Kathy AaronsDeath Is Like a Box of Chocolates (A Chocolate Covered Mystery)

Michelle Seranno and Erica Russell are co-owners of Chocolates and Chapters, a bookstore and gourmet chocolate shop. They will soon be celebrating the one year anniversary of their renovation with a Great Fudge Cook-Off which has snowballed into a part of a town-wide Memorial Day weekend celebration. They are very busy and Gwen, the mayor, just keeps piling on more. Good think Erica loves to organize. When their friend, neighboring store owner and fellow committee member Denise is found dead with a box of Michelle's chocolates, her store gets shut down. It is time to solve this murder to get Michelle off the hook and her store back in business.I liked the fact that there was a team of sleuths involved in this mystery. Not only Michelle and Erica were nosing around, but Erica's brother and best selling crime author, Ben (aka Bean), helped out with his many connections. One step forward and two steps back happened throughout the book with a few suspects but not as many as in other books I have read. Crazy reporter Reese, computer whiz Zach and police detective Bobbie all added to the story and filled out this little town. I enjoyed following the life of the townspeople, the attempts to try and solve the mystery as well as the festival they were planning. There were a lot of suspects and some red herrings to make the story more interesting and move the plot along. The suspect became apparent near the end of the story and the reason behind it was quickly unveiled. I will check out more in this series.

Michelle and Erica are business partners and house mates. Michelle is a chocolatier and Erica is a bookstore owner, they have a combined chocolate-book store. One morning, Michelle enters the store and finds a neighbor dead in her store, poisoned from her chocolates. The police come in and in order to clear their business, Michelle and Erica start their own investigation. They are aided by Erica's brother, Bean, a well-traveled reporter that enjoys messing with Michelle. One of the sheriffs, also has a history with Erica, reluctantly helps out. It was a well thought out murder mystery with the murderer not becoming evident until the character is almost confronted with the murderer.It contained references to chocolate all throughout the book and the relationships between the characters slowly developed throughout the book. However, this did remain a mystery book, just interspersed with romance. There was a bit of language and suggestive references in the book, not my preference, but as to the suggestive references, there was nothing graphic involved.

I was a little uncertain I would like this book after the first chapter or two. My reason? I felt like there were too many characters introduced right off the bat. I found it difficult to keep track of everyone and who there were in the story. But after a couple chapters I was able to settle in and enjoy the story. I found the main character interesting and enjoyable. They are at times relatable and I found myself immersed in their stories/relationships. This is definitely worth the read once you get going. I will continue on with this series to see how the relationships develop.

I enjoyed this tantalizing sweet whodunit that whetted my appetite for chocolate and murder. With a scattered list of suspects, it was easy to succumb to the early clues but once the story moved forward, the killer's identity inch closer as suspect after suspect were alibied. The author did a good job in presenting a well-fermented drama that was easy to follow with the perfect backdrop of a bookstore and chocolates. There's a backstory between Erica and Bobby that I can't wait to read more about and the possibility of a romance blooms for our heroine. Boasting a lovable cast of characters and engaging dialogue, this delectable treat is a welcomed addition to the cozy genre. Bonus chocolaty recipes are included.

Michelle Serrano is chocolatier who, together with her best friend Erica, runs a combination chocolate shop and bookstore. When another friend and fellow local business owner is found dead in their shop after eating poisoned chocolate, the two decide the best way to clear their personal and business reputations is to identify the killer themselves.I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were fresh and different than the usual stereotypes, and the cast of characters was large enough to be complex without being too confusing. There was one small incident in the book that I thought was a little unbelievable and not well-thought out, but for the most part it was a very good read, which left me eager for the next book in the series.

A Chocolate Shoppe/Bookstore Combo AND a friendly feline??? Throw in a murder and amateur sleuths... WIN WIN!!I read this for an online book group and an so pleased by how much I loved it. Cozies can be hit or miss and this was a hit for sure. Throughout the book, I knew the person that turned out to be the accomplice/murderer wasn't on the up and up but I just thought they were sleezy, not a killer. I enjoyed the budding romances and rekindling throughout as well. I can't wait to see what adventures Michelle and Erica get into in the next Chocolate Covered Mystery. Thanks for a fun read Ms. Aarons!

I loved Ms. Aarons' book! It was a real "page-turner" (albeit, on Kindle, more of a page swiper) and I finished it at 1:05 a.m. on Friday morning! If you love a great mystery (and have a fondness for chocolate) this book is truly a must read. Also, there are recipes for making chocolates at the end that sounded truly delightful. I can't cook . . . but would visit any shop that sold the chocolates described in the recipes! I truly look forward to the next in the series (and, if any of you own a chocolate shop, you might want to stock this book as a "impulse item" at your register(s) . . . as it's guaranteed to stir up cravings for fine chocolate - I can personally testify to that)! Happy reading everyone!

A good Book. I like clean mystery stories. I will certainly consider more in this series.