How the Murder Crumbles

Cookie Shop Mystery, Book 1

Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state and home to Mallory Monroe’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.

But things aren’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.

Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there’s always a murder or two for good measure.

©2023 Debra Sennefelder (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

4 and a half

When I started the book, I thought it was formulaic and flat. I almost returned it. I pushed through and the book got better. The characters and story became more engaging and entertaining. I look forward to the next book.