Honestly? I didn’t even remember I had read the first in the Courtney Archer series, Cobblered to Death, until I started this book. Finished Off in Fondant picks up the amateur sleuth’s storyline with her concerns about her deception and her confusion about the men in her life. Add the baking competition she co-hosts, and it leaves a little room for a murder investigation.

Courtney Archer kicks off the new season of her cooking show by confessing that she’s not a farmer’s daughter, despite the show’s theme, “Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter”. How will her fans and the network react? She had never been comfortable with the deception, but it was in her contract. Now, she has that on her mind as she starts the second season of “The American Baking Battle”. She’s co-host, but the network is worried enough to assign her extra security and send in the show’s producer to ensure the show sticks to budget and Courtney doesn’t get involved in another murder.

They picked the wrong co-host to guard. When Skylar Daily doesn’t feel good on set, he returns to his room. That’s where Courtney finds him, slumped in the doorway, covered with blood. Inside, a dead woman in a wedding gown is draped over a wedding cake, with a knife in her back. Skylar had a history with the dead woman, so of course he’s the primary suspect. But, Courtney knows he isn’t a killer. Despite warnings from the sheriff to stay out of his investigation, she’s determined to ask questions.

Courtney’s contribution to the murder investigation are negligible. The sheriff is competent, and, in fact, he’s ahead of her in some ways. The storyline involves her with the case, a romantic triangle, concerns about her professional future, and the baking competition. It’s a little too much, and she misses obvious clues, both in her investigation and her personal life.

Sometimes, a cozy mystery just doesn’t work for me. In this case, the baking competition was more successful and more interesting than Courtney’s troubles. Finished Off in Fondant works if you enjoy cooking shows and competitive baking.

Rosemarie Ross’ website is www.rosemarieross.com

Finished Off in Fondant by Rosemarie Ross. Kensington, 2020. ISBN 9781496722775 (paperback), 304p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a .pdf to review for a journal.