“Memorable characters, a charming locale, and a satisfying mystery.”—Barbara AllanWhen a film crew comes to Mackinac Island, the last thing fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy expects to find is a murder victim . . . SHOT ON LOCATION It’s Labor Day weekend, the official end of tourist season, and the beginning of a whole batch of trouble. First, the island is invaded by a TV crew filming a … First, the island is invaded by a TV crew filming a murder mystery pilot, and handsome Hollywood heartthrob Dirk Benjamin needs Allie’s help to prep for his role as local cop Rex Manning. Then, Allie’s bichonpoo Mal sniffs out a real murder in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop, a man shot in the head—with a note challenging amateur sleuth Allie to catch the culprit. Like it or not, the fudge maker has to square off against a crazy killer—but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .
Praise for Nancy Coco and the Candy-Coated Mysteries
“It’s probably best not to read this while you’re too hungry, as the assorted fudge recipes may send you right to the kitchen.”
—The Oakland Tribune
“The characters are fun and well-developed, the setting is quaint and beautiful.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.”
—Fresh Fiction
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Nancy Coco’s candy-coated mysteries are delicious, and Forever Fudge is my favorite one yet. Yummy recipes are included.
Synopsis:
“Memorable characters, a charming locale, and a satisfying mystery.”–Barbara Allan
When a film crew comes to Mackinac Island, the last thing fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy expects to find is a murder victim . . .
SHOT ON LOCATION
It’s Labor Day weekend, the official end of tourist season, and the beginning of a whole batch of trouble. First, the island is invaded by a TV crew filming a murder mystery pilot, and handsome Hollywood heartthrob Dirk Benjamin needs Allie’s help to prep for his role as local cop Rex Manning. Then, Allie’s bichonpoo Mal sniffs out a real murder in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop, a man shot in the head–with a note challenging amateur sleuth Allie to catch the culprit. Like it or not, the fudge maker has to square off against a crazy killer–but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew . . .
Praise for Nancy Coco and the Candy-Coated Mysteries
“It’s probably best not to read this while you’re too hungry, as the assorted fudge recipes may send you right to the kitchen.”
–The Oakland Tribune
“The characters are fun and well-developed, the setting is quaint and beautiful.”
–RT Book Reviews
“I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.”
–Fresh Fiction (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. I always enjoy the time I spend with Allie and her friend Jenn, they are funny and you can tell how much they care about each other. They always have each other’s backs, and they would do anything for each other. Allie continues to have two love interests, Trent and Rex, and it is getting a little old to me. I feel she needs to make a decision and move forward or let them both go. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words. Mackinac Island, Michigan, came to life in my mind’s eye and I could picture all of the action taking place and hear conversations going on around me. The mystery is well plotted and moved along at a steady pace. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. I was fooled by who the killer was, and that made me happy.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and I hope the resolution of the triangle.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Allie McMurphy’s first season as an entrepreneur on Mackinac Island is drawing to a close, but instead of being a quiet time to switch gears from fudge tours to renovations, she’s being hounded (and possibly threatened) by those in town to join in and donate $2,000 to a bid for a film crew to shoot on her side of Main Street. Not that she doesn’t want to be a part of a little healthy rivalry, but she has plans for that money for her own business. Filming begins and with it comes a body count. This isn’t the typical “stumble across a dead body” situation for which she’s becoming known. This time, the killer leaves a message for her at each scene.
I really liked this one. Nancy Coco does an excellent job of messing with your head while you try to figure out who the baddie is. While you’re being led around, trying to figure out what’s going on, relationships grow and become tested. I have to say, she can make your heart race and you fall for a guy without being racy. WOW. Some intense moments between Allie and Rex and I am hoping to see something develop soon between those too. Her writing of the island really puts you in it. She wraps it all up cozily and throws in some delicious recipes for you to go along with.
Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Coco, and Kensington Books for allowing me the chance to read and review this story. I definitely recommend it.
I had forgotten how enjoyable this cozy series is!
How I love this series, and Forever Fudge is no exception! The characters somehow are even better defined that in the previous novels, and Jenn and Allie have grown in many ways at the end of this first full season at the McMurphy. The mystery is challenging, as finding out who the real bad guy might be is not an easy fete.
Jenn hears that a TV crew is coming to Mackinac Island; they are making a pilot for a TV show about a detective, playing a part similar to that of Rex, the local lead police officer. Dirk Benjamin will shadow Rex as he does his job to better get in character for a copy. There will also be a modern-day Jessica Fletcher, who helps the police solve mysteries. Does that sound familiar? As Allie has been known to find a dead body or two in the past, and has helped Rex learn who the bad guys are. Not that Rex ever asks for help, as he doesn’t want this beautiful woman getting into trouble and he can do his job just fine, thank you very much.
When walking Mal, her precious pup, and talking with an elderly neighbor, Allie finds a dead body near a dumpster. There is a note left for Allie with a chess move from one of Bobby Fischer’s famous chess games. While someone is clearly frightening the McMurphy’s after-season guests, that someone is also acting out in new crimes the murders that Allie has helped solve since she has been on the island. Determined to not get in Rex’s way, she tries her best to not help…
Allie also has her choice between two men, the same ones throughout the summer. She and Rex have always “almost” started seeing each other, but her help in solving murders conflicts with his job of solving them. She and Trent, one of the richest guys on the island, have been an item for a while, but they are having their rough spots, too. I think I know who Allie will end up with, but surprises are in the works.
The plot twists keep me thinking, trying to figure out who the bad guy really is. And wow, I did figure it out, even though I wasn’t sure until the very end. Surprises are in store for Allie, for Jenn who plans to go to Chicago for a fabulous job offer, and the rest of the folks at the McMurphy and their friends. I highly recommend this, and am so looking forward to the next book in the series! The author’s trademark humor and plotting make this just too good to miss!
From a grateful heart: I received an e-Arc of this cozy mystery, and this is my honest review.
Allie is getting ready for the official end of the tourist season with her Labor Day weekend guests. Her two employees are on their honeymoon so things are little busier for Allie. The last thing she needs is a TV crew and a egotistic actor invading her space. As Allie and Mal go for one of their daily walks around town, Mal does what she does best, finds a dead body. What is different and most frightening this time is a note to Allie is left with the body. Can Allie figure out what the notes are saying before someone close to her is killed?
The Candy-Coated series is a fun series that keeps you entertained from the beginning to the end. Allie’s grit and determination to keep her grandfather’s hotel and fudge shop going is commendable. Her love for the island and the people of the island is very heartwarming and something we don’t see very often. Nany CoCo’s writing is so believable that I expect to be able to walk right into Allie and the fudge shop if I visited Mackinac Island.
This is book six of the series and it is still going strong. I have not read all the books in the series but the writing is so good you can pick up any book and understand what is happening. As soon as the new year gets here I am going to catch up on this series.
Yummy fudge recipes are included in each book and some are only two or three ingredients and are very easy to fix. The perfect series to read around the holidays when fudge is a popular gift.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Allie has to pull her head out of her butt and choose a guy (REX!!!!) before she ends up alone. The film crew coming to the island wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be (for the most part.) Unforgettable characters make these books good.
Fantastic story. Great writing. Wonderful fudge recipes
Forever Fudge by Nancy Coco is the sixth book in A Candy-Coated Mystery series. Allie McMurphy is the owner of the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop on Mackinac Island. Labor Day is behind them and so is tourist season. It seems, though, that a film crew has invaded the island to film the pilot of a mystery show starring Dirk Benjamin. Dirk will be portraying a Rex Manning type character and will be shadowing him before production starts (lucky Rex). Allie is out walking Mal, her bichon poo, when he sniffs out a dead body in the alley. A note was left with the body with Allie’s name on it. Inside the note is written “kf3” which sounds like a chess move according to Mr. Beechum. The killer is challenging Allie to a battle of the wits. While Francis and her new hubby are on their honeymoon, Allie has extra responsibilities at the hotel. In addition, she is dealing with her breakup from Trent who is not ready to give up on their relationship and Rex who asks her out on a date. Out on another walk with Mal when he digs up a sock and a toe under a tree. The culprit left another chess clue carved into the tree. Who is behind the crimes and why are they singling out Allie? Join Allie are her most challenging and personal case yet in Forever Fudge.
Forever Fudge contains well-developed and established characters as well as a beautiful location. I enjoy learning more about Mackinac Island with its historic locations including the Grand Hotel which was used as a location in my favorite film Somewhere in Time. I thought the pace was a little slower Forever Fudge as Allie deals with making fudge, the day-to-day running of the hotel, Jenn departing for Chicago, her romantic woes, a prankster and the whodunit. I missed Frances and her wit in this tale. Frances is off enjoying her honeymoon and does not return until the end. The main mystery may seem complicated on the surface, but I thought it was straightforward. I quickly pinpointed the culprit and then kept reading to see if I was correct. There is a limited suspect list, but there are good clues and a red herring. The secondary mysteries resolution comes out of left field and the motive was weak. The chess clues did not resonate with me since I do not play the game (I lack the patience for the game). I would have preferred Allie to actively investigate the crime instead of information being passed along to her. I could have done with less romance. Allie loves Trent, but he does not wish to live on Mackinac Island full time. I am rooting for Rex who seems to have more in common with Allie. However, his marital history stands in their way. My rating for Forever Fudge is 3 out of 5 stars. It is not my favorite book in A Candy-Coated Mystery series. There a luscious fudge recipes included in the book and a preview of Fudge Bites.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy is up to her neck in another murder. The quiet tourist destination has had a real crime wave since she came to town. Her dog, Mal, has found yet another body. A body the killer wanted Allie to find because he left her a note with the deceased.
She really doesn’t have time for another murder mystery. Frances and Mr. Devaney are off on their honeymoon so the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop is understaffed and some unusual and scary things are happening at the hotel. Allie doesn’t know if they are connected to the murder, but she needs to find out.
It doesn’t help that a film crew has set up on the island for a new murder mystery show and the town is running a contest to see which side of the street can come up with the most money. The winner will be a featured backdrop for the film which could be great publicity. The hotel and fudge shop had a good year, but Allie has other plans for her profits. This does not make the mayor happy.
Her personal life is in flux too and her BFF is leaving the island for a great job in Chicago. The idea of a peaceful offseason is not going to happen unless she helps find a killer and the film crew leaves town. Fudge! She is going to have to get involved in another investigation!
Escaping to Mackinac Island with Allie and the gang is always so much fun. This time the author has really stirred up a sweet mystery. Life at the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop is never dull. There is always something happening. The characters she has created are so engaging. It makes me want to pack my bags and head there right away. I missed having Frances there especially but it is after Labor Day and the newlyweds deserve some time off for their honeymoon.
Ms. Coco added an interesting element to the mystery this time. The killer is leaving clues stating chess moves. The problem is Allie doesn’t play chess so she tries to learn. But before she gets even a novice handle on the game another body is found and she realizes the killer knows her well, knows the previous crimes she has helped solve, and the people she cares about may be in danger. This adds a nice twist to the entire story.
Forever Fudge is a well-written cozy mystery with well-developed characters. The author blends the intrigue with a little romance and humor. I am team Rex all the way but looking forward to the next installment in the series to see if Allie finally makes up her mind.
The fudge recipes throughout the book are an added bonus.
This was an entertaining escape and a fine addition to this series.
Loved all the characters ang the setting.
This is a fun series and set in such a quaint location, it makes me want to visit Mackinac Island. Allie runs the McMurphy Hotel, which she inherited from her Grandfather. She has a small fudge shop associated with the hotel as well. The amateur sleuth is thrown into the middle of a couple of murders. The murderer is leaving notes addressed to her with the bodies, plus there are strange goings on at the hotel.
I enjoyed this mystery. The characters are likeable and each has their own unique personality. The writing style is easy to read and makes such a nice escape. I had my suspicions as to who the murderer was. There are some twists and a bit of angst along with the story. Enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to review this book.
Forever Fudge by Nancy Coco is book 6 in the Candy Coated Mystery series. It is the second one I have read but could be a stand alone.
The tourist season has just wound down on the island, but now a film company is there filming a pilot for tv and the star is shadowing sheriff Rex.
Allie is out walking her fur baby, Mal, and the first body is found in the alley with a note for Allie and a chess move. Unbeknownst to the killer, Allie does not know much about chess. When one of the guestrooms in the McMurphy is the target of a bloody prank and then Mal comes up missing, Allie is set to find the murderer. Then she finds a second body and it fuels her even more.
Sheriff Rex is falling for Allie and Allie is torn between him and her ex Trent.
You have a great cast of characters, plenty of twists and turns, romance, and even humor. Oh, and did I say fudge recipes, yum! I did not want to put it down and was kept guessing until the end.
My only negative is the love triangle between the ex and Rex. She needs to make a decision.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an honest review.
Dead bodies, cryptic notes, nasty pranks and a missing (ex?) boyfriend has Allie stretched to her limits. As owner of McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop she already has her hands full when two employees have gone on their honeymoon. Now there seems to be a killer in town who is testing Allie to see if she can figure out the guilty party before she or someone she loves becomes the next victim.
This story is a good mix of mystery, suspense and romance with an interesting twist at the end. It is book six in A Candy Coated Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. The story also comes with some delicious sounding recipes. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
“Forever Fudge” earns 5/5 Fudgy Fun…Clever, Engaging, and Tasty, too!
Top notch mystery! Wonderful characters! Realistic investigations! And a bit of humor!
Well, it’s fudge! It’s a no-brainer that I would jump on board with Nancy Coco’s sixth book in her Candy-Coated Mystery series. Although I’ve joined late and much has been developed with the storyline and characters, I easily became engaged in the book and enough references to background and character connections were provided without any spoilers. Allie McMurphy owns a delightful hotel and fudge shop on Mackinac Island, and as are many residents, excited about the film crew arriving on the island to film a television pilot for a mystery series. The idea of using the front of her historic Victorian building and adding to their popularity is a bittersweet prospect that also pits one side of the street against the other. However, it’s the dead body found in the alley and a note from the killer that taunts Allie back into another murder investigation. There’s a heartthrob actor queasy at seeing a real dead body shadowing the local cop, a possible ex-boyfriend and another budding romance both not without some conflict, ins and outs of hoteling and chocolating, and a murder mystery seemingly arranged for Allie to solve. All of this makes Nancy’s well-written first-person narrative, page-turner investigation, entertaining banter, and great characters a “must read” cozy…and the five marvelous fudge recipes sprinkled in between the chapters are a delicious bonus!
Forever Fudge is the 6th book(includes 2 e-novellas) in The Candy-Coated Mystery series.
I love heading to Mackinac Island and stopping in to visit with Allie and Jenn at the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop.
Allie is quite busy this time as Francis and Mr. Delaney are off on their honeymoon and Jenn is busy planning a fund-raiser for the Butterfly House. It’s Tuesday after Labor Day and Allie is busy going over the financial’s for the season when Jenn has some exciting news to pass on. She has heard that there will be a pilot for a mystery series to be filmed on the island and the cast and crew are already assembling to begin production. Later that day Allie has taken her bichon-poo, Mal, out for a walk. As Allie is greeting her friend Mr. Beecher Mal as she is prone to do, she finds a man slumped next to a building with a hat covering his head. The man has been shot in the head. In his hand is a note addressed to Allie that has two letters and a number written on it. Allie doesn’t have a clue what the note might mean and Mr. Beecher says that it appears to be a chess move. Apparently, someone is taunting Allie to investigate another murder. Allie calls 911 and within minutes Rex Manning, the police chief, arrives on the scene with his shadow. His shadow, being the Dirk Benjamin who will be portraying Rex in the television pilot. Then Mal finds a sock that has man’s toe in it. When a second body is found that was similar to the first one and more chess moves are left for Allie. Allie continues to stand by her promise not to get involved in searching out the killer. But that changes when her former boyfriend, Trent Jessop goes missing.
This another well-plotted and told story from Nancy Coco. The book had a wonderful cast of interesting and believable characters. The book also has delicious sounding recipes included with the book.
I’ll be looking forward to the next book in this exciting series. I’ll be interested to hear how the Delaney’s honeymoon was and what is new with Allie and Rex.
Book 6 of Nancy Coco’s Candy-Coated Mysteries is an entertaining read. I enjoy Allie McMurphy, the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop, and cute pup, Mal, who has a knack for sniffing out dead bodies. I am upset with Allie not being able to choose between the two men vying for her affection. This is book six, and that needs to stop. Many readers will like this plot, however; I’m not a chess player so all the chess clues were lost on me. I found one of the culprits easy to figure out by his actions, and another suspect’s identity was rather shocking and his reasoning insane. I’ve always liked this series and look forward to book 7. Mouthwatering fudge recipes are included throughout the book!
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.