Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are back, solving murders and selling cupcakes. In this fourth book in the series, they take their baked goods to the rodeo grounds.
After getting settled in at the Last Chance Saloon, they witness the attempted murder of their host, Slim Hazard, whose enemies include disgruntled family members and animal rights activists. The motive behind Slim’s attack becomes linked to Ty Stokes, the star of the rodeo, after Ty is killed with a pitchfork.
Although Melanie and her co-workers work in dangerous conditions during the rodeo, it’s the killer who ultimately needs to be rescued in this story. In this case, when secrets are revealed, families grow closer together. Fans who enjoy the romance in these books should know that McKinlay ends one relationship but intensifies another.
While there is no love lost between the cupcake workers and the barbecue vendors during the rodeo—the bet they make spurs new cupcake creations for the store. The recipes for Cake Pops and vegan cupcakes appear at the back of the book.