LOTS of Cupcakes Coming Your Way in A Mission-IM-Possible Cozy Mysteries Series Box Set: 1-6 by Rosie A. Point

 That seemed to be the rule in Gossip. Secrets hidden in plain sight. It was past time I uncovered them...

Of course, none of this was my business. Technically. But it still intrigued me. I had always been the type of person who pulled on threads. “Charlie?” I turned toward Lauren, the chef. She stood in front of the stove, frantically stirring a pot of sauce. “Yes?”

Featuring Strawberry Sin

“She has some nerve being here,” someone whispered. “After what she did.” “You know it was her. She did it. And all over late fines at the library.” “She'll pay for this. It's blasphemy, coming to a church after doing something like that.”

“Perfect.” I’d have to remember the ‘hard work, cookies, and milk’ tactic the next time I wanted to knock out an enemy. A tranquilizer dart was so much simpler, though...

“That woman,” Gamma said, “is a power hungry witch.” Coming from a woman who got along with just about everybody, that was a damning sentence indeed. Gamma fumed as we walked between the shelves and bookcases in the library, seeking out the fiction section. “What’s her deal?” I asked. 

“The whole ‘family has to return a book’ thing? I’ve never heard of that before.” “That’s because it’s absolute twaddle,” Gamma said. “It’s something she made up on the spot to make my life difficult.” “Why?” Gamma shrugged, but the skin around her lips was white. 

“Georgina. What aren’t you telling me?” “I might have gotten into an altercation with her prior to this,” she said, primly, stopping in front of one of the shelves and removing a book. Gamma turned it over in her hands, smoothing her fingers over the cover. “What type of altercation?” “Only verbal,” Gamma said. “It wasn’t anything serious. Well, I didn’t think it was, but—there was this book, a one-of-a-kind signed edition by my favorite author, Mary Higgins Clark, at the bookstore. We had an auction for it and everything, and I may have outbid her at the last moment.” “That’s how auctions work.” “Yes, but then Hannah was upset about it. She claimed she was related to one of the author’s best friends, not that it has any bearing on the matter, and I told her she could go to, ahem, to Hades in a handbasket. I wasn’t going to give up the book. Ever since then, she’s been giving me⁠—” 

“Hades?” “Quite.” Gamma turned the book over, studying its back. “But from what I’ve heard, she hasn’t got that many friends. Apparently, she prefers dogs to people.” “Don’t we all?” Gamma put the book back. “Let’s go to the mystery section. That’s more my speed.” I followed my grandmother among the stacks, shaking my head occasionally at a stray thought about Smulder or the ridiculous way the town was decorated for Valentine’s Day. Why couldn’t anyone see the truth? It was just another commercial holiday designed to suck the cash out of innocent fools. Or maybe, you’re lonely and sad because your ex-husband⁠—I cut the thought off before it could go any further. Dwelling on that was the last thing I needed. “Ah,” Gamma said, stopping in front of one of the bookcases in a narrow aisle. “Here we are.” “It’s cramped.” The fluorescent light above us flickered and ticked. “And stuffy.” “Yes, I’m quite sure that that beastly Hannah has been moving the bookcases closer and closer together just to spite me.” “You can’t be serious.” “I wouldn’t put it past her. 

Now quietly, Charlotte, I need to select a book for the club.” She drew one out and turned it over to read the description. “Anything I can do to help?” “Don’t speak,” she replied. “That would be the biggest help. It’s the quietest it’s ever been in this library. I’d like to take advantage of that.” I drifted off to give her space, pausing to squint at a spine of a book or pull one out and check out the cover and first few pages. I’d slowly grown accustomed to the slow pace in Gossip, and that sent a jolt of anxiety through my stomach. I couldn’t afford to grow lax. I had to stay the same—in the same mindset and shape, but that was difficult when I was surrounded by cakes and cookies and warm smiles. Trust no one. Apart from my grandmother. 

Not even Smulder. For all I knew, he might not have been sent by the NSIB but was a dirty agent too who’d flipped over to Kyle’s side. My gut told me that wasn’t true, and I’d always trusted my gut, but I should be wary. Wariness had saved my life on several occasions. I shook my head and slid the book back onto its shelf. The bookcase thudded and teetered toward me then settled. 

What on earth? I caught Gamma’s eye—she’d stopped reading and frowned. “What was that?” she asked. “Maybe she’s trying to tip bookcases over on you, now.” “Could be.” Gamma strode toward me, and we walked around the side of the bookcase and into the next aisle. My grandmother thrust out her hand, and I stopped in my tracks. 

Hannah the librarian lay on her back in between the rows of books, a knife thrust into her chest. Here we go again. “I’ll call the cops,” Gamma said. “I’ll leave.” “I’m afraid that will only make things worse. The surveillance cameras, remember?” “Right.” Hannah had been messing with them at the front desk. So what was she doing here? And who on earth had wanted to murder her? And how had they done it so silently, while we were right in the next aisle? 

We backed out of the row while Gamma removed her cellphone from her handbag and unlocked its screen. It had already been a long week, and it seemed it would only get longer.

~~~

“Charlotte.” Brian’s voice whipped out of the inn’s library door to my right. How had I not seen him there? I’d been too busy storming around in a huff to notice. “Mr. Marble, right?” I tilted my head toward him. Brian wore his plaid shirt and jeans and had his hands tucked into them. He leaned casually against the door jamb. My heart skipped a beat, and I forced myself not to swoon like a high school girl. What was wrong with me? I was mood-swing central today. “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked. 

“I have an issue in the library. Could you help me, please?” Oh boy. What was this about? “Of course,” I said. Brian stepped back and waited until I’d entered. He shut the door with a soft ‘click.’ “It’s safe in here,” he said, quietly, right near my ear. “I’ve checked the room for listening devices and found none.” “What a relief,” I said. “Now we can gossip freely. Did you hear about Martha Malarkey’s new haircut?” I spun around walking backward as I spoke. “Apparently, she found out her husband was having an affair while she was getting it cut. She jumped out of the chair⁠—” “Charlie.” “—and the hairdresser snipped off a huge chunk. Naturally, they had to even out the other side, so, now, she’s got a pudding-bowl haircut and a rage that would scare a hippopotamus. You know, hippos are notoriously aggressive.” 

“What are you doing?” Smulder asked, folding his brawny arms across his chest. I forced myself not to stare. Heavens, what was wrong with me? Had Gamma put something in my coffee this morning? “Oh, I’m just subjecting you to some of the fun I’ve had in Gossip. Of course, you won’t fully understand unless you’re wearing a dress covered in frolicking fish. But this will have to suffice.” “Frolicking fish?” “I kid you not. Someone at HQ packed me nothing but these.” I plucked at the fabric of my dress. I didn’t mind dresses or looking pretty, but I drew the line at the cutesy images, the hearts and smiley faces and kittens. “At least, you got plaid.” 

“Are you all right?” Smulder asked, his voice rumbling and warm. “You seem… manic.” “That’s one way of putting it.” “What’s another way of putting it?” I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I couldn’t tell him how I felt. He would either tell me to get over it or rat me out to the big guy, just like he’d done with the leak. Sure, he’d had to do that, but that didn’t mean I had to expose my thoughts to him. If Smully found out I’d been looking into Kyle’s whereabouts, he’d book me a one-way ticket to isolation. “I’m fine.” “No, you’re not fine.” Smulder said. “And I know why.” “Because I have a babysitter and the Special Agent in Charge doesn’t trust me?” “Come on, Charlie. You don’t trust anyone.” “What’s your point?” 

“That being angry about a lack of trust is rich coming from you,” Brian said. “Why did you pull me in here?” I asked. “Just because you’re here ‘watching over’ me, doesn’t mean we have to skip through the daisies hand-in-hand.” Smulder massaged his temples. He’d done that a lot when we’d worked together. “You want to tell me what happened at the public library?” he asked. “Not particularly.” How did he know about the murder already? Gossip traveled that fast in this town? Sheesh. There had to be a way to harness that power and use it as a source of renewable energy. “A woman was murdered. With a knife. In the library,” Smulder said. “It sounds like we’re playing Clue.” “Is that true?” I sighed. “Yes. It’s true. We found her body.” Brian grimaced. “Again. What’s wrong with the people in this town?” “They have murderous tendencies, apparently.” “You know what this means,” Brian said. “Enlighten me.” I walked to the window and admired the view of the empty lawn. “Oh come on, Smith,” he said, not even stumbling over my fake last name. That was Smulder, always the professional. He never let his guard drop. “What?” “You know what it means. Your cover might be in danger again. You have to stay away from this, this time. I’m not going to take any chances here—if you put a foot wrong, I’m going to have to report you. It’s for your own safety.” I swiveled and glared at him. I hated that he was right, but what could I do? “Is that all?” I asked. “I’ve got to help Georgina with lunch.” Smulder nodded. I headed for the library door, angry at myself, at Smulder, and at the situation in general. Maybe it was Gossip that had gotten to me. The small town had seeped into my veins. My focus had shifted. Perhaps it would be better to stay out of this. 

I exited into the foyer of the inn and stopped dead. Detective Crowley stood on the threshold, his police car parked out in front of the inn, the lights flashing. My grandmother had positioned herself in front of him, a hand on one of the inn’s door handles, grasping it tight as if on the verge of thrusting the door closed. “Georgina?” I asked. “Charlotte.” She turned her head, blue eyes sharp and brimming with irritation. “I’ll be back later.” “Where are you going?” “To the police station. The detectives want to talk to me about Hannah.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she gave the tiniest shake of her head before stepping out of the inn and following Crowley to his car. Well, so much for not getting involved in the case. If Gamma was in trouble, I had no choice. I’d have to solve the mystery. And, apparently, make lunch for the guests by myself.

~~~

I love a good series, but... I'm not a fan of box sets! You see, a box set actually means one long electronic file which goes from one book into another. It's convenient for reading, sure, but as a reviewer, it's always difficult. A box set, you see, requires/allows just one ranking. So if you wanted to rank the books differently, there is no way to do it. I know--I tried to review each book for a box set once, and quickly got a complaint from a reader that, since I also had ranked the set, I was actually doubling the count of reviews!!! Yes, I'm serious! It did happen... So since, then, since I am not permitted to review each book, even though they are also sold separately, I've chosen to not play that game... Still, once in a while...

I choose a book that I really liked, this time, the second book in the series, and proceed to write my review on that one book... Now, you may think that is unfair, as I do, since obviously I liked the second book more than the first, but... yeah... who knew that reviewing could become competitive!

In order to get the posting done, I've moved on reading and will continue, but, the ranking will be for the second book. LOL... Don't ask, I can't explain it either...

On the other hand, the basic set of characters remains the same throughout the series and, normally, only the individuals involved in the "murder" change in each book... So, to make things easier, I'm going to spotlight the four main characters and share a little background... By the way, 3 out of 4 characters have multiple names! So be on the alert so you know who is actually being referred to...

One cat and multiple kittens will play a key role throughout...

Gamma who is the grandmother of the main character is a retired special agent. I couldn't figure out what agency the letters stood for, but Gamma sometimes speaks British so it could be there, but  I thought all those agencies started out with a M...

Now Gamma has assumed a new name since she has retired, but her real name is ...Mission... By the way, Gamma is charged with the murder of the librarian in Strawberry Sin... Sin, by the way, is not about the murder but, rather, the name of the cupcake that is featured in the second book and provided to the guests of the Gossip Inn, even though the title of the series is Mission-Inn Possible... 

Now Gamma has a granddaughter who also became a special agent in the unknown-lettered spy agency... But she discovered that her husband became a traitor and she chose to turn him in to her bosses. They are hunting for her husband who is traveling the world while the agency is chasing him... while Gamma's granddaughter who has been given a name by her boss when he forced her to go undercover--and she chose to visit her Gamma--goes by Charlie even though that is not the name given her...

And in case you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm purposely being sarcastic just to mock the actions by government with lies and subterfuge, LOL... So, Charlie, who really isn't Charlie, once had a partner who she shot--the location shall remain secret at this time. He has now been appointed as her overseer, also given a new name, but still is referred to by his real name--sometime--or liaison, whichever in appropriate, who originally was to be a guest, but that got too complicated, so he became the gardener of the Inn who grows most of their foods for the Inn... But, then, because they both still had to check in with the special special agent in charge of this undercover situation, rumors began to go around the town of Gossip, because Charlie and the, now, gardener, were seen going into the library practically every night, so everybody assumed they were involved... So Gamma declared that they were now in a relationship...  But, I should tell you that, at least once, the gardener was getting love letters from a secret admirer...although that's in another book... where he gets kidnapped...

Ok, the final individual who is thee only "straight" character is the cook/baker for the Inn, who also starts being secretive at one point...Her food is wonderful according to anybody you may meet in any of the 6 books in this set, though... and be prepared to be eating many cupcakes! Apparently they are served at every meal and provided for all special events during any given book... But you can have more than one flavor within one book... In fact, I chose this book based upon my selection of cupcake! Just kidding! Maybe Not...

So I figured that if I got you very confused with all the names that you needed to worry about, I should probably not take the time to tell you about their very different personalities, except to point out that they have, even by the second book, showed just how much they cared for each other and were normally involved in helping to solve the murder mystery in each book.

In Book 2, Gamma has a long-term disagreement with the librarian (from the librarian's side)... You'll notice that there are others in Gossip who may also have some problems with Gamma... But, even though nobody in town knows her award-winning past as a special agent, it has become known that her "looks" may not actually kill, but most people don't want to stay around to find out... And that's without anybody knowing, except her granddaughter, about her secret arms collection in a very secured part of the old basement underneath the Inn, which is not open to the public...

Yet a kitten enters the story at some point, who had been in a new addition of the facility, but got into the Inn somehow...and also discovered a secret passage in the Inn... I'm to the point where Gamma has decided that a hunt of the entire Inn to find ALL such secret passages must be done immediately!

As to the each book's murder(s), I haven't noticed any extraordinary mystery beyond the standard case of considering potential suspects. Although there has been satisfactory twists (I'm on book 4) to each book that keeps readers guessing. The villains and characters that are identified as part of each mystery are, often, strange or weird in some way, which serves to keep readers interested...

Seriously? The only thing I questioned is how Charlie, who is always eating cupcakes, claims she has only gained 2 pounds! Of course, she doesn't say when that last weight check was made...

The books get better as you continue reading, although that could be because you now know the correct names of the main characters or at least can keep track of who is doing what... LOL... Or maybe, it's because Charlie is beginning to enjoy a slower life where she is not constantly in danger, except if her ex- ever finds her... So, I'm curious... Will her Ex be caught? Will the mandated relationship between Charlie, the maid, and the gardener grow--that is beginning in the book I'm now reading...

The author has many other similar food-murder mixed cozy mysteries... So this seems to be a theme that works for her.  Each individual book is a fun read, but, me? I'm be staying away from food-type cozies in the future... I'll stick with cat characters who also help to solve the mysteries... Still, Fun Reads!

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