As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, by Leslie Budewitz

If I'm ever falsely accused of a crime, I hope someone like main character Erin Murphy is around to help sort things out. She's feisty, tenacious, and dedicated to her family and friends. She's also willing to take on the task of finding the truth about the murder of a, let's face it, mere acquaintance. In the process, she's also juggling running a business, decorating for Christmas, trying to find a good handyman, not to mention help a repentant shop lifter, spend time with her soon to be husband, and take care of all the details of her rapidly approaching wedding. No pressure, right?

I won't detail the plot here as others will do a far better job than me. I'll just note that it all begins with what appears on the surface to be a family feud in the middle of the otherwise festive decorating binge the town of Jewel Bay, Montana, is in. Erin befriends the daughter and invites her to a gathering at her place. The daughter, Merrily, doesn't show. Although concerned, Erin isn't overly worried until she's called to meet a business friend who has found Merrily's dead body. From there on it gets complicated, full of family secrets, love gone wrong, and the odd way some are reacting to the murder. Money is missing. Fingers are pointed. Gossip is exchanged.

All this is done in a masterful way. The dialogue not only moves things along but sounds genuine, not forced. It helps make the characters all the more real to readers, especially as long-time tensions and secrets are revealed. In the middle of it is Erin, who somehow manages to keep everything moving forward, even after being run into a ditch full of water by an unknown driver. Vehicles similar to the one that ran her off the road are everywhere in the area, so the vague description of the vehicle is little help. Kudos to Budewitz for her mentions of natural treatments such as arnica for pain rather than prescribed drugs, btw. Anyway, then Erin spies another clue. And, well, you'll have to read the book to find out how it all ends. 

I felt as much sadness at the end of the book as I did relief that the murder and mysteries surrounding it had been solved. Kudos to the author. It isn't often an author can make you genuinely feel sympathetic to a murderer. That reveals the skill of author Leslie Budewitz. She not only brings Erin Murphy and family to life but the characters around her, both innocent and guilty. Five stars for this book. Give it a read. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BeyondThePage for the ARC.