gets a whole star!


ONE WORD SUMMARY: Disappointing

[Nancy Garbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming “friends to lovers” tale. Lyra and Kaden were best friends who were abruptly separated by their careers and quickly lost touch. Four years later they meet by accident and must find ways to heal and learn to trust again.

I enjoyed the characters of Lyra and Kaden, and of course Cinnamon the Corgi. There were good secondary characters who provided some funny moments and filled in lots of information. I struggled a bit with Lyra’s agent, Symon, who seemed a typical Hollywood type, as his evilness was underdeveloped. There was also a character, Rosetta Larkin, introduced briefly in the latter part of the story to stir up trouble and explain Symon’s presence in the scene which felt like a cheat. And it seemed like a dropped ball to leave the arson unsolved....

I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. I enjoyed this book and applaud the series for the portrayals of beautiful, successful and desirable full-figured women. I can easily recommend it to lovers of sweet romances - have tissues on hand!

[Lori R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming the Chef is another wonderful book in the Celebrity Corgi series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. Lyra St. Claire is a celebrity chef who has her own television show, A Lesson with Lyra and she has her own restaurant, La Joliesse in LA. She also has a cute corgi named Cinnamon.

Sexy Kaden Hunter studied with Lyra for three years when they were in culinary school together and dreaming about their future restaurants. They have not really talked since Lyra left Portland for LA until she ends up stopping in to eat at his restaurant in Portland before she returns to LA.

This book was so full of interesting characters, a cute corgi and a mystery to solve too. I also liked that one of the characters from the first book in the series had a small part in this story too. Great suspense to keep you reading although I do wonder what happened after the story ended. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Getting to know Lyra & Kaden both from their past during cooking school to the present. Being re-united for both of the weddings held at each of their restaurants, helping each other out. To each of their teams which is more like family to them. Lyra's assistant Maggie, George her maître D, her driver Dan to the other staff @ La Joliesse. Dan's maître D & friend, Colin, at others including Angie and other staff members at Phoenix.
The hurdles that they face - mainly Symon (for both of them) Lyra is mainly emotional while Kaden is mostly physical, bring them closer together
It was a treat to have Ruby from a previous Corgi celebrity book play a small part in this story.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming the Chef is a delight! I had so much fun reading this book. Lyra and Kaden trained together in culinary school. Their friendship ended when she left to star in a cooking TV show. Four years later the friendship is renewed when she happens to eat at his restaurant. This book has it all: good friends, romance, intrigue, a darling corgi. schemers, celebrity weddings (Lyra helping Kaaden for the mayor's daughter; Kaden helping Lira for a movie star's wedding), and successful restaurants in different states. You do not want to miss this charming book.

[Raksha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming book to read. It was easy to visualise Lyra as Nigella every step of the way. The book sounded realistic and showed the power of true friendship between Lyra and the the other hot chef Kayden - and later budding romance. I would definitely like to to where this journey takes them. And having Cinnamon, the corgi, mading reading this even better. She seems to be the ideal pet and friend for Lyra.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series. The main character is Lyra . She is a chef who has become very popular. She has a tv show and a diner and she heads many cooking competitions. All of a sudden everything seems to fall apart and she decides to fire her agent. He seems to be behind most of her problems but there have been two deaths and a fire at a friends diner. She is trying to get to the bottom of all this without hurting her friends. Can she figure this out and who is behind it all in time ?

[R Grisham-Whitehouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

average

The story was somewhat interesting set in an unusual career, but it went on and on. The Protagonist did not seem to be the sharpest tool in the box. The mystery had no clues to help the reader solve the crime. The financial problem also made zero sense in one instance the protagonist saying she had all the money she could need, then suddenly being bankrupt when funds are transferred out if a working account.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read. This book gives us a story that has romance, intrigue, a spoiled corgi, interesting characters, good friends and a few surprises. I want to visit both Phoenix and La Joliesse restaurants. This was my first book by C. A. Phipps but I look forward to reading more.

[Anne Blyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly delightful story of two Chefs who became friends. Their friendship was interrupted for a few years by a meddling Agent but this is the story of how they found each other again. Their friendship and their dreams had to survive a fire and jealousy if there was any hope of a future. A great read.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyra and Kaden were best friends back in culinary school four year special ago. They shared everything, their dreams, their fears. But when Lyra moved to LA to become a TV star live broke them apart. Can they reignite their friendship an de probably a relationship after all those years? A beautiful love story.

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming the Chef on more wonderful book in the Celebrity Corgi Series. I have enjoyed reading all of these cute stories, and the addition of the lovable corgi's is like icing on the cake. The chemisty between Lyra and Kaden is off the chart, and I was thrilled with the HEA ending. I would definitely recommend this book to others

[Michelle Kssili · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from C.A Phipps. It was a great, cozy mystery. I tried to solve the mystery before Lyra, but I was so sure it was Symon. Cinnamon the beagle and her love of cupcakes. I'm really hoping for more than friendship from Lyra and Kaden. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Pat Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story staring two chefs . This has a great storyline and it is fun. I loved the characters, it has a little mystery, some drama, and romance. I loved it. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and gave my honest opinion.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book that holds your attention. It's a sweet story about second chances and you get to meet a feisty little corgi named Cinnamon. This book was a joy to read. I received an ARC copy of this book and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading an C.A. Phipps' novel. I was pleasantly surprised by this warm hearted mystery. The plot was good and it flowed into a believable conclusion. The characters were well defined and quite a few were truly endearing. I look forward to the next "Beagles" installment.

[David Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance review copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. A great story about two friends reuniting. I really liked this book and recommend it.

[Evonne Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being busy in the public eye does not make having a private life easy
When Lyra reconnect with Kayden things start going haywire.
A lovely clean romance that will draw you in