Murder Over Macaroons (Christmas Cookies)

After five difficult years, Hayley Cutter’s dreams of owning and operating a completely vegan cookie business in her home town has finally come true. But then a ruthless businessman moves in across the street and attempts to steal her business right before Christmas. When he turns up dead, seemingly killed by Hayley’s specialty macaroons, Hayley becomes the number one suspect. Can her friend and secret crush, Police Chief Peter Merritt clear Hayley’s name or will the baker go down for a crime she didn’t commit?

A short novella set at Christmas time, “Murder Over Macaroons” has all the feelings of a mystery and a romance on a lighter and quicker scale. Both Hayley and Peter are long-time friends who are secretly crushing heavily on one another. When the murder happens, they are forced to confront their feelings and act before they run out of time to do so. At the same time a few of the side characters are introduced and given a couple of layers, but in this short of a tale, backstories and depth are minimal, and most are told rather than shown or built as a result. The mystery is given the same treatment, with the solution simply handed to the detective at the end, making the mystery more of a propellant for the romance than a plot on its own. Still, this story plays up two of the best tropes, first the friends to lovers, and second death by poisoning. It’s a little love and a little mystery, for fans of both without taking long to enjoy, which makes it ideal for readers with a sweet tooth but little time.

Sarah E Bradley