Murder is the guiltiest pleasure at a Down East Maine bakeshop in this cozy mystery series debut by the author of the Home Repair is Homicide novels. Life gets a little sweeter in the island fishing village of Eastport, Maine, when Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie open a chocolate-themed bakeshop, the Chocolate Moose. They expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of July … Fourth of July weekend, and having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake—until an early-season hurricane sours her plans. But an empty bakeshop and a ruined reunion are a piece of cake compare to murder . . .
When health inspector Matt Muldoon is found dead in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose, Ellie is suspected of indulging in revenge. She made no secret of her distaste for Matt, who had been raining on their parade with bogus health code violations. Now, with no alibi for the night of the murder, she’s in a sticky situation—and it’s up to Jake to catch the real killer and keep Ellie living in the land of the free.
Includes an irresistible recipe!
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Very intriguing.
I like the author, but lately someone on the protagonist side ends up as a murder suspect and/or ends up in the hospital.
Have read other books by Sarah Graves with these same characters, love the characters but the plot was very confusing, even having finished it, not sure who did what to whom and why.
If you like Cozy Mysteries, if you like Sarah Graves, if you are addicted to the New England setting, as I am, you will like this. A nice change to the world of baking from the world of home repair with all the same great characters which means it is not truly a ” new” series although Graves provides succinct history to get new readers up to speed.
This book had a more complex plot than most cozy mysteries. An engaging read!
I really liked this book, it was fun and easy to read.
I first read Ms. Graves Lizzie Snow thrillers and loved them, so when this book popped up, I decided to grab it and see how her cozy mysteries were. I’m glad I did because I loved this book.
Jake and Ellie run The Chocolate Moose in Eastport, Maine, a specialty chocolate bakery. Fourth of July is coming up and they’ve committed to producing a large number of chocolate cherry cheesecakes for auctioning off by the Coast Guard. Plans are delayed when Matt Muldoon, the irritating health inspector, is found dead in their kitchen, his head in a vat of chocolate. Since Ellie fought with Muldoon a lot, she is the immediate suspect. So, it’s up to Jake (Jacobia) and a team of her friends and family to find the real culprit and also finish all the cheesecakes.
At first, I thought this was going to be a straight-forward mystery, but the further I read, the more I had no idea who the culprit was. There are a lot of suspects, and Ms. Graves does a great job in leading the reader astray. Every time I thought I knew who did it, another path opened up in a very logical way. So, I thought this was a great mystery since nothing was given away yet it all made perfect sense in the end.
There’s a lot of fun characters, and the Eastport setting is also well described. Ms. Graves captures a lot of the little nuances of living in Maine which I liked as a Mainer myself. I’m glad I tried her cozy books and will read more while I’m waiting for the next Lizzie Snow book.
I found 38 ebooks/audio books for this author on Overdrive.com (state library website). I enjoyed listening to this book and could picture myself up in Maine the way the book read. I always have lived in New England my whole life Connecticut & New Hampshire but have traveled to Maine a few times and liked the way it was described.
Jacobia “Jake” and her best friend Ellie have just opened up a bake shop, but already problems have arisen. Once again Matt is claiming another bogus health code violation and is threatening the ladies, all because he wants the place for his wife and him to open their own bakery.
Jake is in for a big surprise when she opens the bake shop early one more to find Matt murder in the kitchen and Ellie considered the prime suspect. It doesn’t help that she was vocal about her distaste for the man nor has an alibi for the time the murder took place.
The author writes the characters of Jake and Ellie as loveable, funny, and true friends. They work well together trying to deal with family drama, a lack of chocolate supply, a murder, and did I mention an approaching hurricane.
For those fans of Sarah’s other books, reading about Jake and Ellie will be like seeing old friends. The book is the first in a new series and you do not have to read previous books to be able to follow along. Although, I might suggest you read other books by Sarah Graves as she is a delightful author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book! The characters are great. And having lived in Maine most of my life, I love the Maine setting.
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is the first book in the new Death by Chocolate series by established cozy author Sarah Graves, and a spinoff of her previous series – Home Repair is Homicide – featuring the same protagonist, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree. I’d not read a single one of the books in the other series, but was able to jump right into this very well-written mystery! Jake and her best friend, Ellie, have volunteered to make one dozen chocolate cherry cheesecakes to auction off to raise funds for Eastport’s Fourth of July fireworks. Unfortunately, someone turns up dead face down in the chocolate warmer at The Chocolate Moose and then one dozen cheesecakes turns into two dozen because Jake can never say no to anyone in need! A lot is happening in this book with an impending storm and Jake’s MIA son, and there are lots of suspects to choose from. Loved it, and I sure hope there’ll be a second book in this fun new cozy series! A+
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sarah Graves ended her Home Repair is Homicide Mysteries back in 2013. To her fans delight, she has brought the characters back in this new Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake and Ellie have opened up a bake shop on the waterfront and the town of Eastport still has a murder problem and this murder happens right in their business, The Chocolate Moose. Matt Muldoon has been after them since they opened with one complaint after another, even saying he would report them to his “friends at the Maine State Health Department”. Ellie couldn’t stand the man, but she can’t be the only one. She didn’t kill him but she and Jake will have to find out who did or Ellie may find herself working in the prison kitchen.
These characters were very well developed in the previous series but are now facing new situations as they try to get their new business off the ground. Enough background is given so new readers should not feel lost. They do mention the crimes they have solved before but it is not too much to take over this new story. Jake and Ellie are both strong women and work together very well.
In addition to the dead man in the kitchen, there is a hurricane headed toward Eastport and the town is planning for their huge 4th of July celebration. Jake and Ellie have a huge order for Chocolate Cherry Cheesecakes for the silent auction. Also, Jake’s dad is in the hospital when the story begins. To say these ladies have their hands full is an understatement.
The story rolls along at a great pace as Jake and Ellie find themselves in some dire situations. Twists and turns aplenty keep us readers on our toes. I did enjoy the interaction between the ladies and chief of police Bob Arnold, he trusted them enough to be able to accept their input because they have a history with this type of situation. Jake’s family life added a nice subplot and I was so surprised by Sam’s announcement.
Fans of the previous series will love this spin-off, new readers will fall for these characters too after reading this book. I have to say spin-offs are rare and hard to do in cozy mysteries but Sarah Graves has done a fine job. I am looking forward to future stories with Jake and Ellie.
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves is the first book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree co-owns The Chocolate Moose in Eastport, Maine with her best friend, Ellie White. They have agreed to make a dozen chocolate cherry cheesecakes to be auctioned off by the Coast Guard to pay for the town’s fireworks. Jake received an early morning call from Miss Halligan who owns Second Hand Rose that the door to the chocolate shop was ajar. When Jake arrives at The Chocolate Moose, she finds Matt Muldoon dead in the kitchen with his head in a pot of melted chocolate (what a waste of good chocolate). Matt had been trying to get the ladies out of their shop with baseless (and ridiculous) accusations that he would report to the health department as violations. Ellie is at the top of the suspect list thanks to her recent altercation with the victim. Jake needs to prove that Ellie is innocent of the crime while trying to get the cheesecakes baked in time for the auction without their commercial ovens. Then they discover a hurricane is heading towards Maine, and they need to batten down the hatches. Jake is also worried about her son, Sam who failed to arrive home from Boston (afraid he fell off the wagon) and her father who has left the hospital against medical advice (and he refuses to stay in bed). Even with a hurricane heading their way and the threat of Ellie being arrested, they must get the cheesecakes done. Thanks to overwhelming demand, they now need to make twenty-eight instead of twelve (the town is not canceling their Fourth of July celebration). Can Jake prove that Ellie did not kill Matt Muldoon? Will they get the cheesecakes done in time for the auction?
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is the first book in A Death by Chocolate Mystery series, but it is technically a continuation of A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series (there are sixteen books in that series). I was not aware of this until I started the book, and I felt like I had been plopped into the middle of a series. I wish the author had taken the time to introduce her readers to her characters in the beginning of the book, because I felt lost and confused. We are given more details on the characters as the book progresses (thankfully). However, I never fully connected with the characters and I felt out of step (there were still holes not filled in). Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is packed full of action. There is one situation after another throughout the story. The action starts with the murder in the first chapter, then Jake and Ellie almost get hit by another boat when fog strands them in the water, Jake’s father disappearing from hospital, Jake’s father takes off with car (and with his medications, he should not be driving), Marla and her dog attacked, lack of chocolate to make cheesecakes, Jake and Ellie breaking into Marla’s house, someone shoots at the duo, Sam is missing, Hurricane Amber and so much more. I wish the author had cut down on the zany incidents. It was too much and I beginning to wonder if Jake had a death wish. I wanted more solid content. I did find some aspects of the book to be unrealistic. Most mystery readers will have no problem figuring out the identity of the culprit long before it is revealed in the book. There is a repetition of information in the story especially regarding the stepmom’s attitude towards cleaning (the same details are repeated over and over). I know it is a culinary mystery, but the author did not need to include so many scenes on the baking of the cheesecakes. The ending felt rushed (take away a baking scene and the ending could have been less abrupt). For readers who love Sarah Graves A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery series, you will enjoy the continuing antics of Ellie and Jake.