Publishers Weekly
03/20/2023
In Graves’s delightful sixth Death by Chocolate mystery (after 2022’s Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake), candy store owner Brad Fairway’s unsavory business tactics leave a bitter taste in the mouths of chocolatiers Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White. Brad’s new shop is competing with Jake and Ellie’s longtime local favorite for summer tourist dollars in the small village of Eastport, Maine, with Brad undercutting Jake and Ellie’s prices and bad-mouthing their baked goods at the annual art fair. To complicate matters, Brad knows about Jake’s past laundering money for the New York mob, which she’d prefer to keep under wraps. When Brad is found dead after a confrontation with Ellie, and the murder weapon is Ellie’s gun, Jake sets out to find the killer and defend the life she’s built for herself in Maine. Before long, she starts to worry she or Ellie could be next. A bevy of memorable characters complement the breezy, intriguing plot. Established fans and newcomers alike will be satisfied. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)
From the Publisher
Praise for the Death by Chocolate Mysteries by Sarah Graves
“Fast pacing and multiple plot twists move the over-the-top story along, and Graves makes good use of her coastal Maine setting. …Fans of cooking mysteries will enjoy the baking frame.” —Booklist on Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake
“This cozy, with its down-to-earth heroines and wry observations about life in Maine, makes for delicious reading. And who can resist a mouthwatering recipe for chocolate pizza?” —Publishers Weekly on Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake
“With a locked house mystery and a recipe for chocolate pizza, what could be better than a sweet cozy like this?” —Parkersburg News & Sentinel on Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake
“The lovingly described small-town island setting, the two principled main characters, and the familiar secondary characters will charm fans, as well as appealing to readers of Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone cozies, also set in coastal Maine.” —Booklist on Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle
“Graves does a good job keeping readers guessing with multiple potential motives. Fans of cozies with a dark edge will have fun.” —Publishers Weekly on Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle
“Another surprisingly wild ride of a culinary cozy here in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake and Ellie’s scrapes are by turns hilarious and exceedingly dangerous...The mystery was well-crafted, with layers that deftly obscured whodunnit.” —Criminal Element on Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle
"Filled with quirky characters and small-town appeal, this fun mystery returns readers to The Chocolate Moose bakeshop." —Woman's World on Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake
"It's especially nice to get to know all the members of Jake's large household as they plan together for the future, unaware of the peril that looms over Eastport in the form of the mysterious ship." —Criminal Element on Death by Chocolate Frosted Donut
"Graves pulls the story together at the end with an exciting scene that identifies the real culprit and brings that individual to justice." —The New York Journal of Books on Death by Chocolate Frosted Donut
"Graves' second case of chocolate murder offers fans of the genre a trifecta of coziness: plucky heroines, sweet treats, and just enough puzzlement to keep you on your toes." —Kirkus Reviews on Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake
"Enjoyable...Lively characters, an intricate plot, and enticing descriptions of Down East Maine make this cozy a winner." —Publishers Weekly on Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake
"The story's suspense, clues, red herrings and action scenes are well worth it. Have somebody taste test that next chocolate milkshake, just in case." —The Kennebec Journal on Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake
"Entertaining...Plenty of suspects and a mysterious sailing ship make for an intriguing puzzle. Cozy fans are sure to have fun." —Publishers Weekly on Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut
"Plenty of appealing elements...The ever-sympathetic main characters, the close relationships Jake has with her multigenerational family, the beautifully described coastal Maine setting, and the baking frame." —Booklist on Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut
Kirkus Reviews
2023-03-14
A rival’s death brings nothing but trouble to a rural Maine baker.
It’s not all moonlight and roses for Jacobia Tiptree, known to Eastport’s chocolate fans as Jake. Her father and stepmother are quarreling about his plans to move from the home they share with Jake into assisted living. Her son, Sam, and daughter-in-law, Mika, are having some yet-to-be-disclosed disagreement. And while drama dominates at home, there’s also stress at work ever since Brad Fairway, whom Jake thinks she remembers vaguely from her days in New York laundering money for the mob, opens up high-end patisserie Choco’s directly across Water Street from Jake and Ellie White’s Chocolate Moose. But finding Brad shot to death in his shop proves no solution to Jake’s business woes, since the local police immediately pounce on Ellie as their sole suspect. While Ellie waits to be thrown in the slammer, Jake searches frantically for alternatives, beginning with Brad’s lady friend Babs Littrell, a local textile artist. Her investigation takes her into Eastport’s art scene, where she meets a painter, a potter with a pet pig named Jillian, a virtual artist, and a cross-eyed Siamese cat who charms the pants off Jake’s stepmom. What she doesn’t meet is success, until an accidental encounter with the real murderer puts Jake’s life in serious jeopardy.
Offering a peek into the world of 21st-century fine art gives an extra shot of class to a standard shopkeeper cozy.
