In the newest mystery from nationally bestselling author Joanna Carl, a dive into house flipping becomes a deadly flop….When a house near Lee and Joe’s home goes up for sale, the couple teams up with Lee’s aunt and uncle, Nettie and Hogan, to buy it, remodel it, and resell it for a sweet profit. But after the owners of the house, the Baileys, accept their offer, a local developer, Richard … developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk, suddenly swoops in with a higher one, and it seems their dreams might be snatched away.
Lee, never as passionate about the plan as her husband and uncle, is anxious to get back to focusing on managing TenHuis Chocolade. But when a long-hidden gun is found behind a pipe in the Baileys’ basement, she begins to suspect a mystery is afoot. And when Spud turns up dead in the Baileys’ carport a few days later, it becomes clear there’s something rotten at the foundation….
To solve the murder, Lee will have to strip away layers of secrets–that is, if someone doesn’t level her first….
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am so happy this series has returned!
Lee Woodyard’s husband Joe and her uncle Hogan have decided to get in on the house-flipping craze much to Lee’s dismay. Local developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk is not happy either. He had his eye on the property and even states the owner had given him the right of first refusal. The owners have given Joe approval to get estimates from contractors prior to the completed sale, but Joe was unavailable when the plumber came to check out the pipes so Lee played tour guide. She almost loses her life when an old gun is found in the basement and goes off just winging her a bit, but it is when the body is found in the carport cupboard that she knows this whole flipping deal was a big mistake. When the body is identified as “Spud” Dirk and him feuding over the sale with her family Lee knows she is going to have to hammer down the clues and paint the real killer into a corner unless they wipe her out first.
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As a confirmed chocoholic, I have been all-in on this series from the very beginning. Lee and Nettie are two of my favorite cozy characters and I am thrilled their stories are continuing. I love the relationship they have with the men in their lives.
Sea salt and sharks are the themes of this story and Ms. Carl doesn’t disappoint, This time the mystery links the present and the past with an old high gang called the “Sharks” and an old prank may have lead to a new murder. The author peppers this story with suspense as well as humor. After spending a little time catching up with the characters things move along at a quick pace. The flow was excellent and I read the entire book in one sitting.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series are the TenHuis chocolates. Whenever a character takes a bite readers are given a full mouthwatering description. I only had a Hershey bar in the house at the time but it took care of my chocolate cravings until I can lay in some truffles of my own.
Well-written, wonderful characters, a captivating mystery, Chocolate Shark Shenanigans was an entertaining story and a great escape for an afternoon or evening. I was excited to get back to Warner Pier and anxiously await my next visit.
Much to Lee Woodyard’s dismay, her husband, Joe, and her uncle, Hogan, have bought the house next to Lee and Joe. They intended to flip it, but Lee is nervous about it. It doesn’t help when she and a plumber find a gun while checking the pipes in the basement. When Lee and Hogan go back to take a second look at the basement, they find a dead body. Can Lee figure out what is going on?
It has been a couple of years since we last got to visit Lee and the rest of the gang, and I was thrilled to be able to spend a little more time with them. As usual, the friends in Lee’s life are given cameos, but Lee, Joe, and the other couple of main characters more than make up for this. Not to mention, the new characters that help compel us into the story. Speaking of which, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The story is filled with twists and turns. The ending is a bit rushed, but it does tie everything major up. The book is on the shorter side, but by eliminating sub-plots, it still presents a full mystery that will leave you hungry for more. Speaking of which, the descriptions of chocolate made my mouth water, and the chocolate trivia sprinkled along the way is fun as always. We even get a recipe at the end of the book. Fans old and new will be glad they picked up this book.
Series: Chocoholic Mystery – Book 17
Author: JoAnna Carl
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 256
From Berkley comes the 17th book in the “Chocoholic Mystery” cozy murder series from JoAnna Carl, AKA Eve Sandstrom, The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans.
Lee may not be happy with the current house flipping arrangement that Joe and Hogan, as well as her aunt Nettie, have roped her into, but she is still doing her part to get things moving. Even when she almost gets shot due to the clumsiness of a plumber, she carries on. But when a body is discovered on the property, she is nearly ready to call it quits!
Readers can’t help liking Lee in this new cozy murder book. The characters are fun to read and learn about, and they make you want to grab a hammer and go to work. Sometimes in a series as long-running as this one, characters can become stale, annoying even but not these characters! Every new addition to the series brings new mystery, new revelations, and page-turning enjoyment.
Adding in the element of chocolate never hurt in a cozy murder story, and The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is no exception. Readers will fall in love with the chocolate shop, and all the delicious descriptions and interesting facts sprinkled throughout the book.
The identity of the killer and the ending is almost a surprise, and yet not one as well. If readers follow the clues in this cozy murder book and pay attention to the details, they will be able to figure out who the murderer is before the final reveal. Even the motive becomes evident if you take the time to sit back, relax, and read between the lines.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition to the series. It has all the elements needed in an excellent cozy murder book, some wonderful characters and a feeling of being there, strolling down the sidewalk, and meeting the cast of characters as if they were old friends. I am happy to recommend this book and series to readers of all cozy genres.
I love the Chocolate series. I’ve tried to go without chocolate but after 8 days I couldn’t hear out of my right eye.
The Shark Shenanigans has quite a few twists that I enjoyed following. Nice and cozy.
I must say, I do believe Carl pulled out all the stops, delivering a delightfully funny story and a really good mystery! The cast of characters were highly entertaining and talk about a twisty plot! I loved it! I really enjoyed the spots of humor with Lee’s tongue tangles. Her bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time also had me feeling sympathetic for her.
I’ve been a long time fan of Joanna Carl, yet after reading Book 16, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha, I really thought the Chocoholic series had run its course. Actually, I think I wrote as much in my review… At any rate, I read the blurb on this one and couldn’t resist revisiting the charming community of Warner Pier and its zany residents! I am one delighted reader, because The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans reminded me of why I fell for this series in the first place! Even better, I do believe there’s one more book slated to release;)
I read an arc of this book and this is my honest review.