In Cold Chocolate
A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A new batch of chocolates and troubles of the heart cause a string of disasters for the Chocolate Box’s new owner, Charity Penn
The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world’s richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box’s owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island’s moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.
Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton—the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box—holding the gun. It’s an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody’s young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can’t say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it’s too late for Penn and for those she loves in Dorothy St. James’s third rich installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries, In Cold Chocolate.
Customer Reviews
3rd A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
In Cold Chocolate by Dorothy St. James is the third story in A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. In Cold Chocolate can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Charity Penn owns The Chocolate Box in Camellia Beach, South Carolina where she is currently finishing up renovations to the shop. The sea turtles will soon be hatching so Penn has created a delectable treat in their honor that is flying off the shelves. On the night of the hatching, Cassidy Jones is killed, and it looks like antagonistic Jody Dalton is responsible. Penn would love to avoid this investigation, but Jody’s son asks her to please help his mommy. Despite being warned to keep her nose out of the case, Penn is soon knee deep in suspects. I wanted to give this series another chance after not having been enthralled with Asking for Truffle. Charity Penn is a nice character and I just love the descriptions of the chocolates that she creates for the shop (they have me pining for a chocolatey treat). The island sounds like a lovely place to live, but there are too many mean people in this story for my liking. There were some slow sections that could have been peppier and some areas that could have been eliminated completely (seemed like filler). It was interesting to learn about the hatching of sea turtles. I had no idea they were considered a delicacy (that is just terrible and disgusting). I see why they need people to keep an eye on the hatching ground. The mystery was uncomplicated, and the guilty party can be identified before the coroner removes the body. I did enjoy the dog, Stella and her antics. She was a delightful addition to In Cold Chocolate. While In Cold Chocolate was not the right fit for me, I suggest you obtain a sample to judge for yourself. In Cold Chocolate is a light-hearted cozy mystery with sun, sand, sweets and sea turtles.