Devil's Food Cake

A Culinary Mystery #3

by Josi S. Kilpack

It’s been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the committee who invited the bestselling writer to speak at the library fundraising benefit, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade devil’s food cake she baked herself. Certainly, murder was not on the menu.

When Thom’s manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie jumps in to offer her guidance and expertise to investigators. But when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to pursue justice on her own. After all, is Sadie to blame if she keeps stumbling over information? Can Sadie turn her back when people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path? With her son, Shawn, at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Lds Fiction, Adult, Cozy Mystery, Adult Fiction, Book Club

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2010

About the author

I wrote my first book while on bed rest with my third child in 1998 and haven't stopped. My most recent books have been Historical Romance through the Proper Romance line with Shadow Mountain Publishing.

I currently live in Willard, Utah with my husband, and children.

Reviews

[Brandy]

I don't really know why I keep reading these books. Through the entire first half of the book I am usually bugged by the way the main character acts and thinks. Sadie Hoffmiller is the star of this particular series and she always starts out very annoying to me. She is obsessive about weight (hers and others), the way she looks, the way she dresses and she is also very judgy. The exact kind of person I would not want to be friends with. And since characters in books usually become my "friends" I am still confused why I keep reading this series.

But by the middle/end of the book, she has stopped obsessing quite so much and I actually see a bit of the humor in her personality. She is pretty caricature. And by that time I am wanting to figure out the murder mystery.

And of course, by the very end, I am wanting to read the next one. But I will say, I have to be in the mood. I wish these books were just a bit shorter so they were even a quicker read.

So even though this wasn't my favorite book, I am too intrigued in the new romantic relationship to not read the next book.

[Josi]

This is the third book in the Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery series. She's back in Colorado and, once again, in the middle of a murder investigation.

[Mindy]

Josi's books just get better and better. I love Sadie. She is so funny. What goes through her mind at times, even times of stress, makes me laugh. I appreciate how detailed and important everything is, even little things like a character's daughter. I did figure something out though, and I'm glad it will be "discussed" in the next book. This story takes place in a very short amount of time, and yet it doesn't seem rushed. It flows well, and once you get going, you won't want to stop. I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 1/2 stars. I'm wanting to try "Evil Chicken"!

[Michelle Llewellyn]

I gave "Lemon Tart" and "English Trifle" four stars. So it is with this book.
I'll explain.

"Devil's Food Cake" will leave you craving a piece. This is the first time I have been inspired during my reading of this Culinary Mystery Series to attempt making any of the many recipes included in these fun stories for myself. "Killer Nachos" and "Evil Chicken" both sounded so good I decided to give them a try and they both turned out well.

I'd never tried toasting chips for nachos in the oven before, then spreading the seasoned meat, toppings and cheese layering it like a casserole before additional baking in the oven and was quite pleased with the result. I recommend it as a good party dish to feed a crowd.

Sadie's chicken dish is "Evil" because you don't drain the grease after frying both bacon and the chicken together in the pan. Incredibly fattening, the author warns, but it's also incredibly simple to make since you just add chili powder while browning the meat and add brown sugar last giving it an almost caramel glaze. Ladled over boring, plain, white rice, it reminded me of something you might order at Panda Express. I used my family's rice pilaf recipe, Sadie, if you'd like to borrow it!

So, of course, I had to make the featured book cover dessert as well.

My apologies to anyone who does not have a grocery store supermarket chain like WinCo in your state or area because I absolutely love shopping there and take advantage of their fabulous bulk bin items on a weekly basis. The brown sugar for "Evil Chicken" came from their bins because living in Utah and living alone, if you buy a whole bag of brown sugar the remainder will quickly turn into a hard rock if you don't use it all up fast which I never do. That's why I recommend WinCo which also just happened to have tortilla chips at discounted prices which I needed for "Killer Nachos." Long grain white rice can also be purchased from WinCo bins and they have great produce, like green onions, for the nachos with better prices than other places. Shameless plug-you're welcome, WinCo!

I'd never made a cake completely from scratch like this before, always Betty Crocker mixes and always when they were on sale, so whipping up the featured recipe which includes the homemade "Chocolicious Frosting" and wanting it to look exactly like the cover picture took a good part of the day but it was worth it. The cake turned out to be dense, a bit dry, (I blame Utah climate) but VERY chocolatey. I got a small block of semi-sweet chocolate too (thx WinCo!) for the chocolate shavings sprinkled over the frosting just like the picture. Both cake and the frosting call for a LOT of cocoa powder which you can also get from the bins at WinCo but I just picked up a canister of Hershey's.

Ok, let's review the plot and character development of Josi Kilpack's "Devil's Food Cake."

We open with Sadie sitting at a table at a fundraising dinner that she helped put together and organize. Most of the dinner was catered but she'd been volunteered to provide her delicious Devil's Food Cake for dessert and got her adopted son, Shawn, to help her finish frosting and preparing the night before because that's a lot of cakes for one event.

The featured speaker is an author named Thom Mortenson who used to live in this town before a scandal prompted him to move away and start a new life for himself in California. Sadie didn't know him very well and while her best friend Gayle is recently divorced, single and looking, like Thom, Sadie has her own romantic prospects with Pete Cunningham, the detective she met in the very first book.

So far Sadie and Pete have been dating casually but haven't even had their first kiss yet. Pete is late getting to the event but when he arrives he seems genuinely happy to see her. Up on the stage, a man named Mr. Ogreski, Thom's PA manager, is fiddling with the microphone on the podium. Sadie's eyes are closed, savoring the incredible taste of the chocolate cake, HER chocolate cake.

Suddenly, a gunshot cleverly rigged inside said podium shatters the quiet murmur of conversation and clinking silverware in the hotel ballroom.

Mr. Ogreski is dead and Thom has fled the scene.

The intended victim of the sawed-off shotgun inside the podium was obviously meant for Thom the featured speaker...right? Who is behind this? What was the motive?

Here's the list of suspects: One of Sadie's table occupants was a young lady named Michele (Wait, that's MY name! But with two lls. I didn't do it, Sadie, I promise!) who just happened to be driving the get-away car for the suspicious-looking young man with a camera who started snapping pictures without anyone's permission before bolting from the scene, much to Sadie's dismay.

Could this mysterious photographer, whose name we learn later is Josh, be the murderer? Sadie tracks him down and gets Shawn to help her apprehend and keep him from getting away until Pete and his investigation team can question him.

Meanwhile, a reporter for the Denver Post, Jane Seely, just happened to be in town and wants to stick to Sadie like glue so she can be the one to write the Pulitzer prize winning story.

Once again, the bulk of this story takes place all in one evening and late into the night. After Sadie manages to ditch Jane, she finally has a chance to change out of her semi-formal evening dress and heels into something more comfortable before she follows a lead to the photographer's mother's home.

It is now 10:30pm and Sadie has discovered Josh went to the same high school as Thom's late son who committed a murder-suicide years ago. Josh's mom turns out to be a psycho woman who attacks poor Sadie with a frying pan, insisting her darling boy is innocent and would never be involved in a murder plot, knocking her out. When Sadie comes to, the woman has left, driving away in her car out of the garage but just then, Thom shows up at the door of the home and lets himself in.

Thom appears to still be in shock over what happened just a few hours ago. In a bit of "willing suspension of disbelief" when a reader or viewer of media sets aside logic and reality to focus on a work of fiction, Sadie whips up "Killer Nachos" for a bewildered Thom in a kitchen that isn't hers and just happens to have all the ingredients she needs. (You can substitute a microwave for faster prep and Sadie apparently didn't bother with any cooked meat just kept it all vegetarian) She asks him questions while she feeds him and tries to get him talking so she can learn more about the murder they both witnessed earlier this evening.

Mrs. Hender returns, Sadie bolts out the front door, but "psycho woman" then proceeds to chase her down the icy, snow covered street (because it is still late spring in Colorado) screaming that Sadie is NOT going to send her boy to jail! Desperate, Sadie slams herself into the front door of a neighboring home and falls into the shrubbery. A rather good looking man in his 40s with long hair pulled into a ponytail and wearing a black shirt steps outside. He dismisses the woman, who stomps off in a huff, then when the coast is clear, turns to address Sadie lying on the ground below the concrete front porch.

His name is Eric Burton and he'll be a main character in "Key Lime Pie," but he also turns out to be a God-send in assisting Sadie in tonight's mystery murder case. Sadie can't help but feel some spark of attraction for him and he seems to feel the same.
Pete who?

Once again, the many twists and turns made this a fun story to read and it definitely made me hungry! Read it and see if you can guess whodunnit because even I wasn't expecting the character who turned out to be the actual murderer who attacked Sadie in Act III, while monologuing the entire time about how Sadie knows too much for her own good and nearly ruined his/her evil plan with her meddling, to be who I thought.

Of course Sadie ends up okay, fighting off her attacker and living to see another day because aside from the one and only victim, to quote a Disney movie that comes to mind...Don't worry. Nobody else dies in these stories. They just get really big boo boos!

[Shawn]

I do not know what it is but these books are always slow to start for me but I keep reading and then I am glad I do. This installment has Sadies son Sean home on break and he decides to stick by his mother as she investigates yet another murder. This time she is suspect and goes on the run with a man named Eric whom she meets while hiding from someone wanting to do her harm.

I now want to read the next book to see what happens with her and Pete, the detective and this new man Eric.

[Kathy]

A fast paced delight

Who knew so much could happen to Sadie in 24 hours. This was a lot of fun to read. You've got to love how Sadie just happens to stumble upon interesting information that leads to solving murders. She is a delightful and quirky heroine with recipes that are a sweet and delicious bonus.

[Katherine Tingen]

At the beginning of the book Devil's food cake Sadie waits for her date Pete at the Carmichael Hotel ballroom. Right after Pete shows, Mark gets shot in the middle of the stage. Sadie wants to learn more but get arrested for being to nosy. When Jane Seeley shows to help with the case Sadie is relieved. Later when looking for clues Sadie goes to Josh's house only to find that Thom and Josh are real good friends. When Sadie is chased of she falls into a window well and meets Eric. After awhile everyone thinks that Mark committed suicide. Sadie comes home only to find that Thom is at her house. When she gets inside Thom attacks her and she find that he is the murderer and a maniac. Thom injures Sadie and she has to go to the hospital. Thom is then set off to get special care. Sadie, after getting relieved of the stress, goes out on a date with Pete.

One example of alliteration is "The glass made traction impossible, so she rolled onto her back and tried kicking Thom's hand" (Kilpack 336). Another example is "Sadie wasn't sure she liked the bossy Breanna, but had finally convince her and Shawn to get her some real food" (342). An example of a simile is, "She kicked her own leg as much as she kicked him though" (336). An example of an onomatopoeia is, "Knock, knock?" (339). An example of and allusion is, Bonnie and Clyde (347).

I liked that the murder happened so quickly in the book. It took place in the first twenty pages. I also like that the twist in the end was spot on amazing. And then last of all, I liked having the feeling that I was in Sadie's shoes when she is going against the law. What I disliked about the book is that I hated the character Eric. Even more so then Eric; I disliked Jane Seleey and her slyness. And then I hated the Thom's backstory because it was so sad.

[Helynne]

I agree with other critics who have said that Kilpack really hit her stride with this third of her series of culinary mysteries. This plot shows more imagination and inventiveness than the first two, and really keeps the pages turning. After a stint in England (second book), Sadie Hoffmiller is back in her hometown in Colorado and another murder has occurred by a shotgun blast right in front of a group of townspeople at a meeting. (Eww). Sadie, of course, feels she must rise to the occasion (despite the fact that her gentlemen friend Detective Pete Cunningham, repeatedly tells her to just go home). What I especially love about Sadie besides her stubborn determination and cleverness in figuring things out, is her love of food and the way she tries to control her sweet tooth, but always gives in. At the beginning of this story, Sadie is supposed to be on a diet after her adventure in England where she enjoyed a little too much trifle and too many scones and crumpets and gained 12 pounds in two weeks. "Is that even possible?" said asks herself. (Yeah, Sadie, it is). The description of Sadie savoring a piece of her own devil's food cake just before the murder occurs is worth the whole read. This book also introduces Sadie's adopted son Shawn as a principal character, and he proves to be as creative and likeable as Sadie herself. He even does his share of cooking--a tasty recipe called "evil chicken." This is a nice contrast to the other recipes the book includes, which are mostly variations of luscious chocolate cakes. This is a fun read with some interesting twists and turns and a hint that Sadie just might have two gentlemen friends to choose from in the future.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired)]

I love Sadie Hoffmiller. She's a kick and she's eccentric. But, she's also loyal. Josi Kilpack has created a charming character who just continues to grow on you as you read each successive story.

Sadie imagines herself an amateur, yet very experienced sleuth and since the police aren't listening to her, she decides to investigate things on her own. What follows is an intricate comedy of errors as Sadie uncovers layer upon layer of deception and secrets. If she's not tracking down potential criminals, she's cooking for them. And in this story, we meet her son Shawn, who's just like his mother at getting into trouble and tracking down criminals. He seems to have inherited her cooking skills too.

The story and Sadie's shenanigans are completely implausible, but hysterically funny. I wish Jane's character was better developed and that she got more of a comeuppance, but I also think that she will make a return appearance at some point.

Baking and cooking are as important to Sadie as breathing. So, just as in the first two novels, Lemon Tart and English Trifle, Josi includes the recipes that are relevant to the story. I can't wait to try several.

A delightful book, and easily recommended. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series, Key Lime Pie.

[Heather]

Sadie Hoffmiller is at it again! But of course it's not her fault she just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bestselling author, and former resident of Sadie's hometown, Thom Mortenson arrives to give a presentation for the library fundraiser.

When Thom's manager is mysteriously shot while getting the microphone ready on the stage, Sadie is right there to uncover all of the clues. No, she didn't actually see the shot blast because she was savoring--eyes closed--a delicious bite of her very own Devil's Food Cake. But that fact would never deter Sadie's spry involvement.

As the whirlwind night unfolds, Sadie is drawn into a complex web of information, each turn more surprising than the next. But the only caveat is that she must follow the trail of clues without the police, which takes a bit of navigation on Sadie's part.

Sadie Hoffmiller is a delightful character, quirky, funny, and never fails to disappoint. Devil's Food Cake is another Kilpack classic, and like the other books in this culinary mystery series, the "whodunit" comes at a surprise.

[Heather]

I keep coming back to these books even though they sometimes annoy me and I find myself rolling my eyes in disbelief. I know that the main character is a HUGE busy-body, but deep down I can totally sympathize with her...I think I have a little bit of that "need to know" obsession in me. I wouldn't dare go to the lengths that she goes to, but I would think about it. The plot was captivating and kept me guessing the whole way through. But the one thing I love about these books is the recipes. They each sound divine and made me so hungry. She doesn't just throw in a recipe, she works it into the plot in the cleverest of ways. I actually meant to copy down some of these recipes before I returned the book. I really need to try a few of them.

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer)]

It had been awhile since I had read a Sadie Hoffmiller mystery, but I jumped right back into these stories and the main character. I hate reading a series out of order, so I read this one(and the others) before reading and reviewing book #8. I enjoyed this one and the recipes. I like Sadie. Some people find her annoying, but I really like her and can understand her in many ways. I'm not as adventurous as her, but her being a "busybody" is part of Sadie and why these stories happen. This story moved a lot and did surprise me at the end. :)

[A.L. Sowards]

A fun read, even if the food obsession got a little silly a few times. I think Josi Kilpack did a great job of infusing the book with the main character's personality. I don't think I'd want to be close friends with Sadie Hoffmiller, but it was fun to read about her. I was debating between 3 and 4 stars. I wasn't completely convinced that the villain could fool everyone so well for so long, but I decided on 4 stars because the last paragraph left me with a huge grin on my face.

[Sandy]

It's been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the library fundraising committee, who invited him to speak, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade Devil’s Food Cake she made herself. Murder, however, was not on the menu.

[Aubrey]

Just when I thought that everything was going to work out in such a way I was thrown a curveball. I have to admit, I was a bit shocked then I went over the evidence in my head and it makes sense. Because of the one thing that didn't fit in originally now does. The one thing that I didn't like was: introducing a love triangle. Seriously? Now? Is that what Sadie should have now. No.

[June Guymon]

A book with believeable characters and a satisfying resolution. There are also recipes scattered at the end of many chapters, and the reader will be anxious to try them out as they all sound delicious. This book is recommended for cozy mystery lovers.

[Wendy]

An exciting, fast-paced read. I love Sadie and can't wait to read Key Lime Pie!

[Jasmyn]

Re read while in labor and the first few days with a newborn. 😊

I think these books are fun little reads...I like her style and it's not too gruesome. She usually has bad guys die.

[Julie]

I love this series from Josi Kilpack. She does such a great job weaving the mystery I have honestly second guessed myself through each book! I highly recommend this series.

[Trinna]

Such a fun easy read! I love Sadie! She has such a funny character. Can't wait to try out some of her recipes!

[Cami Checketts]

Fabulous book. Definitely read this series if you haven't already.
Full review here - http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.co...

[Hillary]

Probably my favorite -so far- of the three that are released! Sadie does it again!

[Amanda]

I feel this book ended better than it began and the overall mystery is actually pretty well plotted. But OH, BOY, Sadie as a character is really just so unlikeable. I am a bit surprised that I read all of these books at one point, because I almost didn't make it past the first few chapters of this re-read. In the beginning, as the murder actually happens, Sadie honestly borders on sociopathy by showing so little real concern about the horror happening right in front of her or how it impacts her supposedly-dear friend. She is self-obsessed with looking nice and low-key fat-shaming and belittling Gayle and worrying about her relationship status, all in the middle of a literal tragedy. It's so bizarre. To be honest, maybe most of us are self-absorbed enough to be like this, and would have these kinds of intrusive thoughts and then be shocked at our own self-absorption in the middle of a crisis. But reading it, while Sadie shows so little awareness or remorse about her most callous inner thoughts, just made her obnoxious to me from the jump. And, although the overall mystery is interesting and unique, Sadie's involvement in it is infuriating. She literally has no business in any part of it, except her own persistent nosiness and an underlying desire to "prove" how useful she is. As someone who has indulged in watching a few too many police body-cam videos and courtroom presentations, knowing how sullied and disrupted the evidence chain would be by this kind of over-involvement in a real-life scenario made it difficult to take satisfaction in the solving of each part of the mystery. I kept mentally shouting at the book, "Yay, we solved that part of the mystery, very satisfying, now TURN IT OVER TO THE POLICE before you get more confusing fingerprints all over it/before you remove that piece of evidence from its proper context/before you tamper with yet another witness! !!!" And overall, even though the book improved as it went along, the very ending (yet again, Sadie ends up in peril) was not an interesting plot twist, but rather left me feeling like the author threw the twist in because that's what a mystery book does. Dissatisfying to say the least, and not a better resolution to the mystery itself.

This has been a nice little re-visit to this series, and I'm still interested in re-reading the second book (I remember liking that one from my first reading), but overall, I just dislike the main character so much that it undercuts most of my enjoyment of the series. So, I probably won't carry on with a second reading of the rest of them.

[Beth Peninger]

The library fundraising dinner gets interrupted, and Sadie's Devil's Food Cake gets smashed when hometown author Thom Mortenson's agent is brutally murdered in front of the entire crowd. What has already turned into a long day, and evening, becomes an even longer night of Sadie investigating on her own since the police, and her beau Detective Pete, don't want to listen to her very astute observations. Sadie's son, Shawn, home for a long weekend gets pulled into his mother's sleuthing and serves as a grounding point for Sadie, who can easily get caught up in the whirlwind of theories and lose track of all the things. Within 24 hours, Sadie and her team of investigative help, are able to put the pieces together and figure out why Thom's agent was killed and who did the deed. And on a personal note, Detective Pete has got some competition for Sadie's attention - he had better step up his game if he wants to keep seeing her, because Eric is now on the scene and without even realizing it, he's making a play for Sadie.

There is no way, NO WAY, that Sadie - and her help - could have accomplished anything that they did in the time frame allotted to them in this story. It was like Kilpack made time stand still - that was the longest night and 24 hours on record. That being said, it was a fast-paced read and had a nice twist to the mystery.

[Lexie M]

Sadie and her daughter come back from England and Sadie goes to a dinner to celebrate Thom Mortenson writing a book. Thom ends up getting shot and killed at the party. Sadie, like always, is trying to figure out who the murderer was. The police won't let her in on the case, and she investigates some neighbours. Sadie's son helps her along the way, and so does a man named Eric. He falls in love with Sadie, but she doesn't fall in love with him. They end up finding out who it is, but I won't give any spoilers. I think the theme that fits this book very well is, other people can help out, and they are capable of anything. The reason this fits it well, is because the officers don't ever think Sadie will be able to find out the killer. And Eric helps her a lot, which is pretty unexpected. This is a very good book. Every single time they found a clue, it would just keep you guessing. I love how we end up finding out who the killer is. I think Eric should back off of Sadie, but he probably won't.

[Susan Bradshaw]

Sadie Hoffmiller always seems to be in the right place at the right time for murder! This time at a library fund-raiser and a former resident of Garrison, Colorado is the guest speaker Thom Mortenson, whose book has been on the NY Times bestseller! She has been dating Detective Pete Cunningham officially for 3 months, he was late to the event. Sadie had baked 18 of her Devil's Food Cake for the event for the dessert. She was just about to bite into one when there was a gunshot & on stage dead was Thom's manager, Mr. Ogreski. Once again Sadie is right in the middle of it! Many others involved in this story included her best friend Gayle and her son Shawn, with lots of twists and turns plus Sadie getting hit in the head with a frying pan!
It is crazy how she gets hurt and keeps going with her suspensions and finding out many things that helps to solve the murder!

[Becky]

This one is as sweet and unfulfilling as the cake on the cover.

I liked the premise, the style, the mystery, and how it unfolded. It was well paced and had snappy dialogue. Also I’m legit planning to make most of the recipes. And I’m head over heels in love with the idea that we have a pudgy middle-aged teacher obsessed with baking as the lead. It’s about time.

But when it comes down to it I found her vigilante-isms annoying as all get out. I wanted to cheer when she was finally arrested. Most of the time Sadie was quirky and endearing, but I would be absolutely terrified of her if we met in real life.

I can’t hate on her too hard though- the book did exactly what I wanted it to do: satisfy my sweet tooth and giggle away my afternoon.

[Lyssa]

2.5

I liked this one a little less just because of the subject matter. Sad and violent. *SPOILER* Though, I did laugh out loud at the fact that Sadie had her eyes closed as a murder happened right in front of her due to her savoring the cake she made. HA!

I was amazed at the number of times she got herself in super dangerous situations and how she handled it. She stepped right into open trap after open trap. I could understand her wariness of the police after what happened in a previous book, but her trust of complete strangers and poor decisions made me uncomfortable if not anxious.

[Jen]

2 1/2 stars. Captivating mystery, and yet Sadie is showing “Mary Sue” qualities in that nobody can accomplish anything without her. She needs to either join the police force or get her private detective license. The “who done it” was a surprise, but I should have probably seen coming. Not sure how I feel about the potential love triangle that’s forming, but I’d choose the new guy at this moment.

Will I read book 4? Probably, because each book is a fast read, and I need to know if Sadie is ever going to reign herself in.

[Anastasia]

Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack is the 3rd book in A Culinary Mystery series. Sadie Hoffmiler is attending a Garrison Library fundraiser benefit to hear local author Thom Mortenson when his manager is shot on stage. This is a reread for me having read the entire series previously and I found that the books get better as the series progresses. Sadie is particularly meddlesome and amateurish in this book and there is a lot happening. Everything occurs in less than 24 hours so there is plenty of quick action. Fast with plenty of recipes included along the way.