"Bake, Batter, and Roll" by Catherine Bruns: Review/Giveaway

Review by Sarah Erwin

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

In Catherine Bruns’ 13th entry into her Cookies & Chance mystery series, Bake, Batter, and Roll,  small business owner and baker Sally Muccio is surprised to learn that her bakery was nominated to host an episode of Senior Moments, a reality TV dating show featuring folks aged sixty-five and older. Sal’s jaw hits the floor, though, when she learns that her Grandma Rosa has agreed to be a contestant to appease her cranky long-time friend Nicoletta Gavelli.

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Image Source Gemma Halliday Publishing

The show’s producers seem to have met their match with Mrs. Gavelli and these scenes had me chuckling out loud. Eventually the filming wraps up and everyone but Sal and the show’s host, Smiley Jones, are left. Sal and Smiley chat a bit, and Sal finds something about Smiley just a little bit off, but she locks up, bids Smiley goodbye and makes her way home to family.  It isn’t until later that night when Sal returns to her store to check on the alarm that she finds Smiley beaten to death with her rolling pin.

The last thing Sal or her family wants is for her to get involved in the hunt for the culprit, but with her business (and later her life) threatened, she can’t help but get involved. Sal and her business partner and friend Josie take a deep dive into Smiley’s life and suspects keep piling up–is it the loan shark Smiley owes big time? What about his ex-wife? Or even a friend from the past? The story kept me guessing and I loved following the clues that Sal and Josie unraveled.

Sal’s close-knit family adds much enjoyment to the story–from her handsome husband and adorable 18-month-old daughter, to her wacky (and lovable) parents and strong sister, I loved watching their interactions during family dinners. I felt as though I was a part of the family.

Readers can easily slip into this series entry as a standalone mystery. And if readers are new to this series, what a delight for them to have a long backlist of titles to enjoy. Let’s also not forget to mention the delicious recipes included in the back of the book.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Bake, Batter, and Roll, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "bake,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 28, 2023. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter.  If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.