Mallory Monroe loves to say, "Welcome to The Cookie Shop," as customers enter her shop in Wingate, Connecticut. Purchasing the store from Aunt Glenna, Mallory is excited to continue offering her aunt's recipes, as her aunt is the one who instilled her love of baking cookies. Mallory has not only redecorated the shop but is offering her twist on baking by creating cookie bouquets for all occasions. However, there are unplanned and unexpected twists for Mallory when a spontaneous decision to surprise her boyfriend goes awry. During a conversation with Dugan Porter, a reporter with the Connecticut Chronicle, food blogger Beatrice Wright arrives in the shop accusing Mallory of stealing a cookie recipe. Mallory can't listen calmly to the accusations, and that's another tilt of the axis with more challenges to come in Mallory's life.

Cookies are my favorite treat, so it was easy to daydream of visiting Mallory's shop. Mallory loves to read mysteries while relaxing at home after a busy day, which is my favorite genre, too, and I loved that Mallory named her gray and white cat Agatha.

Reading the opening story of a new cozy mystery series also brings the delights of the names of the various businesses. For this series, charming business names are Heavenly Roast Coffee Café, Curls N' Waves (hair salon), Rock, Pop, and Jazz (the shop where Mallory purchased old vinyl), and Just One More Chapter (the bookshop where Mallory buys her mysteries).

The mystery is well written with multiple themes, intensifying the interesting storyline and creating red herrings. I didn't guess the end of the investigation. I'm not sure why I didn't warm up to Mallory right from the start, but as the story continued, I wanted everything to turn in a positive direction for her.

Cookie recipes are included at the end of the novel.

I look forward to reading more of this new series! ( )

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder is a lighthearted cozy mystery. Mallory Monroe enjoys baking and decorating cookies. She has traded in the big city for a small town. Mallory has fond memories of summers spent in Wingate, especially the summer she received her first kiss. The cookie descriptions will have your mouth watering. There are recipes for a couple of them at the end including the controversial Almond Meltaways. The mystery has the unpleasant Beatrice Wright ending up dead and Mallory finding her body. Beatrice was a disagreeable woman who managed to annoy the majority of the town’s residents. This leads to a lengthy suspect list. It can be confusing trying to keep all the suspects straight. The guilty party can easily be identified and with the reason why long before the reveal. Mallory runs around town asking questions in a not-so-subtle manner. I thought someone who had worked in advertising would be a better schmoozer. Mallory manages to anger several people during her investigation (not good for a fledgling business). There are a couple of incidents along the way, but they do not deter Mallory. Personally, I kept hoping Mallory’s cantankerous employee, Claudia, would find herself in the killer’s crosshairs (there is always the next installment). The mystery is neatly wrapped up at the end. I had trouble getting into How the Murder Crumbles. The story is a slow starter. The pacing was choppy throughout the book. I also found there to be too much repetition of key details (the bakery, the cousin, details regarding the mystery). The majority of the characters are superficial and there are so many of them. There is some romance as well. Mallory breaks up with one fellow and soon has feelings for another. I thought it was a little quick. I liked Mallory’s cat, Agatha. Mallory’s best friend, Kip, is a friendly, upbeat individual as well as a good baker. He is a good friend and there for Mallory in her time of need. How the Murder Crumbles was just okay for me (as you can tell). How the Murder Crumbles is a cookie centric cozy with a mean Queen Bea, a cookie controversy, a lethal rolling pin, an unkind cousin, a two-timing suitor, a cuddly cat, an attractive detective, and a probing baker. ( )

3.35 stars

Calling all cozy mystery fans (and some traditional mystery fans, too): Here is a series starter for your summer enjoyment. Read my full review here.

Publication is expected June 20.

#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #HowtheMurderCrumbles ( )

Great start to a series! The main character was super fun. She knew she was doing borderline dangerous things, instead of being portrayed as the ingenue, and I always appreciate that. I really enjoyed the secondary characters, especially her new relationship with her exes girlfriend and am looking forward to reading the next in the series. ( )

new-series, first-in-series, recipes, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, murder, small-business, small-town, bakery, baker, Connecticut, friendship, sisters, relatives, extortion,*****

Fine start to a new series. Mallory left her job in advertising to buy into the bakery her aunt used to run and loves it. The first nasty is finding her boyfriend in a liplock with another woman. Then the town diva accuses her of using a recipe that her aunt had stolen from her (as if!). Then she finds that woman's body and becomes a "person of interest". AND THEN...
Well, no spoilers here. Trust me, this is a fine read and a good set-up for a series of cozy mysteries.
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! 01/28/2023
06/08/2023 I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley! Voice artist Ellen Quay has the kind of convincing delivery and enthusiasm to make a book even better! ( )