When I first started this audiobook, it intrigued me. It was good the first hour. Despite not liking the narration very much,. But then I started realizing one this is really similar to Joanne Fluke Hannah Swensen mysteries. The issue is the main character was kind of psychotic. She makes flippant comments like cookies can fix anything. And she thinks her cookies are like the best thing on the planet. Furthermore, she also thinks it's OK to like go crazy and put snooping ahead of her life responsibilities, and demand an explanation when she isn’t owed one. Some of her behavior was unhinged and didn't make sense. In the beginning of the book, something happens you would expect if this character was going to act out she would do it then yet nothing happened. This character was written very inconsistently and her behavior is wishy-washy. I will not be reading the second book.

If you're looking for a light and fluffy cozy mystery, this is the book for you. I absolutely adore books with recipes, especially of the bakery variety. The cookie descriptions had me grasping at anything sugary in my eyesight, diet be damned. The storyline, though predictable, held a few twists and turns that were unexpected. The narrator was enjoyable to listen to and kept a good pleasing pace. The fact that the budding romance angle was left as a side story was a nice change of pace for a book 1. By leaving the mystery in the forefront, it left the story open for a second or third book. In fact, I look forward to seeing where the different relationships lead.

Thank you to @DreamscapeMedia for the ARC. I enjoyed this audio very much, the narrator was great. This book reminded me of Diane Mott books. I love when you have mystery, food and romance in a book. This book was written so well and enjoyed listening too. Can't wait for book 2.

How the Murder Crumbles AUDIO by Debra Sennefelder is the first in the new Cookie Shop Mystery series, which looks to be a hit. The story takes place in Wingate, Connecticut, and the protagonist and amateur sleuth is Mallory Monroe. She has recently opened her cookie bakery after a brief, but unsatisfying career as a lawyer. She has two employees: Kip and Claudia. Kip is her best friend and Claudia is a left-over from when her aunt owned the bakery. She’s good, but difficult. Her landlord is her cousin, Darlene, and apparently is looking to sell the building, news to Mallory. She had a slight disagreement with a woman named Beatrice Wright, who was a food blogger. Beatrice had marched into her store accused her of stealing a cookie recipe, right in front of a line of customers. It had been her aunt’s recipe and she had been incensed when Beatrice made the accusation and had possibly said an unwise thing or two. Unwise only after she discovered Beatrice’s body when she went to discuss the issue later in the day. Now she was the primary suspect, even though there were plenty of others who might be just as angry at Beatrice as she had been. Then there was the issue with the detective. My, but he was attractive!

This is looking to be a good series. The re-occurring characters are strong and entertaining, even Claudia. The surprising one was Gil, her boyfriend, who had his arm around another woman when she arrived at his apartment with dinner, and then Darlene rented the apartment above the shop to her, and then she became Mallory’s lawyer, not that she really needed one: she hadn’t anothing wrong. This was a terrific book with plenty of the characters having their own engaging side-stories. The mystery was a good one, although the sleuth solving the crime by putting herself in danger is getting old. The twists and turns were aplenty. It was well-done and I look forward to more. Oh, yeah, her cat’s name is Agatha-after you-know-who.

Ellen Quay was the reader and at first I thought she sounded too flight/immature for the character, but she grew on me. She did well with all the characters and proved herself to be the appropriate reader for this novel. All it all, it was a job well done.

I was invited to read/listen to the e-ARC/e-AUDIO of How the Murder Crumbles by Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, both through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #CrookedLaneBooks #DreamscapeMedia #EllenQuay #DebraSennefelder #HowTheMurderCrumbles

Great cozy mystery, unexpected twist & engaging plot. I enjoyed listening to the excellent narration that highlighted the characters.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

How the Murder Crumbles is the first book in the Cookie Shop Mystery series. Mallory has purchased her shop from her now deceased aunt after leaving her career in advertising in New York. Things start going wrong for Mallory when she catches her boyfriend cheating. Then she is accused of stealing a recipe in a very public argument with local food blogger Beatrice Wright. When Beatrice is murdered Mallory becomes a suspect. In true cozy mystery fashion it is up to Mallory to prove who really committed the crime.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a part time baker so these types of cozy mysteries are my absolute favorite. Especially when they are on audio because I can decorate and listen at the same time! Mallory is a great main character. I really enjoyed her relationship with her friends and the town. I especially enjoyed the surprise friendship that develops that I won't spoil. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

How the Murder Crumbles is the first mystery in the new Cookie Shop Mystery series. Mallory Monroe has recently taken over and revamped her aunts bakery, turning it into the Cookie Shop. The start of the business isn’t going as smoothly as Mallory hopes and she can’t seem to catch a break. When Mallory has a fight with Beatrice Wright, who later turns up murdered, Mallory is the number one suspect. In order to clear her name and save her livelihood, Mallory takes it upon herself to search out the killer.

This is a great start to a promising new cozy mystery series by Debra Sennefelder. I have read some of her other cozy series and have loved them, this new series appears it will be no different. I really enjoyed the main character, Mallory, and the setting of this mystery. I found this to be another great cozy and look forward to seeing what comes next for Mallory and her Cookie Shop.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

I love cozy mysteries and have read a LOT of them. This author was new to me, but one I will search for now. This story was fun with a great group of characters set in a small town in a bakery. I liked the friendship between Kip and Mallory, the cat Agatha and the characters in the small town.

The mystery was a typical cozy mystery - a bit easy to spot early on, but the story was fun to listen to, the narrator did a wonderful job, and it was enjoyable to listen to.

4 stars for 'really liked it'

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

How the Murder Crumbles written by Debra Sennefelder and narrated by Ellen Quay is the first in the promising new Cookie Shop Mystery series. Mallory Monroe has returned to Wingate, CT purchasing her late aunt’s Cookie Shop and adding her own twist with cookie bouquets. The business is doing well - at least until the town’s Queen Bee is murdered after accusing Mallory of stealing her almond cookie recipe.

I listened to the audio version of this book and found Ellen Quay, the narrator, to have a warm and inviting tone, perfectly suited to the cozy atmosphere of this mystery. She skillfully brings the characters to life, giving each one a distinct voice and personality that enhances the reader's connection to the story.

The author has crafted a cozy mystery brimming with a complex web of secrets, suspects and motives. I was drawn in by charming setting, engaging characters, and tantalizing baked goods. The descriptions of the cookies left me craving a freshly baked batch. One minor criticism is that Mallory was a bit too accusatory in her questioning of the suspects. Hopefully this tone will be tweaked in the next book in this series. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) Overall, this book is a delectable treat for fans of the cozy mystery genre.

I received an advanced audiobook of “How the Murder Crumbles. A Cookie Shop Mystery” from NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Written by Debra Sennefelder and narrated by Ellen Quay, the first book in the Cookie Shop Mystery focuses on the main character, Mallory Monroe, who leaves her career as a New York advertiser to run her now-deceased Aunt Glenna’s bakery in Connecticut. Mallory is successful, but when Beatrice Wright is murdered and Mallory is the one last seen with her, it threatens to derail her success.

Kip and Claudia, who work for Mallory at the bakery, are interesting characters, along with Mallory’s cousin Darlene. The author made sure that I didn’t like Darlene during the first half of the book, but when Darlene apologized, the author made me like her.

There was very little, if anything, that I didn’t like about the book. The one thing I think that bothered me the most was how the MC Mallory treated Aspen aka Red. I get that Aspen was the ‘other woman’, but the way that MC acted when Aspen was obviously trying to help her made me care a little less about the MC. When the MC acted this way, it felt like she was kind of bullying Aspen and being really unappreciative.

There were several subplots and a ton of suspects. Sennefelder kept me guessing to the end of the book. When the author finally revealed ‘whodunnit’ I wasn’t expecting it. In fact, I kept a written list of the suspects, and the real murderer never even made it on my list! The author tied up all the loose ends (i.e., reader questions), so by the end of the book, I felt satisfied.

The narrator, Ellen Quay, is a voice actor whose many accomplishments can be viewed on her personal website. I’ve never heard Quay narrate for a book before, though she has narrated several books already. I have, however, listened to audiobooks and have to admit that her voice was the best that I’ve heard yet.

Quay’s voice was strong and dramatic. In the past, I’ve listened to audiobooks where the narrators either had a natural accent or a voice over accent and found it hard to understand the text as I was hearing it. I especially appreciate that the narrator used a standardized English pronunciation.

The author included 3 different cookie recipes at the back of the book, including the one cookie that featured prominently in the book: Almond Meltaways. As I listened to the book, I immediately became hungry when the author mentioned several cookies that I had grown up eating: Mexican Wedding Cakes and Snickerdoodles, for example.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and look forward to reading a copy of Sennefelder’s second book in the Cookie Shop Mystery series.

I wanted to like this book but the main character reads like a high schooler. The cheating boyfriend is such a cliche and her hatred of other women just sucked a lot of fun out of this. I couldn’t enjoy the plot because I found her so awful.

I can already tell that this new cozy mystery is going to be on my must listen list! A smart, resourceful and curious bakery owner needs to figure out who murdered the town mean gal before her life and business are ruined by rumors. I love that our main character is portrayed as being intelligent, thoughtful and resourceful in her business and her sleuthing activities. A wonderful best friend and an unlikely new friend are added into the mix along with a few characters who may or may not turn out to be friends in the future. A well written plot and while I did figure out who the killer was early on, there were plenty of suspects to keep you guessing whether you are right or not. The plot is so well written that you feel like you are right there with the characters rather than just listening to a book about them! The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life and enhancing the well written plot. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

If you couldn’t tell, cozy mysteries are becoming my new favorite genre!

This book was delightfully adorable… as with many cozy mysteries, this book had a small town setting, lovable characters, and of course, an intriguing mystery that has you wondering who can be trusted. This book hit all of those marks!

I thought this book was the perfect length — sometimes I find that I tire of mysteries when they go in circles, but this one had just enough red herrings without it feeling too long.

Also, I have to point out that Ellen Quay did an excellent job with the narration. Sometimes the narrator can make or break a book, and she made it. Listening to this book on audio made it feel like someone was telling me a bedtime story, and what is cozier than that? I have a feeling I would have loved this book just as much had a read a physical copy of it.

I am excited to see what happens in Book 2 of the Cookie Shop Mystery series! 🔎

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. What a very cute cozy mystery novel. I really enjoyed this book. I love the characters and I was so excited this was book 1! Ha I always seem to get book 10 of series and didn't realize it.

What a fantastic new cozy series to begin. I adored this cast of characters and their adventures and look forward to their future stories. It’s refreshing to begin with a new cozy mystery and dive in knowing that even if someone dies good still will win in the end.

The first book in a new series, there are several cliches in the first chapter. But the story improves from there to show a small businesswoman fitting into her new town while trying solve a murder. She has a cousin who sees her as a rival, a prickly employee and a love interest, of course. Lots of twists and turns in this cozy mystery and plenty of supporting characters.

3.35⭐

This cozy mystery features wholesome language and a cast of fully developed characters. Mallory—and the story overall—is naïve to the extreme, maybe even to the point of being too precious. There is a little bit of romance and a little more drama. There are many red herrings.

I snorted at the ridiculousness of a moment, followed quickly by laughter. [My partner was next to me while I was reading that section. He also laughed.]

There is one point at which a journalist cites his perceived duty to be neutral (as in giving equal time and weight to two things regardless of truth). No, that's really not how that is supposed to work. I will not pull you down that rabbit hole.

The rabbit hole I *did* go down after finishing the book relates to the expression “champing at the bit.” I always thought it was “*chomping* at the bit.” Among other search results, I found that NPR did a piece revealing quite a lot of debate over which is the preferred usage or whether alternates are acceptable at all. Who knew?

Three recipes are shared at the end. Perhaps I'll remember to refer to the print edition in the future to try those.

For cozy mystery fans—and maybe traditional mystery fans, myself included—this series starter is a good light-read candidate.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected June 20.

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder
FIVE COZY STARS

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.

HUGE Thank You to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

#HowTheMurderCrumbles #DebraSennefelder
#ALCReview #ListenToAllTheBooks #ReleasesJune20th
#CookieShopMysteryBookOne #CozyMystery
#CozyMurderMystery #WhoseRecipeIsit #HotCop
#CrookedLaneBooks #DreamscapeMedia

How the Murder Crumbles is the first book in the Cookie Shop Mysteries by Debra Sennefelder, and culinary cozy mystery fans are not going to want to miss this one!

Mallory Monroe is living her dream. After a career change, she is now operating a cookie shop in Wingate, Connecticut, and everything is going smoothly. That is until she has an altercation with the "Queen Bee" of Wingate, Beatrice Wright. When Beatrice turns up dead, fingers start pointing to Mallory and she must do all she can to clear her name.

LOVE! Simply and utterly LOVE! You know that feeling of biting into a delicious cookie.... crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth on the inside... well that is How the Murder Crumbles. This is the perfect first-in-a-new-series mystery!

I listened to the audiobook and I instantly fell in love with the characters and the quaint setting of Wingate. The narrator, Ellen Quay, does a great job of drawing you into the story. Once I started I couldn't put it down, and found new chores to do, just to keep listening!

I loved the mystery. I enjoyed getting to know everyone in Wingate and trying to piece the clues together. I didn't manage to solve the mystery before Mallory, which is always a sign of a good mystery! Even after turning off the audiobook I'm still thinking about it, and all the delightful characters and places in Wingate!

If you love culinary cozy mysteries, especially those with a sweet tooth like Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery Mysteries, you are not going to want to miss this one. An absolute first class mystery and I can't wait for the next one.

**** Review will be posted on the blog on June 20, 2023 ****