A small-town soup cook-off turns deadly when one of the secret ingredients is poison. When Charlotte enters a pot of soup for the Knock Your Soup-Off fair in Sweetwater Falls, she doesn’t expect the event to end in murder. With the prime suspect being an officer of the law, everyone is hesitant to point the finger to the most obvious suspect. Rumors fly and facts start to blur, but Charlotte knows she must get to the bottom of the scandal, or Sheriff Flowers will be locked up in his own jail. "Buttercream Bloodshed" is filled with layered clues and cozy moments, written by Molly Maple, which is a pen name for a USA Today bestselling author.
Molly Maple believes in the magic of hot tea and the romance of rainy days.
She is a fan of all desserts, but cupcakes have a special place in her heart. She spends her days searching for fresh air, and her evenings reading in front of a fireplace.
Molly Maple is a pen name for USA Today bestselling fantasy author, Mary E. Twomey. Visit her online at www.MollyMapleMysteries.com.
It is time for the Knock Your Soup-Off festival in Sweetwater Falls and Charlotte McKay is determined to win with her Italian wedding soup recipe. She invited her friend Ivan from the Hamshire gym to come to the festival and in exchange she would go see his weightlifting competition. Ivan tries Chief Flowers' chili and dies from an apparent poisoning. The local police think it is an open and shut case but Charlotte and Logan are convinced someone else did the deed. The ladies from the Forever Young club help as usual and the real killer is brought to justice. Highly recommend!. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love cosy mysteries. I love them as a brain cleanser after more in-depth books. I've always been a fan of ones that have recipes as well, as it makes me want to try some of them. Molly Maple is new to me, so I took the time to read all 7 books before this one.
In the Small Town Cupcake mysteries, we meet Charlotte, a transplant from the big city, who shows up to take care of her aunt, except that is not really the goal. Charlotte was not too thrilled with her big city life and Aunt Winnie was just the person to help her out of her funk. Aunt Winnie, along with her 2 good friends, Agnes and Karen, form the Live Forever Club, as trio of older ladies who are constantly up to no good.
By book 8, Charlotte seems fairly well ensconced in the charming little town Sweetwater Falls. She has her BFF, Marianne, her boyfriend, Logan and the Live Forever Club firmly in her corner.
Does anyone else feel it is a little suss that people start dying as soon as Charlotte comes to town? (j/k - but it does make me wonder if anyone ever died suspiciously before her arrival)
In this book, Charlotte and the gang compete in a soup competition, which, like everything else in Sweetwater Falls, Charlotte thinks is just SOUPER! :P Sadly, we lose another local to a poisoning and this time, it looks like the Sheriff himself, Logan's dad, is to blame.
Normally, by book 8, things are getting stale and very very predictable. However, I found this one to be more well developed and thought out. The killer was not immediately obvious, the relationships between the main cast is deeping (much like the flavour of soup, if you let it sit) and the story telling is improving.
I really enjoyed this book (and the recipe at the end - MUST TRY!) and look forward to book 9, if there is one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a great book! It has been cool and rainy here, so set up the crock pot to make soup while I read. With the great smells wafting through the house, I plop (yes plop…no grace here) in the recliner and read this book. I haven’t read books by this author before so no expectations other than to be entertained.
And entertained I was! The story line is believable and interesting. Because of not being the first in the series, the characters are well developed and established. The person accused of the crime is one I did not expect before starting the book. In spite of the seriousness of murder, there is laugh out loud moments in this book. Obliviously the author has a good sense of humor and applies it appropriately in the story. I tried to complete in one setting, but once the issue of cupcakes came up, of course I had to make some. Looking at the soup while finishing the cupcakes, I convince myself that the soup won’t be ready for hours, so I need to eat cupcakes first. So back to the recliner with tea and 2 (yes2) cupcakes…and this delightfully entertaining book. And I didn’t get cake or buttercream on the pages, because it was an ebook!
Do yourself a favor, buy or borrow this book. Jus start your soup first and do the cupcakes first so you can read without interruption. You are going to want to put it down once started…so be sure your soup is in a crockpot so you don’t need to worry about it while reading.
As I said earlier, it is not the first in the series. If you haven’t read the first seven yet, you are going to want to go order the first seven as soon as you can and discover how the characters came to be the people they are, I did! I’m looking forward to reading them as soon as possible!
I simply love author Molly Maple's crime stories and this is yet another delightful read. Even though I have not read them all it is very easy to follow each one as they are very much a standalone story. Smooth and Delicious ...... Great lovable characters and certainly those "Golden Oldies" are simply fascinating at how they 'mother' the younger characters. Personally I'd love a group of "Golden Oldies" in my life. Again love our lead female of Charlotte, she has an eye for perfection and detail it seems and a nose for searching out justice for those in need. This time the justice is for someone close to her, well close to her love interest at least. Another thing I really enjoy is the whole idea of small town living US style, I'm not sure if it is something true (as I'm not an American so I can only guess) but there is always this romanticized ideology of perfect life and contentment and considering how our lives are today in such an unsettled manner it is nice to see life in such a merry version. I think that is what reading Molly Maple's novels is about ... pure enjoyment and seeking happiness in such pure ways. Off to make myself some cupcakes now to celebrate another great instalment in this Cupcake Crime series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlotte McKay is souper excited about entering the town’s soup contest fundraiser. She’s worked hard to perfect her entry and is hoping to win. She’s invited a friend Ivan to try and get better acquainted and get him more involved with just his gym. When he suddenly dies after eating the sheriff’s chili Charlotte feels helpless and slightly responsible. When the sheriff is accused she is determined to find the true culprit and justice for Ivan. Time is running out and the people who believe the sheriff is innocent are at their wits end. It’s the eleventh hour can they find the truth in time? Another exciting visit to Sweetwater Falls. Charlotte and her family and friends have quite the caper on their hands. Their plucky determination is endearing. They may not be professional investigators but they have heart and a strong belief in getting the truth even if it involves some shenanigans along the way. This is becoming one of my go to cozy series to read and re read and enjoy every word.. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I adore this series - Maple delivers and delights in her delicious Cupcake Crimes series and while this is book 8 in the series, I feel like it can be read as a stand alone...but be warned that once you start you will be as addicted to these reads as you will be cupcakes - 1 is just never enough and if your not careful you'll find yourself binging on these reads like you would a box from your favorite bakery!
Charlotte and her friends are back in this read and Charlotte is determined to win the towns Knock Your Soup-Off contest. When a poisoning happens to someone Charlotte invites to the event - this band of misfit characters delight in their schemes to find a killer. Great storyline, wonderful characters and hilarious banter and cupcakes that will have you craving the real deal - this cozy mystery is everything I want and I can't wait for more!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I debated giving this one 2 stars to be honest. First, they figured out who had done it early on and then completely ignored the information. How can you completely forget that two people got sick in a single weigh lifting group, one of which died, and the victor didn’t look upset that a guy collapsed in front of him 🙄 They asked someone about him being a killer and just let it go! And you are telling me that the police are so bad, they didn’t even consider this angle?? I spent most of the book just internally screaming at them to stop being so dumb and remember when they had thought he was the killer 🤦🏻♀️
Second, how many times can the MC get strangled? I’m sensing a fixation here.
Third, why would they run into the gym when a police officer was right behind them? Why not wait and let him go in and do his job. This one really bugged me even though I enjoyed the others.
Another great installment into this series with Charlotte and her friends and family.
Charlotte, her Aunt Winnie along with a number of their friends are participating in the town’s ‘Knock Your Soup-Off’ event. As Charlotte is handing out samples, she notices an acquaintance from Hamshire she invited show up. Ivan is a body builder so he’s looking for more protein type soups so gets a sample of a chili. After tasting that chili, he suddenly falls down and then dies. Charlotte’s devastated as she invited him. The cook who made the chili happens to be Charlotte’s boyfriend Logan’s dad….who happens to also be the sheriff.
Read on to learn how Charlotte and the crew work to prove the sheriff innocent before the police lab provides the results of their testing of the chili. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Knock Your Soup-Off event in Sweetwater Falls is generating lots of competition and excitement. Unfortunately, Ivan, a soft-spoken gentle bodybuilder, tries only one of the food items -- Sheriff Flowers’ chili -- right before he grasped his throat then collapsed with foam around his mouth.
When Ivan dies right before the ambulance arrives, they are ready to arrest the Sheriff. It turns out that poison had been found in the chili. Charlotte needs to follow the clues and prove the Sheriff is innocent. Can she succeed? Will she be putting herself in danger as well?
This is a well-written cozy mystery with likable characters and a story line that flows well to keep the reader entertained while trying to figure out the mystery. Why would someone try to kill gentle Ivan? Or was it meant for someone else? Grab your copy and find the answer!
When the morning of the Knock Your Soup-Off competition dawns, the only thing on Charlotte's mind is winning. However, before the day is half over, her focus is on solving the murder of a friend. With the main and only suspect (according to the police) being a key town figure, Charlotte, her bestie, Marianne and the the Live Forever Club know that time is of the essence. I absolutely love this series and everyone should have a best friend like Charlotte and Marianne have found in each other. Add in the Live Forever Club and you couldn't ask for a more supportive and loyal group to have your back. I highly recommend this series! Happy Reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a fun cozy mystery with great characters that had you laughing as well as scratching your head trying to work out who the bad guy was. Charlotte thought the most exciting thing was entering her soup in the Knock Your Soup-Off fair but now there has been a murder and she needs to work out who did it before her boyfriends Dad is arrested. There are a few suspects as well as laughs along the way and I don't think I will look at goldfish the same again. I haven't read the other's in the series but found the only thing that meant was I want to read them now, it didn't detract from the story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When a poisoning occurs at the knock your soup off event and the sheriff is the prime suspect. Charlotte and her friends are desperate to clear his name, after all you do not want your boyfriends father arrested for murder. A great cosy mystery with fun characters, a good plot, and humorous dialogue. Throw in a family tragedy and a secret revealed, lots of cupcakes and the liveliest ninety year old ever and you get a great story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun cozy with a happy ending, and likable characters, and although it is the 8th in the series, works as a standalone. Well-developed charming and quirky characters keep your interest in this relatively short/quick read and the icing on the cake (pun intended) is the recipe at the end. If this is your first, go back to the beginning for more backstory and just plain cozy mystery enjoyment. Looking forward to the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlotte, Marrianne, Live Forever Club go to a town fundraiser and find themselves in a messy situation. Knowing the Live Forever Club has a rocky relationship with the towns sheriff, they all put their differences aside to help Charlotte with a murder. Sheriff Flowers and his family finds themselves in a horrible situation that can change all their lives. Charlotte and Logans partner never give up to help all who need it.
This is the first book in this series that I have read but you can bet I am going to go back and get all of them now.
It's bad form when a soup cook-off includes poison. Charlotte enters her soup in the fair however she is not expecting it to end with a dead body. She knows that she has to jump in and help solve the murder before the Sheriff is put away for a murder he didn't commit. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this episode in Charlotte's life in Sweetwater Falls. Aunt Winnie and her have entered themselves in a soup contest which leads to not a prize but a death. I loved Charlotte and Aunt Winnie's relationship. Her aunt really showered support and love on Charlotte during the whole mystery of the murder. I enjoyed this a lot and I cannot wait to see what Charlotte and her friends get up to next. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is such a fantastic feel good cozy. When Charlotte entered her special soup in the soup contest, she was expecting a ribbon or something. Instead her soup win her a number one slot on a suspect list. I laughed and giggled my way through the plot. The time passed so quickly while I was reading. I finished it in a couple hours. It was my kind of book. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery story with all of the characters. The main character is Charlotte.
Charlotte has enter a pot of soup in the local soup competition that is called Knock Your Soup Off. She never expected the event would be cancelled half way through because of someone being poisoned.
This was a fun story to read. It has action and mystery within. It was fun trying to guess who the murder was.
I received a complimentary copy via Booksprout. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
Molly Maple is an expert at creating a twisting turning murder mystery, with the perfect balance of suspense and humor. I will say, I suspected the culprit earlier than the reveal, but still absolutely loved how the confrontation went down. Charlotte, Logan and the “live forever” crew are always a blast to catch up with. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When the Sheriff's chili causes an attendee that Charlotte invited to drop dead, he becomes the prime and only suspect the police are looking at. It is now up to Charlotte to clear the name of her boyfriend's dad before he is wrongly incarcerated.
Is that Golden Soup Bowl prize enough to kill over or is there another motive?
Take a small town, add in a bakery, food, murder and you have a great backdrop for a good book. I was eating all during reading this becuase it made me hungry. It was funny, thrilling and everything in between. Loved it. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a charming book with a set of characters that were amusing to say the least. A quick read that kept me chuckling with the antics of Aunt Winnie and her friends. I’m looking forward to trying the recipe at the end of the book!. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love, love,love this series!! Each book is awesome, this one is no exception. This time the sheriff is in trouble. Charlotte & her friends race against the clock to try to prove his innocence. Fun, well written story with great characters & setting. I hope there will be many more to read in this series.
What a wonderful cast of characters! There are lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. Entertaining Journey to the end. Starting on the first page it will keep you hooked until you find out the whodunit. Good read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is entertaining and filled with action, adventure and mystery. The storyline is humorous and the interaction between the characters is great. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
Quick good book to read when you have time. Murder and mystery are afoot and Charlotte has to solve this case. I would recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Someone dies during the Knock Your Soup-Off fair in Sweetwater Falls. The Sheriff has been arrested for the crime. Local Charlotte and her friends are out to prove his innocence. Good read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When I grow up I want to live in Sweetwater Falls and be part of the Live forever club. These are the best stories. The town always has the best fairs. I wish I could attend them too!. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.