Murder at the Town Hall: A Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Caper

A Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Caper #3

by Denise Jaden

Perfect for fans of Molly Fitz and Christy Barritt...

An eye witness to a murder, a crush-worthy cop who needs her help, and a cat with a hunch. What could possibly go wrong?

Mallory Beck isn’t in the habit of involving herself in local politics, but when she supports a new friend at a Ministry of Education meeting and the main speaker is found dead on the steps of the Town Hall, she finds herself smack-dab in the middle of another murder investigation. Her cat, Hunch, who loves a good mystery, is thrilled, and as usual, helps her discover the first clue.

Mallory’s clever friend and former pre-teen crush, Alex, is on the case. He was recently promoted to detective within the Honeysuckle Grove Police Department, but when he’s paired with a lackadaisical superior who continually botches investigations, Mallory and her famously delicious baking comes to the rescue.

After all, the easiest way to a suspect’s truth might just be through their stomach.

Order this cozy culinary caper now to follow the clues and help Mallory discover the truth!

Genres: Cozy

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2021

About the author

Bestselling author Denise Jaden loves cozy socks, cozy cats, and cozy mysteries. She’s the author of several young adult novels, nonfiction books for writers, and cozy mysteries that will make you laugh out loud while dangling at the edge of your seat.

Prior to becoming an author, Denise worked at everything from mushroom farming to acting and Polynesian dancing. Now she does most of her writing in a holding tent in the background of one of the many film sets in and around Vancouver. Sign up for updates, exclusive bonuses, and find out more about Denise, her books, and her crazy cat at DeniseJaden.com

Reviews

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3. These are Cool series. A 15 year old Amber has befriended Mallory in Book 1 after her father died. They had that in common with Mallory husband death too. I'm this book Mallory had one date with the cop Steven but really she wanted to have a date with her high school crush detective Alex. But Mallory thought dating Steven would be good to get Alex a promotion that he deserved in detective prose. Mallory went to town hall and bright some cookies 🍪. The caterer Talia there told her was kinda orneryy. Melinda a helper wanted to taste Mallory sweets but the caterer said not now you eat after. Anyway Mayor and was having a conference about the new library and Super Attendant was supposed to come up and talk about it. But he was found fallen off the building. Was it an accident or something sinister.

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery.

Mallory Beck is a young widow who lives in Honeysuckle Grove with her cat Hunch. She is still grieving the loss of her husband Cooper, but has managed to make a few friends. Sasha Mills, her former seventh grade teacher and now friend, asks her to a town meeting to help support keeping the local library open. While at the meeting the school superintendent is found dead on the front steps. Initially the police think his death is a suicide. Mallory speaks to her friend Detective Alex Martinez and he re-opens the case as a possible murder. Alex, Mallory and Amber, her fifteen year old friend, Chase down leads and end up solving the murder case.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory Beck’s cop friend and (allegedly) former crush, Alex Martinez, has recently been promoted to detective in the Honeysuckle Grove Police Department. But when Captain Corbett deliberately partnered him with lazy and useless Mickey Bradley who intentionally does all he can to avoid work, it’s difficult to make any progress on their cases. Mickey knows Alex won’t rat him out because Corbett would put the blame back on Alex. Corbett never gives them a big case where Alex could prove himself and be given a new partner. So Alex invites Mallory for coffee to see if there is anything she can suggest.

Mallory was heading into the town meeting to help save the library funding. She saw Mayor Lassiter talking with school Superintendent Garnet who then went through a door leading to the stage. When Mallory didn’t see him appear on the stage, she was confused. Then Mayor Lassiter went through the same door and, ten seconds later, he appeared behind a podium on stage. So where was Superintendent Garnet?

A woman screamed and ran in saying Superintendent Garnet was dead on the front steps of the Town Hall, and Mallory is about to head into her third murder investigation, much to the delight of her cat, Hunch, an avid clue-finder. She started to dial 9-1-1 but instead called Alex’s cell phone. It looked like the superintendent had fallen or jumped (or maybe pushed) from the roof, and Mallory ran up there to check for evidence or the presence of another person. Mallory was already asking the janitor about the balloons floating above the stage that were not there the previous night, getting a head-start on any information to help Alex. Having sent Sasha, her 7th grade English teacher, to follow the Mayor if he went to the parking lot, she got some important information that Alex could definitely use! With Alex, Mallory, teen-aged Amber, and Hunch on the case, can they find out the truth of how the superintendent was killed?

This was another good mystery story. The characters are beginning to feel like old friends by now. I enjoyed their interactions, and the pacing of the story line fit perfectly to keep the reader’s attention. Grab your copy and see how Mallory handles her third big case!

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory Beck is taking her former seventh-grade teacher, Ms.Mills, Sasha, to a town hall meeting to help save their local library from going just on-line. Richard Garnet, the superintendent of schools is there to speak to the audience to try and convince the city council and Mayor to save the library as it is now. Ms. Mills asked him to speak at the meeting. When Mayor Lassiter introduces Garnet, he doesn't come out on stage. Then someone comes in the building saying that Garnet is on lying on the front steps! At first, the police thought it was a suicide, but after further investigation by Detective Alex Martenez, Mallory, Amber, and of course Hutch the cat, they find suspicious evidence of a struggle on the roof of the building. Did Garnet have 'help'? Was he pushed? There are some people acting rather strangely and not telling the truth about things. Can they prove murder or find out the who and why? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery series that shouldn’t be passed up! Denise has meshed the lives of a grieving widow, a
grieving teenager, a former crush the widow knew in the seventh grade and a cat with psychic abilities to “sniff out” the clues to help these other three friends find out whodunnit!

I highly recommend this series to one and all! There are no gory descriptions of the dead- only the passing of the deceased so our intrepid foursome can get themselves on the same wavelength to catch the perpetrators!

You can easily read this story in two days and likely one unless you’re plagued by interruptions as the story moves along smoothly.

Give yourself a “gift” today which you will thank yourself for after you read this book because you will have found 3 humans and a cat that will be your new friends and will impel you to get the other books in this series to see what you’ve missed and how everyone met up and formed those friendships.

It’s a delectable combination also for Denise includes a recipe from each story at the end that you can make to enjoy what your mouth was watering for when you were reading the story so that’s a win-win for you as well!

[Ally A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory Beck may not be a detective, but she picked up a thing or two from her late husband, a successful mystery novelist. So far she’s on a roll, having solved two murders in the small town of Honeysuckle Grove. When a third murder lands in her lap, or at least on the steps of town hall, she’s once more drawn into the investigation, with a little paw-on help from her cat, Hunch, and local police detective Alex. It’s fun, it’s filled with well-written, likeable characters and the plot moves along nicely to a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory Beck is still transitioning to whatever comes next after the death of her husband Cooper.

Detective Alex was once her grade school crush. Mal recently helped Alex get promoted to detective, yet he is still up against some bad attitudes within the department.

When things get deadly at a town meeting, Mal helps Alex get a jump on the investigation.

They might eventually be able to resolve the details of the crime. Can Alex and Mal resolve the mystery of their feelings?

Intriguing moving past tragedy cozy

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Female sleuths, a helpful cat & a neat detective

I really enjoyed this Book! "Murder At The Town Hall" by Denise Jaden, has all the twists and turns you expect in a cozy mystery. Love the growing bond and trust between Mallory, Amber and Alex. That might not happen in "real life" but it sure works in these stories. Mallory keeps trying to help Alex attain his career goals since the Captain of Police is not very supportive. She even went out with an 'other' detective to help Alex.hmmmm. And of course Hunch continues to be his onery/sweet/helpful self. He is such a character and he finds clues! I received an Advanced readers copy of this book, but the review is my own opinion.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Mallory goes to support a friend on the fate of the local library, she thought it would be the quiet break she needs in her life. But murder seems to follow her as another body ends up at her feet, on the steps of the Town Hall. When her middle school/current crush Alex barely finds himself involved in the case, Mallory steps in to give him the support he is lacking from his superiors and partner.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Catherine Tijerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denise Jaden has succeeded in writing another good storyline. Mallory seems to find murder wherever she goes. With the help of Amber her teenage sleuth and the handsome police officer Alex she solves the whodunit! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a good read. I received this ARC in exchange for a voluntary honest review which I have freely written here

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable and entertaining cozy mystery read that's perfect for those evenings and weekends when you want to escape in a good book.

Fun characters you can't help but love as you get to know them. The story line has the suspense, twists, turns and mystery that pulls you in. Everything that you love in a good cozy mystery is in this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Betsy Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this third book in the series and the miscommunication between Mallory and Alex and then, they finally start to get things straightened out and... No spoilers, but you have to read this book! So good!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory is a great character. I enjoyed her third caper. I love her friends. I love the author's dialogue and her character development. I think that Mallory has developed into a better sleuth from the first story that I have read.
I received this as an arc from Booksprout and freely left this review.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I must say I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read more about Mallory and Alex. I hope that they get together. Amber and Hunch are interesting characters also.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lyn Moffett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great wee story that keeps you reading till the end. I loved it. I won’t give any spoilers but I know if you get a copy you’ll be glad you did. Wish I could give more than 5 stars. Denise Jayden is a new writer to me but I’ll cert be looking out for more of her work.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the first and second book and I'm like forty pages into this book but so far amazing. I really do love the characters especially the cat is hilarious. I can't wait to finish this book but right now I am recommending this whole series to whoever I meet.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at the Town Hall is the third book in the Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Caper series.

I am loving this series. Mallory and the others are terrific characters, especially her crime-solving cat Hunch who thinks he's a dog. The story is well written and entertaining, with murder, mystery, twists, suspense, and a recipe to enjoy.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex has finally been promoted to detective but is given a lazy partner so Mallory and Amber want to help him. And Mallory is right there at the scene of another death, so she is able to give Alex first-hand information. Along for the ride and to help is Mallory’s cat Hunch, who think he’s a crime solving dog. Mallory, Amber, Alex, and Hunch work well together to find clues and solve the crime. Quite a few misdirections and twists and plenty of suspects. And a totally unexpected house guest for Mallory at the very end leaves you anxious for the next installment. Such a fun series and I love the characters. It was so hard to put the book down that I finished in a couple of hours. Looking forward to seeing more of the mystery solving team.

Newsletter Subscribers receive bonus content - Epilogue for subscribers - Murder at the Town Hall
This was a fun short story about Cooper and Mallory's very first meeting.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: When a man falls to his death at a town hall meeting, Mallory isn't sure it was an accident.

Overall

Murder at the Town Hall is the third book in the Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Caper series. It features a fast-paced murder mystery and a cast of fun characters, including a cat that's probably a better detective than all of them. I really liked that this book hinted at darker things under the surface of the town, but something felt off between Mallory and Amber, which was hopefully intentional, but somewhat distracting. Overall, though, the characters were perfectly consistent, the mystery quick yet offering a deeper look beneath the surface, and a town that isn't quite as idyllic as it first appeared.

Extended Thoughts

Almost a year ago, Mallory Beck's husband tragically died, but, thanks to a teen girl and an attractive police officer, she's started expanding her circle beyond herself and her cat. In this third installment of the Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Caper series, Mallory is attending a town hall meeting alongside a teacher who once taught her regarding the possible closure of the local library. But murder has a way of following her.

When a man falls from the top of the town hall, Mallory isn't so sure it was an accident or suicide. With her grumpy cat detective Hunch and her teen friend Amber, Mallory is intent on helping her cop friend, Alex, who was recently promoted to detective, shine in the eyes of his chief, who has it out for Alex. In the process, though, they uncover something far deeper going on in town.

I love the Mallory Beck books for so many reasons, and Murder at the Town Hall just keeps the mysteries going the way I love them. It's fast-paced and a quick read, but it's full of details further sharpening the small West Virginia town in my mind. It also has plenty of food, a cat who chooses to tolerate Mallory (he was her late husband's cat), and a slowly developing romance.

I love books with food and cats, so this series is always a winner in my eyes. Mallory used to work in the food industry and is now teaching her young friend Amber to cook, so she never goes anywhere without a food offering and there's plenty of other food scenes to make me hungry. I kind of wish there had been more food in this particular book, but it takes place over just two days, so it was fast and there wasn't much time to cook. But there was plenty of Hunch. I adore Mallory's cat. He's practically a detective on his own, nosing around and finding unlikely clues. He was such a big part of solving this mystery and I really love how he's developing his own human-like personality. The way he communicates with the humans around him is so much fun.

Despite the story being really fast and the murder solved in almost no time, it was surprisingly layered. It hints at deeper problems under the surface, painting Honeysuckle Grove with a darker light. It was actually great to see it as less than idyllic and I enjoyed being introduced to problems that lie deep in the fabric of the town. That said, while I enjoyed how quickly the story went, it did also feel a little unrealistically fast. Mallory and Amber really packed in a lot in one day, but I was disappointed Amber wasn't putting the same time into her school studies. It felt irresponsible to me, but I'm also hoping something really positive comes out of it for Amber one day.

I think the only thing that really felt off about Murder at the Town Hall was the way Mallory and Amber interacted. It was noticeably different, though I still liked Amber's take charge approach and her fast thinking. She's quick on her feet and Mallory is just stuck racing to catch up. Sometimes Mallory felt little more than a chaperone, but she's also an integral part of the series as something of a conduit between the professionals and the readers, explaining processes and theories without having to take the reader out to dumb it down. I just wish Mallory and Amber's interactions had felt as friendly and warm as they did in the first two books, but I also think Jaden is hinting at something to come and I'm intrigued by what it will all mean for Mallory, Amber, and Alex.

There's a very slowly blooming romance in this series. Mallory, understandably, isn't ready to date. I really liked how Jaden handled her grief and her process. It's present without being overwhelming and still leaves a door open for something between Mallory and Alex. Seriously, there's a scene at the end between them that I absolutely swooned over!

Lastly, I wanted to mention the Christian aspect of this series. Mallory is part of a church and God is mentioned several times, but I never felt religion was pushed on the reader. Christianity is clearly a big part of the characters' lives. But it's handled very delicately and, as a non-religious individual, I found it never distracted or bothered me. It was just there. I really appreciated how it was presented.

Murder at the Town Hall was a fun cozy mystery that hints at something darker going on in Honeysuckle Grove. The characters were all just as I love them and the story fast-paced. There was something about Amber that bothered me throughout the whole book, but I'm hoping it was intentional. Overall, a great third book in the series that still manages to hit all the right notes.

Thank you to Denise Jaden for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Valorie Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!!

I am really getting into this series!!!!
Mallory can't get away from dead people.
She is going to the town meeting to save the library with Sasha Mills her 7 th grade teacher and she still teaches at the middle school and she has kids on Sundays for classes. Mallory volunteers for that also.
So at the start of the town meeting the Mayor s one of the speakers along with Superintendent Richard Garnet are having the towns people come together for the announcement. Are they keeping the library open or are they making it online library?
Before the announcement there is a bad accident happens with someone at the meeting and everything comes to a stop and the police shuts down the building.
And now Mallory puts on her detective hat on to help the new appointed Detective Alex Martinez.
Mallory and Amber and Hunch get busy to put the puzzle pieces together to find out who and why?
Now read and find out.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 3rd book of this delightful cozy mystery series, Mallory stumbles across another murder at a meeting to discuss the closure of the town's local library.

Alex has just been promoted to Detective, so in an effort to help him establish himself as a good fit to the role, Mallory and her teenage friend, Amber, ask around to see if they can find any possible leads. With Hunch, Mallorys cat, also helping, can they help find the murderer?

Light hearted and easy to read cozy mysteries, easily read in a couple of hours. Best read in order of publication as the characters and their relationships to each other develop book to book. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, already downloaded to my kindle. All these books are available on kindle unlimited at the time I read them.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book three in this cozy mystery novella series and I'm still enjoying it. We learn a little more about Mallory's family in this one and her past experience working in the restaurant industry. She's also starting to think about God in ways other than the one who took her husband from her as she works her way through the grieving process. Could be trouble ahead between her and Amber and there's definitely going to be family trouble in the next book and--maybe?--a return to work.

My only complaint? These stories are too short. I started this one last night and finished it this morning. Good thing there's more in the series.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cozy mystery that developed pretty quickly and focused on an issue underlying the local politics of Honeysuckle Grove.

I like the relationships that develop between Mallory, Amber, and Alex, making the characters fun and relatable. With two main characters navigating loss from the beginning of the series, the books are able to touch on some deeper topics than the standard cozy mystery.

[Patricia A Spring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cost !order mystery

One of the characters is acting different with no real explanation, two men interested and she's indicated interest only to get cold feet. She says she wants to help her sidekick, that she's the smarter one, but no questions asked or help offered and now a dad enters the picture

[Dorothy Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This series is really developing with good characters and murder mysteries that are interesting but not gory. I enjoy the main character who is a widow whose husband was a mystery writer. During the course of his book writing she learned slot about crimes and uses that to help solve mysteries.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the series. The main character is Mallory. Mallory was widowed about a year ago and has since helped a old school friend solve a couple of murders. Now there has been another mysterious death and she helps her friend Alex figure it out. Everyone seems to think it is time to date again but her. Can she figure this out before it's too late as well ?

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mallory is in the middle of another murder and Alex, Amber and Hutch are of course needed to figure out whodunnit. Is possibly closing the library worth killing someone? Is Mallory ready for a new relationship? So many things to discover! Lots of twists and turns in this enjoyable mystery.

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

This is a delightful little mystery! I'm enjoying this series so far. This mystery had a nice story line and interesting characters. Hunch is a great feline detective. I'm looking forward to getting started on the next book!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did he fall or was he pushed??? And what about that gutter??? I’ glad that I didn’t have a dad like hers!!! I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

[Tiffany]

Excellent

I love how the series continues to use the theme throughout. The characters are interesting and the plot is well thought out.