Review: The Chocolate Castle Clue

Summary: Lee McKinney Woodyard discovers a dusty trophy inside TenHuis Chocolade that belongs to her aunt Nettie and her old high school singing group, the Pier-O-Ettes. It's a trophy that brings back terrible memories of an unsolved murder years ago. 

Before Lee takes aim at the past, someone is murdered in the here and now. Lee needs to keep her eyes on the prize, hoping the trophy is a clue to finding the killer-before she's a target herself. -- Obsidian

As many of you know, I've been reading a lot of cozies ever since I began Mystery Mondays. That was kind of the idea -- to read more mysteries, a genre that I used to love; however, I think I might be "hitting the wall" with cozy ones. It's not that I don't still enjoy them. I've just found that they are starting to blend together. That's partially my part since I usually read ones with food themes, but I might be at the point where I need to read one or two a month, rather than one a week!

The latest cozy that I read (and still enjoyed) was THE CHOCOLATE CASTLE CLUE: A CHOCOHOLIC MYSTERY by Joanna Carl. Lee Woodyard is the amateur sleuth in the Chocoholic Mysteries, and in this, the thirteenth (I think!) book of the series, she finds herself investigating an unsolved murder from her aunt's past. It's a quick, fun read with an intriguing mystery and some interesting characters, and I did like it. It's just not one of those books that really stood out to me... or one that I'll remember long-term. (But that's okay because it was a cute form of entertainment for a few hours, and quite honestly, that's all I want out of my cozies!)

In THE CHOCOLATE CASTLE CLUE, Lee discovers an old trophy and other memorabilia from her aunt's days as a member of her high school singing group. (It was great timing as the entire group is in town for a reunion!) When Lee delivers the items to her aunt and her high school friends, she quickly discovers that there are some secrets surrounding the women's pasts. She begins investigating each woman's present and past as she becomes involved in solving the murder. And she also finds herself at risk!

As I mentioned earlier, I did like THE CHOCOLATE CASTLE CLUE. I especially liked Lee and her silly verbal slips when she was nervous. The Chocoholic Mystery series is a long-running series and I can see why. It has everything a cozy should -- cute mysteries, fun themes, likable characters, and an interesting setting. I was a little hesitant to start in the middle of this series, but rest assured, this book works very well as a stand-alone.

One thing that did make THE CHOCOLATE CASTLE CLUE special was the chocolate trivia interspersed throughout the novel. The author featured some famous (and not-so-famous) chocolate makers including Hershey, Bedre Fine Chocolate, and the Best Chocolate in Town in Indianapolis. I don't consider myself the biggest fan of chocolate, but I did appreciate these snippets. For those of you who do love chocolate, I will warn you -- you might crave chocolate while reading this book. There are oodles of references to all types of chocolate candies since Lee runs a small chocolate factory.

If you are a chocoholic or fans of cozies, then you might want to try THE CHOCOLATE CASTE CLUE. It's a fun way to spend a few hours!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.