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Gayle Trent
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Murder Takes The Cake: A Daphne Martin Cake Mystery (Daphne Martin Cake Mysteries) Kindle Edition

by Gayle Trent (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 234 ratings
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A routine cake delivery becomes a culinary nightmare when a small-town baker discovers her first client’s dead body in this irresistible new mystery series. It’ll take more than a little sugar to convince folks Daphne Martin’s freshly baked spice cake was not to blame for the mysterious death of town gossip Yodel Watson. Getting her new cake decorating business, Daphne’s Delectable Cakes, off the ground is hard enough now that Daphne’s moved back to her southern Virginia hometown, but orders have been even slower since she found Yodel’s body. She soon realizes, however, that just about everybody in town had a reason to poison the cantankerous busybody, from the philandering pet shop owner, to Yodel’s church potluck nemesis, to the Save-A-Buck’s cranky produce manager-turned-bagger. Now, to help prove she’s no confectionary killer, Daphne recruits her old flame, Ben Jacobs, editor of the local newspaper, and quickly stirs up a long-hidden family scandal that just might hold the secret ingredient she needs to solve the case. All she’s got to do is roll up her sleeves and get her hands a little dirty before the real culprit decides that taking sweet revenge on Daphne will be icing on the cake.
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Daphne Martin Cake Mysteries
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Bell Bridge Books
  5. Publication date
    March 23, 2011
  6. File size
    896 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Bundle price: Kindle price
$26.97
Bundle price: Kindle price
$38.95
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gayle Trent lives in Southwest Virginia with her husband and two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. She's a full-time writer/editor/mom/wife and chief cook and bottle washer, and she love every minute of it. Okay, not the bottle washing so much, but the rest of it is great.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004TIGIU0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bell Bridge Books; Reprint edition (March 23, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 896 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 234 ratings

About the author

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Gayle Trent

Gayle Trent

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Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.

The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn't always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her. Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is "a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!"

Says Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author, "One day I found myself happily reading . . . mysteries by Gayle Trent. If she can win me over . . . she's got a great future."

Gayle Trent lives in Virginia with her family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. Her book KILLER WEDDING CAKE won a bronze medal in the IPPY Cozy Mystery category for 2016.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
234 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's lighthearted and enjoyable mystery. They find the writing style approachable and clear. The characters are praised as sympathetic and endearing. Readers appreciate the realistic cake decorating and find the book light and easy to read.

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ReadabilityWriting styleMystery depthCharacter developmentStyleTasteBook weightFamily dynamics
81 customers mention "Readability"81 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book. They found it lighthearted, easy to read, and enjoyable with a little mystery and intrigue. The story was described as entertaining and surprising, with descriptions of how to decorate cakes. Readers also appreciated the romance between the characters and the fun baking Bitty Cakes. Overall, it was an upbeat mystery that was quick to read.

"...it accomplishes what it is supposed to do, that being providing a fun read with a mystery that doesn't cause the reader to twist his or her mind..." Read more

"...More important, the plot-driven storyline grabbed me and never let go, even when I realized "this must be the murderer, I'm almost to the end of the..." Read more

"...She was nosy but in a lovable way. Daphne's niece and nephew were fun too...." Read more

"Mysteries aren't really my genre, but I found this to be a decent story. The main character was engaging...." Read more

44 customers mention "Writing style"35 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the characters relatable and easy to relate to. The book is described as a fun, easy read with clear and detailed descriptions. Readers appreciate the author's skill in capturing the small-town atmosphere and finding the cake baking descriptions interesting.

"...I loved the story as well as the descriptions of how to decorate cakes...." Read more

"...she is a character to whom you can relate, making her very approachable to both the reader and the other characters in the book...." Read more

"...This is so well written, and you will remain guessing until the very end...." Read more

"...The first-person writing style made me feel like I was tagging along during each day's activities...." Read more

37 customers mention "Mystery depth"27 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the book's mystery. They find it entertaining, suspenseful, and surprising, keeping them guessing until the end.

"...This is more of a fun murder mystery than a hard crime type murder mystery...." Read more

"...but a light read, and about as fun a murder mystery as I've ever encountered...." Read more

"...excruciatingly detailed descriptions of cake decorating that do not advance the plot...." Read more

"...This is an intriguing mystery with lots of fun additions...." Read more

31 customers mention "Character development"28 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the characters' development. They find the main character sympathetic and likable, as well as the characters of the townspeople and family dynamics interesting.

"...It's chock full of interesting and quirky characters, if you ask me, and that's part of the coziness...." Read more

"...The main characters are mostly likable and believable. Daphne starts out a little whiny but straightens up quickly...." Read more

"...Ben was a really sweet guy--well who wouldn't love a guy that used to play Shaggy when you and your friends played being Scooby Doo characters, ya..." Read more

"...The main character was engaging...." Read more

12 customers mention "Style"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's style. They find it cute, nice, and a quick read. The cake decorating parts are realistic, but some feel they were pasted from someone's own pictures. The heroine develops in a confident and endearing manner. They love the characters, especially the cat and guinea pigs.

"...very likeable heroine, and allows her to develop in a confident, endearing manner, not like the heroines of many cozy mysteries who are too cute,..." Read more

"...While there are problems with this story, I still think it was cute and entertaining...." Read more

"...Cute, fun, but don't expect to fall in love with the characters or escape to another reality." Read more

"This is a cute book and an easy read...." Read more

11 customers mention "Taste"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's recipes and descriptions of cakes. They find it enjoyable and praise the inclusion of baking in the storyline.

"...Cakes are described so deliciously that I had to take cupcake breaks throughout the book...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the cake recipes that were interwoven throughout the book and just how much time and preperation it takes to prepare a cake...." Read more

"...I love to bake so it was neat to have the story incorporate baking!" Read more

"Enjoyed this book very much. It was funny, mysterious,and very appetizing! I think I gained 10 pounds just ready this book...." Read more

7 customers mention "Book weight"7 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's weight. They mention it's sturdy yet lightweight, and they expect an amusing story.

"...This is a light book, but it's supposed to be light, even with a murder as a plot point...." Read more

"A light and easy murder mystery, like many I've read that involve the culinary world. But this one is uneven...." Read more

"Just what I needed! This book was light and easy reading while on vacation!..." Read more

"...What I got was light-weight in tone and pace, kitchen-based with some interesting cake decorating vocabulary, and definitely good entertainment...." Read more

7 customers mention "Family dynamics"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the family dynamics in the book. They find the relationships with Violet's mom believable, with feelings of love, jealousy, and family togetherness. There is enough unresolved conflict and the budding romance with Ben to add depth to the story. The story blends humor, family history, and likable characters.

"...Violet is a caring sister and devoted mother. Her twins border on too-cute-for-words but fortunately they aren't major elements in the story...." Read more

"...Family relations are perfectly portrayed with feelings or love, jealously, family togetherness, and a checkered pasts...." Read more

"...I found the personalities of the townspeople and the family dynamics interesting...." Read more

"...There's just enough unresolved family conflict and the budding romance with Ben also adds to the storyline because the characters seem real...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jwb52z
    5.0 out of 5 stars The epitome of a "cozy" mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I don't know the literary definition, if there is one, of a "cozy mystery", but I think "Murder Takes the Cake" should be it. One reviewer talked about there not bieng a strong enough hook. Well, if it weren't supposed to be a "cozy mystery", that reviewer would be right. This is more of a fun murder mystery than a hard crime type murder mystery. It's chock full of interesting and quirky characters, if you ask me, and that's part of the coziness. Daphne is just barely beginning to be a sleuth at this point. Over time, the author could certainly show Daphne growing in her crime solving skills, but eventually, I think it would have to stop being "cozy". This is a light book, but it's supposed to be light, even with a murder as a plot point. I give it 5 stars because I think it accomplishes what it is supposed to do, that being providing a fun read with a mystery that doesn't cause the reader to twist his or her mind around as to get a headache or cause frustration to its limits of the human mind over trying to figure out an obtuse and complicated plot. Those kinds of books already exist and are written well on their own. This is light-hearted and made me feel good to read it. I hope anyone else who reads it would feel the same way. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that the book was about half as long as I would have liked it to be. I hope that in the future Gayle Trent will double the size of her books, at least.
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  • MamaSylvia
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4.25 stars from Red Adept Reviews
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Overall: 4.25 stars

    Plot/Storyline: 4.5 stars
    I was pleasantly surprised by the fast start to this first book in the series. It was followed by the common but plot-delaying and (in this case) mercifully brief flashback revealing Daphne's background, and Trent managed the seemingly-obligatory character introduction without making me feel overwhelmed. More important, the plot-driven storyline grabbed me and never let go, even when I realized "this must be the murderer, I'm almost to the end of the book." (And I was wrong about whodunit, always a plus.) Trent even managed to add a soap-opera-quality secondary plot without turning the book into Peyton Place. There were a couple of minor plot holes, such as how the murderer obtained the murder weapon and how a broke divorcee managed to purchase a house, but Trent made up for them with an ending that didn't involve the police barging in to rescue a damsel in distress. I definitely look forward to reading more of this series, although I never figured out the series title. Amazon's listing shows this as "Daphne Reynolds Cake Mysteries" but the heroine's name is Daphne Martin. Finishing the book did not clear up this contradiction; possibly a future book will. And I still liked the book enough that I bought the next in the series as my Kindle Special Offers $1 mystery/thriller selection.

    Characters: 3.75 stars
    The main characters are mostly likable and believable. Daphne starts out a little whiny but straightens up quickly. Violet is a caring sister and devoted mother. Her twins border on too-cute-for-words but fortunately they aren't major elements in the story. Former beau Ben is a bit too perfect, and next-door-neighbor Myra seems a little two-faced. Daphne's mother Gloria is cold and detestable even before the soap opera starts. The not-quite-major characters on the suspect list are weaker. Uncle Hal is hard to read, but since we see him from Daphne's POV, that is believable. It didn't ring true that pet-shop owner Kellan would have two women desperate for his attention. Peggy is suspiciously understanding for a possible relative. Peggy's daughter Joanne doesn't even appear but is a constant source of rumors, mostly unpleasant and damaging Daphne's reputation. Produce-manager-turned-bagger Fred is suitably creepy.

    Writing style: 4.5 stars
    Sentence structure was fine. Dialogue flowed well and rang true to the characters. Description was a bit scanty but I prefer it that way as my mind pictures the events and settings; those who like to see the author's view may be a little disappointed.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Tari H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun new-to-me series with some really yummy sounding recipes at the end
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I've had this book for quite sometime now and finally got a chance to read it. Since the author has other series I was wanting to try, I know I'll like those after reading this one. I really enjoyed these characters, and I think Myra, Daph's neighbor had to be my favorite. She was nosy but in a lovable way. Daphne's niece and nephew were fun too. I loved how much they enjoyed being with their aunt and how she went out of her way to show them a good time just by simply baking with them.

    I was glad that Daphne and Ben started seeing each other after reading that they were an item in high school. Ben was a really sweet guy--well who wouldn't love a guy that used to play Shaggy when you and your friends played being Scooby Doo characters, ya know? He was a good date and buddy to sleuth with.

    There were some great red herrings in the story! At one point, I did start suspecting the person who ended up as the killer, but I didn't have the entire reasoning down. It all played out really nice, and I was proud of how Daphne handled herself in the showdown. She was really thinking ahead! I couldn't resist ordering the second book, then I discovered I have the third on my Kindle. Since this was a short-lived 5-book series, I'll have to savor it.
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  • PhoenixFiresky
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Story
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Mysteries aren't really my genre, but I found this to be a decent story. The main character was engaging. There were about 1 1/2 plotlines, as the heroine tried to figure out whether her mother had produced a secret love child at the same time she was caught up in the mystery of who murdered the old woman everyone had reason to hate. Not complex (except in keeping track of all the local names/family relationships), but a light read, and about as fun a murder mystery as I've ever encountered. Agatha Christie she isn't, but this is a decent introduction to the genre for those who enjoy chick lit - which is what it reads as.

    KINDLE NOTES:
    This book suffered from several rather glaring editing errors, and had noticeable formatting issues as well. The most pronounced formatting difficulty was that the OCR inserted one or more upside-down C symbols into various words. It wasn't bad enough to keep the text from being readable, but it was a significant distraction, and I marked the review down by a star for it.

    Story: ****

    Kindle Formatting: **

    TTS: Enabled
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