Cake and Punishment: A Southern Cake Baker Mystery

After leaving her cheating boyfriend in New York, Sophia takes a much-needed vacation to unwind by returning to her quaint hometown in Kentucky. It turns out to be just what she needed, except her relaxation is cut short when her old friend Charlotte needs her to bake a last-minute wedding cake. Things quickly sour when they find Charlotte’s chef dead in the Rumford Country Club kitchen. Sophia is determined to save Charlotte’s wedding, but her interests are piqued when her old boss Evelyn is blamed for the murder. Offering her opinions to the charming Sheriff Carver, Sophia sets out on her own investigation and uncovers shocking secrets that could uncover a killer.

Maymee Bell captures the small-town charm where everyone knows everyone and everyone seems to always know your business. A majority of the plot focuses on her return home after ten years to find everything has changed and explores what it’s like going home again. In some ways, Sophia’s placed right back where she left off, except now the people she knew in high school are married, parents, engaged, or handsome sheriffs. A sweet romance bubbles under the surface while she deals with recovering from her heartache in a realistic emotional journey. The characters are wonderfully Southern, with her matchmaking mama and her vocal friends, with small-town gossip and country-club antics. Cake and Punishment is a sweet Southern mystery with a delightful plot and quirky characters who quickly make you feel at home.

Cake and Punishment is the exciting start to the Southern Cake Baker Mystery series.