Book Review: Chocolate Covered Murder

Author: Leslie Meier

Title: Chocolate Covered Murder

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: Dec 31, 2012

Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Between a cutthroat dessert contest and her daughter's new job at the fanciest chocolate shop Tinker's Cove has ever seen, Lucy Stone is on a steady diet of tempting treats! But with a killer on the loose, and Valentine's Day around the corner, there may be nothing sweeter than revenge. . . It's frigid in snow-covered Tinker's Cove, and Lucy is fighting the winter blues--and her widening waistline. No one in their right mind would vacation in Maine this time of year, but to boost the economy, the town is launching a travel promotion for Valentine's Day. As a reporter for the Pennysaver, Lucy is assigned a puff piece on upscale Chanticleer's Chocolates, and its deliciously handsome owner, Trey Meacham. But when a local fisherman drowns suspiciously, Lucy's certain her investigative skills could be put to better use. . .

Everyone is shocked when Fern's Famous Fudge loses its status as "Best Candy on the Coast" to Chanticleer's pricey newfangled confections. And Lucy soon discovers there's another tantalizing tart behind the counter. Sultry store manager Tamzin Graves is only too eager to serve her male clientele--who find her as mouthwatering as her beef-jerky-spiked truffles. Leaving a throng of jealous women in her wake, it's almost no surprise when Tamzin is the next to turn up dead, her body covered in chocolate. . .

Could a bitter ex-wife be behind the crimes? Or a candy shop competitor? There's no sugar-coating the truth, and as Lucy closes in on the culprit, she may find herself locked in the clutches of a half-baked killer. . .

Review: I have a love/hate relationship with Lucy Stone. I've read a few and I've had mixed feelings about them, but this story caught my eye, and I was really pleasantly surprised when I finished the last page.

When I first started reading this series, I expected something like the Hannah Swensen series, and when I found out it wasn't going to be that way, I was a little disappointed. Like the Hannah novels, you do get a fun cast of characters from Tinker's Cove, but where as Hannah is a single girl with a business, Lucy is a parttime

This story was more lively with two rival candy makers and two dead bodies, and truth be told, Lucy didn't seem to be investigating more as she was there to watch things unfold.

The characters, particularly the ones that end up dead are the most interesting, Tamzin, who is really quite a sleazy chocolate seller and Max and outdoors man that doesn't pay his bills. Both add life to the story, Tamzin with her general flirtatious sluttyness and Max, well, you felt sorry for him for a bit.

There was so much going on in this story, naughty chocolates, one of Lucy's friends getting handcuffed to the bed by a chocolate Cassanova, Trey Meacham and an elderly couple on the hunt for a perfect house.

This story had an interesting pace because there were two murders. Max died early on and Tamzin midway through. I spent a lot of the book wondering how the two killings were tied together, and even when one character was arrested, I knew that person couldn't be the killer. The cops never find the killer in cozy mysteries early on! What fun would that be if they did!

More so than anything this book mixed small town gossip with a murder mystery and the result was really quite fun and it kept you on your toes, because you really couldn't guess who did it until the book was nearly over.

All of this taking place around Valentine's Day!

One of the better Lucy Stone mysteries and you really don't need to read them all in order to enjoy them.

Rating: 4 flowers