This book was not what I expected. From all the talk I've heard about it I expected a cosy fantasy with a light murder mystery. That is not what this book is. Yes it's cute - it is about baked goods which come to life - but the murder is barely a mystery and I would not use the word cosy. For a children's book, this gets dark. 

The author's note at the end of the book describes the difficulty T Kingfisher had finding a publisher because nobody could decide what age range the book fits best or how dark it should or should not be. It seems to most often be categorised as YA now but there's plenty of debate. For myself it feels most like middle grade, albeit middle grade that parents should probably read first before deciding to give to their children (especially if those kids are at the younger end of the age range). It is however a book that adults who don't normally read middle grade or YA might still enjoy. 

Overall I liked but didn't love the book. For a good two thirds of the novel I wasn't really that invested, it was fine and I was happy enough to read it but I didn't really care about it. It was only the final third where events ramped up and I found myself gripped. I really enjoyed the final events.