Éclair and Present Danger by Laura Bradford
My Rating: ★★★★
When her rent skyrockets, Winnie is forced to close her bakery because she cannot make ends meet enough to pay her latest rent increase. However, fate has other ideas for her when her late friend and neighbor leaves her a cat that hates her and a restored vintage ambulance. Then she finds one of her beloved friends and neighbors murdered, which shocks the entire neighborhood and leaves her in the middle of a murder mystery. While trying to comfort a neighbor, Winnie is struck with a great idea and decides to turn her vintage ambulance into a new baking business on wheels. Have an emergency? Don't worry. The Emergency Dessert Squad is here to deliver baked goods and catch the murderer!
If you're looking for a baking cozy series, boy do I have a good recommendation for you! I'm always down for a cozy mystery, and the description of the tasty delights that Winnie comes up with is sure to leave anyone hungry. I've been saying that there needs to be a chocolate delivery service for years. If only Winnie could pop on by and drop off an emergency brownie at my place! Plus, I've seen a vintage ambulance among a hearse club and it was really cool. I can really see one driving around and rescuing the day with baked goods.
Other than the elements that initially drew me to the series, I was excited to discover that I love the cast of characters. Winnie and her best friend, Renee, are such sweethearts. Plus, all of Winnie's friends and neighbors are such sweet, funny, and goofy people that I'd love to hang out with them. These characters are wonderfully written as well as relatable in different ways. My only complaint is that some of Winnie's interactions with her main love interest seems very immature. That said, nearly all of the characters we meet are fully developed and very real. I can't wait to see how they continue to grow as the series continues.
The murder mystery is a bit of a side plot at times, which I think works well with the story. It develops organically, which is something I like about this book. Winnie slowly investigates as she's getting her new business off the ground and she hasn't turned amateur sleuthing into a primary hobby at this point. Plus, I didn't figure out who the killer was until a little bit before the big reveal. Once I figured it out, thinking back to the beginning, the hints were being dropped from the start. It was fun putting together two and two alongside the characters for a good portion of the book.
Like many baking cozies, recipes for two of the tasty Emergency Dessert Squad treats are included at the end. If I still baked, I would be all over these because I found myself wishing Winnie could pop out of the book and deliver some goodies.
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