How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
by Debra Sennefelder
About How the Murder Crumbles
How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (June 20, 2023)
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639102809
ISBN-13 : 978-1639102808
Digital ASIN : B0BG13HTC6
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.
GUEST POST
Where Ideas Come From by Debra Sennefelder
As an author who has published many books, I get many questions about my writing process. But the one that never fails to pique people’s curiosity is: “Where do you get your ideas from?” While that question is a no-brainer for me, what’s truly challenging is knowing which ideas have what it takes to become a full-fledged novel. It’s not just about having a brilliant idea; it’s about having one that can sustain an entire book. Sometimes lightning strikes, and I know right away that I have a gem on my hands – a story that will leave readers glued to the pages. And let me tell you, that’s an indescribable feeling. Fortunately, I experienced that thrill while writing my latest release, HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES.
Sometimes inspiration strikes out of the blue. I might hear a news story or witness an event that sparks an idea for a story. Other times, finding an idea isn’t quite so straightforward. Finding the perfect concept for the next book could take weeks, if not months.
HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES is the first of a new series, and writing this book was no easy feat. After all, when you’re starting from scratch, there’s so much to consider – the characters, the setting, the plot, and so on. But with my experience, I knew I had the skills to pull it off. And what made this project extra special was that I teamed up with my agent to dream up the series idea – so you know it’s going to be good!I knew I wanted to write another culinary themed cozy mystery series, and I wanted it set in Connecticut. The idea of a bakery intrigued me, but it needed to have a twist that made it different from other bakery cozy mysteries. That’s when I stumbled across cookie bouquets and down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and YouTube I went. Not only did I come out of that research session with ideas, but I also came out of it wanting to bake cookies.
Once I knew what my protagonist’s career was, I began brainstorming her character. Next, I developed the secondary characters in the series. Then I turned to plotting the murder. A nickname popped into my head: Queen Bea. I knew she was the murder victim. By the end of that session, I knew all about Bea and what she did to get herself murdered. With that information, I could create the suspects in her murder. It was so much fun.
Looking back on the process, I can see how each idea built on a previous idea to create the story I wanted to write.
I hope this insight into where this author gets her ideas helps you better understand the writer’s brain. Sometimes it can be a scary place, but it’s always entertaining.
About Debra Sennefelder
Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series, the Resale Boutique Mystery series, and the Cookie Shop mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.
Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie, and Billy.
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