One Dead Cookie
Series: A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery Book #4
Author: Virginia Lowell
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Page Count: 304
My Rating:
Book Summary
Olivia Greyson is the proud owner of The Gingerbread House–a quaint shop that specializes in all things cookie–and her best friend, Maddie, is her sidekick, baking up scrumptious treats for their cookie-themed parties. But a dead body on their front porch might put their bake shop in a truly sticky situation…
Olivia is busy baking up special cookies for Maddie’s upcoming engagement party when soap star Trevor Lane shows up unexpectedly in town. It soon becomes clear that Trevor, who grew up in the neighboring town of Twiterton, left behind a number of enemies with long memories. Even Trevor’s assistant and childhood friend, Dougie, seems to harbor a grudge against him.
Soon after his arrival, Trevor is found dead on The Gingerbread House porch, his handsome face branded with the image of a cookie cutter. When their friend Stacey is implicated in the murder, Olivia and Maddie rush to find the killer. Because it seems someone in Chatterley Heights has a sweet tooth for revenge…
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Olivia Greyson (age 31)
Business: Cookie Shop owner
Pet: Spunky, a yorkie dog
Best-Friend: Maddie (age 31)
Love Interest: Del, a male cop (age 34?)
Family: Mother, Step-Father, younger brother
Location: Maryland
My Review
I had a great time reading ‘One Dead Cookie’, book 4 of the Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery Series by Virginia Lowell. Maddie’s going to have a huge reception for her marriage to Lucas, followed by a much quieter and cozier wedding ceremony among friend. Olivia is working hard to think of the perfect wedding cookie cake for the event. And on the backdrop of this special event arrives a few new characters in town including visiting TV soap opera star Trevor Lane. When he’s found dead on Olivia’s porch, branded by a cookie cutter, and with a cookie stuck in his mouth – well, it becomes Maddie and Olivia on the case.
I really enjoyed the 4th book. I love the main sleuths and their friendship and so reading one of these books feels warm and comfortable. There is a lot of cookies! I personally don’t think I could eat that may cookies that often, but who am I to judge? Business is booming for these two sleuths and the feel of the small town they’re in always seems spot on. I live in a town like this so I continue to feel it’s a totally plausible story line. And we definitely had plenty of suspects. The key to this mystery was buried in a decades-past mystery. There was only one thing just jumped out at me as being a little ham-handed and it was right at the end when one of the new characters pops in, gives an awkward good bye statement and exits the book. It felt like it was thrown in as necessary wrap-up and was done a little less tactfully than I would have preferred, but it was so minor compared to rest of how good the book was. I’m definitely going to move onto book 5.
