Sunday, March 28, 2021

A Bundt Instrument - A Review

 Review


A BUNDT INSTRUMENT by Nancy Warren
The Fourth Great Witches Baking Show Mystery 

Amateur baker Poppy Wilkinson knows that she has to keep her nose to the grindstone if she wants to remain in the Great British Baking Contest after last week's lackluster performance. But when she's asked to make the cake for a wedding the day before the competition resumes, she can't say no. One reason is that the maid of honor simply won't take no for an answer, the other is that the wedding is at Broomewode Hall. Hoping to increase her business as well as delve into her heritage, Poppy is taken aback when once more murder descends on the Hall. Could the murderer be a member of the wedding party? Or could Poppy's newfound powers be somehow to blame? Will Poppy be able to focus on her bakes with a murderer on the loose? She'd better, or this week might be her last! 

I'm delighted to be back under the tent with Poppy, although this time out a lot of the action happens before the words "ready, set, bake" are heard. I enjoyed having a whole set of new characters for the murder to revolve around. We meet a seemingly lovely wedding party. Seemingly is the appropriate word, however, as one of them is surely the murderer. The maid of honor is a bit of a maidzilla, if you will, and the brother of the bride seems a surly sot, but in general everyone seems delightful. I enjoyed following Poppy as she tried to figure out who wanted to ruin what was looking to be a perfect wedding day.

I love how Poppy and her baking contestant friends combine a bit of sleuthing along with their bakes and how Elspeth is there to remind them of their primary responsibility-a perfect bake. I especially enjoy ghostly Gerry getting in on the sleuthing action as well. The book does an exemplary job of properly combining all of its ingredients: the murder, the baking competition, Poppy's search for her heritage, and the budding of Poppy's magicakal abilities. They meld together in a perfect marriage, unlike the book's unlucky couple.

A BUNDT INSTRUMENT is a scrumptious mystery filled with good friends and great bakes. There's also a glimmer of a possible romance on the horizon. So grab a cuppa along with a slice of bundt cake and sit back for a wonderful read.

Recipe Included

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