Table Of Content

CUPCAKES & CHAOS FROSTED MISFORTUNES, BOOK 1 LISA SIEERT © 2020, Lisa Siefert All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher. Cover Designer: Lou Harper at Cover Affairs Logo Design: Mallory Rock at Rock Solid Book Designs Editors: Jasmine Bryner, Megan Records, and Teri at the Editing Fairy Proofreader: Jasmine Bryner This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. SWEET PROMISE PRESS PO BOX 72 BRIGHTON, MI 48116 Created with Vellum CONTENTS About this Book Character List Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Stuffed Cupcake Recipes More Peach Plains Paranormal More Sweet Promise Press More from Lisa ABOUT THIS BOOK Hi! I'm Ava Decker, forensic accountant turned pastry chef. After being ghosted at my own wedding, I decided to leave California and return home to Maine where I grew up. While my parents are enjoying an all expenses paid cruise, aka as my non-refundable honeymoon, I’m house sitting for them back in Clover Creek. My lifelong dream of owning my own bakery finally comes true but unfortunately, it’s only because the owner of the bakery turns up dead in the cupcake truck that I was driving. And to make things worse, I’m the prime murder suspect because she decided to leave both her bakery and her house to me in her will, despite the fact that I just met her two weeks ago. In the process of being arrested, I also became a kitty mom to an adorable ruddy Abyssinian who thinks he’s a dog and suffers from separation anxiety. Now, it will take of my mystery movie watching know-how to help solve this crime myself. CHARACTER LIST Location Clover Creek, Maine in Blueberry Bay Ava Decker Accountant who inherits Frosted, a cupcake shop owner after moving back home to Clover Creek from San Diego where she was left standing alone at the altar Brittany Westerheide Ruby and Ava’s archnemesis from high school Charles Longfellow Lawyer from the Pet Whisperer, PI series and Partner at Fulton, Thompson and Associates over in Glendale, Maine Chloe Lockwood Officer Lockwood’s cousin who coincidentally also moved to Clover Creek after a bad breakup with her boyfriend in San Diego. Was a locksmith apprentice in San Diego and is now a Receptionist at Whitaker Commercial Real Estate Claire Umbridge Niles’s ex girlfriend and owner of Claire’s Ice Cream Sandwich Shop, across the street from Frosted Francine Donovan Original owner of Frosted and the murder victim Officer Lockwood, aka Wesley Lockwood, III Police officer working the investigation Goldy Locks Locksmith Grandpa Lockwood, aka Wesley Lockwood I Semi-retired police sergeant who mans the front desk at the Clover Creek Police Station Grant Donovan Francine’s half-brother and owner of a luxury sports car dealership Gwendolyn Lockwood married to Grandpa Lockwood and leader of the local gossip group, the Clover Leafs Lucky Ava’s Abyssinian cat that she took in after his original owner, Francine died. Originally named Reginald by Francine. Melinda Interior Designer of Frosted, owns Melinda’s Interior Design on Furniture Row Natalia Sabin Abyssinian cat breeder, gave Lucky to Francine Niles Whitaker Claire’s ex-boyfriend and now Francine’s fiance, owns Whitaker Commercial Real Estate with his mother Ruby Hardison Ava’s best friend since grade school and owner of Hardison Insurance Tessa Local news anchor with her own show: Ten Minutes With Tessa Wendy Roberts Francine and Grant’s lawyer 1 T he non-stop doorbell dinging and knocking on the front door woke me out of my peaceful slumber. I slowly peeled myself off my mother’s new aesthetically gorgeous but not-meant- to-be-slept-in couch that I’d fallen asleep on while watching yet another Murder She Baked movie marathon on the Hallmark Mystery Channel last night. I rolled my head from side to side, attempting to stretch the kinks out of my neck. The couch was so pretty, I thought for sure it would be more comfortable. Oh, how I missed my beautiful, king-sized memory foam mattress and perfect ergonomic pillow back in San Diego with my luxurious six hundred thread count sheets. I blinked my eyes open and held my hand up to block the light, trying to adjust to the bright morning sunlight. Taking a big inhale, I stood up, yawned and stretched myself awake. The pounding at the front door was getting more intense. What was so urgent this early on a Saturday morning? My alarm hadn’t even gone off. And then I saw it. The dead alarm clock. I hadn’t been home in over ten years so I totally forgot the master light in the TV room was connected to the outlets on that side of the room. I must’ve killed the alarm clock when I turned off the lights. I ran to the front door and threw it open, ready to tell whomever was there that I didn’t have time to deal with them. “I’ve been trying to call you all morning. Did you oversleep? You’re late,” said Ruby, stating the obvious. Ruby, my best friend, was someone who never suffered from insomnia nor a bad hair day. Her thick chestnut locks cascaded around her perfect, heart-shaped face. She polished her look with a faux fur mauve scarf and matching hat and gloves. “What time is it?” I asked. “An hour past when you were supposed to be at the festival,” she said. “Gwendolyn called my mother, who then called me, and I tried to call you. And now I’m here.” My previous adrenaline rush instantly morphed into electric bolts of panic. I brushed my teeth and got dressed at warp speed. I smoothed out my new baker’s outfit, pristinely dry cleaned and smelling of lavender, and was about to put on my makeup before Ruby stopped me. “Put it on in the car. I’ll drive you to the festival,” she said. “Great idea but can you drive me to Frosted? Everything for today is already loaded in the Cupcake Delivery Truck that’s parked in the alley out back behind the bakery. I need to drive that to the festival,” I said, throwing my makeup bag into my purse. We both descended the stairs two at a time and I hopped into my Uggs as we ran out the door. We piled into her massively huge SUV, which I was just now realizing matched her scarf and hat. That was real commitment to a signature personal branding color. I still had a small window of time before the contest registration started. If I were late to check in this morning, I could kiss my job at the bakery goodbye, which wasn’t a big deal except it was the only bakery in town. Francine would surely fire me if I didn’t make it there on the dot. Today’s baking contest was being sponsored by the national publication, Desserts, Inc. magazine and the winner of today’s bake-off contest was guaranteed a spot on next month's cover. That was all Francine kept talking about since I met her. She even spent all of yesterday at the spa getting herself picture perfect for her close-up. Ruby drove me over to the alley behind Frosted in record time. I gave myself a mental high five for having the foresight to pack up the cupcake delivery truck last night before I closed up the shop. Everything I needed for today’s bake-off contest was in the back. I triple checked it myself. “I so owe you,” I said, practically leaping out of Ruby’s car before she even came to a complete stop. “It’s my job as the Watson to your Sherlock,” she said, shooing me out of the car. “I’ll find you at the festival later.” I only had ten minutes to get to a location that normally took twenty minutes without traffic. The festival was being held on the wharf, which was beautiful but not close to the Town Center where Frosted was located. Plus, parking would be a challenge at the festival in general and because I had no idea what the zoning rules were for setting up at the wharf. Driving an oversized food truck was not for the faint of heart. I only had this job for a couple weeks now and I still wasn’t used to driving such a behemoth vehicle. Normally a super slow, overly cautious driver, time was not on my side so I floored it and hoped for the best. Luckily, the roads were deserted. For the first time ever, I saw red and blue lights in my rearview mirror. Yes, I was going a few – all right, maybe a lot of miles – over the speed limit but in my defense, there was absolutely no one else on the highway and today was a make it or break it cupcake career day. “Step out of the vehicle. Keep your hands where I can see them.” Yes, a speeding ticket really sucked but it was almost ten o’clock so if this went quickly, I could still make it in time. Everything went slower than normal in Clover Creek, including festival contest registrations. I gave a small plea to the universe that the cop pulling me over was a friend from high school or someone else I knew who would let me off with a firm warning. I quickly jumped out of the gas-guzzling cupcake delivery truck, hoping for the quickest ticket delivery in history. My reflection in the car window showed me holding my hands up, awaiting my fate. It wasn’t particularly cold for a blustery winter morning in Clover Creek but at this angle, the wind flew straight up my shirt and chilled me like one of those deliciously cold scoops of ice cream that Claire, Frosted’s biggest and only other dessert competitor, was probably doling out to contest voters right now at the bake-off. The snow crunched under the cop’s feet, getting louder as he came closer. I waited until he was right behind me before trying to plead my case.