"Death Takes The Cake"

"Death Takes The Cake" by Melinda Wells is the second in her Della Carmichael series. Della is the owner of a Santa Monica, CA, cooking school plus she stars on a cable cooking show so it's another mystery novel that includes recipes.

Della has been entered in a televised cake competition to promote her show but gets more than competition when one of the contestants is murdered and her best friend's husband becomes the prime suspect. Della sets out to find out who the real killer is while working through her off-again, on-again semi-romance with crime reporter, Nicholas D'Martino - or NDM as Della has nicknamed him.

This is another easy,fun to read mystery and I'm ready to look for the third one in the series. If you're looking for a quick, easy, light read, this is it! pazt

"Killer Mousse"

"Killer Mousse" by Melinda Wells is the first book in the Della Cooks Mystery series and it's a light, fun mystery that left me wanting more. Like many of its type it also includes recipes.

Della Carmichael is a former school teacher who is trying to keep her cooking school afloat so accepts a job as a cable TV chef but on her very first show there's a murder. Della sets out to track down the murderer herself because she's desperate to keep her job.

Unfortunately for Della, some of the fellow co-workers she interviews lead to more deaths and, if it weren't for the homicide cop ex-partner of her deceased husband working with the lead homicide detective, she fears she would be in jail. However, Della herself becomes a target and the need to find the killer intensifies.

Along the way Della finds some distracting romance on two fronts and has to make some tough choices. Wells does a good job of fleshing out Della's life including friends, household pets, and new acquaintances so I finished the book feeling like I knew Della and I want to see how her life and romance evolves.

Check out this quick read for yourself -- pazt

"Glazed Murder"

"Glazed Murder" by Jessica Beck is her first in a series of Donut Shop Mysteries featuring newly divorced Suzanne Hart who used her divorce settlement to open Donut Hearts coffee shop in her home town of April Springs, North Carolina. Running a donut shop means early morning hours and long days (every day!) with the part-time help of a single employee. It's during her early morning baking that Suzanne has a dead body dumped at the front door of her shop. Although everyone is telling her not to investigate because she could be putting her own life at risk, she doesn't listen. She's afraid the killer thinks she knows who he is so she sets out to find him first. As she snoops, she upsets a few of her fellow townspeople.

The married chief of police who wanted to marry her widowed mother when they were young,seems to have no patience with Suzanne so she enlists the help of a retired policeman to aid her in her investigation.

In the meantime, Max, her ex-husband, is making overtures at wooing her again but she's not forgiving his marital infidelity. When Jake Bishop, a state police inspector, is called to town to help in the investigation, a chance for a new romance appears to blow into town with him. However, Suzanne's penchant for investigation may be putting her as well as her friends and family at risk.

I found this to be a fun mystery read and the inclusion of recipes throughout the book is reminiscent of Diane Mott Davidson's mystery series.
If you're looking for a "light" mystery that is a quick read, this is it. I enjoyed it so much that I already have her second book in hand.

pazt