Christmas Cake Murder: Christmas Cozy Mystery

by Donna Doyle

Courtney Cain is heading up a cracking Christmas fundraiser for the Curly Bay Pet Hotel and Rescue. She’s going to need some help and is delighted when Jessi’s old college friend Sammy Baker comes to town from Sunny Cove. Jessi suggests they also bring in her favorite blogger (and another amateur sleuth) Emily Cherry, to top off the festivities.

It's the most wonderful time of the year with friends old and new until… Someone won’t be waking up on Christmas morning! Courtney, Sammy, and Emily are on the case to prove their innocence and find the culprit. Will the mystery of the killer cake be solved before our heroines spend their Christmas in the clink? Will they save themselves from an unfestive season in the slammer? Read Christmas Cake Murder to find out…

Genres: Christmas, Cozy Mystery

106 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2022

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short Christmas mystery closes out my 2024. It was a cute story and brought the Christmas feels. There were pets and the titular Christmas cake sounded great (I could have used a recipe). I'd read another if I were looking for cute coziness.

[Marietta Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy cozy read...perfect for an after Christmas read.
Vacationing Sammy Baker comes to see her good friend Jessi. While there she jumps in to help Jessi and her friends with a fund raiser for the local pet shelter. Emily, an older lady, has been asked to give a speech at the fund raiser. She becomes friends with Sammy, Jessi and the others working at the shelter. Emily loves to bake and she offers to bake this beautiful Chocolate Peppermint Cake for the occasion.
When Robert Ross, a local land developer, is found dead with a piece of poisoned cake beside him, the police begin questioning Sammy, Emily and the other ladies. The ladies plan an elaborate hoax to sniff out the real murderer.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy Christmas read. Sammy is on vacation and goes to visit her friend Jessi. She jumps in to help with the fund raiser for the local pet shelter. An older lady, Emily, is going to give a talk at the fund raiser. She loves to bake and volunteers to make her beautiful Chocolate Peppermint Cake for the occasion. The cake goes missing and when it is found, so is the dead body of Robert Ross who was a pushy land developer with a poisoned piece of cake next to him. The police start questioning the ladies who were hosting the fund raiser, then the ladies plan an elaborate hoax to draw the killer out. I enjoyed reading the story and seeing how the ladies solve the mystery.

[Kandi A. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Short Story

I love this series of books. Such easy reads and fun reads. I love the dog shelter theme, the dogs and cats, the characters. This story was well thought out and while I guessed the culprit, I did not have all of the details right, making the journey to the culprit reveal a fun one. These are stories that can be read in one sitting, or at least in one day. Those are the best kind if you are busy and don't have a lot of time to read.

[Maryann Skaritka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun and quick read Christmas cozy mystery.
A wonderful fundraiser for the Curly Bay animal shelter turns into a murder mystery when a cake disappears and a local real estate investor is the victim.
The sleuths are on the case with Courtney, the organizer of the fundraiser, Jessi who was a shelter employee and her college friend Sammy who baked many of the fundraiser desserts, and Emily a blogger who baked a special cake for the event.
I enjoyed seeing how this delightful cast of characters unravel all the clues to find the true killer and their motive.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little cozy mystery. It was free, so that also means that it was very good for what I paid for it. The only complaint I might have is that it was a bit too short and, therefore, a bit too "easy." It felt like something was missing from the story. Still, even if it wasn't the most profound book, it was a cute little festive cozy, and it is well worth reading.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like a Curly Bay reunion since I've read several in that series and was familiar with those characters. I like Emily a lot and do wanna start her series now too. All those ladies made for some awesome sleuthing buddies and worked well together to flush out the killer at the end. Even the good detective was impressed.

[Laura Richcreek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start but still enjoyable!

I enjoyed getting introduced to these relatable characters and the unique circumstances that brought them together. While I say it had a slow start, that doesn't mean I didn't still enjoy it. It's a world I'd like to visit again, like a favorite tv show, for a little excitement, some familiar friends, and a bit of an escape.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all the characters in this story, because I have read most of the series where they starred in, They are believable, interesting, and easy to learn about. The plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who killed the mad hungry developer and why. The answers were difficult to find, but found they were. I definitely recommend this story.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful Christmas mystery!

Emily thought she was attending a charity event to support a fabulous animal shelter, but little did she know a murder was just around the corner. This was a great Christmas read!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A who done it?

A very cute story about an elegant pet store, a cook on vacation and a blog writer.
Very well written combining suspense with the activity of a much needed fundraiser.

[Virginia L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun who done it mystery!

Some really wonderful characters to fall in love with? ❤️ what does a blogger, a baker and an animal shelter worker and have to do with solving a mystery? Read this book to find out!

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok, but the pacing was way off. For example, the author spent almost no time on the detection part (just background, crime, solution), but we get several pages detailing the main characters' arrival into town and dinner with family.

[Gwen Hight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Cake Murder

This is a good Christmas cozy Mystery A cake is missing at a fundraiser and a body is found Courtney and her friends get together to expose the murderer

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful mix of charity and murder. A well thought out story that still surprised me ! I will seek out other tales by Ms. Doyle to enjoy.

[R.M. Methven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute, short read. If you like holiday themed cozy mysteries this is a good choice. No big twists or surprises, but it's a nice book.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Robert Rose and why??? Swindling??? Blackmail??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Lita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, clean story!

Short, but a fun read. I liked all the main characters and their methods to help solve the mystery. Another good read from Donna.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun book easy to read, really enjoyed it.

[Katherine Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little Christmas cozy! Worth the read! Enjoyed it.

[Alesa Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Cute, but super easy. I had the killer picked out right away. The motive was a bit cliche. But, a cute, quick read. I think making it longer would have helped.

[Elizabeth F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast fun holiday story with engaging characters. Loved it. Highly recommend!

[Tara | Mercyandgracereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ A short, and bit silly, cozy mystery. It was filled with some cute moments, but it was just very simple.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simplistic story, and the murder didn't happen till half way through a quite short book. Good characterisation and reasonably well written.

[Hailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, easy read but very cheesy

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I'm not the biggest fan of novellas. This book is short and sweet. I was able to finish it in less than an hour. It's great for a Christian audience. No language. No sex. Nothing that you'd be embarrassed to read or discuss with your book club, neighbor, best friend, grandma, etc. I love the cozy Christian feel to the book, but I also need a longer read. I like to "throw myself" into the book and feel that I'm in that particular world for a few hours. I would love to find more authors who can write like Donna Doyle.