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A Crusty Alibi: A Small Town Bakery Cozy Cat Mystery
In Maple Hollow, murder is the secret ingredient
The annual Great Maple Bake-Off should have been about sourdough and sweet success. Instead, it's turned into a recipe for murder.
When renowned judge Daphne Millstone is found dead in her kitchen—killed with Eliza's own rolling pin—the evidence seems half-baked. With her beloved bakery's reputation on the line and whispers spreading through Maple Hollow like wild yeast, Eliza must sift through a town's worth of secrets to find the real killer.
Aided by her shrewd tuxedo cat Whiskers and hindered by a handsome deputy who keeps telling her to stay out of trouble, Eliza kneads through a roster of suspects that includes a social media influencer with something to hide, a high-end pastry chef with a crumbling empire, and a young mother harboring decades-old family secrets.
But as she gets closer to the truth, Eliza discovers that some recipes are worth killing to keep. In a small town where success is built on stolen secrets and borrowed techniques, someone is willing to do anything to keep the past from rising to the surface.
Can Eliza prove her innocence before the killer strikes again? Or will she become the next victim in a baker's dozen of deception?
Get ready to devour this deliciously twisted tale where family legacies, buried secrets, and the perfect sourdough starter create an irresistible recipe for murder.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who
• Small town bakery settings
• Clever feline sidekicks
• Slow-burn romance
• Culinary themes
• Complex family dynamics
A Crusty Alibi is the fourth book in the beloved Eliza Crumbles Mystery series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.
The annual Great Maple Bake-Off should have been about sourdough and sweet success. Instead, it's turned into a recipe for murder.
When renowned judge Daphne Millstone is found dead in her kitchen—killed with Eliza's own rolling pin—the evidence seems half-baked. With her beloved bakery's reputation on the line and whispers spreading through Maple Hollow like wild yeast, Eliza must sift through a town's worth of secrets to find the real killer.
Aided by her shrewd tuxedo cat Whiskers and hindered by a handsome deputy who keeps telling her to stay out of trouble, Eliza kneads through a roster of suspects that includes a social media influencer with something to hide, a high-end pastry chef with a crumbling empire, and a young mother harboring decades-old family secrets.
But as she gets closer to the truth, Eliza discovers that some recipes are worth killing to keep. In a small town where success is built on stolen secrets and borrowed techniques, someone is willing to do anything to keep the past from rising to the surface.
Can Eliza prove her innocence before the killer strikes again? Or will she become the next victim in a baker's dozen of deception?
Get ready to devour this deliciously twisted tale where family legacies, buried secrets, and the perfect sourdough starter create an irresistible recipe for murder.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who
• Small town bakery settings
• Clever feline sidekicks
• Slow-burn romance
• Culinary themes
• Complex family dynamics
A Crusty Alibi is the fourth book in the beloved Eliza Crumbles Mystery series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.
83 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 21, 2025
19 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2025
I felt bad for poor Eliza getting framed again, but she’s never one to take things sitting down so she did her thing as always and uncovered some shocking secrets about the baking population of the town. In the calm type showdown I always like best, Eliza confronted the killer and found out the depth of all those secrets. Once the perp was taken away, everyone gathered at the bakery once more, maybe as an apology for how some had talked behind her back when she was a suspect.
October 11, 2025
Fourth in a fun series
Eliza is busy prepping for the local bake off competition. She is making a special sourdough recipe that she created. The first day of. The competition went well and Elisa’s submission was met with positive feedback from the head judge. The next morning it starts to fall apart as the head judge is found dead in her home with Eliza’s rolling pin the murder weapon. Eliza and her cat Whiskers must solve the murder to clear Eliza. A fun read.
Eliza is busy prepping for the local bake off competition. She is making a special sourdough recipe that she created. The first day of. The competition went well and Elisa’s submission was met with positive feedback from the head judge. The next morning it starts to fall apart as the head judge is found dead in her home with Eliza’s rolling pin the murder weapon. Eliza and her cat Whiskers must solve the murder to clear Eliza. A fun read.
March 24, 2025
My Review
I enjoy Maisy Marple's books. They are clean with no cussing. I enjoy the way she weaves her stories that include her Heroine's cat who helps her solve the Mystery.
I enjoy Maisy Marple's books. They are clean with no cussing. I enjoy the way she weaves her stories that include her Heroine's cat who helps her solve the Mystery.
July 29, 2025
Another good mystery
I am really enjoying this series, Eliza and her cat Whiskers, are quite the team! I enjoy the sweet lesson of gratefulness at the end.
I am really enjoying this series, Eliza and her cat Whiskers, are quite the team! I enjoy the sweet lesson of gratefulness at the end.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews