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.

Mallory Monroe loves baking and decorating cookies that are like works of art. Her shop is in a town in Connecticut that is known for wonderful shops, but things are not as good as they should be. Her two employees are a disaster, and she has just broken up with her boyfriend. A local blogger, accuses her of stealing her cookie recipe, which Mallory vehemently denies. When said blogger, Beatrice, ends up dead while baking cookies, clobbered by a marble rolling pin, Mallory becomes the number one suspect. It is time to clear her name and save her business, so she begins an investigation of her own.

This was a fun start to a new cozy mystery series. I have been reading two other series by Debra Sennefelder, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy this one and I did. Mallory is a great character and I love that she isn't just a baker, but an artist when it comes to decorating cookies. I also liked that she listened to her customers so she could give them exactly what they wanted. It is that listening skill that helps her with her investigation. I liked when she commented to the detective who was upset with her for investigating, "I can't help it if people tell me things." As the investigation proceeds, it becomes obvious that Beatrice wasn't a very nice person and there was more than one person who might have done her in. As Mallory gets closer to discovering what happened, she is threatened so knows she is on the right track. I love that people confessed other crimes to her and she ended up helping arrest several other people who had broken the law. The final showdown surprised me, as I didn't suspect the killer at all, but it fit well together and I enjoyed the story. This is a well written and plotted story with great characters. The side stories helped us to get to know the characters and I definitely enjoyed this one. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a culinary cozy mystery.

What a great kick off to a new series. I adore Debra's series and knew I would love this one too.

The setting of the bakery is great and the fact that Mallory makes cookie bouquets gives it just a little bit more uniqueness from other cozies. Plots of murder of the most unlikeable character are always fun because it keeps you guessing. I was completely surprised by this reveal. I enjoyed meeting a group of people and seeing relationships develop. I can't wait for more from this series.

In the first book of a new series, Mallory Munroe has a cookie shop in Wingate, Connecticut where her cookies are freshly baked and artfully decorated. She employs her best friend Kip as well as her aunt’s former employee, but the two don’t mix, Mallory often being the buffer. Food blogger, Beatrice Wright, appears at the shop on the day Mallory is being interviewed and accuses her of stealing one of her recipes.

When Beatrice is found dead in her kitchen later the same day, Mallory is suspect number one. The new detective in town happens to be in the shop when Beatrice makes her accusations and hears the altercation between the two. Mallory’s sales start to decrease as news spreads, so she can’t help playing detective in an effort to clear her name and drum up business for her shop.

I really enjoyed this mystery since it kept me guessing as to the identity of the murderer. I can’t wait to read more in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #HowtheMurderCrumbles

The first book in a new series can be a bit tricky. The characters are new, and it can be hard to get a connection. That is not the case for this book. Mallory has a cookie shop with two employees who do not get along. I am not sure one of them gets along with anybody. When Mallory has a very public fight with a food blogger who accuses her of stealing a recipe, she hopes some gossip will be the worst of it. When the food blogger is found murdered, gossip is the least of her problems. I look forward to future books and seeing how the characters develop and grow.

I can’t resist a cozy mystery book with a baking theme! It’s my comfort read. All of my cozy comfort boxes were checked off with How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder @debrasennefelder

☑️ Quintessential Small Town
☑️ New business owner
☑️ Handsome new Detective in town 😉
☑️ Mouthwatering descriptions
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This book is a delicious start to a new series. The murder may have been pretty straightforward but I loved that there were so many to suspect in this story! A lot of people had some good motives! I was racing with Mallory to see Whodunnit! Great world and character building was happening to set up for future books which I am in eager anticipation to read!
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If you are a fan of The Bakeshop Series by Ellie Alexander or Hannah Swensen Series by Joanne Fluke then I think you will enjoy picking up this book!
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Thank you @netgalley @crookedlanebooks and for the e-Book for me to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

A great start to the series. The mystery definitely kept me guessing and I enjoyed the interactions between Mallory and the detective on the case. The ending with the pair was cute and unexpected. It left me wanting to read the next book straight away to see their friendship develop.
There were some side characters that I liked but I enjoyed Kip the most for the humour he brought.
A charming read. I look forward to the next one.

Really fun first book in a series by a new-to-me author. Enjoyed the mystery, enjoyed the sense of community and family that Mallory had. Loved the cookie descriptions! Loved the little reveal at the end. Can't want to read the next one!

HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES is the first in a new baking-themed cozy series (The Cookie Shop Mystery series).
If you know me and my love of cozies, you’ll know that one of my favourite aspects of a cozy – even more important than the mystery, if I’m honest – is how interesting I find the ‘theming’ e.g. craft-shops, hotel owners etc. Whatever it is the protagonist does where they’re not stumbling into murders. As much as there have been some great baking cozies, it’s not something I tend to pick up anymore, because I’ve seen so many. Unless, as HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES does, there’s a twist to catch my eye. Although set in a bakery, HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES doesn’t overdo the protagonists mulling over the actual baking progress or linger over the ingredients, instead picking a specific element to home in on – artisan cookie decoration. The cookies aren’t actually a huge part of the mystery itself, but it intrigued me, as did Mallory’s struggle to keep her new, niche business afloat.
The town of Wingate is picturesque and filled with a cast of quirky characters, which you’d expect from this sort of cozy. We get to meet quite a few in HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES, giving the town a good sense of feeling ‘lived in’. I hope we’ll get to know more about the locals as the series progresses.
The was my first time reading Debra Sennefelder, but she does have two existing cozy series, and I’ve added the first instalment of her Food Blogger Mysteries to my TBR, so clearly she’s doing something right! I’ll also be keeping an eye out for more books in this series.
A promising new cozy series!

This was a good start to a new cozy mystery series! I loved Mallory and Kip (and obviously Agatha)! There were too many characters to keep track of, but that made it more difficult to figure out the killer. I didn’t care for the gossiping, but I enjoyed the adorable small town setting and the delectable cookie descriptions. The story was fun overall, even though it feels weird to say that about a murder mystery! I would definitely continue with this series!

Love stories like this cookie shops. This has an adorable cover and there’s great details. The characters are fun and kept the story interesting.I would highly recommend this story and look forward to more if there additional ones coming

Mallory used to work in NY at an ad agency. She had a long distance boyfriend Gil. She didn't get the promotion she wanted. So she decided to buy her Aunt Glenna's bakery and moved to Connecticut. Her boyfriend lives just ten minutes away. She decides to surprise him and finds him kissing another woman. Heartbroken Mallory decides to create a cookie of the month The Almond Meltaways. When the Queen Bea comes into the bakeshop and accuses Mallory and her aunt of stealing the recipe from her. Mallory calls her out in front of everyone. Later Mallory feels bad so she decides to go to Beatrice's house and try to work something out. When she finds Beatrice dead. The police suspect Mallory. So Mallory takes it upon herself to find the real killer.

This is a fantastic starting point for a new series. I enjoyed this book and liked Mallory's tenacity. It's always a bad idea to surprise your boyfriend. It seems to always end badly. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC.

I absolutely loved the start to this new series. So good! Loved the setting, characters, plot, everything! Definitely looking forward to the next book. The cookies sound delicious with easy recipes included.

This writer has a nice style...the writing flows well. The plot concept was entertaining and the characters were likeable. The main character's house sounded adorable!

How the Murder Crumbles: A Cookie Shop Mystery
By Debra Sennefelder
Crooked Lane Books
June 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Despite pursuing a degree and career in advertising, Mallory Monroe never lost her love for baking nor her memories of her Aunt Glenna’s beloved bakery. So after her aunt’s death – and being bypassed for a promotion – Mallory makes the life-changing decision to buy the Cookie Shop and move to Wingate, Connecticut so she can run it. She’s still getting used to working with her aunt’s long-term and resistant-to-change baker Claudia Allen, but Mallory is optimistically promoting new cookie bouquets and hosting cookie decorating classes. Things take a quick downturn when Mallory catches her boyfriend cheating on her with another woman, and to make it worse learns that “Aspen” has also just rented out the apartment above the bakery. It goes further downhill when Beatrice Wright, the woman known as Queen Bea in the town that is one of the top ten shopping destinations of the state, accuses Mallory’s aunt of stealing an Almond Meltaways cookie recipe. That their confrontation occurs in front of a reporter interviewing Mallory for the Connecticut Chronicle couldn’t have been a coincidence, and it only gets worse when an attempt to mediate the situation has Mallory instead finding Beatrice’s dead body.

As online commentators and word-of-mouth gossip jeopardizes the Cookie Shop’s business, Mallory refuses to sit idly by and allow her new venture to tank. So despite warnings from both Claudia and the admittedly attractive Detective Will Hannigan to let the police handle the matter, Mallory begins her own investigation of the many, many candidates for those who wanted Beatrice dead. It turns out that the Queen Bea was as ruthless in her personal life as she was in her business life, leaving behind a suspect list that will have Mallory’s murder board filled with possibilities. An unlikely ally appears in the form of the other woman who unknowingly imploded Malloy’s life, as the woman she calls “Red” turns out to be a lawyer and present at the moment when Mallory needs one the most. Aspen being a corporate attorney who never set foot in a courtroom does get herself replaced rather quickly, but for once the women aren’t pitted against one another and instead rightfully side against their ex.

Even though this is the first in the Cookie Shop Mystery series, it feels as though they have been living with readers for years. There are many characters to keep track of, but Mallory’s circle of friends stand out and match her charisma. Mallory’s sisters are the first to always have her back and provide unwavering loyal support, while her cousin Darlene proves to be far more nebulous concerning her motives and plans for Glenna’s property. Mallory’s hefty feline Agatha will delight readers with her antics, while foodie mystery fans will truly appreciate descriptions of the craft and skills required in the creation of these exquisite cookies. Mallory’s interrogations of suspects may be a bit blunt and unsurprisingly make her a target, but her carefulness in the kitchen is unquestionable. Readers should look forward to watching Mallory grow and come onto her own in the town of Wingate, which is as charming as everything coming out of the Cookie Shop ovens.

Debra Sennefelder is a veteran cozy author and it shows in this polished series debut. Great characters and an authentic mystery with strong storytelling and a nice establishment of the community. I look forward to this series continuing!

I find it difficult to pass on a cozy mystery centered around baking - this one has the perfect setting, characters, despicable victim and plenty of suspects for an entertaining afternoon of reading. Cookie shop owner, Mallory, has a string of bad luck and finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation. She reluctantly sets out to clear her name leading to plenty of twists and turns and help from unexpected sources. A delectable start to the Cookie Shop Mystery series and I look forward to reading more about Mallory and company. I recommend baking one of the provided cookie recipes and devour this story.. I requested and received an Advanced Readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #HowtheMurderCrumbles #NetGalley

I thought this was a great beginning to a new cozy mystery series, with a fun premise! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

The first book in a new series can be hit or miss: too much info at the front, or not enough, character development, mystery/storyline execution, etc. Overall, I think the author did a good job with this book. The characters were interesting, as was the mystery. Plus: cookie shop and recipes...yum!!!

I'm looking forward to reading future books and watching the characters grow and change. And the recipes.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

How the Murder Crumbles is book #1 in the Cookie Shop Mystery series by Debra Sennefelder.

Mallory Monroe’s life is complicated. A cheating boyfriend, less than stellar employees in the kitchen, and an argument with a person who is then murdered.

I thought this was a good start for the new series. I like Mallory and the way she was drawn in to investigate to clear her name. I love the cookie shop setting and found the mystery interesting. I recommend this book and look forward to the next one.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.