Series Sunday: Murder at First Slice

(Baker Street #5)

"This is war, and I intend to win." ~ 42%

My Series Sunday pick is Murder at First Slice, the fifth book in the Baker Street mystery series by Valerie Burns. Social media influencer turned bakery owner Maddy Montgomery is back with her inherited 250-pound English mastiff, Baby. Friends and family have taken over the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate her nuptials to the handsome veterinarian Michael. 

Drama reaches new levels with love in the air, feuding cousins on the guest list and rehearsal dinner crashers. Then sweet 'ole Miss Hannah is found standing over a dead body with a bloody rolling pin in hand. Now the bride-to-be has to catch a killer before she cuts the wedding cake.

Murder at First Sight brings the familiar characters back: Maddy, her widowed father, fiancé Michael, innkeeper Mrs. Law, memory-challenged Miss Hannah and the Baker Street Irregulars. They sleuth their way around the small town murder. As usual, Valerie Burns knows how to pen a good cozy mystery: recipes for the foodies, characters of color, smallish town and a big 'ole adorable dog.

I have a dog bone to pick with this fifth book though. It took way too long to get to the cozy mystery part. Most of it read like a novella centered on Maddy and Michael's wedding preparations. It should have been 100 pages shorter and considered #4.5 in the series. Nevertheless, I still recommend it to followers of the Baker Street mystery series and look forward to the next installment.

Happy Early Pub Day, Valerie Burns! Murder at First Slice will be available Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Murder at First Slice

Author: Valerie Burns

Published: July 2026

Pages: 249

Edition: Galley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤