Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Cherry Cake and a Cadaver by Susan Boles is book 2 of the Lily Gayle Lambert mystery series. Lily Gayle is from Mercy in Mississippi and, like the rest of the town, is watching the conversion of the old Mitchell Manor into a bed and breakfast. Rather than wait for the opening party, Lily and her friend, Dixie, decide to see what’s going on up at the manor. Finding a door open, the pair stumbles over the body of Luxen Natolovish, the local baker. Rather than leave it to the police to do their job, Lily can’t help but get involved. She starts to look into Luxen’s background, but is soon approached by another local whose mother has disappeared. Are the two related? And where do the new owners fit in? Lily Gayle is on the case once more.

Cherry Cake and a Cadaver (Book 2 of the Lily Gale Mystery Series) by Susan Boles was a good read. I didn’t read the first one in the series, but I didn’t find that it spoiled my enjoyment of this book. This is ideal for those readers who want something light to read, a murder mystery similar to cozy mysteries with a touch of humour. The story is well written and the plot is easy to follow, although I felt that not enough time was spent on the mystery; it seemed to be more focused on the town and its people. That said, it was an enjoyable story and the characters were developed well enough so that you could identify with them. The ending was a bit strange, it happened a bit too quickly, but I did like the story and found it a nice, easy read.