A trifle dead by Livia Day

Cafe La Femme Bk 1. Deadlines, 2013. ISBN 9780987216298
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Crime. Food. Tabitha Darling runs a trendy cafe and is always searching for the perfect dessert. She is sick of all the policemen who frequent her cafe and when a musician is found dead in the flat upstairs she tries to keep out of the investigation. But as a series of strange crimes by the Trapper occurs across Hobart, she begins to think that perhaps they are aimed at her. With Stewart, a cute Scottish blogger along for the news, she starts to investigate, much to the annoyance of Bishop the policeman she has known for ages.
This is a laugh out loud mystery in the vein of the Stephanie Plum stories by Janet Evanovich. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are well developed and the backdrop of Hobart is fabulous. There is plenty of suspense, with a few very scary moments and lots of yummy food including recipes for trifle, all of which will keep any mystery lover reading to finish the book quickly.
I will certainly snap up the next book in the series.
Pat Pledger