Event planner Sophie Winston is busy planning a couple of different events sure to be a hit in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. One of her clients is the renowned cheesecake baker Bobbie Sue Bodoin. Shortly after Sophie aorganizes a Midsummer Night party for her, Bobbie Sue’s husband, who is a local restauranteer, is murdered and his body is found in his wine cellar. As sad as this is, things get worse when evidence seems to point to one of Sophie’s best friends, Bernie Frei. Bernie insists he’s not guilty and had no reason to kill Tate, so Sophie and the rest of their group of friends are determined to prove his innocence.

This is the fifteenth book in this series, but it’s still perfect for readers who haven’t read any of the prior books. The murder case stands on its own, and there is enough background information given to catch everyone up on the main characters. In this case, there is evidence linking Bernie to the murder, but he’s probably the least likely to have killed Tate. The investigation goes in circles for a while as Sophie, with a lot of help from her best friend Nina, does a lot of digging for evidence that will help Bernie. Tate had many enemies in town, so the hardest part for Sophie isn’t finding other suspects - it’s figuring out which of the many people with a motive actually committed the crime!

This series has it all - an interesting setting, likable characters, and plenty of humor. Sophie and her “frenemy” Natasha write competing domestic advice columns and Sophie’s down-to-earth tips she shares with readers reflects her relatable character as much as Natasha’s shows hers with her impractical, sometimes judgmental advice. I don’t care for Natasha’s character, but she’s meant to provide both a foil to Sophie and some comic relief. There are also recipes at the end of the book, but most are way too complicated for my limited cooking skills to attempt!

The best part of the series to me are the core group of characters - Sophie, Nina, Bernie, and Sophie’s ex-husband and close friend Mars. I love how they are always there for each other in any situation. Every time I read one of the books in this series, I feel like I’m hanging out with old friends. Unfortunately, I’m not able to sample all the delicious foods they share including all the varieties of cheesecake mentioned in this book! 4.5 stars rounded up

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.