I was unable to post this review last week due to our power outage.
Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone (A Death by Chocolate Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Maine
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (April 23, 2024)
Hardcover : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 149674411X
ISBN-13 : 978-1496744111
Kindle ASIN : B0CFGD9HZK
Audiobook ASIN: B0CRWXFZ8P
Audio CD ASIN : B0CZQ4VL28
Summer guests are eager to sink their teeth into tantalizing desserts at The Chocolate Moose, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree, and Ellie White’s bakeshop in the island village of Eastport, Maine. But attracting the wrong kind of attention can be deadly . . .
With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate’s treasure—and a dead body.
Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast, and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It’s unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn’t the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own.
As Jake and Ellie’s island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there’s blood in the water—or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer’s trap?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
August in Eastport, Maine is HOT! But the tourists just keep coming, which is good for business but the desserts at The Chocolate Moose may melt before they can be consumed.
To add to the heat issues a skilled fisherman is missing and his wife, Sally Coates believes her husband has been murdered. She begs her friend Ellie to find his body and the person responsible for his death. He was said to be in possession of a gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. Sally needs it to provide for her family but someone may have wanted it bad enough to kill.
Can Ellie and Jake catch the killer or will they die trying?
Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree’s life is full of chaos before you add a murder. She is juggling a house filled with 4 generations of family with only 1 bathroom. An addition to the house has begun but it hits a new frustrating snag every day. Her family keeps rolling with the punches better than I think most people could. Ellie’s home life is quieter but with her husband away a lot she spends a lot of time at Jake’s. I enjoy catching up with all of them with each new story.
This story was action-packed with spine-chilling adventures. This book pushed the cozy mystery norms to the limits but I loved it. Treacherous boat rides, sharks, sharks, and did I mention sharks, a floating body, and more had me at the edge of my seat repeatedly. A kidnapping had me reeling. The showdown was intense and scary. I had an inkling about what was going on but I was truly so caught up reading the story on the pages that were swiftly flying I didn’t firm up any guilty party. I was able to vividly imagine all the happenings thanks to the author’s detailed descriptions. Jake and Ellie were tested. They were brave.
The subplots of what was happening at Jake’s house and Ellie trying to come up with the perfect Chocolate Raspberry Scone recipe for a “really big” order, although I wouldn’t call an order for 4 dozen big for a shop like The Chocolate Moose, gave readers a little break from the bedlam on the water.
Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone takes readers on some heart-pounding adventures with the people we have grown to care for over the course of this series. I was delightfully entertained even though had I been around those sharks like Jake and Ellie I would have died of a heart attack on the spot. Thankfully my heart handled reading about it all and I can’t wait for more adventures with Jake and Ellie.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About the Author
Sarah Graves lives in Eastport, Maine, in a 200-year-old house much like Jake Tiptree’s. After 20 years of home repair – and yes, it really does make you think about murder! – she has handed in her toolbox and returned to her first love: chocolate. When she’s not cooking or baking something delectable, or writing about it, she tends a huge garden or shovels snow, depending upon the season.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Escape With Dollycas.
Sarah also writes the Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Series.
Find the whole series here.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
