Read time: 3 minutes
📱📖 Read on Kindle (ARC)
📃 256 pages
⏱ ~3 hours read time
🏷️ Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
📅 Publishing Date: March 24, 2026
🎁 ARC provided by NetGalley
Book Blurb:
When pastry chef Madeline loses her beloved grandfather, she leaves behind her high-pressure LA restaurant job to run his bakery in Solvang, California alongside her bold, outspoken grandma Ruth. The town may be fiercely devoted to its Danish traditions, but Madeline is determined to prove that French pastries deserve a place there too. Trouble rises when Madeline wins a local baking competition, sparking jealousy and accusations of cheating. When the accuser is found dead outside the bakery and Grandma Ruth becomes the prime suspect, Madeline must uncover the truth to save her family’s legacy before it crumbles for good.
Let’s talk murder:
Baking Up a Murder is everything you want in a cozy culinary mystery, with its comforting, flavorful energy and just the right amount of bite. Hattie Fox sets her debut in Solvang, a town so vividly described you can practically smell the butter and cinnamon wafting from the bakery. This book brings Amanda Flower vibes from the Amish Candy Shop series but with a fresh California twist that got me craving pastries at midnight.
What truly elevates this debut though, is the relationship between Madeline and Grandma Ruth. This is not your soft-edged, cardigan wearing grandma troupe. Ruth is brash, blunt, unapologetically loud, and absolutely unforgettable. Their dynamic crackles with warmth and humor, and it gives the story the emotional anchor that makes the mystery connect with you. When Ruth becomes a murder suspect, Madeline’s determination feels deeply personal rather than plot-driven, and that makes all the difference.
Sure, the small town gossip mill spins predictably at times (which is where the one star was lost), but the heart, the legacy-saving stakes, and Ruth’s unfiltered zingers elevates it to feel-good gold. No insta-love fluff, just solid bonds and holiday warmth that lingers like sugar dust. Debut cozy mysteries don’t get any tastier. This is a cozy culinary mystery triumph!
Would I recommend it?
This debut cozy culinary mystery is a treat. Hattie Fox delivers Amanda Flower level comfort with fresh flair. Perfect for cozy mystery fans craving baking competition drama minus the bland.
If You Loved Baking Up a Murder, You’ll Enjoy These Too
🍬 Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower
If the cozy culinary vibes and close-knit family dynamics hooked you here, Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop mysteries deliver that same comforting mix of sweets, small-town tension, and emotionally grounded sleuthing. The quiet community setting and food-forward mystery feel like a natural next step.
📚 Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander
This one mirrors the bakery-centered plot and small-town charm perfectly. If you enjoyed watching Madeline navigate local rivalries and prove herself in a tight-knit community, Ellie Alexander’s baker-led mysteries offer similar competition-fueled drama with a cozy backbone.
☕ Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker
Fans of culinary competition drama and business rivalries will feel right at home here. Bree Baker leans into the same cozy formula of food, friendship, and murder, with a fast-moving mystery that pairs well with the lighter, comforting tone of Baking Up a Murder.
🥐 Kneaded to Death by Winnie Archer
If the bakery setting and hands-on food descriptions were your favorite part, this series doubles down on that aspect. It shares the same “saving the family business” energy and blends it with classic cozy pacing and approachable sleuthing.
🍨 A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette
This is a great pick if you loved the multigenerational relationship at the heart of Madeline and Grandma Ruth’s story. Abby Collette excels at weaving family bonds into cozy mysteries, adding emotional depth without sacrificing the fun.
Your favorite Grandma sleuth moment?
Spill in the comments: What’s the sassiest grandma character in cozy mysteries you’ve adored?
Book Links:
Want to purchase this or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below. These sites work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfill your book orders. #SupportLocal
- Indiebookstores.ca
- Bookshop.org
- Goodreads | Storybound | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover
- Follow Ellie Alexander for latest bookish updates on her author page
- Check out more books from Crooked Lane Books
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