The Chocolate Pirate Plot

Table of Contents

 

 

“Deliciously cozy.
The Chocolate Cupid Killings
is richly entertaining and has no calories.”

—Elaine Viets, author of the Dead-End Job mysteries

“A chocolate-drenched page-turner! JoAnna Carl satisfies your sweet tooth along with your craving for a tasty whodunit.”

—Cleo Coyle, author of
Murder by Mocha

“Anyone who loves chocolate—and who doesn't?—will love this delicious, fast-paced addition to the Chocoholic Mystery series. It has more twists and turns than a chocolate-covered pretzel, but this treat won't add any pounds, so you can indulge without guilt!”

—Leslie Meier, author of
The Wicked Witch Murder

“A deft mix of truffles and trouble. Chocaholics—this book is for you!”

—Laura Childs, author of the Tea Shop mysteries

“A delicious treat for cozy fans.... JoAnna Carl is an author [who] never disappoints.”

—Fresh Fiction

“A sweet mystery of how helping others can at times come back and bite you in the backside. JoAnna Carl definitely knows how to pen a sweet read.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

“Dollops of chocolate lore add to the cozy fun.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“[A] fun, very readable book, with likable characters that are knowable whether you've read all seven novels in the series or whether this is your first.”

—Suite101

“Entertaining and stylish.... Reading this on an empty stomach is hazardous to the waistline because the chocolate descriptions are . . . sensuously enticing. Lee is very likable without being too sweet.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“The sixth delicious mix of chocolate and crime.”

—Writerspace

“Everything about JoAnna Carl's books is a delicious treat, from the characters to the snippets of chocolate trivia.... All [are] fantastic characters who have come to feel like good friends.
The Chocolate Bridal Bash
stands alone, but once you've read it, you'll be craving the other books in this series.”

—Roundtable Reviews

“A fine tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“I've been a huge fan of the Chocoholic Mystery series from the start. I adore the mix of romance, mystery, and trivia . . . satisfying.”

—Roundtable Reviews

“The pacing is perfect for the small-town setting, and the various secondary characters add variety and interest. Readers may find themselves craving chocolate, yearning to make their own.... An interesting mystery, fun characters, and, of course, chocolate make this a fun read for fans of mysteries and chocolates alike.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

“A JoAnna Carl mystery will be a winner. The trivia and vivid descriptions of the luscious confections are enough to make you hunger for more!”

—Roundtable Reviews

“A fast-paced, light read, full of chocolate facts and delectable treats. Lee is an endearing heroine.... Readers will enjoy the time they spend with Lee and Joe in Warner Pier and will look forward to returning for more murder dipped in chocolate.”

—The Mystery Reader

“Descriptions of exotic chocolate will have you running out to buy gourmet sweets . . . a delectable treat.”

—The Best Reviews

“A mouthwatering debut and a delicious new series! Feisty young heroine Lee McKinney is a delight in this chocolate treat. A real page-turner, and I got chocolate on every one! I can't wait for the next.”

—Tamar Myers, author of
Butter Safe Than Sorry

“One will gain weight just from reading [this] . . . delicious . . . the beginning of what looks like a terrific new cozy series.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Enjoyable . . . entertaining . . . a fast-paced whodunit with lots of suspects and plenty of surprises . . . satisfies a passion for anything chocolate. In the fine tradition of Diane Mott Davidson.”

—
The Commercial Record
(MI)

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First Obsidian Mass Market Printing, October 2011

Copyright © Eve K. Sandstrom, 2011

Excerpt from
The Chocolate Castle Clue
© Eve K. Sandstrom, 2011
All rights reserved

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ISBN : 978-1-101-55854-6

Many thanks to Lake Michigan boating experts Tom Bolhuis and Judy and Phil Hallisy; law officers Jim Avance and Bob Swartz; Michigan neighbors Tracy Pa-quin and Susan McDermott; theater experts Scott and Peg Hoffmann; magician Marty Ludlum; all-around good guy Albert Anderson; music expert Jan Logan; and chocolatier Elizabeth Garber. They were all generous with information, and if I got it wrong, it's my fault, not theirs.

A
sunset cruise on Lake Michigan in an antique wooden powerboat is the perfect way to celebrate the summer solstice, and the weather that particular June 21 was also perfect.

Joe's Shepherd Sedan, a 1948 model he'd restored until it looked and ran like new, was anchored in a broad cove, so the boat was surrounded by a semicircle of sandy shore and tall trees. The four of us had finished our picnic dinner and were starting on coffee. With it we passed around bonbons and truffles made by TenHuis Chocolade—an easy contribution from me, since I work there as business manager.

We had clumped ourselves into a conversational group inside the boat's cabin—a cabin that was much like the interior of an automobile of the 1940s, except that where the trunk should have been there was a small deck.