How the murder crumbles / Debra Sennefelder.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Debra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.

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.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Sennefelder (Sleuthing in Stillettos) kicks off a cozy mystery series with this mild outing. Mallory Monroe has recently relocated to Connecticut and bought her aunt's cookie shop. She wants to focus on serving the treats she grew up eating, but her tightly wound cousin, Darlene Hughes, wants to sell the bakery's building, and pesky food blogger Beatrice Wright accuses Mallory of using a stolen cookie recipe, threatening legal action. When Mallory goes to confront Beatrice, she finds the blogger dead. Before long, more bodies pile up, and handsome Det. Will Hannigan sees Mallory as the prime suspect. With her business and reputation on the line, Mallory starts her own investigation. Though it rarely strays from tried-and-true plot beats, Sennefelder's wit and well-rounded characters will keep readers engaged until the end. Topped off with several recipes, this is a promising if unremarkable entry in a crowded field. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (June)

Kirkus Book Review

A recipe dispute spells big trouble for a Connecticut bakery owner. Mallory Monroe is sure that her Aunt Glenna's Almond Meltaway cookie recipe is an original, one of the many her late relative left behind to help her baking enterprise succeed. So when bossy Beatrice Wright marches into The Cookie Shop accusing Mallory of stealing her secret Almond Meltaway recipe, Mallory gives her a piece of her mind. Unfortunately, later that evening, after Mallory's thought better of her quick tongue, she goes over to apologize and finds Bea not dead certain but certainly dead. Her discovery of Bea's body, together with their very public disagreement, puts Mallory on Det. Will Hannigan's list of suspects. Not that there's a dearth of alternatives, since Bea got on the wrong side of most of her neighbors. But Mallory feels that if she doesn't probe the alternatives, she'll end up the hunky cop's first choice for a warrant and last choice for a date. Of course, adding sleuth to her other jobs of baker and cookie artist isn't without its challenges. Pretty soon she's adding pie contest judge, property disputes arbitrator, and best friend to Aspen Leigh, a needy corporate lawyer who glommed onto Mallory when they discovered they were dating the same guy. Mallory's exploits are just this side of zany as she treads the well-worn path of small-business owners--turned-detectives with good humor and aplomb. Solid entry in a crowded field. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.