Reviews

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder

msrichardsreads89's review

mysterious fast-paced

bwilhoite8's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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.

meldaven's review

4.0

 The first book in a new Cookie Shop Mystery series, this book is cute and fun in the way a good cosy mystery is.

It may remind you of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, but it's enough different that fans of that should be able to read this without feeling like it's a rehash of the same thing.

Mallory is the MC who owns a bakeshop that used to belong to her Aunt.

A rival baker is murdered and Mallory must find out who it is so that suspicions are no longer on her and she can get back to baking.

There's a bit of a potential romance brewing with the investigating police officer and her friends are great side characters.

Overall, this was a good cosy mystery.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good as well.

This was an ARC, provided by NetGalley. 

megs_s's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ghoulishshark's review

Dnf’ed at 16%

Usually I would just push through the book especially when it’s been okay. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to pick this back up as I didn’t really care about the mystery. This was my first cozy murder mystery book so this might just be a normal cozy mystery and this could just not be the right genre for me.

I wish we saw more of the characters in the beginning to flesh them out more and make me care about them. But, what I read was a solid three star. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the audiobook arc.

chymerra's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 

Mallory is working at her dream job, running the bakery left to her by her late aunt. But things are not going smoothly. Her two employees are bickering with each other, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and a food blogger, Beatrice, has publically accused Mallory’s deceased aunt of stealing a cookie recipe from her. If things can’t get any worse, they do. On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Mallory visits Beatrice to try and smooth things over. When she gets there, Beatrice is dead, and Mallory is the main suspect (due to the argument earlier that day). With the police breathing down her neck and her reputation in tatters, Mallory decides to solve the mystery. But that is easier said than done because everyone in town had issues with Beatrice. Can Mallory catch the killer? Or is she next on that person’s list?

I had been on a cozy mystery download frenzy when I decided to download this book. I had decided that I needed to read more cozy mysteries, and I would follow that promise to myself. Coincidentally, Crooked Lane Books had a bunch that was read now. How the Murder Crumbles is part of that haul.

While I liked How the Murder Crumbles, I wasn’t a big fan of it. The characters didn’t cut it for me. Everything else (including the mystery) was well written. But will I read the other books in the series (when they are published), yes. I have become attached to the secondary characters and hope Mallory’s business catches a break.

The main storyline in How the Murder Crumbles centers around Mallory, Beatrice’s death, and Mallory’s investigation. I felt that Mallory was a little unstable from the beginning of the book. I don’t know if the author meant to write her this way, but it came across like that to me. And her mental state began to crumble once she found Beatrice dead, and the police started investigating her. The author did a great job of showing her heading toward a breakdown while hyper-focusing on Beatrice’s murder. She was able to pull up some great leads to give to the police during that time.

The characters in How the Murder Crumbles were well-written and multi-faceted. I liked that even the victim had multiple sides to her. Those dimensions of the characters fleshed out the storyline and made the characters feel lifelike.

I did feel bad for Mallory. She was trying her best to ensure her aunt’s business succeeds. But she had her work cut out for her. Then Beatrice blows into the story and publically accuses her of stealing one of her recipes, and Mallory loses it. I don’t blame her; I would have done the same thing. But Mallory’s stinky day turns even more so when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her and then she finds Beatrice dead. The glimpse of a happy but stressed out Mallory turns into a stressed out, anxious, heading towards a breakdown Mallory who is convinced she’s going to jail for murder. Again, I would have felt the same way. But I wouldn’t have done what Mallory did and actively hunted down leads. Maybe it was the stress or the mysteries she read, but she would clear her name. Adding to her anxiety, her cousin acted weird, her ex convinced his boss to withdraw a large order, and the other woman wanted to be her best friend. I have no clue how Mallory didn’t snap.

I loved the mystery angle of How the Murder Crumbles. This was a twisty mystery with so many red herrings that I was utterly bamboozled by who the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice when it was revealed. The author had Mallory chasing dead-end leads or chasing leads that led to her becoming more prominently featured in the community (she joined a business committee). Some were boring, and others were interesting. But all painted a very unflattering of the victim and other town residents. I was also a little peeved at the police because in no way did they even tell Mallory she wasn’t a suspect until almost the end of the book. All that stress and anxiety could have been avoided if they were more open. But, then again, would they have gotten the results? Yes, but not with the flair that Mallory brought.

A very slight romance angle was kept almost one-sided until the end of the book. I understood why (conflict of interest), and I can’t wait to see where this romance will go!!

The end of How the Murder Crumbles was interesting. I did not see how the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice. It took me entirely by surprise.

I recommend How the Murder Crumbles to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, mild to moderate violence, and mild language.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Debra Sennefelder for allowing me to read and review How the Murder Crumbles. All opinions stated in this review are mine. 

marcirenee1974's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Yay! Another super cute cozy mystery series that I can add to my TBR! I was hooked on this series from the start and it did not disappoint. It was very charming and I loved getting to know all the characters! Can't wait for the next one in the series!

#HowtheMurderCrumbles
#NetGalley 

dollycas's review

funny lighthearted mysterious

4.0

 

Dollycas’s Thoughts

In this first Cookie Shop Mystery, we meet Mallory Monroe who has taken over and updated her Aunt Glenda’s bakery following her passing. The former ad exec is now featuring cookies and cookie bouquets and offering a variety of classes. She also plans to feature a cookie from her aunt’s cookbook each month as a tribute to her. This month it is the Almond Meltaway. But it isn’t long before food blogger Beatrice Wright puts her on notice that the cookie recipe belongs to her and if she doesn’t stop selling them she will be contacting her lawyer. Later when Mallory goes to visit Beatrice to clear the air she finds the woman dead on her kitchen floor surrounded by flour and a marble rolling pin next to her body.

Now Mallory is the prime suspect in the murder and her business is a risk. Instead of clearing the air, she has to clear her name and fast and Detective Will Hannigan isn’t making it easy.

Ms. Sennefelder has set this series off to a great start. I really enjoyed getting to know Mallory Monroe and the rest of these core characters. Mallory is dealing with a lot. Within the first few pages, she learns he boyfriend was two-timing her and that she is at the top of a suspect list for a murder. Her best friend Kip Winslow works with her at her bakery. He also happens to be the son of the Chief of Police. His sister Lauren is a police officer and a good friend of Mallory’s too. Claudia Allen was an employee of her Aunt Glenda’s who has stayed on even though she is clearly not happy with Mallory’s changes. Mallory’s cousin Darlene is very involved in all the happenings around town. Detective Will Hannigan enters the picture in an amusing way shortly before he has to investigate the murder. And I can’t forget Mallory’s cat, Agatha. All the characters are interesting, but Kip was my absolute fave with his cute little jokes and the way he always had Mallory’s back.

I found the mystery to be quite captivating. Mallory really didn’t want to get involved but she didn’t have much choice with the way the evidence was stacking up. Her investigative style was a little clumsy and pushy at times but this is her first foray as an amateur sleuth so it was understandable. The same is true for her reactions when all the clues fell into place setting up an exciting showdown.

A lot of different things happened within this story. The author found a great balance between the main mystery and the subplots. I love the cookie shop theme and all the descriptions of the cookies and bouquets.

How the Murder Crumbles was a very enjoyable read and a great introduction to some entertaining characters. I absolutely loved the connection revealed on the final page that confirmed an inkling I had. I am excited for this series to continue. 

srivalli's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.5

 3.5 Stars (for the recipes at the back) 

One Liner: Interesting premise, okay execution

Mallory Monroe’s Cookie Shop is a bustling place in Wingate, Connecticut. She had purchased it from her late aunt (who inspired her passion to bake cookies) and revamped the interiors and menu. Life should be going good for her, but alas! 

Mallory finds her boyfriend cheating on her. The next day, she ends up having a faceoff with Beatrice Wright, aka Queen Bea (the local food blogger), about a cookie recipe. When Mallory finds Beatrice dead (murdered) in her home that night, she becomes a primary suspect. 

People cancel orders and seem more interested in gossip. Mallory decides she needs to clear her name to save her beloved Cookie Shop. However, Beatrice ruffled many feathers, and the suspect list is long. Can Mallory prove herself innocent and catch the killer? 

The story comes in Mallory’s limited third-person POV. 

My Thoughts:

I love food cozy mysteries as they combine delicious food and murder. This one is no different and has loads of cookies, a dead body, and several suspects. The cover is super cute with a cookie bouquet, which features multiple times in the book. 

All the scenes involving cookie baking and decorating are my favorite. Unfortunately, I’m not good at both (sigh!), but I sure enjoy reading about the process.  

The mystery has an intriguing premise, with a cookie recipe as the possible cause of rift and murder. However… 

My biggest issue is with the main character, Mallory. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t connect to her or even feel sad for her. Since the story comes from her POV (in the third person), it’s hard to enjoy her sleuthing. Never mind that she manages to antagonize almost every person she meets in the process. I know amateur sleuths are clumsy, but she takes it to the next level. Many of her interactions make me wonder how she worked in the advertising industry for so long before a shift in careers. 

As someone who enjoys this genre, I go into the first book in the series with fewer expectations. That’s because these books mostly focus on establishing the setting and characters and tend to have weaker mysteries. 

Here, there are quite a few issues with execution and character development. Except for Kip and Aspen, the rest feel artificial and one-dimensional (too many characters too). The only difference is that K & A manage to create interest despite the lack of depth. 

The chosen POV did not help. Mallory doesn’t make it easy to empathize with her. I don’t mind flawed MCs, but she isn’t engaging enough to carry the book on her shoulders. She should have been with her love for mysteries and a cat named Agatha, but nope. 

The mystery is actually well done. The red herrings are justified, and the reveal makes sense. It could have been better if the pacing was consistent instead of being clunky. 

The ending is rather cute and is immediately followed by three recipes for the most mentioned cookies in the book. Now, that’s enough for me to add 0.5 to the rating. ;) 

To summarize, How the Murder Crumbles is a fairly decent cozy mystery but could have been better with a different POV and better execution. I’ll read book two to see if things get better (I hope they do). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #HowtheMurderCrumbles 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse and Infidelity

smartin's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 This was the coziest "who dun it" I have ever read. I absolutely loved it.

Mallory has just started running a cookie store and in comes local food blogger Beatrice accusing her of stealing a recipe. It's a loud fight overheard by everyone in the shop. It's no real surprise, then, that Mallory is the number one suspect in Beatrice's murder. Especially since Mallory is the one who finds her soon after.

I really enjoyed this cozy murder mystery with a small dash of "will there be romance"? I am SUPER excited for more in this series and will definitely be seeking it out when it's released. Add this to your TBR for June 20th this year! You won't be sorry.