In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, aka the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and 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, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve? This is a solid, well written cozy with interesting characters and a story that kept me interested until the end and it was a very satisfying ending. Looking forward to more of Erin Murphy. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Cozy murder mystery. Small town, large cast of characters, feisty sleuth and one dead body. Interesting read. Kept me guessing until the end.

This was such a fun read, I havent read any of the other books in the series but I am going to now. It is not a cozy mystery - not sure what time of genre it is, but quite fun. The ending was sublime.

It did make me laugh on a cold autumn day.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I love being back in Jewel Bay with Erin, Adam and all their friends. What a great place to spend Christmas! This storyline is great, as are the characters. I felt several different emotions as I read this book. Just like real life. I would love to go shopping at The Merc. How much fun would it be to shop in all these wonderful stores this town has? The relationships these folks have with each other are wonderful. It was great to just relax with them and let them handle life for awhile. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. It was the first book by this author I've read and I did find myself thinking now I have to read more from this series.
The characters are delightful and holiday decorations , stores and cozy town are vividly described. When a murder takes place, it kept me quickly turning the pages to see who could have done it. Recipes included were an added bonus to this fun read.

I've become a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery. Maybe not my ultimate favorite but definitely worth a read

A re-release after a change in publishers, I reread this again because of the charming town the series is set in, the mouthwatering food descriptions, and the way the author makes you care about the characters. The fifth in a series, it’s Christmas time in lovely Jewel Bay, Montana. Erin is readying her family business for the holidays while getting ready for her wedding, when a family rift at a nearby business erupts, with long reaching consequences.
There are plenty of suspects to keep Erin busy as she gets drawn in to the investigation. With twists and turns it’s a good, fun holiday read and a great addition to the series.

This is an engaging cozy set in a small Montana town. It kept me guessing until the end! The books also contains some yummy cookie recipes (and others).

This is the fifth book of the Food Lovers series which is set in Jewel Bay, Montana during the Christmas holidays. This is the first of the series that I have read. I can’t wait to have time to read the rest of them. This has changed publishers (2021) and I re-read the story.

Erin Murphy runs her family's Montana specialty food shop, the Merc. She is extremely busy preparing for Christmas, getting settled into her new home, and planning her upcoming wedding to Adam.

Erin’s new friend, Merrily, is found murdered the day after the Christmas cookie exchange. Merrily has a previous criminal record. After merrily dies, she is accused of embezzlement for the second time in her life. Erin doesn’t believe Merrily is guilty and sets out to find the killer. Erin is on a mission to find justice for her friend, and investigates both the murder and embezzlement. I like Erin’s use of a spreadsheet to solve the crime.

This book kept me engaged throughout the story. I also liked that recipes were included at the end of the book.

I received a free copy from Midnight Ink (2018) and Beyond the Page Publishing (2021) through NetGalley for an honest review. Thanks to them for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was given an advanced copy from Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

I haven't read the other books in this series, but this made sense as a standalone novel. Budewitz's latest has enough unexpected twists and secrets to keep the reader sleuthing along with the characters. Jewel Bay, Montana is a charming town and the perfect setting for a mystery. The author does a great job with the details, so it's easy to envision Food Lover's Village. The characters are realistic and relatable. Overall, it's a fun Christmas-themed cozy mystery, perfect to get readers in the mood for the upcoming holiday season.

I received an advance copy of, As the Christmas Cookie crumbles, by Leslie Budewitz. This is a nice Christmas, murder mystery. I like the characters especially Merrily.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth installment in the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery series by Leslie Budewitz. I enjoy everything written by this author and highly recommend this Christmas theme mystery. This is a re release of a earlier mystery in the series but as enjoyable as reading it the first time.

Erin Murphy runs her store Murphy’s Mercantile in the charming small town of Jewel Bay, Montana. Erin makes a new friend, a girl who left Jewel Bay under terrible circumstances. As they strike up a friendship she is murdered and Erin is determined to solve her murder. The Christmas theme and cookie exchange is fun and the perfect introduction to the Christmas season. I like the charm of the small town at Christmas and the charcters. A winning holiday mystery. Recipes are included that everyone can enjoy for the holidays.

Erin Murphy and her fiancé Adam are getting married during one of the busiest seasons for a retailer, Christmas. But the season is about friends, family, and neighbors and when another resident of Jewely Bay, Montana returns home things begin to get even more interesting when she turns up dead.

Being a rather successful amateur sleuth, Erin finds herself trying to figure out what happened to the woman she felt was going to be one of her new friends. Things are never what they appear to be at face value and Erin soon figures out there is more than meets the eye here as well. But will she find the killer and make it to her wedding in one piece?

This is a republication as I read this book a few years back....no wonder it was so familiar. AND it was fun to read it again, so no complaints on that at all. This is a great standalone. 

The author’s writing style is fantastic and she has been added to my list of authors I follow. The plot is well written, the characters multidimensional and the pace moves at a good clip. I wasn’t quite sure who did it close to the very end…fantastic! I highly recommend this book!

Who doesn’t love a Christmas book? I certainly do anytime of the year to be honest! I’d like to read more by this author too. Well done.

I am really, really loving this series! The mysteries are always fun and engaging, with just enough red herrings sprinkled within to make you wonder. And, she never really does anything stupid and her man loves and supports her! The family dynamics are great and the way she writes Montana makes me want to visit, even in the dead of winter and it’s freezing.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth installment in the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery series by Leslie Budewitz. The protagonist, Erin Murphy, busy manager of Murphy’s Mercantile, a popular store located in the heart of the small town of Jewel Bay, Montana. Erin makes a new friend, a girl who left Jewel Bay in shame years ago and has come back, Merrily Thornton. Merrily has turned her life around, but her parents, who still live in Jewel Bay, are still shunning her and won’t accept her. Erin invites Merrily to her Christmas Cookie Exchange, and knows Merrily is excited to attend. However when she doesn’t show up, Erin goes looking for her and discovers her murdered body. Merrily was working for a local company, and the owner believes that Merrily stole a bank deposit, and blames her. Erin is sure Merrily isn’t guilty, and works to investigate both the murder and the bank deposit theft.

Erin is a well-developed and likeable character, and the supporting characters are believable. They seem like they could be real people, which helps readers imagine that the small Montana town is real and the scenarios could actually happen. Budewitz is a good storyteller and the novel is easy-to-follow. This is a fun culinary mystery series, and as a bonus, includes recipes.

Cozy lovers who like to include food in their mysteries will definitely enjoy this series. As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is especially apropos for the Christmas season, and is a quick read. There is no graphic violence, profanity, or sex, so this novel, as well as the entire series, is suitable for all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
Publish your review!
We’ve already copied it to your clipboard.

NetGalley
We Help Books Succeed.
Contact
Get Help
About
Blog
How It Works
Privacy Policy
Terms
Cookie Policy
International
www.netgalley.fr
www.netgalley.de
www.netgalley.jp
www.netgalley.co.uk
Powered by Firebrand Technologies • © 2021 NetGalley LLC • All Rights Reserved
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our cookie policy.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is a fast and fun read. The story takes place in a town called Jewel Bay, Montana. it is the holidays and the town is decorated for Christmas. Erin Murphy is the main character who manages her family's store Murphy's Glacier Mercantile. Erin is engaged to Adam Zimmerman who she will be marrying over the holidays. Merrily Thornton comes back to town in hopes to reconcile with her family, She spent time in prison for stealing money when she was 18 which had caused the rift in her family. She is married to Brad Larson but is separated and has a child named Ashley. .. She works at the Jewel Bay Building where it is discovered that money is missing and she becomes the main suspect. She is found dead by Greg Taylor, the owner of the supply company, in an old school house on her parents property. This is where the story takes off with all the supporting characters added to the mystery of who killed her. Erin decides to try to find out who killed Merrily and why. Through many twists and turns the mystery is solved with the addition of who Ashley's real father is. The ending is on a high note with Erin's wedding to Adam.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next in the series of what adventure Erin and Adam will have.

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for this ARC.

It’s Christmas time in Jewel Bay and most things are merry and bright – except for Merrily Thornton. It’s as if a dark shadow follows her around town. When Merrily eventually meets a deadly demise, Erin is determined to find the guilty party and restore Merrily’s tattered reputation.

The author weaves in twists, reveals unexpected secrets, and scatters breadcrumbs throughout the story. This is a fun Christmas cozy, perhaps overdone a bit at times with holiday elements. This will delight those that love Christmas oozing from the pages of their holiday cozy mystery books. 3.5 stars.

Festive Spirit…?
The fifth in the Food Lovers’ Village mystery series finds Erin preparing to ring in a new season with all the festive spirit she can muster but when a death occurs even she can see that this is a tall order. Enjoyable, lighthearted and entertaining cosy mystery with a colourful cast of characters and an engaging protagonist. A worthy addition to the series.

Cookie had an interesting, well developed story. I didn't like Merrily's parents and had a hard time accepting Merrily's actions, but we all know and read about people like them so it's not unacceptable.

While I liked the book, I was stunned when I started it to realize I didn't remember the characters or setting even though I know I've read all the previous books. Now, as a voracious reader, I have forgotten large chunks of books I've read only once, but the "lightbulb" usually turns on after a bit and I'm reminded of what I previously knew about the series, not so here. I don't think that's a positive sign for the series, yet I didn't let it affect my review, because I liked the story and it kept me guessing as to whodunnit.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Added 10/20/21: I requested this same book from Netgalley again because I didn't remember reading it. I was stunned to see this review, I now think I hadn't read any of the previous books (except #4, Treble, which I just read and reviewed). I would give the book the same like rating. I enjoyed the storyline, setting and the main characters. Merrily's parents still suck as parents, but, again, we've all met people like them.