Book Review: Devil's Food Cake, by Josi Kilpack

Here is my review of Devil's Food Cake: A Culinary Mystery, by Josi Kilpack. Don't forget to read my interview with the author!

Paperback
Publisher: Deseret Book (January 1, 2009)
ASIN: B0031LBVRQ
Rating (1 to 5 *): *****

Devil's Food Cake Review

Sadie Hoffmiller had worked hard to help the library fundraiser, featuring the town’s prodigal author Thom Mortenson, a great success—including baking up several of her signature devil’s food cakes for the occasion. However, Just when she is savoring her creation, Thom’s agent steps up to the podium on stage to introduce his client and the speaker of the evening—and is killed in front of everyone.

Sadie is already on thin ice with her boyfriend, who happens to be a detective and a guest at the affair, because her busy body nature landed her in the middle of murder investigations before. However, Sadie just can’t help herself in wanting to help. She runs across several critical pieces of evidence and odd behaviors from guests at the dinner, but is ignored and pushed aside when she tries to report them.

Sadie takes matters into her own hands, unwilling to let her hunches and questions go unanswered. She proceeds to try to solve the case, despite warnings not to, and soon finds herself in a deep dish of trouble.

Josi Kilpack’s novel, Devil’s Food Cake, is a fun and exciting adventure—a murder mystery that is so compelling it must be solved in one night, with a protagonist who loves food. The reader is treated to several recipes throughout the book to go with dishes mentioned in the chapter. While the main character is a little annoying in her persistent busy bodiness and obsession with food at all hours of the night, it is those very characteristics that make the story.

Devil's Food Cake is charming and intriguing all at once, with so many possibilities that this reader did not figure out the answer to the mystery before the characters did…always a plus in any murder mystery.