Murder Most Sweet: A Bookish Baker Mystery

Set in Lake Potawatomi, Wis., this light and sassy series launch from Walker (Reconstructing Natalie) introduces 43-year-old Theodora “Teddie” St. John, breast cancer survivor, cozy mystery author, and master cake and cookie baker. The town is all agog at the prospect of meeting Tavish Bentley, “a rich-and-famous New York Times best-selling author,” who’s doing a signing at the local bookstore, where Teddie will be providing refreshments. At the event is Tavish’s ex-fiancée, Kristi Black, who’s seeking to win him back. During a visit to the bookstore ladies’ room, Teddie loses her scarf, which was apparently taken by one of the two women, one of whom may have been Kristi, she overheard arguing over Tavish while she was in a stall. Later that day, Teddie goes for a walk and discovers Kristi dead in a dumpster, with the missing scarf around her neck. Someone has obviously tried to frame Teddie, who sets out with aplomb to find the real killer. The plot lopes along at a decent clip, and appealing characters and snappy dialogue bode well for the sequel. This series is off to a solid start. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary. (Aug.)