Book: The Maple Bakery Murder by R.L. Killmore
Reviewed by Michelles_Cosy_Booknook
Rating: 4/5
The Maple Bakery Murder is the third book in R.L. Fillmore’s Cinnamon Falls series — a series that has consistently delivered the cosiest of vibes. And honestly, could there be a better time for this latest visit to Cinnamon Falls? We’re enjoying those final few weeks of summer, autumn is peeking around the corner, and I’m already mentally reaching for the cosy blankets, candles, and preparing for those longer, chillier nights.
This time, we return to Cinnamon Falls just as the town is preparing for its much-loved Fall Festival.
The town’s newest resident, Ginger Mills, is hoping for a fresh start as she opens the doors to The Maple Bakery , ready to meet the locals and tempt them with her delicious selection of sweet and savoury treats.
Things don't get off to quite the start she imagined when her first customer is her contractor, Austin Jacobs. Eternally optimistic, ridiculously chipper and basically a human ray of sunshine, Austin is someone Ginger can handle in small doses.
Very small doses.
Still... the man mountain is rather easy on the eye.
Not that Ginger is looking for romance. Absolutely not. New town. New bakery. Fresh start. That's the plan.
And for one glorious day, everything seems to be going perfectly. Ginger enjoys a sell-out opening at the Fall Festival, meets some friendly faces, and begins to believe her new life in Cinnamon Falls might actually work.
Until the following morning.
Before the festival clean-up crew has even collected their first piece of litter, Ginger arrives at her bakery to discover something considerably less appetising waiting on the doorstep...
A dead body.
Suddenly, Ginger's dream of a fresh start is threatening to fall flatter than under-proofed dough, especially when suspicion begins turning in her direction.
With her bakery, her freedom and her new life potentially at stake, Ginger reluctantly teams up with Austin to uncover the truth and find the killer before she finds herself accused of murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Returning to Cinnamon Falls is beginning to feel like a long-awaited visit with an old friend — the kind where you immediately settle in, get comfortable and wonder why you ever left.
R.L. Fillmore's writing is wonderfully easy to lose yourself in, and I can happily disappear between the pages of her books for hours. There's such a lovely sense of community running through this series, and pairing that small-town warmth with a cosy mystery makes for an incredibly comforting and entertaining read.
The Maple Bakery Murder gave me autumnal atmosphere, baked treats, small-town charm, murder, mystery and a little sprinkling of romance — basically, all the ingredients for a cosy seasonal read.
If you love the close-knit community and small-town cosiness of Gilmore Girls , but wouldn't mind somebody occasionally turning up dead and throwing a mystery into the mix, I absolutely recommend paying Cinnamon Falls a visit.
Just maybe check the bakery doorstep before you go in...