Beachfront Bakery opens with ‘A Killer Cupcake’

The dreary weather sent me into my “happy places” reading selections. “Beachfront Bakery” by Fiona Grace fit my needs. “A Killer Cupcake” is book one of her series.

Ali earned her doctorate in pastry science, then studied under one of the best pastry chefs in the world. Finally she lands a job at L.A.’s exclusive French restaurant Eclairs, but instead of making delicate pastries, Ali only creates batch after batch of crème brulee.

Summoned to appease a diner because the sprig of spearmint on his crème brulee has only three leaves, Ali snatches a four-leaf sprig from another diner and smashes it onto the complainer’s dessert, causing the sauce to splatter everywhere. She storms out the door, and Ali heads for home feeling happy and free.

Her joy doesn’t last long. Her live-in boyfriend/aspiring actor Otis explains that he is moving to New York with his boyfriend. Ali gets drunk, calls her actor brother Teddy and pours her heart out. He convinces her to join him for a food fair in nearby Willow Bay.

Once there, Ali is captivated. The boardwalk is alive with carnival games and vendors of all sorts. Ali suddenly remembers being there with her father long ago. He disappeared from her life over 10 years ago, but she hopes to find him again.

An unexpected encounter with a “psychic” tells her that her problems stem from always following the same recipe. To succeed, she’ll have to alter her recipe.

When she and Teddy peek into an empty storefront, Ali just knows that this is where she belongs. In only hours she has rented the building plus a small apartment and is making plans to open a bakery offering fancy French pastries.

Ali has them all on display when Seaside Sweets opens, but oddly, not one customer comes in to buy. The next day a strange little man bustles in. He loudly proclaims that the building was promised to him and that she stole it. Confused, she tries to explain, but he storms into the street shouting that he will ruin her business.

The next morning the man is found dead on the beach, and Ali becomes the prime suspect. With everything pointing at her, Ali decides she’ll have to find the real killer before she ends up in jail.

With a little digging she learns the man was a bit odd and had wanted to open a balloon store in Willow Bay, but no one would rent to him. She also learns that her shop used to house Pete’s Pitas. Sick customers and claims of tainted meat forced Pete to shut down, and he’s still angry about the sabotage. Was Pete angry enough to kill the balloon man?

To calm her nerves, Ali whips up a batch of her father’s favorite lemon coconut cupcakes. The aroma brings a man into her shop. He doesn’t want her fancy pastries. He wants the cupcakes and goes away fairly swooning over the flavor. She decides to pay a visit to Pete and ask.

By the time they are finished, she is convinced that Pete is innocent, but the police arrest him anyway. Now Ali is thrust into a whole different world where Fat Tony and the mob make the rules. Her gutsy approach impresses Fat Tony, and they soon know who the real killer is. Ali wants the man arrested, but Tony wants him “gone.” With some persuasion Tony agrees to a deal, and they do it Ali’s way.

To her shock, Ali learns that the cupcake lover is a radio personality and he’s singing her praises on his program. Forewarned, Ali and all her new friends work through the night making cupcakes. When the doors open Ali understands the psychic’s words. All she had to do to be happy is make a few changes.

Naturally, that opens the door to several more books featuring Ali, Teddy and her extended family.

We can do a lot to create our own happiness. Get some inspiration at your public library. This would be the perfect time to go in and check it out.