Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers

Death by Chocolate Mystery #9

by Sarah Graves

The townsfolk of Eastport, Maine, know the best place to satisfy their sweet tooth is at Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White’s bakery, the Chocolate Moose. But some people living in the island town have more sinister appetites…

As the sun sets on summer in Eastport, local celebrations are in full swing—and Jake and Ellie have their hands full supplying the most decadent of desserts for Eastport High School’s Class of ’97 reunion. Unexpectedly, the gathering includes ex-spouses, Cindy Munson and Terry Lawson, seemingly reunited as a family with their precocious 6-year-old daughter, Ivy. But when Cindy’s body is discovered murdered in Lawson’s car that night, suspicion immediately falls upon the tech-financier, who was once also Eastport High’s most notorious school bully.

As the evidence stacks against him, Terry becomes the prime suspect, leaving young Ivy in the care of child services. Remembering her own experiences in foster care, Jake volunteers to look after the little girl while conducting her own investigation into the night of the dance with Ellie.

But someone doesn’t want the amateur sleuths digging up past, humiliating secrets that may point to vengeful present-day motives—even if it means adding Jake and Ellie to a killer’s body count . . .

Genres: Cozy Mystery

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Sarah Graves lives with her husband John, a musician and luthier, and their black Labrador Retriever in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine. When she's not writing Jake's adventures, Sarah works with her husband on the house and she plays the 5-string banjo.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Smutty Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers was a really easy read. It’s set in Eastport, Maine, and follows Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree as she gets pulled into a murder tied to a chocolate-themed event that shakes up the town. Once things stop adding up, Jake can’t help but start digging.

Jake is the kind of main character I can see myself playing. She's practical, a little blunt, and very much led by common sense. Her friendship with Ellie is caring and fun and her back-and-forth with police chief Sam Beasley brings in a bit of tension without going overboard. Everyone feels familiar in that small-town way which makes the story real easy to get into.

The mystery moves along at a nice pace and kept me guessing without getting confusing and the chocolate theme was super fun! I haven't read any of the other books in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series yet, but I plan on it! If you’re in the mood for a cozy mystery that’s easy to read but still keeps your attention, this one’s a yummy pick!

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

very fun and well-written murder mystery with fantastic plotting and great vibes. the twists are great, and the ending was logical. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's never a wrong time for a cozy mystery! And this one doesn't disappoint!

[Karen Stallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers” is the 9th instalment in the "Death By Chocolate" mystery series by Sarah Graves.
I enjoy this series set in the village of Eastport, Maine and really like protagonist Jake and her BFF Ellie. Plus I love her family especially Bella. There was lots of excitement this go around with a high school reunion and masquerade ball…

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out what will happen next. The book was engaging from start to finish, grabbing your attention from the very start.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.