Murder by Muffin

Cranberry Creek Word Search Mystery #2

by Rosie A. Point, Charles Timmerman (Contributor), Andrea Emmes (Narrator)

A cozy mystery story combined with themed word search puzzles creates an interactive and charming whodunit experience in this fun new format that invites you to solve the case as you uncover clues.

Life at Cranberry Creek is settling down for Abby Jones. Her bookstore business is booming the drama around her opening event is finally starting to fade, and she’s even started to make friends with some of the locals, including her Main Street neighbors at the local bakery. But when the bakery owner Rose is accused of poisoning a restaurant critic with her famous blueberry muffins, Abby knows there’s more to this case than meets the eye—and she’s determined to clear her friend’s name or die trying!

Genres: Mystery, Puzzles, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

First published December 30, 2025

About the author

Rosie A. Point is a USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery author who loves writing about food, small towns, and cats. Her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Born and raised in South Africa, her books are all set in small towns in the United States. She dreams of visiting the places she writes about in her books.

Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!

https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/

Reviews

[Tabatha (tab.talks.books)]

I love these books so much!

[Laurana Yasinski]

This is such a cute little puzzle game AND cozy mystery all rolled into one. I had a lovely time following along and solving the word searches at the same time!

[Stevie]

A physical copy of this book is a perfect gift for fans of cozy mystery and word puzzles.

This book is unique as it consists of small chapters intertwined with word puzzles, one of which contains a clue to solve the mystery.

The plot is very simple, the characters are not developed, the plot has some holes and the killer was too obvious, but I liked that it was really short, and it truly gets you into a cozy state of mind. I would buy the printed version for the puzzles.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley.

[Meri]

Predictable as I thought it would be but I had lots of fun!

[Victoria]

I absolutely devoured Murder by Muffin! From the first page, I was hooked—the tiny chapters, playful graphics, cat footprints, phone screenshots, and little internet web sites made the story feel alive and interactive. Abby and Reginald (and the little town of Cranberry Creek!) drew me in immediately. The mystery itself kept me guessing, and the cozy touches like the bakery, the hiking trails, and the charming small-town details made the reading experience feel warm and fun. I could almost smell the bakery and the potstickers.. I finished it in just a couple of hours. The word searches made me feel like I was uncovering the mystery with Abby.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adams Media and Rosie A. Point for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BethFishReads]

The second entry in the Cranberry Creek cozy mystery and word search puzzle series. The following thoughts assume you've read the first book.

When a food critic dies after eating a muffin he bought at the local Cranberry Creek bakery, the police have their eye on the shop's owner, Rose. Abby can't help but get involved; she knows her best friend had nothing to do with the murder, no matter what the authorities think.

This is a fun cozy mystery that's not all that easy to solve, even with the help of the word search puzzles that accompany each short chapter.

I really like that the book can be read straight through like a short story, so you can save the puzzles for later. It's also fun, though, to solve each puzzle as it appears in the book. This gives you something to look forward to when you have break during the day. The word list for each puzzle highlights things to think about when trying to figure out whodunit.

This is a great book to take on vacation or to slip into your pool bag. Or leave it in the car, and read a chapter when waiting to pick up your kids from their activities. Note that the story and puzzles are (in my opinion) appropriate for the whole family.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Adams Media/Simon & Schuster for the review copy.

[Laura Doyle]

Thank you so much to Rosie and Adams Media for gifting me a copy of this amazing book! I devour these books!

First, Rosie continues to make these short, light cozies amazing! I fell even more in love with the characters and would love to get my hands on the third in this Cranberry Creek series!

I do still feel the same about the word searches. They are after every chapter and I think it can take away from the story a bit (for me). So, this time I read through the book and ended up doing the one word search to solve the mystery and saved the word searches for after. I loved doing it like this as the story just flowed so well!

I will be giving another series by Rosie a try because I do love her writing!

[Amanda]

Such a fun, cozy mystery to read and try to solve! Plus, the accompanying word search puzzles were such a fun way to get a brain game in for the day!

In terms of the story itself, I started with the second one in the series (this one) but would recommend starting with Murder Among the Stacks to follow the character development! I loved Abby’s character and her relentless determination and strong sense of friendship. The mystery itself was also quite unique… come on, murder by a blueberry muffin! Can’t wait to continue the series!

[Keisha | A Book Like You]

Just like with the first, there’s nothing to write home about regarding the mystery. It’s pretty elementary. But, the charm with this series is the cozy word search activity it provides alongside the plot. I will continue!

[Ivanna Rivera]

Still a good way to pass the time, but this time the story left a liiiiitle bit to be desired. I'll be continuing the series, regardless.

[Charlotte]

Another Cranberry Creek word search mystery solved!

[Rae Bradshaw]

Murder by Muffin delivers exactly the cozy, low‑stakes charm its title promises, blending a lighthearted bakery mystery with the satisfying rhythm of word‑search puzzles. The story follows the quirky residents of Cranberry Creek as a seemingly innocent muffin turns into the centerpiece of a small‑town whodunit, and the interactive puzzles make you feel like you’re sleuthing right alongside the characters. Rosie A. Point keeps the tone warm and playful, never leaning too dark, while Charles Timmerman’s puzzles add a clever layer of engagement that breaks up the narrative in a fun way. It’s the kind of book that pairs perfectly with a cup of tea and an afternoon to yourself — sweet, breezy, and just intriguing enough to keep you turning pages.

[Louis (audiobookfanatic)]

Murder by Muffin by Rosie A. Point & Charles Timmerman is a cozy mystery with crossword puzzles that let readers solve clues. This is the 2nd book in a series & comes with a PDF file with a town map & puzzles, making it very interactive!

The story takes place in the town of Cranberry Creek, where bookstore owner Abby Jones investigates after a baker is accused of murdering a food critic with her muffins. Abby is a charming protagonist whose curiosity & strong sense of justice make solving the mystery so much fun! Her interactions with the quirky townsfolk add heart & suspense, keeping the suspect list intriguing. The midsection is packed with clues/puzzle-solving, & the ending ties everything together in a satisfying way!

🗣️Narrator Andrea Emmes brings a warm, engaging delivery perfect for a cozy, small-town mystery & makes the puzzle-solving fun & easy to follow. She brings Abby’s curious nature to life & makes each character feel unique & interesting. Her pacing always keeps the mystery moving with a charming vibe that cozy mystery fans will love!

[Doreen]

12/29/2025 Cute as always, and the puzzles are a delight, but the solution to the mystery itself wasn't very convincing. Full review tk tomorrow at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

12/30/2025 The second book in the Cranberry Creek Word Search mystery series is just as delightful as the first, even if the solution to the mystery itself didn't make the most sense this time.

But let's be honest, if we're talking cozy mysteries, a thoroughly logical conclusion is often secondary to cozy vibes, and this story has that latter in spades. Our heroine Abby has recently moved to the small town of Cranberry Creek after heartbreak in the big city. She's opened a bookstore which is pretty much ruled by her cat Reggie. Her landlady Myrna is quirky but supportive, and her best friend Rose runs the local bakery. Abby's also developing a tentative romance with cute deputy sheriff Nathan. Sure, she had to clear her name after being suspected of murder in the first book, but everything is looking much sunnier now.

And then, alas, it's Rose's turn to be prime suspect in a murder investigation. Local food critic Carson Pennington has recently given Rose's bakery a scathing review. Fortunately, the bakery's popularity ensured that business did not suffer as a result... until after Rose personally delivers a tray of blueberry muffins to the critic's home. Next thing you know, Carson is dead and Rose is accused of having deliberately poisoned him with those muffins.

Abby knows that there's no way that sweet, kind Rose would have even thought of killing a man who'd been, at worst, a minor irritation. But the official investigation is causing strain in Abby's relationship with Nathan. Soon, she'll have to take up the mantle of detective herself, to figure out who really murdered Carson before her best friend takes the fall.

In all honesty, I was a little dismayed by how the solution to whodunnit strained even my generous bounds of credulity. Fortunately, the word search portions more than made up for that! Charles Timmerman is great at setting word search puzzles that, like any good cozy mystery, give you just enough of a mental challenge while also affording you the comfort of pattern recognition. The puzzles aren't tricky but they aren't simple either, and I greatly enjoyed gliding through them with my pencil at the end of each short chapter.

While the first book in the series was definitely one to get for any cozy mystery a/o word search enthusiast, this one is probably better reserved for the latter. Hopefully, the series returns to form with the next book!

Murder By Muffin by Rosie A Point & Charles Timmerman was published today December 30 2025 by Adams Media and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

[Gretchen King]

I read this book, which was #2 in the series and the first book in the series as well, Murder Among the stacks, so this review is really for both since I had the same impression of both. First of all, it's a cute idea for a series. If you love word searches, then you'll probably enjoy the series as each page is one chapter followed by a word search on the opposite page. For me this was very distracting, because I didn't want to take the time to complete the puzzle before moving on to the next chapter. These are short books that can be read in less than a day and I wanted to finish as I have a lot of books waiting to be read. The only word search that really matters is the one almost at the end where once you solve the word search, the remaining letters are scrambled and spell out the name of the killer. Luckily, my mom loves to do word searches but isn't a fan of cozy mysteries like I am and we agreed that once I'd finished reading the stories I'd let her complete the puzzles, so it worked out well for us both.

Getting back to the story itself, to me these are very easy plots as I figured out the killer immediately in the first book and the second book, there were only three or four people it could have been, so it wasn't as exciting to learn who the murderer was. The motives in both books were very lame to me. Not worth killing over. This really read more like a YA book. One thing I really liked about the series is the map of Cranberry Creek, the town in which all the mysteries are set in each book, is a cute addition because it gives you a better idea of how the town in laid out and where everyone is as they move through the story.

I won't continue with the series as I said it really reads more like a YA novel. But in genreal, I think the incorporation of puzzles is a cute idea for those who really like that.

[nia]

I received an ARC of from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars - This was a fun quick read, and my first by Point - I loved the idea of a muffin being used and the cover was so pretty I couldn't leave it behind.

Cranberry Creek is a small town with small town gossip, but when notorious food critic Carlson dies from a blueberry muffin the town is alight with whispers of who is to blame. The wife in the middle of a messy divorce with a failing restaurant? The old acquaintance who he reviewed badly? The baker who made the blueberry muffins? Or perhaps the creepy friend malingering?

Each chapter follows with a word search to help you piece together the mystery and there is a final segment for you to work out who dun it in one last word search. The word search idea is great, it's so unique and I love the inclusion of it after each chapter to help fill in the gaps and remind you of what you've read.

This is a short book and the chapters are each about a page which threw me off slightly, but it does mean you make progress through the book very quickly. It's something I'm not used to as some chapters could argubaly combined to create a longer chapter - specifically the clue hunting chapters where it is slightly jarring to never finish a segment without moving to another chapter.

But it does work and admittedly this is just me being picky. I was so pleased to figure out who dun it (I'm normally awful at figuring it out) and I really enjoyed this story - I'll definitely be back soon to read another. Thanks again for the ARC!!

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K]

Quick Summary: A puzzles and plots mystery short

My Review: Murder by Muffin by Rosie A. Point is a cozy bakery mystery. It is categorized as "Crafts & Hobbies | Entertainment & Pop Culture." The scheduled release date is 12/30/25.

About the Book: "Life at Cranberry Creek is settling down for Abby Jones.

But when the bakery owner Rose is accused of poisoning a restaurant critic with her famous blueberry muffins, Abby knows there’s more to this case than meets the eye—and she’s determined to clear her friend’s name or die trying!"

In My Own Words: Murder occurs in a cute & cozy setting. There is an added twist to what is going on, however.

My Final Say: This was a simple whodunit...with a number of word search puzzles included. The story presentation was both original and creative. I have not come across anything quite like it before. I enjoyed the reading experience, overall.

Other: I would recommend a physical copy of this book versus a digital one.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Adams Media), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I am appreciative for the opportunity.

[Michelle | Simply in the Moment]

The Murder by Muffin is a great cozy mystery. I loved the coziness of the small town setting. It's a fast-paced story that keeps you wondering who the killer is.

The story is told from Abby's point of view, who also happens to own a bookstore, Fully Booked. She's the amateur sleuth trying to figure out who is responsible for Carson's death.

What sets this book apart from all other cozy mysteries is the word searches at the end of each chapter. All the words in the wordsearch include words from the chapter itself. Plus, at the end of the book, there is a Solve It puzzle. This puzzle isn't like the rest. After you find all the words in the last puzzle, the reader uses all the leftover letters to solve the mystery of the killer by unscrambling the letters. It was a fun and unique way to include the reader in the story.

The author's writing style was engaging and conversational. She draws the reader into the story by creating relatable characters and a cozy setting. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and the characters, and I look forward to seeing the characters evolve in future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Adams Media for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Christine]

4.25 stars
This is just as fun as the first book, but works great as a standalone, too. There is a light cozy mystery story featuring Abby Jones who has moved to the small town of Cranberry Creek, Wisconsin to open a bookstore. Her business is going well, but one of her new friends has been accused of poisoning a harsh food critic with her signature blueberry muffins. Abby is determined to find the real killer and clear her friend's name, but the investigation is putting a wedge into a possible romance of the deputy sheriff, Nathan.

What makes the book different and fun is that each of the fifty short chapters of the story is followed by a connected word search puzzle. The chapters end on mini-cliffhangers adding a little suspense to the story. I would recommend a print version so you can do the puzzles, one of which will help reveal the killer. The cute illustrations add to the charm of the book, making it an enjoyable and relaxing cozy.

I received a copy of this book from Adams Media for review consideration. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Jessica Bellemore]

Let the clues guide you in this inventive mystery.

Abby Jones loves running her bookshop in Cranberry Creek; at least until her best friend Rose is accused of murdering a food critic. It's up to Abby, and us the reader, to solve the mystery before Rose finds herself behind bars.

I've never encountered this style of book before, where you read the short chapter and solve a word search at the end of each one to gather clues that are made up from the remaining letters.

The mystery was great, with relatable characters who made me want to solve the mystery all the more.

This is definitely a book that I will be buying for Mom, as well as a vacation book for myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Adams Media for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

[Maria]

My favorite things about cozies are the communities they create and the crimes to investigate; I love getting to know the people and working with them to make sure no one goes unpunished. While this book had a mystery to solve and puzzles to work through, the sense of community and really getting to know the characters was missing, mostly due to the short chapters. It was difficult to keep all the characters straight because, other than the initial introduction to where they worked, there wasn’t much else there. Additionally, while the puzzles were a nice distraction, they didn’t provide any additional clues to the mystery (except for one towards the end). This would make a great gift for someone who loves word search, but the actual mystery was quite easy to figure out and not very well fleshed out.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Sally Wilsey]

Murder by Muffin by Rosie A. Point and puzzles by Charles Timmerman

This book was so good I read it in one sitting. I really like the way the author had only a few characters to remember and were all related to the story.
Abby who is the local bookstore owner/ amateur detective is on the case when her best friend is a suspect in the murder of the local food critic. There are twists in the story and Abby is determined to help her friend Rose. With the help of. her friend Myrna they come up with a plan to flush out the real killer.
At the end of each chapter is word search puzzle which adds to the fun and mystery.
I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers who want something different and hope the author continues the story of Abby and her friends.

[Jan Crow]

Abby Jones is enjoying life in Cranberry Creek. Her Bookstore business is growing. She’s making friends. Rose, owner of the Muffin Basket, is her best friend.

Carson Pennington allegedly orders a dozen muffins and after eating one falls dead. Of course, Rose is arrested as she baked the muffins.

Abby is not going to stand for that and starts investigating the murder.

Murder By Muffin is part of the Cranberry Creek Word Search Mystery. I really enjoy the small town and the towns people. There are a lot of characters and a good mixture of clues.

The word search puzzles that are sprinkled through the books. Reinforce the clues and are just plain fun.

My pen is ready and the next book is staring at me. Let’s see what Abby’s next adventure is.

[Brandi]

If you enjoy word search puzzles and short, cozy mysteries, then this is a great adventure book for you. It goes beyond the basics of reading a short story. It keeps your attention engaged as you solve the puzzles and then move on to the next installment. Each chapter is only a page long, so you can easily break this up into daily bits or all at once for a weekend binge. I enjoyed the experience and thought the story was a cute cozy mystery. I will enjoy future stories like this.
I received a complimentary from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[Steve]

Murder by Muffin, written by Rosie Point, quickly draws readers in with its creative use of graphics, phone screenshots, and website excerpts. These features come together to create a fun and engaging mini-mystery. The story follows Reggie and Abby, who live in the small town of Cranberry Creek. The book fits the cozy mystery genre well, with detailed descriptions of the town's bakery, church, and nearby trails. This setting helps readers feel part of a warm, nostalgic world. The book also includes interactive word searches to keep readers involved. Abby, the main character, stands out for her curiosity and active problem-solving approach.

[Katelyn Jayne]

Another amazing cozy story in this series.
I really liked the twists, and how the murder was solved step by step. It is one of those books that doesn't leave any of the clues out, or showcase a new character halfway through that happens to have been the murder. I also like that these books always has the possibility of a few suspects since the beginning, really rounds it out when they are all questioned.
Also I adore the word searches, really makes it an interactive book and you don't rush through it in one sitting.
Only downside is this book made me really hungry for pot stickers and muffins!

[emrel woody]

Ok this one was better than the first one for sure!
I’m mainly doing these for the word searches to be honest. Finding a new hobby that can connect to my favorite hobby (aka reading) and still count towards my reading goal is a huge win. I will say, the plot of this one was better than the first. It felt more dramatic and higher stakes for just one page chapters. But I also wondered with Abby— girl, when do you work lol. She’s always out solving the clues, it’s a shock her bookstore has customers.
But it was fun! Some of the words were harder to find this time around too. I think I would continue just to have the fun word search hobby to get away from screens.

[Christine LaBatt]

The second in this Crossword cozy series finds Abby trying to prove her best friend's innocence when she is accused of murder.

just like the first one in this series, I wish there had been more in each chapter before the crossword and/or fewer crosswords. I also wish that the crosswords (with the exception of the big one toward the end) had clues or other important info besides just somewhat recapping the chapter. I think there is potential with this series, but it isn't quite hitting what I want right now.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brisa Martinez]

I enjoyed the book but it didnt translate well to Kindle so I had to read it through the NetGalley reader. It was a cozy short story and I liked the plot, I just wish it was longer. I think if i had the physical book I would've enjoyed actually doing the word searches though and I love this idea. The illustrations throughout the book were also super cute!

Thank you to NetGalley for my free copy.

[ninii ☆]

a really cute concept, unfortunately not for me ☹️ i read a translated version & the first puzzle already had four printing errors - that was really discouraging to even continue. i did however, but it took me some time for some puzzles simply because i didn’t know if i just can’t find the word or if there is a mistake again. this also led to me forgetting previous chapters.

i think if the puzzles were all different i would have enjoyed this more! i don’t think i'll be getting another one :(