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STEAMED OPEN, the seventh book in the Maine Clambake Mysteries by Barbara Ross, captured my attention from the very beginning and held it until the very last word was read! I’ve been a long-time fan of this series and picking up this newest release was like sitting down and having a reunion with special friends that I haven’t seen in a year. Ms. Ross is tops in her league at creating memorable characters that readers feel can become close friends. And as happens (hopefully) in real life, these characters grow, change, and become better people from the events that shape them. Even though STEAMED OPEN is easily read as a stand-alone, I whole-heartedly recommend reading in order (if possible) to fully appreciate the skill Ms. Ross exhibits in creating her characters.

Protagonist Julia Snowden and her family own and operate a clambake on their family’s private island. It’s mid-August in Maine and the tourists are out in force. Ms. Ross paints a beckoning description of the town and the island during summer season, enticing the reader to take a virtual vacation. I would dearly love to visit this area in real life after reading this series! But, it’s not all fun in the sun for Julia and her family when a murder hits the town. The story is tightly plotted with twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The subplots are riveting and adds an extra layer of intrigue to the book. I’ve been long curious (as has Julia) about her boyfriend’s past and his reluctance to open up. We’re finally given a glimpse into his secrets which makes him all that more meaningful to the story. I also appreciated the bits and pieces of information the author adds about clams, lighthouses, and the plight of seasonal fishermen and workers, and how difficult it is for them to make a living in the area. The author wove in the facts without ever detracting or slowing down the exciting story.

Julia, her family and friends, all enjoy lots of delectable food both on the island during clambake and in town. The descriptions will leave the reader hungry but fortunately Ms. Ross includes several recipes at the back of the book to satiate any appetite. I was drawn to the recipe for Ma’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake because it’s a recipe handed down from the author’s grandmother. What a wonderful keepsake! The fact that my taste testers told me this recipe is a “keeper” says it all! I loved that it bakes in a tube or bundt pan, which makes an elegant presentation for serving. Cinnamon and walnuts give a nice textural crunch, while the sour cream adds tang and moistness. Honestly this is a yummy breakfast or brunch treat but with a drizzle of an easy powdered sugar glaze, it’s perfect for dessert too!

Amazon Synopsis

It’s summertime in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and the clamming is easy—or it was until a mysterious new neighbor blocks access to the beach, cutting off the Snowden Family Clambake’s supply. Julia Snowden is just one of many townspeople angered by Bartholomew Frick’s decision. But which one of them was angry enough to kill?
 
Beachcombers, lighthouse buffs, and clammers are outraged after Frick puts up a gate in front of his newly inherited mansion. When Julia urges him to reconsider, she’s the last to see him alive—except the person who stabs him in the neck with a clam rake. As she pores through a long list of suspects, Julia meets disgruntled employees, rival heirs, and a pair of tourists determined to visit every lighthouse in America. They all have secrets, and Julia will have to work fast to expose the guilty party—or see this season’s clam harvest dry up for good. 

A special thanks to Barbara Ross for providing a winner with a print copy of STEAMED OPEN. Contest ends Sunday, December 23, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

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Ma's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Author's Note: This recipe is from a book of handwritten cards given to me by my grandmother the Christmas before she died. It is delicious and smells wonderful as it bakes.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick salted butter, softened (1 quarter pound)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 pint (8 ounces) sour cream

For the "topping"

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).

2. Using a mixer, mix the ingredients for the cake until smooth and integrated.

3. Using your fingers, mix the "topping ingredients.

4. Pour one half of the cake mixture into a greased tube pan. Sprinkle one half of the "topping" over it.

5. Pour in the rest of the cake mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the "topping" over the top.

6. Bake for 35 minutes.

Cinnamon & Sugar's Notes

1. After baking, cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving platter. Allow to cool at least another 15 minutes before slicing to serve. If desired, you can dust the top of the coffee cake with confectioners' sugar right before serving or drizzle with confectioners' sugar mixed with a little milk. 

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A SCANDAL IN SCARLET, the fourth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany, is probably my favorite in the series so far! I’ve enjoyed watching the protagonist, Gemma Doyle, grow over the course of the stories and with this new release, she seems to have come into her own. She is still overly observant, but has learned to tone down her abruptness which makes her more relatable. Ms. Delany captures the spirit of Sherlock Holmes by developing Gemma’s orderly sense of intellect in noticing clues and helping to solve murders. I especially enjoyed the Sherlockian vibes portrayed with her foray into disguising herself in this book. I hope to see more of the disguises in future books, whether or not it helps Gemma find clues.

Not only is Gemma a terrific character but the author has also developed good supporting characters, such as Gemma’s best friend, Jayne Wilson. They have a great friendship and work relationship since Jayne is part owner in Mrs. Hudson’s Tearoom. I love how Jayne is willing to drop everything in order to protect and help Gemma out to solve the mystery while providing a bit of comic sidekick humor. Detective Ryan Ashburton is another welcome addition to the story, helping to bring out a tender side of Gemma. I’ve enjoyed watching their relationship blossom in a sweet manner while he’s learned to be more accepting of Gemma’s intellect and deducing skills. Ms. Delany intertwines a long ago, unsolved crime and a current day murder with great skill. She provides plenty of suspects for the crimes which kept me guessing. She also provides plenty of action with good pacing, keeping the reader engaged and turning pages. The exciting conclusion wrapped up the threads of the story and has me waiting impatiently for the next installment!

Ms. Delany has created two inviting settings with this series: Gemma’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and Jayne’s Mrs. Hudson’s Tearoom. I adore how Gemma offers Sherlock-themed book title recommendations to her customers and I’ve started reading some of those suggestions. It’s always fun to find new authors and new series! While A SCANDAL IN SCARLET does not have recipes, Jaynes serves all sorts of delectable goodies at Mrs. Hudson’s Tearoom, such as Strawberry Cake. Ms. Delany has graciously developed a recipe for this delightful cake for me to share. Tender, moist vanilla cake is topped with loads of fresh strawberries. Cut into wedges, this strawberry cake is as delicious as it is beautiful without having to rely on frosting. It’s the perfect treat to serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee any time of the day!  

Amazon Synopsis

Gemma and Jayne donate their time to raise money for the rebuilding of a burned out museum―but a killer wants a piece of the auction.

Walking her dog Violet late one night, Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop, acts quickly when she smells smoke outside the West London Museum. Fortunately no one is inside, but it’s too late to save the museum’s priceless collection of furniture, and damage to the historic house is extensive. Baker Street’s shop owners come together to hold an afternoon auction tea to raise funds to rebuild, and Great Uncle Arthur Doyle offers a signed first edition of The Valley of Fear. 

Cape Cod’s cognoscenti files into Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, owned by Gemma’s best friend, Jayne Wilson. Excitement fills the air (along with the aromas of Jayne’s delightful scones, of course). But the auction never happens. Before the gavel can fall, museum board chair Kathy Lamb is found dead in the back room. Wrapped tightly around her neck is a long rope of decorative knotted tea cups―a gift item that Jayne sells at Mrs. Hudson’s. Gemma’s boyfriend in blue, Ryan Ashburton, arrives on the scene with Detective Louise Estrada. But the suspect list is long, and the case far from elementary. Does Kathy’s killing have any relation to a mysterious death of seven years ago? 

Gemma has no intention of getting involved in the investigation, but when fellow shopkeeper Maureen finds herself the prime suspect she begs Gemma for her help. Ryan knows Gemma’s methods and he isn’t happy when she gets entangled in another mystery. But with so many suspects and so few clues, her deductive prowess will prove invaluable in A Scandal in Scarlet.

A special thanks to Vicki Delany for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of A SCANDAL IN SCARLET. Contest ends Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

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Strawberry cake as served in Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room

This makes a coffee-cake like cake. It’s un-iced, and cut into wedges to be served. It's perfect with coffee.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

3. Mix butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed in electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

4. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate.

5. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

6. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 45 - 55 minutes. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack.

7. Cut into wedges to serve.

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A STEW TO A KILL, the fourth book in Callie’s Kitchen Cozy Mystery series by Jenny Kales, brings the reader to Crystal Bay, Wisconsin, just in time to get into the spirit of Halloween festivities. Protagonist Calliope “Callie” Costas owns Callie’s Kitchen, which is a Mediterranean-meets-Midwest eatery. She and her shop are actively (and very busily) supporting the town’s Halloween Walk and Gala, to raise both food and money for the local food pantry. I enjoyed the small-town dynamics between Callie, her employees and the other local downtown shops surrounding Callie’s Kitchen. Callie shows her caring personality by trying to help them be successful. When one of her friends finds an employee murdered in her shop, Tea for Two, Callie knows she needs to ask a few questions so her friend doesn’t lose any business. Callie is also drawn to helping find the real killer because her boyfriend, Detective Ian Sands, is in England and she’s not liking how the stand-in detective has their eye on her friend for the crime. The murder mystery plot is well-paced and Ms. Kales weaves in plenty of suspects and clues which kept me guessing. The exciting conclusion was a nail-biter and wrapped up the threads of the plot in a satisfying manner.

One of the things that keeps me anticipating and coming back to read this series is the character development. Callie has a wonderful family in her 11-year-old daughter, her widowed Greek father and his girlfriend. They are close knit and I’ve enjoyed seeing how they’ve grown from the first book through this fourth book. Ms. Kales also includes a bit of humor by including some Midwest personality and amusing references to the movie ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ It gives the book a good feel of what Callie’s eatery is trying to accomplish with fun results. 

And speaking of Callie’s Kitchen, be prepared to drool as you read through the mouthwatering passages detailing Callie’s delectable treats coming out of her kitchen. Fortunately for the reader, Ms. Kales provides several recipes at the back of the book, with many being traditional Greek dishes. I was drawn to her recipe for Chai Spice Cake for several reasons. With autumn and the holidays here, warm spices seem to capture the season. Plus I really like that the recipe includes using individual spices to create the chai mix instead of having to track down and buy a specialty spice. And lastly, the cake is baked in a bundt cake pan which makes the cake seem festive with little effort. Ms. Kales includes a yummy cream cheese glaze for the Chai Spice Cake, but if pressed for time I think a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar would be a simple alternative. I’ll definitely be adding this cake to my repertoire of “go-to” desserts for autumn-flavored sweets.     

Amazon Synopsis

When a new employee at a neighboring business, Tea for Two, is found dead, Callie is drawn into a murky brew of motives and murder suspects. It turns out that the seemingly mild-mannered victim might have a few skeletons in his closet. What’s more, the timing of the murder, just a day before Crystal Bay’s first annual Halloween Walk, has threatened to derail the town’s festive fall events, including a Halloween Gala benefiting the local food pantry, one of Callie’s favorite causes.

Callie’s already full plate is set to overflowing with the return of an old boyfriend who has his eye on developing a mall that will compete with and possibly destroy Crystal Bay’s small business scene. Could there be a tie between the mall and the murder?

Somebody has been stewing. Will Callie help find the unsavory killer before things reach the boiling point?

A special thanks to Jenny Kales for providing winner’s choice of print or an e-book copy of A STEW TO A KILL. Print copy limited to U.S. residents only. Contest ends Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)  

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Chai Spice Cake

Bring out your best Bundt pan for this one and you will have one impressive cake to share at a fall gathering or the holidays. I use my Vintage Star Bundt pan for this, but any Bundt or tube pan will work. With its warm blend of spices, this cake could even grace the table at a special brunch. An easy glaze recipe is included, but you could also dust this cake with powdered sugar for a simple decoration. Either way, this cake is full of scrumptious flavor.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chai spice mix:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch finely ground black pepper

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon very soft cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Spray a Bundt pan or tube pan with Pam baking spray (with flour).
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chai spice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Beat butter and cream cheese with sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 

5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended.

6. Add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream. Do not overbeat. 

7. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just blended.

8. Pour batter into Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 38-40 minutes. Check for doneness by testing the center with a toothpick; it should come out clean. Be careful not to overbake.

9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on a wire rack. Let cool a little longer before slicing the cake. It is best served warm.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Whisk ingredients together until the glaze is smooth and pourable. Add a little more milk if the mixture is too stiff. Drizzle over top of cake.

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MARDI GRAS MURDER, the fourth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron, contains an intriguing look at small town Mardi Gras celebrations while providing a humorous cozy mystery read! While I’ve attended the wild festivities of Mardi Gras in New Orleans (in my much younger days) Ms. Bryon paints a delightful and family-oriented picture of how the bayou celebrates the Carnival. Protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is roped into judging the town’s Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen Contest, a contest she has always despised. Making matters worse, the head judge is pretentious and wants his favorite candidate to win the crown. When the judge is murdered practically in front of her, Maggie feels pressure to get involved and help solve the case. Except her boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, is investigating and doesn’t want her involved. There is new tension between the couple and I wanted to turn the pages faster so I could find how it turns out. The pace of the mystery is lively and pulled me deeper into the story with each passing chapter.

As Maggie digs into the judge’s life, she becomes more aware of his involvement in the area’s historical society. I was fascinated by the author’s inclusion of the history of the area, especially the Orphan Train. This train brought numerous orphans into Louisiana in the early 1900’s for families to raise when no one else would take them. Even though some history is included, the writing is vivid and descriptive, providing substance to the story instead of dragging it away from the plot. Adding to the sense of festivities is Maggie’s dad’s involvement in the town’s annual gumbo competition. His attachment to and reverence of his special gumbo pot and the lengths he goes to creating Louisiana’s official state cuisine adds lightheartedness and humor. I adore Maggie’s family. They are close-knit yet at times there are some arguments and irritation which makes them believable because of the author’s great character development.

Maggie and her family own and operate the Crozat Plantation Bed & Breakfast. Maggie’s mother, Ninette is the cook for both family and guests, serving up mouthwatering dishes and desserts every day. One of the traditional desserts served during Mari Gras is King Cake. Maggie’s Grandmere came up with a recipe for Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake instead of following Ninette’s labor intensive traditional recipe. While I’m not opposed to spending time in the kitchen, sometimes it’s wonderful having a convenient and easy recipe that looks and tastes like it was made 100% from scratch… and this recipe fits the bill perfectly. Canned cinnamon rolls layered into a bundt pan and then slathered with a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture before baking created a lovely cake, especially after the doctored icing was drizzled on. A few sprinkles of the traditional purple (for justice), gold (for power), and green (for faith) sugar completed the look before my guests were wowed by both the appearance and taste. I won’t be relegating Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake to Mardi Gras only… it will definitely become a fixture anytime of the year I serve brunch!  

Amazon Synopsis

Southern charm meets the dark mystery of the bayou as a hundred-year flood, a malicious murder, and a most unusual Mardi Gras converge at the Crozat Plantation B&B.

It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo galore. But when a flood upends life in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana―and deposits a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B―the celebration takes a decidedly dark turn. The citizens of Pelican are ready to Laissez les bon temps rouler―but there’s beaucoup bad blood on hand this Mardi Gras. 

Maggie Crozat is determined to give the stranger a name and find out why he was murdered. The post-flood recovery has delayed the opening of a controversial exhibit about the little-known Louisiana Orphan Train. And when a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie’s convinced the murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Does someone covet the pageant queen crown enough to kill for it? Could the deaths be related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Louisiana in 1929? The leads are thin on this Fat Tuesday―and until the killer is unmasked, no one in Pelican is safe. 

A special thanks to Ellen Byron for providing a winner with a hardcover copy of MARDI GRAS MURDER. Contest ends Sunday, October 14, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)  

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Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake

The Crozats generally leave the baking to Ninette or order delicious treats from Fais Dough Dough. But if Maggie's called upon to make a King Cake, she follows Gran's advice and takes a tasty shortcut, using cinnamon roll dough. Gran's super-easy King Cake recipe will have all your friends thinking you made one from scratch. Tradition dictates whoever gets the baby in their slice of King Cake has to provide the cake for the following year's Mardi Gras celebration.

Ingredients

The Cake

• 2 17.5 ounce cans jumbo cinnamon rolls (reserve icing packets)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

The Frosting

• 3 ounces whipped cream cheese
• Both frosting packets from cinnamon roll cans
• A little milk to thin the frosting
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Purple-, green-, and yellow-colored sugar
• 1 tiny plastic baby

Instructions

The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.

3. Layer the cinnamon rolls, one by one, in the bottom of a Bundt pan so they overlap. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top, pressing it into the uncooked buns gently with the back of a spoon or spatula.

4. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until cinnamon rolls are done. Let cool. When the cake is completely cooled, poke the plastic baby inside it, then flip the cake over onto a plate or cake plate.

The Frosting:

1. Blend the cream cheese, icing packets, vanilla and milk together. Frost the cake.

2. Once the cake is frosted, sprinkle it with alternating rows of purple-, green-, and yellow-colored sugar.

3. Serves 8 - 16, depending on how big you cut the slices.

4. Alert guests to the baby so it doesn't become a choking hazard!

Notes

If you're interested in an authentic King Cake, bakeries around Louisiana will ship them during the weeks prior to Mardi Gras. 

 

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I’m celebrating both my one-year book-iversary for A GAME OF DECEIT and my birthday by giving away a $20 Amazon gift card and a print copy of my book!  Plus A GAME OF DECEIT e-book is on sale for only $0.99 at: https://www.amazon.com/A Game-Deceit

I am grateful to all of you who have been so encouraging to me both as a writer and a blogger this past year!

I’m also sharing my recipe from A GAME OF DECEIT for Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze. I’ve been making this cake for years and it’s always been a hit with it’s supremely moist crumb and refreshing, lemony flavor. Best of all, since it relies on a boxed mix, it’s easy to throw together so you can get out of the kitchen in a timely manner and have plenty of time to celebrate any special occasion! 

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant lemon pudding mix
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sherry (or whole milk)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or more as needed)

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Heavily grease a bundt pan with vegetable shortening (not butter) and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

3. In a large bowl whisk the cake mix and instant pudding mix together.

4. Add the lemon zest, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs and sherry (or milk).

5. Using an electric mixer (either handheld or stand), beat until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.

6. Stir in the poppy seeds.

7. Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs clinging is fine.

8. Allow to cool in the pan 10 minutes before inverting cake onto a serving platter.

9. Allow to cool completely before drizzling with glaze.

Glaze

1. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, add lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

2. Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cake.

3. Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

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Amazon Synopsis

A father’s disappearance never solved, a mother’s secret taken to the grave, a daughter deceived…

Kathryn Landry thinks her life is just about perfect. She is the owner of a successful interior designer business in Newport Beach, California, and she has an attentive, supportive husband. But her world comes crashing down when her husband, Neil Landry, vanishes without a trace… in a situation almost identical to the disappearance of her father twenty years before.

With her father’s disappearance still a mystery, Kathryn is skeptical that the detective assigned to her case will be able to find her husband. Determined to uncover the truth, Kathryn is plunged into a world of politics, high-priced call girls and wealth. As she begins to search for her husband, a decades-old secret her mother took to the grave threatens to destroy all she holds dear. Caught up in a web of betrayals and deceit, and not knowing who to trust, Kathryn must find a way to survive as she discovers the past has a way of repeating itself.

“…Davis deftly keeps readers as up in the air as Kathryn throughout this well-crafted tale. An impressive thriller by an author worth following.” – Kirkus Reviews

“In A Game of Deceit author K. A. Davis offers up a taut, edge-of-your-seat suspense novel that will make you lock the doors, close the blinds, and wonder who you can truly trust. Don’t miss this great debut from Ms. Davis.” – Paige Shelton, New York Times Bestselling author of the Farmers’ Market, Country Cooking School, Dangerous Type, and Scottish Bookshop mysteries.

“In A Game of Deceit, K. A. Davis has crafted an emotional suspense with a taut, satisfying ending that should delight any fan of Mary Higgins Clark.” – Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha Award-winning author of the Cookbook Nook, French Bistro Mysteries, and Cheese Shop Mysteries, and the stand-alone suspense novels, GIRL ON THE RUN and DAY OF SECRETS. 

“Sly, sexy and spellbinding, A Game of Deceit grabs you in the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until its breathtaking finish. Debut author K. A. Davis creates a riveting tale of betrayal, family, suspense and murder.” – Jenny Kales, author of The Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series.

“A Game of Deceit is a marvelous read packed with action, suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t put it down!” – Catherine Bruns, USA Today Best Selling Author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries.