Death by Chocolate: a cosy chocolatey murder mystery!

by Anna Brooke

Packed full of humour and chocolate, it's the perfect
middle-grade mystery!
'Remember saying you were going to bed and sneaking under
the covers with your favourite book and a torch? Death by Chocolate
brings back vivid memories of hiding out with a good
old-fashioned mystery.' JUNIOR MAGAZINE



'This is an intriguing story, a mix of mystery, adventure
and above all chocolate! 5 stars' READINGZONE



Coco's parents have poured everything into a struggling French
hotel. But the hotel is haunted by a bitter old ghost, Monsieur
Framboise, a chocolatier who met a sticky end.


He agrees to share his legendary skills with Coco and her new
friend Louis in exchange for their help in uncovering the truth behind
his murder.


Can Coco and Louis save the family hotel and solve the mystery?




The Great Chocoplot meets Chocolat,
with a dash of Murder Most Unladylike.
Humour, mystery and chocolate!
An older middle-grade debut from the hilarious author
Anna Brooke.

Genres: Mystery

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

Reviews

[Vivian Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her parents pour everything into a struggling French hotel, Coco has to move to France from the UK. As she tries to get use to her new surroundings, she also discovers that the hotel is haunted by Monsieur Framboise, a former chocolatier. When Coco eventually befriends the ghost, she realises if the hotel is going to survive, she has to solve the mystery of his murder.

This is a middle-grade murder mystery with a supernatural twist. Coco and her parents make for a fun family to follow: you’ve got Coco adjusting to life in France and trying to speak French, all while her parents attempt to renovate the hotel, only to have the ghost sabotage all their efforts. I also enjoyed seeing Coco and her new friend Louis flex their detective skills, piecing together clues to uncover the truth behind Framboise’s murder.

For adults, the mystery may be a tad predictable, but of course, this book is written for younger readers. I’d recommend it for kids aged 9–11 who enjoy murder mysteries with a touch of mild horror.

[Matthew Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super-sweet story for younger middle grade readers, full of the sights and scents of moving to a new country (in this case, France). And while this can be daunting - especially when there are ghosts floating around the old hotel Coco's parents have bought to fix up - there is chocolate to devour, and new friends to make, and a forty-year old mystery to solve... Simply delicious!

[David Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely murder-mystery inside a ghost story, wrapped up in a chocolatey hotel! Coco, forced to move abroad by her parents' decision to buy a crumbling hotel, soon forgets her worries when a ghost starts haunting her. With the help of a new friend she races to discover the truth behind an old murder and save her parents' hotel from bankruptcy. Highly recommended

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a story as delicious and chocolate

What an absolutely amazing book.i laughed and cried and i loved every single character,except of course the villain.i cannot wait to read the next book in the series .

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real fun mystery! I loved going on the hunt for the different recipes and finding out about the stories behind them. Monsieur Framboise is a lush character that really made me chuckle. This has a got a little something for everyone.

[M W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot is exhilarating and fun to read.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to eat good chocolate and certainly try to make some chocolate candy too. A delicious read.