How the Murder Crumbles: A Cookie Shop Mystery

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)