Very cute but narratively complex cozy mystery. I enjoyed this opener to a new series and found the narrator was perfect.

Fast easy read. I feel like it's a good start to a new series and cannot wait to visit Wingate again. Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

I initially dropped this book, because I couldn't get into it. But, then I saw the audiobook was available on Netgalley, and I had a feeling it might turn my experience of this book around.
And I'm glad I gave it another chance, because the immersive experience of listening to the audiobook while reading the book was really great.
The narrator has such a pleasant voice, it was wonderful to listen to her. She did an amazing job bringing the story to life, and giving a "voice" personality to each character. I thought Aspen's Legally Blonde voice was spot-on.
As for the content of the story, the author developed a Wisteria Lane-kind of community. It was flabbergasting to see so many hidden skeletons in that smalltown. I agree with other readers and found that the women in Wingate were a difficult bunch, to say the least.
Near the end, I was dreading an underwhelming finale, but an unexpected twist proved me wrong. Spoiler alert: The ending sounded as though it could easily have been an episode from the series "Why Women Kill".
All in all, I'm glad I found the audiobook, and I hope they'll put up more of them on netgalley to accompany the mystery category. It's really helpful sometimes when you have a hard time concentrating on a book.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

How the Murder Crumbles is the first book in a fun new cozy mystery series. The book follows Mallory Monroe, who just took over running her late aunt’s cookie shop in Connecticut. When a frenemy accuses Mallory’s aunt of stealing her recipe, Mallory defends her beloved relative and makes a scene in her shop. When Mallory later discovers the body of said frenemy, she becomes the #1 suspect of the town’s hot detective. In order to save her business and reputation, Mallory must solve the crime.

This was a very cute introduction to a new series. I enjoyed the setting and Mallory was easy to root for. I’m excited for her romance with the detective to develop and to get to know the side characters more. I will definitely be reading the sequel!

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a first book in series. I would put this at 3.5 stars. I rounded up. I like the story. There are some great twists and turns.
Things I liked: the cookie shop sounds delicious and fun; all the dangerous things that happen keep the story moving forward; the detective; Kip and his friendship with Mallory
Things that had to grow on me: Mallory. Mallory seems likable enough but the author gave her too many things to overcome right out of the gate - cheater boyfriend, chance of losing her business, huge business loan, issues with cookie recipe, disloyal newspaper report, problematic cousin, tension between coworkers and the other woman. Mallory jumped in to investigate very quickly and made a number of too stupid to live decisions. The only reason she survived the dumb things she did is because she is the main character and you can’t kill them in a cozy mystery.
Remember I did say I liked the story, and I did. The murder turns out to be a complicated matter. There were plenty of red herrings.
I listened to the book. I liked the narrator.
I had access to both the ebook and the audiobook. Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a cute cozy mystery and definitely stuck to the baking theme. I understand that with the cozy mystery genera we don't really get a lot of deep dive details into any one facet. To me this felt like the narrator jumped around too much at inappropriate times. While you are being confronted during an interview is really not the time to have a monologue about the hot guy in the window.

I had a hard time staying interested in this overall and I feel like if there were more of a focus on one aspect or maybe if I were reading it in a physical book then I would have stuck with it better.

I love cozies and always enjoy starting a new series and getting to know the new characters. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

new-series, first-in-series, recipes, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, murder, small-business, small-town, bakery, baker, Connecticut, friendship, sisters, relatives, extortion,*****

Fine start to a new series. Mallory left her job in advertising to buy into the bakery her aunt used to run and loves it. The first nasty is finding her boyfriend in a liplock with another woman. Then the town diva accuses her of using a recipe that her aunt had stolen from her (as if!). Then she finds that woman's body and becomes a "person of interest". AND THEN...
Well, no spoilers here. Trust me, this is a fine read and a good set-up for a series of cozy mysteries.
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! 01/28/2023
06/08/2023 I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley! Voice artist Ellen Quay has the kind of convincing delivery and enthusiasm to make a book even better!

This is a great "first in series" in a new cosy mystery set. Think Joanne Fluke and Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.

Following her aunt's death, Mallory takes over the cookie shop but has a somewhat calamitous set of events that mar her planned re-launch. When Beatrice is found dead, after rowing with Mallory at the shop, Mallory has to clear her name before she loses all of her customers.

The narration is clear and enjoyable. The recipes at the end sound enticing.

Great start to a new series! I like the setting and the characters, particularly Aspen. Mallory is OK but tends to make a lot of TSTL mistakes; hoping those go away as the series progresses. This was a well-paced and intriguing mystery. Looking forward to continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a cute cozy mystery set in a bakery.
First on the series and I look forward to more from this series. Great job by the narrator. Enjoyable listen if you like cozies.

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder

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.

This was a good start to a new cozy mystery series, and I would likely pick up the second if I was in the right mood. It's fairly predictable (expected in a cozy), but I enjoyed the cast of characters and the setting. There is potential for a lot of storylines with the various characters in future installments.

The narrator was very pleasant and did a great job.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for a free copy of #HowtheMurderCrumbles. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. #

This is a great debut for a new series.

I loved the cookie shop run by Mallory Monroe with the help of Kip and Claudia. The sentimental reasons for her running it were so sweet and I love the family story involved. I also love the setting of Wingate, Connecticut. The characters all offered something to the story and I look forward to getting to know them more in the next book.

I love the offerings of the cookie shop and I look forward to how the shop grows and changes in this series.

This murder kept me guessing. So many people had reason to want Beatrice gone and the actual criminal took me by surprise. So many layers to uncovering their identity. It definitely kept me guessing.

This book was a nice lighter read after some of the heavier ones I have read lately.

Ellen Quay did a great job bringing this story to life and giving the characters voices. I hope she narrates the next book in this series.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All views are my honest opinion.