Malvern View Retirement Village reappears for another shocking tale of corruption, scandal and – well, okay, that is putting it too strongly. But there is definitely a murder. A TAIL OF CAKES AND MURDER continues this cosy series set in a quiet English village, where the seniors have as much fun as anyone else.

The retirement centre is going to hold a baking competition for the residents. They all get together in the café – and on the terrace with their dogs – to discuss how it should be run. Charity Cleveland and her friends Dorothy, Heather, Frank, and others become absorbed by the event. Rivalries suddenly appear. So much so that at no point did I see a mention of what the prizes might be for each category. They just want to win.

Two new residents, Irene and Peter, at first join in with the excitement. But later I can imagine them re-evaluating the life choices that led them to reside at the centre. Three outside judges are brought in, including celebrity Hubert Oldham and opinionated Tallulah Beardsley, and before the baking contest day ends, one judge is found dead. There is no chance it was anything but murder. I might well be asking to move out, but Malvern View seems to be a sought- after location with private cottages, so everyone stays.  

This is a light story which may not grab those who don’t bake. There are plenty of tips and tricks mentioned, and tasty suggestions for trying at home. I’d have liked a recipe, maybe a couple of the nicest ones just to keep everyone happy. These characters hate being overlooked. If a summer’s evening with real lemonade and a few iced buns is your idea of enjoyment while you read, Lucy Emblem provides a character-filled mystery. And dogs, of course. There are always dogs in her stories, such as Muffin and Toffee. A TAIL OF CAKES AND MURDER may seem extreme, but it’s just the latest in the Charity And Muffin Cosy English Mysteries series, which thrives on rivalries in unexpected settings.