As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz is a great Christmas mystery. I recommend this book to all readers who like themed mysteries.

I know it seems a little weird to be reading a Christmas book in June but since I enjoy this author’s work, I decided to give this book a shot. As expected, this book does give that holiday vibe that feels very comforting. Erin is in the holiday spirit as well befriending Merrily Thornton, a local girl who has been shunned by her family. When Merrily is found dead, Erin just find out who the killer is before more trouble comes.

I enjoyed this book, but I don’t think this was one of my favorites from the author. There were quite a few slow points in the book, which I normally don’t mind, but I felt like the pacing was off-beat for a lot of it.

Merrily was an interesting character to me, so it was too bad that she ended up being the one who was murdered. I would have loved to see more of her character, but that also made finding her killer that much more interesting.

So if you’re looking for something with a little more tinsel and charm, then his might be a great one for you, especially around the holidays. I have no doubt that I will be picking up this book again to enjoy once Christmas rolls around again.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I read an earlier book in this series and really enjoyed it but I think I might have liked this one even better! Erin Murphy is days away from her wedding and in the middle of the holiday shopping season when Merrily Thornton is killed. On the surface it looks like an easy case to close but Erin is convinced that all is not how it seems - especially when it comes to Merrily's past. The investigation was interesting with lots of twists and turns and the end came as a surprise to me which does not happen often! While I own them I've yet to read the earlier books in the series but it just landed itself next in line for my Year of the Series project. If you enjoy foodie/small town cozies this one is a must!

An enjoyable Christmas read with recipes.
I really enjoyed this cosy mystery and will check out previous works by Leslie Budewitz.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.

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.

The town of Jewel Bay, Montana is the quintessential cozy mystery small town and is the perfect spot for a Food Lover’s Village! I would love to visit the various shops, particularly the Merc that Erin owns and stocks with items (including, of course, food) from local vendors. Shops like that are right up my alley, next in line to independent bookstores, that is. Erin and her family and friends and employees are realistic characters who, in spite of the quirks that go hand-in-hand with cozy mysteries, feel like people you could easily befriend in real life.

The murder mystery in As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles kept me guessing all the way until the big reveal. I changed my mind umpteen times about who I thought did it, even circling back around a time or ten to characters I thought I had already eliminated as suspects. Some of my suspicions ultimately proved right but I was also way off on a couple of points – not easy for an author to surprise me like that, considering how many Murder She Wrote, Perry Mason, and Matlock episodes I watched as a kid – not to mention all the Nancy Drew books I read back then plus all the mysteries I’ve read since. A very nicely crafted mystery plot indeed!

Bottom Line: Cute, Christmasy and cozy, As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is entertaining and heartwarming. The murder mystery is superbly plotted out, and the town full of suspects will keep readers on their toes! Great characters to befriend and local shops to sample – this series from Leslie Budewitz has it all! (While this is the 5th book in the series, it can also be read well as a stand alone.)

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Sorry I didn’t review this book earlier.
Book 5
Loved this holiday read, enjoyed the romance with a wedding to take place .
Plenty to twists and clues . Never guessed who the killer was.
Good plot .
Will look out for the next instalment.

This was an interesting cozy mystery. I have to say that I had figured out the "whodunnit" pretty early in the book. But I still enjoyed reading and seeing how many twists the story could take and the excitement that would occur throughout the pages.

Even though this is the fifth book in the series, it was still interesting and worked well starting well into the story line that makes up the series. The author does a great job of developing the characters, keeping you guessing, and making you care about the people in the story.

I would definitely read another book in this series and may even go back and read from the first book to catch up on things that happened before this one.starts.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Erin Murphy is getting ready for her were while at the same time Jewel Bag is in the midst of Christmas festivities. Erin runs in to Merrily Thornton, who has returned to town to try to reconnect with her family. But her mother will not give in, having disowned her when she was sent to prison 20 years ago. Erin tries to befriend and invites Merrily to the cookie exchange. When Merrily is a no show and is later found murdered, Erin begins to as questions which puts her own life in jeopardy.

I love the setting, the warm-hearted characters, and how the clues were spread throughout.

It's Christmas time and the whole town is busy decorating Main Street with lights and all the trimmings. All those special touches like the items you might find at The Merc, the place to find your boutique-like specialty foods, for the true foodie. It's a time for family and friends or at least you would think so, but not for Merrily who returns home after turning her life around only to find that it isn't enough for her Mom who is as cold as the weather in Jewel Bay. Erin Murphy the manager of Murphy's Mercantile AKA The Merc believes in second chances and befriends Merrily, just in time for the annual cookie exchange. Unfortunately Merrily never makes it to the exchange and won't be able to make anymore in the future. Erin works to not only clear Merrily's name of theft suspicions but to also find the killer as well as plan her wedding that is set to take place on Christmas eve. I would LOVE to have the multitasking skills of the cozy heroine. Erin is a fun character and her conviction in getting to the bottom and belief in someone she barely knew was heart warming. Looking forward to the next installment. OH and if you like to cook you will LOVE the recipes as the end of the story. I really appreciate that they are not in the middle, so that I don't get side tracked.

I enjoyed this latest installment in the Food Lovers' Village mysteries. It's always fun to return to Jewel Bay and visit the characters there and this book was no exception!

It's Christmas and this year is extra special because Erin and Adam are getting married on Christmas Eve!

Our victim, Merrily, seemed like a sweet girl. It's too bad she and Erin won't be able to be friends. But alas, someone has to be the victim.

The plot was great and kept me guessing. I wondered about the villain, but I was never sure until it was revealed!

I do wish there'd been a little more about the wedding, but all in all it was another fun adventure in Jewel Bay!

So who is in the Christmas mood? If not you will be after reading this wonderful cozy mystery. Erin had hit the holiday season and in the middle of it she makes friends with a returning member of their town. Though the returning reception is less then grand after past events that no one can let go of. Things really get interesting when this same lady is found dead on her parents property. Erin cannot help but investigate even if she is gearing up for a very special Christmas Eve event that should be keeping her busy enough. It was great following her along as the story progressed with lots of little clues, holiday whimsy, a touch of romance, and more. I especially liked the ending. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries with a food type theme to them then you really have to try this book/series. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

Once I got past reading a holiday themed mystery during our hot summer, I was transported to the Merc in Jewel Bay as always. The mystery and characters were well written and diverting.

This was my first experience with Leslie Budewitz' Food Lovers' Village series and oh what fun it was to read! With Budewitz' writing, I quickly became engaged with the plot and cared about the characters. In this installment, it's Christmas time and Erin Murphy, owner of the village's mercantile, is investigating the death of a childhood acquaintance she wished she had been able to know better. The book is set in Montana and the descriptive writing makes me want to visit. I love it when I can escape to a place I've never been before through reading. The village has many specialty shops - not just food shops and the characters who run them are interesting. I will definitely recommend and adopt this book. I am going to purchase the previous ones in this series as I enjoyed this one immensely.

Erin Murphy manages the family business, Murphy's Glacier Mercantile aka The Merc. In Jewel Bay, Montana. It's almost Christmas and the whole village is decorating. Until someone finds a dead body.
The story revolves around Erin finding the murderer while planning her Christmas wedding.
This is a nice cozy mystery with unique, likeable characters. It's not the first in this series, but the first one I've read. One thing I loved is that there's a list of characters with a brief description in the front of the book. It's a great help when you haven't read the first books in the series. Many will enjoy the recipes at the end.

I loved this book. This series gets better with each book. If you are looking for a interesting series, this is it.

Christmas Cozy Mystery’s are my absolute favorites books to read and I usually can finish reading them in one or two sittings., it took me weeks to finish this book. The characters were likeable, the plot was predictable, and I was able to solve the mystery pretty early on.

I really enjoyed this Christmas Cozy. Jewel Bay merchants are getting ready for Christmas and Erin is putting the finishing touches on her Christmas Wedding. When a young woman who has returned home is found murdered Erin is determined to solve the crime. I really enjoy the characters and the small town setting. The author does a very good job with the Christmas setting. Reading this story made me want to bake Christmas Cookies. The mystery was good and the who did it was a surprise. Enjoy this Christmas Cozy

Princess Fuzzypants here: Erin is getting married in a few weeks, she is running her store the Merc in the height of the Christmas sales season, and she has a bunch of other projects on the go. She is one very busy lady. But she is never too busy to make a new friend- a woman who left town in a cloud of shame twenty years ago and is trying to reconnect with the family that has shunned her since then. When the woman is murdered and accused of embezzling funds from the business that has given her a second chance, Erin is not convinced that all is what it seems to be.
Boy, is she right. Merrily, the victim, whom everyone but Erin thinks is guilty, is not a villain. In fact, she is about as far from that as possible but some of the “squeaky clean” folks whose lives intertwined with hers are no saints either. Erin feels it is her duty to help solve the mystery and help Merrily find justice. What she does not realize is there will be others who have much to lose if the truth emerges. That puts her in great danger.
This is the fifth book in the series and it held me right to the end. There was more than one thread going through the story. One was the crimes supposedly committed by Merrily. The other was the mistakes that were made twenty years before and the repercussions from those mistakes and misunderstandings. When it all comes out, there is a real poignancy from lost chances and wrong decisions. It is all skillfully tied up enmeshing the reader in the lives of the characters.
I give it four purrs and two paws up.