As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles
All is merry and bright in Jewel Bay, Montana. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, a wedding, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl who committed a crime and paid for it. Merrily has turned her life around. She has a new job, and a beautiful daughter in college, but her parents have publicly shunned her, as they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.
When Merrily goes missing, and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily, until she’s found dead, with a string of lights wrapped around her neck. Following the clues puts Erin in harm’s way. She needs to unravel the mystery and put a killer behind bars before the wrong person goes to jail. Erin is on a mission to clear a friend’s name before her wedding day on Christmas Eve?
Series: A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery – Book #5
Author: Leslie Budewitz
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Rating:
As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is the fifth book in the “A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery” series. The story is fast-paced and entertaining. Ms. Budewitz is a talented writer with a good grip on what makes a mystery interesting.
The story revolves around Erin Murphy, the proprietor of a family-owned business, Murphy’s Mercantile. She is about to get married and is happy but overwhelmed. When she meets Merrily, she feels as though she has found a friend, only to have the sprouting friendship whisked away when Merrily is murdered. Everyone is pointing fingers at Merrily boss, Greg Taylor, but Erin isn’t as positive as they are that Merrily was a thief and Greg, her killer.
Erin is a wonderful character filled with pride, happiness, and too much curiosity for her own good. She keeps stepping into murder investigations, and even though she tells herself not to get involved, she somehow winds up smack in the middle of trouble. Other characters, such as Greg Taylor, Tracy, and Lou Mary, are fantastic characters that readers will love. Most of the characters in this book are warm., friendly, easy to like, and memorable.
The setting of Jewel Bay is intriguing. Montana is a wonderful place to put a food lovers’ village and eat some delightful cookies on a cold day. Some of the best food in the country can be found in towns like Billings or Bozeman. So it comes as no surprise to find a story with a basis in food set in a location within Montana’s borders. The beauty of the area is described lovingly in this book and is sure to make readers want to visit.
Overall, As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles is a thrilling journey through small-town life and unexpected murder. It is easy to read and filled with action. Characters are enjoyable and caring; readers will be enthralled by the life of Erin Murphy and the crazy situation she gets herself into. This is a clean read and can be enjoyed by readers of any age. The recipes in the back of the book are mouthwatering. I highly recommend this book to readers of all genres.
About the Author:
Leslie Budewitz blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in two light-hearted mystery series: the Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in northwest Montana. Her books focus on strong women who share her passions, and have a talent for finding trouble!
A Montana native, Leslie graduated from Seattle University and Notre Dame Law School. After practicing in Seattle for several years—and shopping and eating her way through the Pike Place Market regularly—she returned to Montana, where she still practices law part-time. Killing people—on the page—is more fun.
Leslie loves to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, Don Beans, a singer-songwriter and doctor of natural medicine, and their gray Tuxedo named Squirt but usually called Mr. Kitten. Because what else would you call a 13-year-old, 17-pound killer and cuddler who always dresses in formal attire?
Contact Leslie: leslie@lesliebudewitz.com
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