Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves

Welcome!  A Sister's Sorrow by Kitty Neale and Courage of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell are available on February 21.  Dead Memories by Angela Marsons releases on February 22.  It is the tenth DI Kim Stone Novel.  Cookin' the Books by Amy Patricia Meade will be published on March 1.  These are just a few of the new books coming out in the next few months.

Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves is the second A Death by Chocolate Mystery.  Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree co-owns The Chocolate Moose with her best friend, Ellie White in Eastport, Maine.  They have been commissioned by Sharon Sweetwater and Andy Devine to make a whoopie pie cake for their upcoming nuptials.  Jake and Ellie need the influx of cash or they will be forced to close their doors.  Then Jake hears that Sharon’s ex-boyfriend turned stalker, Toby Moran was found dead near the Rubber Ducky Bar & Grille with a poisoned milkshake from their shop nearby.  Andy, a captain in the Coast Guard, is arrested for Toby’s murder since he was seen arguing with the victim at the bar.  People are shocked when Sharon confesses to the murder.  With the bride and groom behind bars, the wedding is canceled.  Ellie then confides in Jake that if The Chocolate Moose closes, she will be forced to move away.  Jake has no intention of losing her best friend and commences asking probing questions around town.  Toby was not well-liked and managed to anger numerous townspeople.  Jake and Ellie need to stir together the clues and see which of their likely suspects rises to the top. 

 

Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake may be the second book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series, but I discovered it is a continuation of A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series.  It can, though, be read as a standalone.  The characters are established.  There is Jake’s large family, Ellie’s family and the offbeat residents of Eastport.   I did find it hard to keep track of Jake’s extended family who all seem to live with her.  Jake’s father, Jake (I am not kidding) is feeling spry after his recent health scare and ready to zip about town upsetting his wife and daughter. He really stands out with his various antics and rebellious spirit. Jakes loves her family and cares about her friends.  I like the setting of Eastport, Maine and the description of the Jake’s large home.  It sounds like a charming small town with quaint shops that rely on tourists.  The winter months are tough times for the citizens of this small town as Jake and Ellie have learned.  The wedding of Sharon and Andy will keep the doors of The Chocolate Moose open until the tourist trade picks up (I am not sure why they do not advertise or sell products online).  When the happy couple find themselves in the slammer, Jake one again dons her sleuthing cap to save their chocolate bake shop.  Jake has no qualms about putting herself in harms way.  The murder of Toby Moran has a couple of suspects, pointed clues and a red herring.  I did not feel it was right for Jake to tamper with evidence (even in fiction) no matter her justification.  Unfortunately, I solved the whodunit very early in the book (the author served up the solution on a silver platter).  I appreciated that the mystery had a solid wrap up with facts from the police.   I could have done without the repetition of case details.  When one person learns a key detail or clue, they share it with Jake or Jake share it with a family member (and so on).  This happens frequently throughout the book and not just with the mystery. I liked the descriptions of the items served up at The Chocolate Moose and the little chocolate moose sprinkles are a cute touch to their milkshakes.  There is plenty of baking and eating taking place in Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake.  My rating for Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake is 3 out of 5 stars.  I thought the pace was too slow and I did not enjoy the endless dialogue.  Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake is for those readers who enjoy light, humorous cozy mysteries. 

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is the first book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I am going to share my thoughts on Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly next time.  It is the first book in A House Flipper Mystery series.  Diane Kelly is the author of A Paw Enforcement Novel series featuring Officer Megan Luz and Briget.  I hope you have a festive day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake: A Death by Chocolate Mystery

Welcome!  Desired in Darkness by Heather Sunseri will be published on February 5.  It is the fifth book in the In Darkness series.  If you like to read romantic suspense book, then check out this series.  You can download a long excerpt from Desired in Darkness here.

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves is the first book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series.  Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree co-owns The Chocolate Moose in Eastport, Maine with her best friend, Ellie White.  They have agreed to make a dozen chocolate cherry cheesecakes to be auctioned off by the Coast Guard to pay for the town’s fireworks.  Jake received an early morning call from Miss Halligan who owns Second Hand Rose that the door to the chocolate shop was ajar.  When Jake arrives at The Chocolate Moose, she finds Matt Muldoon dead in the kitchen with his head in a pot of melted chocolate (what a waste of good chocolate).  Matt had been trying to get the ladies out of their shop with baseless (and ridiculous) accusations that he would report to the health department as violations.  Ellie is at the top of the suspect list thanks to her recent altercation with the victim.  Jake needs to prove that Ellie is innocent of the crime while trying to get the cheesecakes baked in time for the auction without their commercial ovens.  Then they discover a hurricane is heading towards Maine, and they need to batten down the hatches.  Jake is also worried about her son, Sam who failed to arrive home from Boston (afraid he fell off the wagon) and her father who has left the hospital against medical advice (and he refuses to stay in bed).  Even with a hurricane heading their way and the threat of Ellie being arrested, they must get the cheesecakes done.  Thanks to overwhelming demand, they now need to make twenty-eight instead of twelve (the town is not canceling their Fourth of July celebration).  Can Jake prove that Ellie did not kill Matt Muldoon?  Will they get the cheesecakes done in time for the auction?

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is the first book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series, but it is technically a continuation of A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series (there are sixteen books in that series).  I was not aware of this until I started the book, and I felt like I had been plopped into the middle of a series.  I wish the author had taken the time to introduce her readers to her characters in the beginning of the book, because I felt lost and confused.  We are given more details on the characters as the book progresses (thankfully).  However, I never fully connected with the characters and I felt out of step (there were still holes not filled in).   Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is packed full of action.  There is one situation after another throughout the story.  The action starts with the murder in the first chapter, then Jake and Ellie almost get hit by another boat when fog strands them in the water, Jake’s father disappearing from hospital, Jake’s father takes off with car (and with his medications, he should not be driving), Marla and her dog attacked, lack of chocolate to make cheesecakes, Jake and Ellie breaking into Marla’s house, someone shoots at the duo, Sam is missing, Hurricane Amber and so much more.  I wish the author had cut down on the zany incidents.  It was too much and I beginning to wonder if Jake had a death wish.  I wanted more solid content.  I did find some aspects of the book to be unrealistic.  Most mystery readers will have no problem figuring out the identity of the culprit long before it is revealed in the book.  There is a repetition of information in the story especially regarding the stepmom’s attitude towards cleaning (the same details are repeated over and over).  I know it is a culinary mystery, but the author did not need to include so many scenes on the baking of the cheesecakes.  The ending felt rushed (take away a baking scene and the ending could have been less abrupt).  For readers who love Sarah Graves A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series, you will enjoy the continuing antics of Ellie and Jake.  Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake will be published on January 30.  Readers can follow Sarah Graves on Amazon and Facebook.

I will return on Monday with my thoughts on Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton.  I hope that you have a pleasant weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader