Muffin But Murder (Merry Muffin Mystery, #2)

by Victoria Hamilton

Muffin maker Merry Wynter hopes to find a buyer for the castle she’s recently inherited. But when she throws a party to draw interest, she finds someone who’s bought the farm instead…
Merry’s career as a New York City stylist has crumbled, but her passion for muffins has helped her rise upstate in Autumn Vale. Everyone in town loves the tasty treats. Still, she would like to return to her glamorous life. Besides, the upkeep of Wynter Castle is expensive, and Merry’s cup isn’t exactly overflowing.
So in order to bring some prospective buyers into the mix, Merry whisks together a spooky soiree and decorates the castle with dashes of fabric and a sprinkling of spider webs. Friends new and old are invited, and everyone has a blast. But as the revelers empty out, Merry notices one partygoer who isn’t leaving—or breathing. Now Merry must hurry to unmask a killer before her perfect plans turn into a recipe for disaster…

• ISBN10: 042525884X
• ISBN13: 9780425258842
• Publish Date: 1 July 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425258842

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

Muffin But Murder 3 1/2 stars
 
This book was so cheesy, I could put it between 2 slices of bread and grill it up for a nice sandwich.
 
In Muffin But Murder, book 2 of the Merry Muffins series, Merry hosts a Halloween party that gets crashed by a bunch of people, one of whom winds up dead.  Merry is also dealing with a long lost cousin who is claiming half of the castle, pining away for her long dead husband and a host of other shenanigans.
 
Between the convoluted plot, Merry spending her time either pining for her long dead husband or waffling over selling the castle or staying, the corny romance, the ending (in which the mystery was described to the reader and not solved)  and the dropped plot lines, I'm amazed that I liked this book so much.  I have no reasons for it.  I've read books that irritate me far less that I didn't finish.  I guess it's just that I like the characters so much, and the Western NY setting is so familiar to me that it's easy to settle into the book.
 
Or I keep expecting some of these mini cliff hangers to be solved.  That might be part of it. Actually, since it keeps me coming back, that might just be it.
 
Overall, not a terrible read, but cheesy and a little inane.  But enjoyable.