This is the fifth instalment of Leslie Budewitz's Food Lovers' Village series, which is one of my favourite cozy mystery series. I have found these novels to be consistently well written, and As The Christmas Cookie Crumbles definitely does not disappointment. It even got me in the Christmas spirit, despite the sweltering temperatures of June.
It is December in Jewel Bay, and the merchants are busy getting ready for the busy shopping season. Erin is also planning her upcoming nuptials while her sister is expecting her second child. A family dispute and murder adds to the busy-ness of the holiday season, and Erin, with her Spreadsheet of Suspicion, gets down to solving the murder of her new friend.
Fantastic book - one of my favourites of the series. Well plotted, complex, with many layers to the mystery, I loved As The Christmas Cookie Crumbles. I may have to re-read it during the proper holiday season. I hope this is not the last of the Food Lovers' Village series as reading these books feels like coming home.
Thank you to Midnight Ink and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for review.

Review: AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES by Leslie Budewitz (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery #5)

A heartfelt series cozy mystery, AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES strums emotions deeply while providing a convoluted mystery and the themes of opportunity, second chances, and forgiveness. Amateur Sleuth Erin Murphy is so by design and interest. Retail operator by day (she runs the village Mercantile her ancestor founded), she also heads the Village Merchants Association, plans her wedding (Christmas Eve!) and awaits her sister's imminent second childbirth. The return of a nearly middle-aged town native ostracized decades ago by her parents brings an opportunity for forgiveness on both sides, and a potential new close friendship for Erin. But life is often bumpy, not smooth, and obstinacy and murder block positive possibilities.

I laughed. I cried. While I do not celebrate Christmas, it did not affect my enjoyment of this cozy mystery. Many surprises. Lots of family angst. Sweet wedding. Some wonderful cookie recipes included. A delightful addition to the charming series.

I find it hard to believe that it’s been four years since I caught up with Leslie Budewitz’s Food Lovers’ Village Mystery series. Perhaps because of that hiatus, I noticed something different. Leslie’s writing is cozier—more sink in the cushions and disappear from reality—reading than it ever was before. For those of us who like our cozy reads to be like biting into the center of a warm, soft chocolate cookie still gooey and melty, the reading was awesome.

Not to say that it avoids some harsh realities about people and how they treat each other, but Leslie makes the effort to provide the soft contrast to the black and white thinkers who judge without compassion, and isn’t compassion the essence of cozies?

Set during the weeks before Christmas and the wedding of main character Erin Murphy, As The Christmas Cookie Crumbles portrays the best, worst, and sometimes goofiest of human behavior during this season. This book will be released on June 8th.

Please welcome multiple Agatha winner Leslie Budewitz to WWK. E. B. Davis

Erin is getting married on Christmas Eve. Crazy thinking for someone involved in the world of retail! But, as with most cozy series, the main character spends little to no time actually doing their real job. In Erin's defense, she has a wonderfully well trained staff and does put in time not only running the Mercantile but also being involved in many community groups to help draw business to the area merchants. Despite it being the holidays, when a newly returned Merrily is killed, Erin can't leave it alone. Though the killer and reasoning seem obvious, Erin doesn't trust the new suave detective and begins her own investigation. By the time the killer is uncovered, things get a bit more farfetched than I felt reasonably believable. I guess the big question is: does Erin get to the church on time?

This is a series that I've read since book 1 and the characters that are well-written and likable are almost like family. I love visiting Jewel Bay and I'd love to visit the Merc. This was another great mystery with twists and turns. I'm looking forward to the next book!

It's great that Erin cares enough to solve the mystery but it amazes me the amount of time that she spends away from her business especially in the busy Christmas season.

The shop owners in Jewel Bay, Montana are putting the finishing touches on their Christmas storefront displays when a nasty confrontation occurs between Merrily Thorton and her estranged parents. Erin Murphy witnesses the encounter and is sympathetic to her new friend's attempts to reunite with her family after going to prison 20 years ago. Erin herself is busy managing her family's specialty food shop, the Merc, getting settled into her new home, and planning her upcoming wedding to Adam Zimmerman. Then Merrily is a no-show at the Christmas cookie exchange at Erin's home and is found dead in the former schoolhouse on her parents' property. Rumours start when missing funds and faked accounts are found at the hardware store where Merrily was working. Was Merrily responsible for the embezzlement or is someone framing her? Resentful feelings also still existed between Merrily, her parents and other village members for her past crimes and behaviours. Erin is determined to clear Merrily's name and to find her killer.

This was another enjoyable entry in the Food Lovers' village mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Midnight Ink with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

As The Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz was a treat to read! This Midnight Ink Cozy Mystery comes out June 8th and is a great read. I was thrilled Net Galley approved my request to review it and even though I am anxious for summer to start, I really felt Christmas Spirit in late may with this one. A complicated mystery, with twists and turns I had not expected. I found it both disturbing and delightful, and ends with a Christmas Eve wedding, a perfect balance. A very good read and a lovely way for you to spend the summer holidays, be sure to check this one out.

A Christmas themed cozy in June? Don't worry about the weather- this one is entirely enjoyable at any time of year and even if you haven't read the earlier books. Erin is a classic cozy heroine- she runs the mercantile in Jewel Bay, Montana, she's engaged, and now a new friend has been murdered. Merrily has turned her life around, even if her mom is not certain of her, and Erin is convinced that she didn't embezzle and that her boss Greg wasn't the one who killed her. Neatly written with some good twists and turns and,of course, recipes! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz is the fifth book in Food Lovers' Village Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.
It's Christmas time and everyone is enjoying the holiday spirit and Erin is getting married in there weeks. Merrily is a woman who has made a mistake during her teenage years and ended up in jail for embezzling money. However, some people including Erin have doubts about what really happened. Erin is trying to befriend Merrily since Merrily's own mother still shuts her out.
Some money goes missing in the store where Merrily works and she is everyone's first suspect until she is found dead by the same man who has given her second chance and hired her.
Everyone is trying to dissuade Erin from investigating but she can't help feeling that something is very very wrong.
I like how even though it is holiday related mystery it is very realistic, both in portray of small town life and relations within. Sometimes it shows very dark side of human nature. It is cleverly plotted with nice set of characters, both believable and loveble. Steady paced and easy to read it is perfect holiday story.

Erin Murphy is all about giving people a second chance in this 5th installment in this series. Many years ago in Jewel Bay, Merrily Thornton was accused of stealing and sent to prison. She served her time and now she is back in town. Not everyone is happy about that including her own family. Her own Mother disowns her publicly and then she is accused of stealing again from her new job. She is first missing and then found dead. Erin has her hands full getting ready for her Christmas Eve wedding to Adam but feels Merrily deserves justice so she sets up to solve both the murder and the embezzlement. This was a great addition to this series. The characters are relatable and I just love the setting at Christmas time.

I am a big fan of this series and was thrilled to read this next in series set at Christmas time. The addition of a cookie exchange and festivities of the holiday gave this book 5 stars.
I received a ARC for review and my opinions are my own.
This is 5th in series for this delightful series. I love the mercantile, the small shops and the charming town. The author has a talent for transporting the reader to the village amid all the Christmas fun. This next in series finds our wonderful protagonist Erin finally getting married . Their fun is shattered when tragedy strikes and Erin's new friend, Merrily is found murdered the day after the Christmas cookie exchange. Merrily's previous criminal record is brought back to light even after her death as she's accused of embezzlement for the second time in her life. Erin sets out to find the killer and clear her friends name. She is suspicious of those disparaging her friend after her death and soon suspects begin to come to light in her investigation.
Using her tool of a "Spreadsheet of Suspicion" she makes for clues and suspects she begins to piece the murder suspect to the murder but places herself in peril.
I enjoyed the sleuth that was well crafted and kept me guessing. The supporting charcters all add depth to the story and the location , businesses and community are perfectly described.
Leslie Budewitz' As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the perfect cozy. It has all the fun elements of a enjoyable cozy read, a small community, family, food, and of course a murder. I loved it and highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES by Leslie Budewitz is the fifth book in the Food Lovers series. The Christmas holidays are gearing up with lots of festivities planned in Jewel Bay, Montana, which prides itself on promoting local food and crafts. Erin Murphy, manager of her family’s Murphy Mercantile, is a delightful protagonist. I adore the closeness she shares with her family which spills over into the close-knit community. Erin is kind-hearted and befriends Merrily, who has been shunned from her family for a long-ago transgression which she had paid dearly for. Given the ongoing holiday festivities, Merrily’s family situation becomes all that more heartbreaking. I found Ms. Budewitz writes rich, emotional connections between the characters and brings the spirit of the season to life on the pages. And even though it’s only June, I’m happy to read about Christmas any time of the year!

When Merrily is found murdered, Erin grieves for a friend she barely knew and is pulled into finding justice for the woman. Even though Erin is busy finalizing her wedding plans to Adam and participating in the town’s events, she still finds time to ask questions and find the truth. There were enough suspects to keep me guessing without too many overwhelming the plot. Subplots were woven into the story to bring an added depth of richness to the tale and Ms. Budewitz brings all the threads together in one satisfying conclusion. I also appreciated how the author includes a list of characters at the very beginning of the book. While I didn’t need to reference it since characters were judiciously introduced, it was nice to have “just in case”. And truth be told, it was terrific to have when writing this review since I got so caught up in the fast-paced story I forgot to take many notes.

With the Christmas season being celebrated in the village, Erin hosts a cookie exchange party. It was fun reading Erin’s description of how she connects the cookie qualities with the personality of the baker who brought them to the exchange. The reader will be drooling over the myriad of recipes Ms. Budewitz includes at the back of the book, both for cookies and savory dishes alike!

Series: A Food Lovers' Village Mystery - Book 5
Author: Leslie Budewitz
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Available June 8, 2018

All is merry and bright in Jewel Bay, Montana. At Murphy's Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, a wedding, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl who committed a crime and paid for it. Merrily has turned her life around. She has a new job, and a beautiful daughter in college, but her parents have publicly shunned her, as they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing, and her boss discovers he's been robbed, fingers point to Merrily, until she's found dead, with a string of lights wrapped around her neck. Following the clues puts Erin in harm's way. She needs to unravel the mystery and put a killer behind bars before the wrong person goes to jail. Erin is on a mission to clear a friends name before her wedding day on Christmas Eve?

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As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth book in the “A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery” series. The story is fast-paced and entertaining. Ms. Budewitz is a talented writer with a good grip on what makes a mystery interesting.

The story revolves around Erin Murphy, the proprietor of a family-owned business, Murphy's Mercantile. She is about to get married and is happy but overwhelmed. When she meets Merrily, she feels as though she has found a friend, only to have the sprouting friendship whisked away when Merrily is murdered. Everyone is pointing fingers at Merrily boss, Greg Taylor but Erin isn’t as positive as they are that Merrily was a thief and Greg, her killer.

Erin is a wonderful character filled with pride, happiness and too much curiosity for her own good. She keeps stepping into in murder investigations and even though she tells herself not to get involved, she somehow winds up smack in the middle of trouble. Other characters such as Greg Taylor, Tracy, and Lou Mary, are fantastic characters that readers will love. Most of the characters in this book are warm., friendly, easy to like, and memorable..

The setting of Jewel Bay is intriguing. Montana is a wonderful place to put a food lovers village. Some of the best food in the country can be found in towns like Billings or Bozeman. So it comes as no surprise to find a story with a basis in food set in a location within Montana’s borders. The beauty of the area is described lovingly in this book and is sure to make readers want to visit.

Overall, As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is a thrilling journey through small-town life and unexpected murder. It is easy to read and filled with action. Characters are unforgettable and caring, readers will be enthralled by the life of Erin Murphy and the crazy situation she gets herself into. This is a clean read and can be enjoyed by readers of any age. The recipes in the back of the book are mouthwatering. I highly recommend this book to readers of all genres.

ARC provided by NetGalley

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth book in the Food Lovers' Village Mystery series. It is a fantastic cozy mystery! All of the elements I love were in place: a strong and relatable main character, supporting characters with quirks and personality, a charming setting, and a mystery that draws me in and keeps me guessing.
In As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, Erin is scrambling to get the Merc ready for Christmas and finish a million last minute details for her Christmas Eve wedding. The stress of the season ramps up when Erin's new friend, Merrily Thornton (a reformed bad girl looking for a second chance), is found dead, with a string of Christmas lights wrapped around her neck.
Uncovering the truth behind Merrily's death will crack old secrets wide open and threaten Erin's life. She will have to work quickly and tread carefully to make it to her own wedding.
If, like me, you haven't read the previous books in the series, As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles reads well as a stand alone mystery.

In this fifth and latest installment of the Food Lovers' Village mysteries, Erin and all her friends and family are preparing to ring in a special holiday season. Not only is Jewel Bay’s retail scene delightfully crazy during December, but Erin and her now fiance, Adam, are making last minute preparations for a Christmas Eve wedding!

As tends to happen, though, in Jewel Bay (and in every other cozy mystery setting)… something goes awry. Erin’s new friend Merrily has had a tough life, but is returning to Jewel Bay to start anew. When Merrily goes missing, however, and is later found dead, Erin is devastated not only at the lost chance for friendship, but for another tragedy in her small village.

As Erin begins to ask questions and investigate what happened to her friend, she has to keep herself safe (never an easy task!), sort through conflicting motives and lots of bad blood, and uncover details of a saga that began twenty years earlier… all while running the Merc and preparing to walk down the aisle!

I really liked this one: the characters, the quirky village, and of course the delicious food! Recommend a read... in fact, start with the first in the series, Death Al Dente. Extended review on my blog at thebiblioblonde.com... happy reading!

I love the Spice Shop mysteries and expected to love this series just as much. The setting was charming but the characters fell flat for me. They seemed one dimensional and failed to connect for me. Guess I will just keep waiting for the next book in the Spice Shop series/

This was a fun and festive addition to the Food Lovers' Village mystery series. I've enjoyed all of the books in the series so far, but I think this one may be my favorite. I've grown so fond of the characters, reading each book is like reconnecting with old friends.

I'd highly recommend this book, and the rest of the books in this series, to cozy lovers and foodies. You won't be disappointed.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth book in the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery series written by Leslie Budewitz. This is the first book I’ve read in the series. The author provided sufficient background information that I didn’t feel lost jumping in so late in the series. There’s a lot going on in this well plotted and steadily paced mystery and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing.

Erin Murphy is the manager of Murphy’s Glacier Mercantile (the Merc), her family’s specialty local food market and mercantile, in Jewel Bay, Montana. It’s the holiday season and she’s hopeful lots of tourists with shopping on their minds will be visiting Jewel Bay. She’s engaged to Adam Zimmerman and is a little overwhelmed with the things she needs to accomplish before their Christmas Eve wedding, and since she hasn’t met her fiancé’s family yet, she’s nervous. Decorating Day is the day all the businesses decorate their windows and put up their decorations and lights. Walt and Taya Thornton are the owners of Jewel Bay Antiques and Christmas Shop. An unpleasant scene plays out when their oldest daughter, Merrily, shows up with the hope of helping them decorate, and because they shunned her twenty years ago, they will have nothing to do with her. Merrily left town twenty years ago after she pled guilty to taking money from her place of employment and spent a year in prison, but she returned to Jewel Bay two months ago wanting to reconnect with her family and introduce them to her college aged daughter, Ashley. After the upsetting scene, Erin takes Merrily to the Merc for a warm drink and invites her to take part in the cookie swap she’s hosting on Sunday. Merrily agrees to attend, but she doesn’t turn up and Erin is worried about her. Greg Taylor had given Merrily a second chance when he hired her to work for him as a bookkeeper at the Jewel Bay Building Supply, but when she doesn’t show up for work on Monday and cash is missing from the last bank deposit she made, he decided to try to find her. After Greg found her body in the old schoolhouse on her parents’ property, he called Erin because of her experience helping to solve murders in the past. Erin doesn’t believe Merrily stole money from the Building Supply and sets out to find out who did and who murdered her friend, but to do so, she needs to figure out what happened twenty years ago.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This the 5th book in the Food Lovers series, set in the Mercantile in Jewel Bay, Montana at Christmas time. I loved reading the other books in the series, and this book was no exception. Erin is getting the Merc ready for Christmas, and she's planning her wedding to Adam at the same time. Unfortunately, she gets involved in a murder investigation that threatens to derail all her holiday plans.

I highly recommend this book. The plot is interesting and I love the characters. Thanks to Midnight INk and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.