Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Bell Bridge Books (2008), Paperback, 260 pages
Description
A routine cake delivery becomes a culinary nightmare when a small-town baker discovers her first client's dead body. It'll take more than a little sugar to convince folks Daphne Martin's freshly baked spice cake was not to blame for the mysterious death of town gossip Yodel Watson. Getting her new cake decorating business, Daphne's Delectable Cakes, off the ground is hard enough now that Daphne's moved back to her southern Virginia hometown, but orders have been even slower since she found Yodel's body. She soon realizes, however, that just about everybody in town had a reason to poison the cantankerous busybody, from the philandering pet shop owner, to Yodel's church potluck nemesis, to the Save-A-Buck's cranky produce manager-turned-bagger. Now, to help prove she's no confectionary killer, Daphne recruits her old flame, Ben Jacobs, editor of the local newspaper, and quickly stirs up a long-hidden family scandal that just might hold the secret ingredient she needs to solve the case. All she's got to do is roll up her sleeves and get her hands a little dirty before the real culprit decides that taking sweet revenge on Daphne will be icing on the cake.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kymmayfield
This was sent to me as an ARC. It is a debut novel about a cake decorater that becomes and investigator when she finds a dead body.
When I first read about the book, my thought was, "Oh great, another culinary mystery." But I was pleasantly surprise. Yes it was a culinary mystery but it was its own
I gave it a 4/5
When I first read about the book, my thought was, "Oh great, another culinary mystery." But I was pleasantly surprise. Yes it was a culinary mystery but it was its own
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book. I will definitely read the next in the series. I gave it a 4/5
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LibraryThing member momgee
In this delightful new series by Gayle Trent, we are introduced to Daphne Martin, now returned to her Virginia hometown and trying to establish her new business as a free lance cake decorator. When Daphne is delivering a spice cake to one of her more difficult customers, Yodel Watson, she finds her
Yodel’s daughter, Annabelle calls Daphne from Florida and asks her to retrieve her mother’s diary and tells Daphne exactly where to find it. Of course, Daphne can’t help but peek into the diary and is appalled when she finds some volatile secrets concerning her own family and many others in the town It seems there are a lot of people who would be happy to see the end of Yodel . The suspense is heightened when Daphne finds a warning painted on her walkway to MIND HER OWN BUSINESS.But of course, she just can’t do that! The fun begins as Daphne tries to find out who is the real murderer and the truth about her own family.
Trent has written an absolutely captivating cozy, complete with all the traditional elements of the genre. There is the requisite disliked victim, the nosy neighbor, the town blabbermouth and a host of possible suspects in a cast of colorful characters. Motives abound and there are enough red herrings and real clues to keep the reader guessing until the very end. Throw in a town full of petty feuds, the local beauty shop’s hot bed of gossip, a little budding romance between characters and you have the recipe for a delicious mystery.
I hadn’t even read past page 7 and I had absolutely laughed out loud numerous times. The dialogue in this book is filled with snappy wit that will regale the reader time and time again. The Characters are so well drawn, the reader will feel as if they are real. The plot is well constructed and well paced with just the right amount of subplot to keep up the interest. If you are a fan of the cozy mystery, this is one you will definitely want to read. If you are like Diane Mott Davidson or Joanna Fluke, you will be enthralled as Ms. Trent gives a lot of cake decorating details and the book contains some mouthwatering recipes. Highly recommended.
5*****
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reclining on the sofa in her bathrobe. Except for one thing, she is not just resting, she is dead! As Daphne explains to the police over and over after Yodel’s death is declared suspicious , I was just delivering a cake. Honest! Yodel’s daughter, Annabelle calls Daphne from Florida and asks her to retrieve her mother’s diary and tells Daphne exactly where to find it. Of course, Daphne can’t help but peek into the diary and is appalled when she finds some volatile secrets concerning her own family and many others in the town It seems there are a lot of people who would be happy to see the end of Yodel . The suspense is heightened when Daphne finds a warning painted on her walkway to MIND HER OWN BUSINESS.But of course, she just can’t do that! The fun begins as Daphne tries to find out who is the real murderer and the truth about her own family.
Trent has written an absolutely captivating cozy, complete with all the traditional elements of the genre. There is the requisite disliked victim, the nosy neighbor, the town blabbermouth and a host of possible suspects in a cast of colorful characters. Motives abound and there are enough red herrings and real clues to keep the reader guessing until the very end. Throw in a town full of petty feuds, the local beauty shop’s hot bed of gossip, a little budding romance between characters and you have the recipe for a delicious mystery.
I hadn’t even read past page 7 and I had absolutely laughed out loud numerous times. The dialogue in this book is filled with snappy wit that will regale the reader time and time again. The Characters are so well drawn, the reader will feel as if they are real. The plot is well constructed and well paced with just the right amount of subplot to keep up the interest. If you are a fan of the cozy mystery, this is one you will definitely want to read. If you are like Diane Mott Davidson or Joanna Fluke, you will be enthralled as Ms. Trent gives a lot of cake decorating details and the book contains some mouthwatering recipes. Highly recommended.
5*****
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LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Having been sent the second book in this series for review, I decided to start at the very beginning. The first chapter worried me. It felt rather clumsy and I was not reassured by the introduction of murder suspects with crass motives hard on the heels of the discovery of the corpse. It was not
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long, however, before I found myself aligning to the author's style and enjoying her cheerful wit. The characters are interesting although some of the relationships are rather broadly drawn. In many ways, this book challenged my prejudices: I would not have expected to enjoy so much technical detail about the making of decorated cakes but it fitted into the narrative without breaking the flow. While lacking the deftness of MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin stories, this small-town amateur detective story had much of the same appeal. Show Less
LibraryThing member JanetBoyer
“I awoke the next morning with my head throbbing. Still, headache or not, it was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and I had a lot to do. I wanted to make a cake that Mom would ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over; but since that was an impossibility, I had to settle for pleasing myself and Violet’s
After Daphne Martin dodges a (literal) bullet from her ex-husband, she decides to start a new life and career as a cake decorator in her old hometown.
However, Daphne’s Delectable Cakes isn’t off to a good start when Daphne delivers a third cake to her fussy first client, Yodel Watson—and finds her slouched in the den, stone cold dead. The authorities have to sort out if Yodel died before Daphne delivered the cake…or after.
An exceptional first book in a new culinary cozy mystery series by Gayle Trent, Murder Takes the Cake follows Daphne as she navigates her new life, new career and potential new love interest—all while dealing with her Mom’s disapproval, the town’s suspicion, dozens of colorful characters (some problematic, others delightful), rumors, an influx of clients and the holidays. Whew!
First-time author Gayle Trend deftly weaves an engaging plot with mouth-watering descriptions, believable characters, universal themes (like Mother-Daughter conflict and the effects of small-town gossip) and a compelling mystery: who killed Yodel Watson and why?
When Yodel’s daughter, Annabelle asks Daphne retrieved a tell-all diary from her Mom’s house, Daphne can’t help but sneak a peek. But what she reads about her *own* Mom in the diary yanks Daphne into the center of a web of innuendo, local dirt, and a dark family secret.
Are some secrets worth killing for?
I’m impressed with Gayle Trent’s story-telling and writing skills, especially since Murder Takes the Cake is her debut novel! I’m salivating for more and can’t wait to dig in to her second book in the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series, Dead Pan.
If you enjoy well-written cozy mysteries with quirky characters, true-to-life dialogue and dexterous word painting, I highly recommend Murder Takes the Cake.
-- Janet Boyer, author of Back in Time Tarot
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family. Mom thought I was ‘silly’ for leaving a ‘perfectly good job in order to stay home and make cakes’. I pressed my fingertips to my temples and tried not to think about Mom. Instead, I focused on my plans for the day. First stop, ibuprofen and coffee.” – From Murder Takes the CakeAfter Daphne Martin dodges a (literal) bullet from her ex-husband, she decides to start a new life and career as a cake decorator in her old hometown.
However, Daphne’s Delectable Cakes isn’t off to a good start when Daphne delivers a third cake to her fussy first client, Yodel Watson—and finds her slouched in the den, stone cold dead. The authorities have to sort out if Yodel died before Daphne delivered the cake…or after.
An exceptional first book in a new culinary cozy mystery series by Gayle Trent, Murder Takes the Cake follows Daphne as she navigates her new life, new career and potential new love interest—all while dealing with her Mom’s disapproval, the town’s suspicion, dozens of colorful characters (some problematic, others delightful), rumors, an influx of clients and the holidays. Whew!
First-time author Gayle Trend deftly weaves an engaging plot with mouth-watering descriptions, believable characters, universal themes (like Mother-Daughter conflict and the effects of small-town gossip) and a compelling mystery: who killed Yodel Watson and why?
When Yodel’s daughter, Annabelle asks Daphne retrieved a tell-all diary from her Mom’s house, Daphne can’t help but sneak a peek. But what she reads about her *own* Mom in the diary yanks Daphne into the center of a web of innuendo, local dirt, and a dark family secret.
Are some secrets worth killing for?
I’m impressed with Gayle Trent’s story-telling and writing skills, especially since Murder Takes the Cake is her debut novel! I’m salivating for more and can’t wait to dig in to her second book in the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series, Dead Pan.
If you enjoy well-written cozy mysteries with quirky characters, true-to-life dialogue and dexterous word painting, I highly recommend Murder Takes the Cake.
-- Janet Boyer, author of Back in Time Tarot
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LibraryThing member bugeyzz23
This mystery was an easy read and became a real page turner after the inital set up. I found myself really loving the characters and thought I had it all figured out...only to be surprised in the end. I look forward to more great writings by Gayle Trent! :)
LibraryThing member ReviewsbyMolly
I LOVE baking, I LOVE mystery, and I LOVE Gayle Trent's work! This is a new to me author and her work is FANTABULOUSLY done. From page one, I was pulled in, and stayed hooked until the mystery was solved. From baking, to delivering said baked to her clients, to strange happenings that end in a
Daphne Martin is back in her hometown in Virginia and opens her bakery. That's all she thinks she'll be doing: making cakes. That is, until she shows up at her first clients home to deliver the goods and finds her dead. And, people are blaming HER. What's a baker to do? So, now, through tons of hilarious, quirky moments, lots of fun mystery, and some awesome culinary tips, too, Daphne Martin sets out to seek the clues for this unusual, yet cozy-at-it's-finest mystery.
If you love cozy mysteries, look no further than Gayle Trent's un-put-downable, delicious crime solving series! From a talking parrot to a gossiping old citizen to some shocking family secrets, this five star novel will make it's way to your bookshelf to stay. You'll be pulled in, mixed up and thrown into the crime solving oven of mystery. Gayle's love for her readers shows in this yummy culinary mystery. Definitely recommended to all. I'm already hungry for the next dish of Daphne Martin mystery!
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murder, this first Daphne Martin Cake Mystery novel is a home run hit with this new fan! Daphne Martin is back in her hometown in Virginia and opens her bakery. That's all she thinks she'll be doing: making cakes. That is, until she shows up at her first clients home to deliver the goods and finds her dead. And, people are blaming HER. What's a baker to do? So, now, through tons of hilarious, quirky moments, lots of fun mystery, and some awesome culinary tips, too, Daphne Martin sets out to seek the clues for this unusual, yet cozy-at-it's-finest mystery.
If you love cozy mysteries, look no further than Gayle Trent's un-put-downable, delicious crime solving series! From a talking parrot to a gossiping old citizen to some shocking family secrets, this five star novel will make it's way to your bookshelf to stay. You'll be pulled in, mixed up and thrown into the crime solving oven of mystery. Gayle's love for her readers shows in this yummy culinary mystery. Definitely recommended to all. I'm already hungry for the next dish of Daphne Martin mystery!
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LibraryThing member scoutlee
At the age of 40, Daphne Martin is beginning a new chapter in her life. She has relocated from Tennessee to her Virgina hometown after divorcing her abusive husband Todd (who is currently serving time in prison). She's trying to make a fresh start by turning her passion for baking cakes into her
Unfortunately for Daphne her first client, Yodel Watson, is ornery and the town's gossip. Ms. Watson is quite difficult (to put it mildly) and has Daphne running in circles with the changes for her cake orders. Naturally Daphne remains professional and tries to accommodate Yodel's unrealistic demands (she is her first client after all). When Daphne arrives at Yodel's home with her third cake, she unexpectedly finds herself involved in a murder investigation.
Rumor has it that Yodel was poisoned. And because Daphne found her dead, it is assumed that an ingredient in one of Daphne's cakes may have poisoned her. To prove her innocence and keep her business from being ruined before it even begins, Daphne must find Yodel's killer.
Murder Takes the Cake is the first book in this cozy series. Although the story centers around Daphne's attempt to rebuild her life, the reader is also introduced to a host of secondary characters. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this light, quick read. Murder Takes the Cake is a good start to a promising series. Recommended.
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own business: Daphne's Delectable Cakes.Unfortunately for Daphne her first client, Yodel Watson, is ornery and the town's gossip. Ms. Watson is quite difficult (to put it mildly) and has Daphne running in circles with the changes for her cake orders. Naturally Daphne remains professional and tries to accommodate Yodel's unrealistic demands (she is her first client after all). When Daphne arrives at Yodel's home with her third cake, she unexpectedly finds herself involved in a murder investigation.
Rumor has it that Yodel was poisoned. And because Daphne found her dead, it is assumed that an ingredient in one of Daphne's cakes may have poisoned her. To prove her innocence and keep her business from being ruined before it even begins, Daphne must find Yodel's killer.
Murder Takes the Cake is the first book in this cozy series. Although the story centers around Daphne's attempt to rebuild her life, the reader is also introduced to a host of secondary characters. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this light, quick read. Murder Takes the Cake is a good start to a promising series. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Bettyb30
This was cute little murder mystry. Yes I said cute, they did it in a very cute and interesting way. Cute story line with the murder.
LibraryThing member bookofsecrets
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Murder Takes the Cake is the first book in Gayle Trent's Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series. Daphne has recently returned to her childhood home in a small Virginia town. She's recently divorced from an abusive husband who is serving prison time for trying to shoot her. Her fresh
I've decided that cozy mystery is my new genre for 2011, and Murder Takes the Cake is the first one that I've read (unless you count the Sookie Stackhouse books). Because I'm new to cozies, I can't compare this book to others. But, I can say that I really enjoyed it! The mystery itself was a fairly simple one, so in my opinion the book's strength came from the intersting characters and their interwoven relationships. The author did a great job making the small town characters' quirky personalities pop off the page. I loved Daphne, and I could really connect with her. There was just the barest hint of romance between Daphne and her long lost boyfriend Ben who helps her solve the mystery. The only thing that slowed the story down somewhat was the detailed descriptions of Daphne's cake decorating. Some of it I enjoyed learning about, but it did take up a big chunk of the story.
Murder Takes the Cake is a quick and entertaining read fans of cozy mysteries and even chick lit would enjoy. This book was first published in 2008. The copy I reviewed is the March 2011 trade paperback edition. Up next in the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series: Killer Sweet Tooth.
Murder Takes the Cake is the first book in Gayle Trent's Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series. Daphne has recently returned to her childhood home in a small Virginia town. She's recently divorced from an abusive husband who is serving prison time for trying to shoot her. Her fresh
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start in life is opening her own cake decorating business, Daphne's Delectable Cakes. Unfortunately for Daphne, she discovers one of her first clients dead when she delivers her cake order. The deceased happens to be a spiteful busybody who kept a journal full of the town's secrets. When it's revealed that the victim was poisoned, fingers point to Daphne and her cakes. Soon she's forced to solve the mystery in order to save herself and her business.I've decided that cozy mystery is my new genre for 2011, and Murder Takes the Cake is the first one that I've read (unless you count the Sookie Stackhouse books). Because I'm new to cozies, I can't compare this book to others. But, I can say that I really enjoyed it! The mystery itself was a fairly simple one, so in my opinion the book's strength came from the intersting characters and their interwoven relationships. The author did a great job making the small town characters' quirky personalities pop off the page. I loved Daphne, and I could really connect with her. There was just the barest hint of romance between Daphne and her long lost boyfriend Ben who helps her solve the mystery. The only thing that slowed the story down somewhat was the detailed descriptions of Daphne's cake decorating. Some of it I enjoyed learning about, but it did take up a big chunk of the story.
Murder Takes the Cake is a quick and entertaining read fans of cozy mysteries and even chick lit would enjoy. This book was first published in 2008. The copy I reviewed is the March 2011 trade paperback edition. Up next in the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series: Killer Sweet Tooth.
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LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
This is a snappy, cozy read right from the start.
Daphne Martin has left a failed marriage, crummy apartment and dead-end job and moved back to her hometown, Brea Ridge, Virginia, to start over. She has started her own cake decorating business and her first customer is Yodel Watson, the meanest
When Daphne goes to deliver the cake, which is #3 in trying to satisfy Yodel’s vague request, a voice yells “Come in! It’s open! Come in!” in response to her knock. What she finds is Yodel lying on the sofa — dead. The voice is a grey parrot named Banjo. What a great start for a new business.
Daphne’s notoriety from finding Yodel dead isn’t the only thing that dampens her business. Seems the police chief’s wife is a blabber mouth and Daphne is her prime subject.
The suspects are many — almost everyone in town has suffered from Yodel’s vicious tongue. When it becomes known Yodel kept a diary, things get a bit more hairy.
Brea Ridge is a small town and it has its own secrets, but some are not as secret as their owners would like.
The characters are good and there is even a budding romance. Daphne does have a problem with her Mom and a past event, but things do get ironed out.
My only rough spot is when Daphne sets up to work on her cakes and becomes a little more detailed in the particular tips she uses for her designs. If you’re into cake decorating, this would be of interest. With that written — I’d still read more books from this author and series.
Daphne Martin has left a failed marriage, crummy apartment and dead-end job and moved back to her hometown, Brea Ridge, Virginia, to start over. She has started her own cake decorating business and her first customer is Yodel Watson, the meanest
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gossip in town.When Daphne goes to deliver the cake, which is #3 in trying to satisfy Yodel’s vague request, a voice yells “Come in! It’s open! Come in!” in response to her knock. What she finds is Yodel lying on the sofa — dead. The voice is a grey parrot named Banjo. What a great start for a new business.
Daphne’s notoriety from finding Yodel dead isn’t the only thing that dampens her business. Seems the police chief’s wife is a blabber mouth and Daphne is her prime subject.
The suspects are many — almost everyone in town has suffered from Yodel’s vicious tongue. When it becomes known Yodel kept a diary, things get a bit more hairy.
Brea Ridge is a small town and it has its own secrets, but some are not as secret as their owners would like.
The characters are good and there is even a budding romance. Daphne does have a problem with her Mom and a past event, but things do get ironed out.
My only rough spot is when Daphne sets up to work on her cakes and becomes a little more detailed in the particular tips she uses for her designs. If you’re into cake decorating, this would be of interest. With that written — I’d still read more books from this author and series.
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LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Meh. Cozy with a protagonist who cannot keep her mouth shut to save her life. And I could give a crap about all the cake decorating stuff.
Language
Physical description
260 p.; 8.35 inches
ISBN
0980245362 / 9780980245363