Red Velvet Revenge

Book Description: It may be summertime, but sales at Fairy Tale Cupcakes are below zero--and owners Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are willing to try anything to heat things up. So when local legend Slim Hazard offers them the chance to sell cupcakes at the annual Juniper Pass rodeo, they're determined to rope in a pretty payday!

But not everyone at the Juniper Pass is as sweet for Fairy Tale Cupcakes as Slim--including star bull-rider Ty Stokes. Mel and Angie try to steer clear of the cowboy's short fuse, but when his dead body is found face down in the hay, it's a whole different rodeo.

With a vengeful murderer on the loose, the ladies are quickly realizing that while they came to save their business, they may have to save themselves--and that's no bull.

My Review: This fourth book in Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery mystery series is my favorite one yet. What fun to go on a road trip with Mel, Angie, Tate, Marty, and Oz in their tricked out cupcake van to the Juniper Pass Rodeo. It was great to see the gang leave the bakery for a bit and I felt as if I was visiting the rodeo right along with them. And how I loved the descriptions of this Old West town...right down to the saloon!

Of course murder seems to find our favorite cozy characters wherever they go, so first they witness a shooting, and then stumble upon a champion bull rider dead in the barn, which at first glance looks like a goring. More turmoil ensues when the electricity going to the van is unplugged and all of their cupcakes are thawed. I enjoyed how the cake pops idea is born (and love the cute little skull cake pop on the cover!!!)

I enjoyed the Hazard family as well; their history and how I suspected them all of the murder at some point. For the first time ever in reading a mystery I actually found myself sympathizing with a killer and hoping the judicial system goes easy on them! And the ending made me so anxious to read the next book...the relationships between these characters (Mel and Joe, Angie and Tate) is fantastic!

Cowboys and cupcakes...you just can't go wrong!

Tara's Thoughts: Mommy says Mel adopted Captain Jack in the previous book in the series, Death by the Dozen, and that he's a real cutie pie. I'm glad he stays safely at home with his grandma and Joe in this book. The world is a big and scary place for a small kitty.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher with the request for a review.