Book 116, 2024
Muffin Mystery: Whisked Away to Danger by Blake Rivers
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
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Last night I read an ebook novella Muffin Mystery: Whisked Away to Danger by Blake Rivers. It appeared to be the first book in a short series, but I felt like I'd started in the middle. I see the author has several mini-series out, and perhaps this one follows others...? Some clarity on series order would be helpful. The main character in this one is Sophia Lawrence, who owns and operates a bakery.
Sophia loves her small town, but when she learns that town bigwig Calvin Starks is trying to buy the property that the historic lighthouse stands on, she is upset. Furthering her unease, her cat Mocha finds a cryptic note that indicates the town of Coral Cove has a dark history--one that Calvin may be trying to exploit in his bid for power. Along with her BFF, Rosemary (the town gossip) and Jonas (a local police detective), Sophia will try to thwart Calvin's plans before he brings about the downfall of the entire town.
Alrighty then. This was like reading an episode of Scooby Doo, from the ridiculous clues to the land-grabbing villain to the secret passageways accessible by pressing on a certain rock or panel. Don't get me wrong, I love Scooby Doo, but I know what I'm getting with him and the gang. I did not sign up for it when reading this book. I have questions:
- What "bake-off"? There was mention of a bake-off, but the only person I saw baking was Sophia.
- Why did Jonas encourage Sophia to investigate? Isn't that his job?
- Why DIDN'T Jonas seem to care that Sophia and Rosemary broke into Calvin's store?
- When did Mrs Featherstone tell "the gang" about her missing friend? See what I mean about feeling like I got dropped into the middle of the episode?
- What was Calvin doing out of jail after threatening people with a gun?
- How many chills can run up or down Sophia's spine?
There was a lot of unnecessary repetition in this, and the ending of some chapters seemed so final that I was surprised to discover more chapters followed. Honestly, the entire story was just silly.
Favorite line: He had a reputation for being as charming as a damp sock.
Ye olde 'Breath' line: I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and opened the closet door.
Characters were flat, the plot was inane, and precious little made any sense. I did like the cat. Two stars.