Chocolate with a side of murder.
The Chocolate Cupid Killings by JoAnna Carl is a great Valentine cozy mystery read. There is more than the one incident, and it was fun to try and figure out each one individually. The sleuth, Lee, is a great character and one that I enjoyed learning about. Although, reading this book made me miss having a See’s Candies near me. So, that I can get specialty chocolates like the characters have in their store.
Lee Woodyard
Our sleuth is Lee Woodyard, and she is a pretty interesting character. She moved from Texas to Michigan to be in her mom’s hometown. Lee has come a long way in the past eight books before this one. Granted this is my first book by JoAnna Carl. I do have to say that it is a great one. Lee loves to stand for the law and doesn’t like to lie about it. It also doesn’t help that Lee has a tick and it shows when she’s nervous by changing her words.
What I like about Lee is that she is the narrator and I like being in her mind. This way I can see how she is dealing with everything along with seeing how everyone else deals with what has been happening. Another thing that I like about Lee is her love for her family and friends. She seems to love them truly and doesn't want harm to come to them.
What I dislike is that Lee thought that she could get some evidence out of the house without remembering that the killer might know her schedule. This obviously didn't go well.
The Law Enforcement Connection
Lee Woodyard’s law enforcement connection is her step-uncle by the name of Hogan Jones. He is the small tourist town's police chief. Hogan is her step-uncle because he married Aunt Nettie, so it’s more of a familial connection than of a romantic relationship. Being a police chief of this small town, he doesn’t work long hours. He is also pretty busy with other things during the story. Another mystery that Lee tries to solve as well.
What I like about him is that he knows the two woman in his life very well that he knows when they are hiding stuff from him, which is a good thing in keeping the sleuth from getting in harm's way. Another thing that I like about him is that he believes what Lee tells him. What I don’t like about him is that he doesn’t always answer the phone and doesn’t learn things that might help him.
The Mysteries
Just like with the others in the A Chocoholic Mystery series this one has more than one mystery that makes the sleuth have to consider every angle. The big one being who murdered Derrick Valentine and with what is going on with her husband and the secretive uncle. Of course, like always there was a lot of clues and some red herrings mixed in to make this wonderful chocolate book. It also doesn’t help that we have to figure out who the identity of the lady that works for them is. I knew it had something to do with their employee named Pamela, but I can’t say anything else about that. The perfect mystery set during Valentine’s Day.
Five Stars
The Chocolate Cupid Killings by JoAnna Carl is an excellent read for Valentine’s Day. It is almost three hundred pages, and yet it’s a great read that can be devoured in a day with some chocolates of course. I am giving this book a five-star rating as it is that good, and I highly recommend this book to those who love a good cozy mystery.
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This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove