ProseWise

Murder by Cheesecake

by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, 2025 · 336 pages

A light, breezy read that moves quickly through small town gossip, baked goods, and amateur sleuthing. The prose stays simple and conversational, prioritizing charm and quick banter over tension or dread, making it the kind of book you can pick up and put down easily.

cozy mystery · cozy · playful · curious

What Murder by Cheesecake feels like to read

• Page-turner: 60%
• Darkness: 25%
• Emotional intensity: 30%
• Humor: 60%
• Romance: 30%
• Complexity: 20%

Reading age: 14+ (adult)

Spice: 1 out of 5. kissing only or very mild romantic tension

Murder by Cheesecake tropes

• amateur sleuth
• small town setting
• culinary cozy
• will they won't they romance

Books like Murder by Cheesecake

• The diva runs out of thyme by Krista Davis: Same cozy food centered mystery pacing with a warm small town feel.
• Death by chocolate cherry cheesecake by Sarah Graves: Similar culinary cozy blend of dessert obsession and light mystery solving.
• Death by Devil's Food Cake by Denise Swanson: Comparable tone of humor forward sleuthing wrapped around baked goods.
• Cinnamon and Poison by Olivia Matthews: Both lean on a bakery setting to create comfort alongside a light puzzle plot.