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A Chocolate Covered Mystery #1
Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates
Whether it’s to satisfy a craving for chocolate or pick up the hottest new bestseller, the locals in charming West Riverdale, Maryland, are heading to Chocolates and Chapters, where everything sold is to die for�
Best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell are celebrating the sweet rewards of their combined bookstore and chocolate shop by hosting the Great Fudge Cook-off during the town’s Memorial Day weekend ArtsFestival.But success turns bittersweet when Main Street’s portrait photographer is found dead in their store, poisoned by Michelle’s signature truffles.
As suspicion mounts against Michelle, her sales begin to crumble and her career seems whipped. With Erica by her side, Michelle must pick through an assortment of suspects before thefuture of their dream store melts away�
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES
Includes Scrumptious Chocolate-Making Recipes!
Best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell are celebrating the sweet rewards of their combined bookstore and chocolate shop by hosting the Great Fudge Cook-off during the town’s Memorial Day weekend ArtsFestival.But success turns bittersweet when Main Street’s portrait photographer is found dead in their store, poisoned by Michelle’s signature truffles.
As suspicion mounts against Michelle, her sales begin to crumble and her career seems whipped. With Erica by her side, Michelle must pick through an assortment of suspects before thefuture of their dream store melts away�
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES
Includes Scrumptious Chocolate-Making Recipes!
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2014
92 people are currently reading
1781 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
February 16, 2018
The first in a new series and whilst it was a little heavy going in places, and also I spotted the murderer fairly quickly the idea of chocolate and books is enough to make me want to read more and more!
October 21, 2014
I finished this book solely so I could give a different perspective than the other reviewers. There are several four and five star reviews and I don't think the book deserved as many as were given. I don't think that the book was poorly written but I did find the characters to be self-righteous and humorless. These are definitely two traits I am NOT looking for in the characters that I read about. Michelle and Erica seem to take themselves 100% seriously with very little humor involved in their everyday work and life. And besides what they did for work, the author did not incorporate anything else into their characters, i.e. are they interested in things besides selling books or making chocolates? Also, there is no reason given for Erica coming home instead of finishing her degree; apparently she's brilliant but yet she comes home to a one horse town to run a bookstore and used book business? Doesn't make much sense. Michelle on the other hand, thinks her chocolates are the best and chock full of integrity and are far superior to things like, oh gawd, FUDGE. This one just didn't do it for me. I might have run out of patience for this genre, except for the series that I truly love. I have been super busy lately as well and that might account for some of this. At any rate, I didn't like this one much at all.
September 23, 2016
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. That means a lot of work to do in very little time. When their neighbor and fellow committee member Denise is found dead with a box of Michelle's chocolates, it puts a serious crimp in Michelle's plans, not to mention is bad for business. Aided by Erica's sexy reporter brother, known as Bean, their computer genius Zeke and a mysterious stray cat, Michelle and Erica are determined to help the police solve the murder before Memorial Day.
I knew this book and I were off to a bad start when I saw the cat on the cover. I'm not much of a cat fan. I just don't get the appeal. Then Michelle and I got off to a bad start and never recovered. She tosses around phrases like "librarian glasses" and "geek chic." Librarians come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders and styles. There's no such thing as "librarian glasses." Michelle's attitude seems a little antagonistic towards smart people though Erica is a certified genius. Michelle is also a chocolate snob- she hates fudge. Who hates fudge? She also hates cupcakes and can't bake. What the heck? Baking is easy if you pay attention to what you're doing. Creating gourmet chocolate is hard. Also, Michelle's sheer stupidity in insisting on investigating annoyed the heck out of me. It doesn't usually but probably since I didn't like her very much to begin with and since the police seemed competent, I didn't see the need for her to investigate.
The plot doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm pretty sure there's a plot hole somewhere but I forget where. I figured out who did it about halfway through when the clue was dropped. The story didn't end very satisfactorily. The plot was wrapped up too quickly and didn't explain enough. Why were the committee members targeted or was it a coincidence? Why did the murderer try to frame Michelle, Mark and/or Colleen or again was it convenience? That just didn't make sense. The motive was so stupid and lacking in believability. The burgeoning romance was kind of cute but I just don't get what Bean sees in Michelle. He likes her sense of adventure but I call that stupidity. There's a random, brief subplot about Michelle's brother Leo. Leo is a war veteran and he plot gets all patriotic and supportive of veterans for no good reason except the book is set during Memorial Day. If Leo had been in the story more, he could have interacted with his sister and shown more of her character, but he is barely in this book at all. I kept forgetting who Leo was. Hilary Punkin is another random character tossed in because the book is about cooking so there must be some celebrity TV food critic tossed in for good measure. There's also too much planning, committee stuff and repetitive babysitting requests that slowed the story. There's not enough chocolate making for me and none of the recipes appeal to me or make me even want to try to make chocolate.
The secondary characters are not all that memorable or quirky. I liked Erica better than Michelle because she's smart, loves research and sells books. However, she lacks some serious common sense, which I hear geniuses tend to do. She also lies too easily. Her relationship with Bobby drove me crazy. Her sister Colleen seems normal. She's a typical stressed mother of young children. Her husband is a jerk. Denise was not a very nice person. Though she didn't deserve to be murdered, the more that is revealed about her, the less I liked her. Reese seems crazy but her character developed well and the best of all the characters in the book. Gwen is a typical politician for all the locals refuse to believe it. Henna is the only quirky character in the book.
I didn't care about the characters enough to want to read any more of this series. I keep striking out with chocolate books. I do wish I could visit Chocolate and Chapters though! Two of my favorite things... chocolate and books.
I knew this book and I were off to a bad start when I saw the cat on the cover. I'm not much of a cat fan. I just don't get the appeal. Then Michelle and I got off to a bad start and never recovered. She tosses around phrases like "librarian glasses" and "geek chic." Librarians come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders and styles. There's no such thing as "librarian glasses." Michelle's attitude seems a little antagonistic towards smart people though Erica is a certified genius. Michelle is also a chocolate snob- she hates fudge. Who hates fudge? She also hates cupcakes and can't bake. What the heck? Baking is easy if you pay attention to what you're doing. Creating gourmet chocolate is hard. Also, Michelle's sheer stupidity in insisting on investigating annoyed the heck out of me. It doesn't usually but probably since I didn't like her very much to begin with and since the police seemed competent, I didn't see the need for her to investigate.
The plot doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm pretty sure there's a plot hole somewhere but I forget where. I figured out who did it about halfway through when the clue was dropped. The story didn't end very satisfactorily. The plot was wrapped up too quickly and didn't explain enough. Why were the committee members targeted or was it a coincidence? Why did the murderer try to frame Michelle, Mark and/or Colleen or again was it convenience? That just didn't make sense. The motive was so stupid and lacking in believability. The burgeoning romance was kind of cute but I just don't get what Bean sees in Michelle. He likes her sense of adventure but I call that stupidity. There's a random, brief subplot about Michelle's brother Leo. Leo is a war veteran and he plot gets all patriotic and supportive of veterans for no good reason except the book is set during Memorial Day. If Leo had been in the story more, he could have interacted with his sister and shown more of her character, but he is barely in this book at all. I kept forgetting who Leo was. Hilary Punkin is another random character tossed in because the book is about cooking so there must be some celebrity TV food critic tossed in for good measure. There's also too much planning, committee stuff and repetitive babysitting requests that slowed the story. There's not enough chocolate making for me and none of the recipes appeal to me or make me even want to try to make chocolate.
The secondary characters are not all that memorable or quirky. I liked Erica better than Michelle because she's smart, loves research and sells books. However, she lacks some serious common sense, which I hear geniuses tend to do. She also lies too easily. Her relationship with Bobby drove me crazy. Her sister Colleen seems normal. She's a typical stressed mother of young children. Her husband is a jerk. Denise was not a very nice person. Though she didn't deserve to be murdered, the more that is revealed about her, the less I liked her. Reese seems crazy but her character developed well and the best of all the characters in the book. Gwen is a typical politician for all the locals refuse to believe it. Henna is the only quirky character in the book.
I didn't care about the characters enough to want to read any more of this series. I keep striking out with chocolate books. I do wish I could visit Chocolate and Chapters though! Two of my favorite things... chocolate and books.
February 25, 2018
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 storeowner 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. 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.
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. 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.
October 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this book!The plot was intriguing and I was pleasantly surprised by the whodunit.This book would have been a five star read for me if not for how unlikable the main character Michelle was,she was always thinking unkind things about people including her friends,she just always acted like she was better than everyone and also said some very insenstive things to people with no regrets.I am still looking forward to the second book but I do hope Michelle grows up a bit.Overall I highly recommend it to anyone who loves food cozies.
July 14, 2017
Star rating: 4 - 4.5 stars
When Michelle Serrano finds her neighbor dead in her chocolate shop from eating a box of poisoned chocolates, Michelle along with her best friend and business partner Erica throw themselves into finding the culprit to help salvage their reputations as businesswomen. Little do they know their small town runs rampant with secrets that people could possibly kill over.
Even though I found a lot of negative reviews on here, over the fact that Michelle and Erica's characters are more salty then most main stream cozy characters, I found them to be purely entertaining. Yes, Michelle is not a fan of small children and Erica can be a bit snobbish sometimes, that doesn't mean that this novel is a bad read. Many main characters in cozies can be a bit too perfect (in my opinion), so I found their flaws to be refreshing. Not every adult woman wants to have children, or even enjoys being around children that doesn't mean they're a bad person.
I also really enjoyed their wholehearted efforts into finding the killer and the way they navigated the waters of detective-hood. It was nice to read a cozy where the main characters really put forth an effort into finding the murderer, instead of just hoping clues would fall into their laps. I also enjoyed this novel because I had a really hard time figuring out who the murderer was. Just when I thought I had it all sorted out, Kathy Aarons pulled a fast one on me and left me reeling. I can't wait to read the next novel in this series... It also helps that all the chocolate in this novel had my mouth watering!
When Michelle Serrano finds her neighbor dead in her chocolate shop from eating a box of poisoned chocolates, Michelle along with her best friend and business partner Erica throw themselves into finding the culprit to help salvage their reputations as businesswomen. Little do they know their small town runs rampant with secrets that people could possibly kill over.
Even though I found a lot of negative reviews on here, over the fact that Michelle and Erica's characters are more salty then most main stream cozy characters, I found them to be purely entertaining. Yes, Michelle is not a fan of small children and Erica can be a bit snobbish sometimes, that doesn't mean that this novel is a bad read. Many main characters in cozies can be a bit too perfect (in my opinion), so I found their flaws to be refreshing. Not every adult woman wants to have children, or even enjoys being around children that doesn't mean they're a bad person.
I also really enjoyed their wholehearted efforts into finding the killer and the way they navigated the waters of detective-hood. It was nice to read a cozy where the main characters really put forth an effort into finding the murderer, instead of just hoping clues would fall into their laps. I also enjoyed this novel because I had a really hard time figuring out who the murderer was. Just when I thought I had it all sorted out, Kathy Aarons pulled a fast one on me and left me reeling. I can't wait to read the next novel in this series... It also helps that all the chocolate in this novel had my mouth watering!
September 19, 2018
What a fun read! I don't usually read cozy mysteries, but I purchased this from the author on a whim. It seemed the perfect book to accompany me on a recent trip - and it was. The author did a great job of making me smell those chocolates (I'm still craving caramels) and placing me in lovely small town setting without too much exposition or overly done details. The characters were great fun and the ending was a surprise. All in all a purely entertaining read and easily receives five-stars from me.
July 15, 2017
A great first book in a series! Somehow the author made me even smell her chocolate shop and I know that is an impossibility! Do not be fooled by the Forest Gump sounding title--this tale is more like a Shakespearean tragedy. The main characters and their supporting characters, the books/chocolate shop, and writing style have sold me on wanting to read more!
August 21, 2019
This was a sweet and deadly cozy mystery, and did really well at establishing the characters and the setting for a first book. I can't remember when or why I downloaded this one, but it would have been because it was on sale. I have a heap of cozies just waiting on my Kindle.
I liked how this combined the idea of a bookstore cafe but in a different way. I liked the idea of a speciality chocolate store; it is after all one my favorite treats but my mundane tastes have me reach for a Cadbury bar before anything 'fancy'. I'd like to learn even more about the process and types of chocolates as time goes on. I'm sure eventually I'll pick up another in this series!
A good cozy with a cracker plot and interesting characters. Four stars.
I liked how this combined the idea of a bookstore cafe but in a different way. I liked the idea of a speciality chocolate store; it is after all one my favorite treats but my mundane tastes have me reach for a Cadbury bar before anything 'fancy'. I'd like to learn even more about the process and types of chocolates as time goes on. I'm sure eventually I'll pick up another in this series!
A good cozy with a cracker plot and interesting characters. Four stars.
July 14, 2018
Death is Like a Box of Chocolates by Kathy Aarons is the first book in A Chocolate Covered Mystery. I found the book to be enjoyable. I would like to know more about the characters and see Coco more. Solid start to series. 3.5 stars
March 11, 2018
A fun first in series! Includes yummy recipes!
March 1, 2021
Michelle has a sweet shop Chocolate Chapters. It is having a contest with yummy recipes. But Denise gets killed. Who is the killer trying to Sabatoge her and her shop. I really like this book
February 20, 2019
Chocolate is a gift of love to yourself. - Sonja Blumenthal
Kathy Aarons sets her Chocolate Covered Mystery in West Riverdale - a fictional small town near Fredrick, Maryland (although there is a West Riverdale neighborhood closer to Washington, DC). The heroine, Michelle Serrano, launches an enterprise with her high school friend, Erica Russell. They share commercial space with Michelle making delicious gourmet chocolates and Erica selling new and used books. Their store is housed in the same building with Denise Colburn's photography studio.
DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES (2014) kicks off with West Riverdale preparing for the "Great Fudge Cook Off" as part of the Memorial Day Weekend Celebrations - almost everyone in town has a financial stake in this tourist driven event. When Michelle finds Denise dead in the chocolate shop with a box of her signature confections in hand, the town fears that the negative publicity will jeopardize the much needed infusion of tourist dollars. The toxicology report indicates Denise was killed by poison injected into the candy. Alas, Michelle sets out to clear her name so she can get back to making gourmet chocolate and saving the Memorial Day after all.
For this series, Aarons creates characters inspired by real life heroes. Michelle's brother is a disabled war vet who struggles with PTSD. Erica's brother is a world class reporter who comes home for a book signing to support his sister's store. These secondary characters join Michelle's amateur investigation into Denise's death.
DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES follows the typical cozy mystery plot with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. This made it possible for me to read at my leisure, putting it down when necessary, but able to jump back in without difficulty. I enjoyed the "small town" that I might find in my own neck of the woods as I live outside Baltimore. I also appreciated how Aarons wove chocolate making into the story. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series, TRUFFLED TO DEATH (2015) and BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS (2016).
I purchased this title from a used book store.
Kathy Aarons sets her Chocolate Covered Mystery in West Riverdale - a fictional small town near Fredrick, Maryland (although there is a West Riverdale neighborhood closer to Washington, DC). The heroine, Michelle Serrano, launches an enterprise with her high school friend, Erica Russell. They share commercial space with Michelle making delicious gourmet chocolates and Erica selling new and used books. Their store is housed in the same building with Denise Colburn's photography studio.
DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES (2014) kicks off with West Riverdale preparing for the "Great Fudge Cook Off" as part of the Memorial Day Weekend Celebrations - almost everyone in town has a financial stake in this tourist driven event. When Michelle finds Denise dead in the chocolate shop with a box of her signature confections in hand, the town fears that the negative publicity will jeopardize the much needed infusion of tourist dollars. The toxicology report indicates Denise was killed by poison injected into the candy. Alas, Michelle sets out to clear her name so she can get back to making gourmet chocolate and saving the Memorial Day after all.
For this series, Aarons creates characters inspired by real life heroes. Michelle's brother is a disabled war vet who struggles with PTSD. Erica's brother is a world class reporter who comes home for a book signing to support his sister's store. These secondary characters join Michelle's amateur investigation into Denise's death.
DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES follows the typical cozy mystery plot with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. This made it possible for me to read at my leisure, putting it down when necessary, but able to jump back in without difficulty. I enjoyed the "small town" that I might find in my own neck of the woods as I live outside Baltimore. I also appreciated how Aarons wove chocolate making into the story. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series, TRUFFLED TO DEATH (2015) and BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS (2016).
I purchased this title from a used book store.
August 28, 2014
Death Is Like A Box Of Chocolates is the first in the A Chocolate Covered Mystery series and a delicious series, too.
Michelle and Erica own the Chocolates and Chapters bookstore/chocolates shop in West Riverdale, MD. Next door to their shop is Denise Coburns' photography studio. They and the whole community are looking forward to the Great Fudge Cook-off will be held during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Michelle is both excited and nervous as Hillary Punkin is rumored to be one of the judges. Punkin is a pastry chef on Grand Chef Network and has been known to make or break a chef.
Denise is also excited, as some of her work has been selected for display in an art gallery in Washington, D.C.. But before she can meet with the gallery owner, Michelle finds her dead in her shop. She had died from poisoning. The poison was found in a small box of Michelle's chocolates that were sitting near Denise's body. With the Fudge Cook-off quickly approaching Michelle gets help from Erica and Erica's brother Bean to try and learn the identity of the killer. It appears that Denise had taken some pictures that someone wants to keep secret.
This is an interesting series and having lived in Maryland it was particularly fun for me to try figure out what community West Riverdale is model after. The book has many interesting characters and hope to read more about most of them. On the romance side, Erica just might be able to convince Bobby, a policeman, to show more interest in here. And Michelle, who has had an interest in Bean in the past, would like for him to show a little more interest in her.
Recipes are included with the book.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Michelle and Erica own the Chocolates and Chapters bookstore/chocolates shop in West Riverdale, MD. Next door to their shop is Denise Coburns' photography studio. They and the whole community are looking forward to the Great Fudge Cook-off will be held during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Michelle is both excited and nervous as Hillary Punkin is rumored to be one of the judges. Punkin is a pastry chef on Grand Chef Network and has been known to make or break a chef.
Denise is also excited, as some of her work has been selected for display in an art gallery in Washington, D.C.. But before she can meet with the gallery owner, Michelle finds her dead in her shop. She had died from poisoning. The poison was found in a small box of Michelle's chocolates that were sitting near Denise's body. With the Fudge Cook-off quickly approaching Michelle gets help from Erica and Erica's brother Bean to try and learn the identity of the killer. It appears that Denise had taken some pictures that someone wants to keep secret.
This is an interesting series and having lived in Maryland it was particularly fun for me to try figure out what community West Riverdale is model after. The book has many interesting characters and hope to read more about most of them. On the romance side, Erica just might be able to convince Bobby, a policeman, to show more interest in here. And Michelle, who has had an interest in Bean in the past, would like for him to show a little more interest in her.
Recipes are included with the book.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 3, 2020
I enjoyed almost everything about this book, except for the choice of Michelle as the first person narrator. I don't particularly like her as a character, she's very negative and egotistical. If they had used Erica's POV, it would have been much better. That said, I will read the second book before deciding for sure. Also Coco/Puck/Phantom/etc. is absolutely adorable, but I'm going to worry myself sick about her roaming around town.
BTW, I'm a baker by trade and Michelle and her "chocolate is an art form, cupcakes are lowly craft" can kiss my ass. :D
BTW, I'm a baker by trade and Michelle and her "chocolate is an art form, cupcakes are lowly craft" can kiss my ass. :D
March 16, 2021
As cozy mysteries go this was pretty good. It started off seemingly heavier on potential romances than on the mystery but as the story went on the mystery took center stage. The mystery was fairly well done, although I picked out the culprit(s) fairly early. I thought some of the characters were too broadly drawn and not nuanced enough but the main characters were pretty well written.
February 28, 2018
Really enjoyed this one and look forward to the next in the series. Sadly, I think there are only 3 but I'll read them all!
September 13, 2014
Who could resist books and chocolate, especially if you are a book and chocolate lover. Imagine a cozy mystery that brilliantly combines the the two like first in a series Death is like a box of Chocolates. Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell run Chapters and Chocolate, a bookstore and chocolate shop. Every one including Chocolates and Chapters and their neighboring business, a photography studio run by Denise Coburns is excited for the Great Fudge Cook-Off as Chocolates and Chapters is hosting.
Denise has a lot to look forward to as some of her photographs will be featured in an art gallery in Washington D.C.and before her meeting with the gallery owner, Michelle finds Denise dead in her shop from eating one of Michelle's Chocolates that was found out later by the police to be poisoned. Michelle soon realizes that her business can come crashing down around her when she is stopped from the police from producing any more chocolates for her business to sell. With help from her business partner, Erica and their many friends they need to find Denise's killer so Michelle and Erica's business can once again return to being a chocolate lovers dream.
Combining both chocolate, books and murder, you really want to savor and sink your teeth into this first in a series. Any cozy mystery with a food contest like the Great Fudge Cook-Off is top notch for me and the many different characters made Death is like a box of Chocolates intriguing. Just when you think you know who the killer is the plot twists and turns but as they say the killer is always some one you least suspect as it is with this one. I look forward to reading and reviewing the next in the series.
December 14, 2014
I know it was me when it came to this book. I had the hardest time keeping all the characters straight. Who was married to whom? Who was whose sibling? Was she the Mayor or the woman that worked in the hardware store? Was he the war veteran or the book author? I now know that I should have taken notes.
Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell own a combined bookstore and chocolate shop. Their small town is gearing up for a Fudge Festival with the renowned Hillary Punkin coming to judge their small competition. One yay from her and Michelle knows that her shop will get the recognition that it needs to bring in to the next level.
All that comes crashing down when Denise, the local photographer, is found dead in the chocolate shop while eating a box of Michelle’s confections.
What ensues is a tangled tale of who wants whom dead, who is blackmailing whom, and the reason behind Denise’s murder. I got lost somewhere in the middle and if it was not for the recap in the last chapter I would still be wondering whom everyone was and how everything was solved. Since this is the first book in a planned series, I am going to assume that Kathy Aarons was just setting the stage of West Riverdale, Maryland and that once her readers are invested in the characters, the future books will have a more laid back feel without packing too much in and the rush to the end of the book.
Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell own a combined bookstore and chocolate shop. Their small town is gearing up for a Fudge Festival with the renowned Hillary Punkin coming to judge their small competition. One yay from her and Michelle knows that her shop will get the recognition that it needs to bring in to the next level.
All that comes crashing down when Denise, the local photographer, is found dead in the chocolate shop while eating a box of Michelle’s confections.
What ensues is a tangled tale of who wants whom dead, who is blackmailing whom, and the reason behind Denise’s murder. I got lost somewhere in the middle and if it was not for the recap in the last chapter I would still be wondering whom everyone was and how everything was solved. Since this is the first book in a planned series, I am going to assume that Kathy Aarons was just setting the stage of West Riverdale, Maryland and that once her readers are invested in the characters, the future books will have a more laid back feel without packing too much in and the rush to the end of the book.
October 21, 2016
What a great start to a new series! Michelle and Erica are best friends and together they open up Chocolates and Chapters ! Michelle makes chocolates to die for and Erica is a master at finding the perfect book ! The store is doing great and getting more busy everyday! When Denise who owns the photography store next to theirs is found dead with one of Michelle's chocolates next to her the business takes a huge hit! Who could be so cruel to poison someone with one of her chocolates and what did Denise have to hide that would cause someone to kill her? With her life and job on the line Michelle and Erica jump head first into finding out who could have done this. With the help of Michelle's brother Leo, Erica' s trusty assistant Zane and Erica's brother Bean they start to dig into this mystery! The deeper they dig the more dirt they find and everyone is shocked to find out this quaint little town held so many horrible secrets! I highly recommended this book and I am moving on to the next book in this series!
March 10, 2015
Michelle Serrano runs the chocolate part of Chocolate and Chapters, the combined chocolate and bookstore she owns with her best friend Erica. But one morning, she walks into their store to find their business neighbor Denise dead from a poisoned truffle. Now Michelle has to find the killer to clear her reputation.
These characters grew on me quickly, and I really came to care for them. I can’t wait to find out what happens to them in future books. The plot got a little sidetracked at the end, but it still had an exciting climax. Plus there were some twists along the way that confused me, but in a good way.
Read my full review at .
These characters grew on me quickly, and I really came to care for them. I can’t wait to find out what happens to them in future books. The plot got a little sidetracked at the end, but it still had an exciting climax. Plus there were some twists along the way that confused me, but in a good way.
Read my full review at .
March 1, 2017
I'm sitting after finishing 'Death is like a box of chocolates,' at a complete loss as how to articulate my thoughts and feelings about this book, all the while Thumper's voice is whispering, 'If you can't say nuffin nice, don't say nuffin at all,' but since I've joined goodreads the reviews have saved me headaches, heartache, and downright disappointment.
So in a nutshell, the book itself while not poorly written was boring. I was bored, bored with Michelle and her reminding me every other sentence how great her chocolate is, how chocolate is all that matters.
As far as the mystery goes it was very basic.
So in a nutshell, the book itself while not poorly written was boring. I was bored, bored with Michelle and her reminding me every other sentence how great her chocolate is, how chocolate is all that matters.
As far as the mystery goes it was very basic.
April 10, 2015
This one surprised me - I expected to DNF it honestly. The title just didn't appeal. But it's great: these characters break the cozy molds - highly intellectual without being socially awkward or unlikeable, community college drop-outs that own successful businesses, an MC that doesn't drool over children. Refreshing and well written with a murder plot that was really well done. I can't wait for the next one.
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Full review:
July 29, 2018
This cover was so cute and cozy, I thought this would be a fun, quick read. What’s not to like...chocolate, books and a mystery? Well, it was quick, but a disappointment otherwise. It was far too silly and unrealistic, but also surprisingly brutal and calloused. I didn’t care for the way the characters treated one another; I found it tedious and hard to follow and just too far-fetched. I’ll take my chocolate and move onto another book, thank you.
August 3, 2020
For the first in a new series , this was great! I loved the descriptions of the wonderful chocolates and the story ended with a bang. I am on to reading the next one in the series. Great Job, Great Book for a foodie like me. Or for anyone who loves combining cooking of any sort and mysteries and it even has a cat in for an A+
September 1, 2014
I reviewed this on Criminal Element so you can read my full review there but I want to say that I ended the review with: "I had a grand time reading it and you will, too. One other thing, I’m telling you now—keep your eye on Coco the cat."
February 8, 2015
Boring....boring....boring..these characters were so super boring. All Michelle does is make chocolate. All Erica does is sell books. Outside of that,they don't seem to have much of a life. The plot dragged on forever, I struggled to read the last 100 pages of this book...
January 17, 2020
I wasn't overly impressed with this cozy mystery. I found the main character unlikable and snobbish.She seemed one dimensional with no real life or character outside of her chocolates. Just couldn't connect with the story or the characters.
January 30, 2018
I found the story boring.
April 11, 2021
There was really a lot to enjoy about this book, despite the fact that the murderer is given away pretty early if you've read any five other cozy mysteries.
Things I Enjoyed:
1. In a nice break from the majority of cozy culinary mysteries, the protagonist does not have a high-flying career she either throws over or is thrown out of, being forced to settle for running a food shop in a small town. Michelle discovers early on in her adult life that college is not for her, and through trying out different trade jobs discovers that running a chocolate business is her passion. She apprentices to a chocolate shop owner. She's proud of the choices she's made for herself outside the traditional realm of post-graduate education. It's a kind and interesting narrative that honors that pathway.
2. Michelle is also deeply, deeply concerned and involved in her business, with some investigating on the side. No Hannah Swensen Syndrome here! When Michelle is not trying to figure out how to save her business, she is experimenting on expanding her business, or thinking up new promotions. She is an all-in business owner who happens to have to deal with murder. I really appreciate the slant there.
3. The romance is believable and doesn't happen all at once. It's hinted at and scaffolded, rather than having two characters snark at each other for 200 pages and then magically go on a date. Thank. Goodness.
4. Characters are realistically broken, blind-sided, and otherwise pummeled by life, but not in a way that takes over the plot. I don't know who first defined cozy mysteries this way, but it really holds true for me as a reader:
Things I Enjoyed Less:
1. Michelle's squeamishness about anyone knowing she's making "adult" chocolate party favors.
Girl. You are 28. They are chocolate wieners for a bachelorette party. Calm down and add them to the business plan.
Although it was hilarious when the love interest found them and was even more squeamish about eating one, only being mollified when Michelle offered him instead a truffle decorated with the American flag. Oy, the symbolism.
2. Not enough world-building.
But that's me. I like my small town cozies with a lot of small town.
3. There's something odd about West Riverdale.
I'm trying to figure out what it is, and I think it might have something to do with race. There are two characters of color in this book, and both of them are minor. West Riverdale's whole marketing shtick is to associate themselves with the fictional town of Mayberry. I don't know; I can't put my finger on what it was that I squinted at. Let me think on this.
But Overall:
As with many, many (many) cozies, but especially the good ones, this book passes the Bechdel Test. I swear this is one of the reasons this genre is so popular. Another, of course, is that these are fabulous little Scooby Doo's for putting your brain in the off position.
Things I Enjoyed:
1. In a nice break from the majority of cozy culinary mysteries, the protagonist does not have a high-flying career she either throws over or is thrown out of, being forced to settle for running a food shop in a small town. Michelle discovers early on in her adult life that college is not for her, and through trying out different trade jobs discovers that running a chocolate business is her passion. She apprentices to a chocolate shop owner. She's proud of the choices she's made for herself outside the traditional realm of post-graduate education. It's a kind and interesting narrative that honors that pathway.
2. Michelle is also deeply, deeply concerned and involved in her business, with some investigating on the side. No Hannah Swensen Syndrome here! When Michelle is not trying to figure out how to save her business, she is experimenting on expanding her business, or thinking up new promotions. She is an all-in business owner who happens to have to deal with murder. I really appreciate the slant there.
3. The romance is believable and doesn't happen all at once. It's hinted at and scaffolded, rather than having two characters snark at each other for 200 pages and then magically go on a date. Thank. Goodness.
4. Characters are realistically broken, blind-sided, and otherwise pummeled by life, but not in a way that takes over the plot. I don't know who first defined cozy mysteries this way, but it really holds true for me as a reader:
Things I Enjoyed Less:
1. Michelle's squeamishness about anyone knowing she's making "adult" chocolate party favors.
Girl. You are 28. They are chocolate wieners for a bachelorette party. Calm down and add them to the business plan.
Although it was hilarious when the love interest found them and was even more squeamish about eating one, only being mollified when Michelle offered him instead a truffle decorated with the American flag. Oy, the symbolism.
2. Not enough world-building.
But that's me. I like my small town cozies with a lot of small town.
3. There's something odd about West Riverdale.
I'm trying to figure out what it is, and I think it might have something to do with race. There are two characters of color in this book, and both of them are minor. West Riverdale's whole marketing shtick is to associate themselves with the fictional town of Mayberry. I don't know; I can't put my finger on what it was that I squinted at. Let me think on this.
But Overall:
As with many, many (many) cozies, but especially the good ones, this book passes the Bechdel Test. I swear this is one of the reasons this genre is so popular. Another, of course, is that these are fabulous little Scooby Doo's for putting your brain in the off position.
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