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A Chocoholic Mystery #15
The Chocolate Falcon Fraud
From the bestselling author of The Chocolate Clown Corpse, it’s murder, my sweet, for a chocolatier whose love of old crime films plunges her into a real-life murder where the motives aren’t so black and white…
The Warner Pier tourism board is kicking off its Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival with The Maltese Falcon, and Lee Woodyard and her Aunt Nettie are preparing a delicious chocolate noir tie-in at TenHuis Chocolade. What Lee isn’t prepared for is a face from the past: Jeff Godfrey, her former stepson. The last time Jeff showed up in town, he wound up being accused of murder. Now he says he’s only in Warner Pier to see Bogart on the big screen. Honest.
Jeff may now be a college grad, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less naïve than the kid Lee had to bail out of trouble earlier. There are all those strange phone calls, a girlfriend who’s secretly on Jeff’s tail, and a pack of suspicious-sounding acquaintances right out of Dashiell Hammett. Then Jeff goes missing, the Falcon theme is haunting everyone, and a body falls at Lee’s feet when she opens the front door – just like in the movie.
Now Lee is under deadline to rewrite the ending of a cunning killer’s increasingly convincing murder plot…
Includes Tasty Chocolate Trivia!
The Warner Pier tourism board is kicking off its Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival with The Maltese Falcon, and Lee Woodyard and her Aunt Nettie are preparing a delicious chocolate noir tie-in at TenHuis Chocolade. What Lee isn’t prepared for is a face from the past: Jeff Godfrey, her former stepson. The last time Jeff showed up in town, he wound up being accused of murder. Now he says he’s only in Warner Pier to see Bogart on the big screen. Honest.
Jeff may now be a college grad, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less naïve than the kid Lee had to bail out of trouble earlier. There are all those strange phone calls, a girlfriend who’s secretly on Jeff’s tail, and a pack of suspicious-sounding acquaintances right out of Dashiell Hammett. Then Jeff goes missing, the Falcon theme is haunting everyone, and a body falls at Lee’s feet when she opens the front door – just like in the movie.
Now Lee is under deadline to rewrite the ending of a cunning killer’s increasingly convincing murder plot…
Includes Tasty Chocolate Trivia!
229 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2015
24 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
About the author
JoAnna Carl
35 books433 followersJOANNA CARL is the pseudonym for the multi-published mystery writer Eve K. Sandstrom. The author writes about the shores of Lake Michigan and has been reviewed in Michigan newspapers as a “regional writer.” She has also written about Southwest Oklahoma and once won an award for the best book of the year with an Oklahoma setting.
Eve K. Sandstrom is an Oklahoman to the teeth: she was born there, as were five previous generations of her mother’s family. Both her grandfathers and her father were in the oil business, once the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy. One grandmother was born in the Choctaw Nation, and Eve is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Eve and seven other members of her immediate family are graduates of the University of Oklahoma. Eve even knows the second verse of “Boomer Sooner.”
Eve wrote two mystery series: the “Down Home” books, set on a ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, and the Nell Matthews mysteries, semi-hard-boiled books laid in a mid-size city on the Southern Plains.
But Eve married a great guy whose family owned a cottage on the west coast of Lake Michigan, not far from the Michigan towns of Fennville, Saugatuck, and Douglas. Every summer for more than forty years she, her husband and various combinations of children and grandchildren have trekked to the community of Pier Cove for vacations that lasted from two weeks to three months.
The area features gorgeous beaches, lush orchards, thick woods, and beautiful Victorian houses. Eve grew to love it. So when her editor asked her to come up with a new, “cozy” mystery series, Eve set it in a West Michigan resort town, scrambling up Saugatuck, Douglas, South Haven, Holland, Manistee, Ludington and Muskegon with her own ideas of what a resort ought to be to create Warner Pier.
As further background, she plunked her heroine into a business which produces and sells luscious, luxurious, European-style bonbons, truffles and molded chocolates. Most small towns couldn’t support a business like this, but the resorts of West Michigan – with their wealthy “summer people” – can. The “Chocoholic Mysteries” were on their way.
Eve’s editor requested that she use a pen name for the new series, and Eve picked the middle names of her three children, Betsy Jo, Ruth Anna, and John Carl. “JoAnna Carl” was born. So that’s how JoAnna/Eve became a regional author in two widely separated regions.
JoAnna/Eve earned a degree in journalism at the University of Oklahoma and also studied with Carolyn G. Hart and Jack Bickham in the OU Creative Writing Program. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter, editor, and columnist at The Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma. She took an early retirement to write fiction full-time.
She and her husband, David F. Sandstrom, have three grandchildren, whom they love introducing to the lore of their two homes – Oklahoma and Michigan.
She spent 25 years in the newspaper business as a reporter, feature writer, editor, and columnist, most recently at the Lawton Constitution. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of OK and also studied in the O.U. Professional Writing program. She lives in Oklahoma but summers in Michigan where the Chocoholic Mystery series is set. She has one daughter who is a CPA and another who works for a chocolate company and provides yummy insider information on the chocolate business.
Eve K. Sandstrom is an Oklahoman to the teeth: she was born there, as were five previous generations of her mother’s family. Both her grandfathers and her father were in the oil business, once the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy. One grandmother was born in the Choctaw Nation, and Eve is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Eve and seven other members of her immediate family are graduates of the University of Oklahoma. Eve even knows the second verse of “Boomer Sooner.”
Eve wrote two mystery series: the “Down Home” books, set on a ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, and the Nell Matthews mysteries, semi-hard-boiled books laid in a mid-size city on the Southern Plains.
But Eve married a great guy whose family owned a cottage on the west coast of Lake Michigan, not far from the Michigan towns of Fennville, Saugatuck, and Douglas. Every summer for more than forty years she, her husband and various combinations of children and grandchildren have trekked to the community of Pier Cove for vacations that lasted from two weeks to three months.
The area features gorgeous beaches, lush orchards, thick woods, and beautiful Victorian houses. Eve grew to love it. So when her editor asked her to come up with a new, “cozy” mystery series, Eve set it in a West Michigan resort town, scrambling up Saugatuck, Douglas, South Haven, Holland, Manistee, Ludington and Muskegon with her own ideas of what a resort ought to be to create Warner Pier.
As further background, she plunked her heroine into a business which produces and sells luscious, luxurious, European-style bonbons, truffles and molded chocolates. Most small towns couldn’t support a business like this, but the resorts of West Michigan – with their wealthy “summer people” – can. The “Chocoholic Mysteries” were on their way.
Eve’s editor requested that she use a pen name for the new series, and Eve picked the middle names of her three children, Betsy Jo, Ruth Anna, and John Carl. “JoAnna Carl” was born. So that’s how JoAnna/Eve became a regional author in two widely separated regions.
JoAnna/Eve earned a degree in journalism at the University of Oklahoma and also studied with Carolyn G. Hart and Jack Bickham in the OU Creative Writing Program. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter, editor, and columnist at The Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma. She took an early retirement to write fiction full-time.
She and her husband, David F. Sandstrom, have three grandchildren, whom they love introducing to the lore of their two homes – Oklahoma and Michigan.
She spent 25 years in the newspaper business as a reporter, feature writer, editor, and columnist, most recently at the Lawton Constitution. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of OK and also studied in the O.U. Professional Writing program. She lives in Oklahoma but summers in Michigan where the Chocoholic Mystery series is set. She has one daughter who is a CPA and another who works for a chocolate company and provides yummy insider information on the chocolate business.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
March 8, 2022
loved the film noir in this one
I really enjoyed the film noir setting in this one, I was even inspired to watch a couple of movies. As always I enjoy solving cases with Lee and also all the chocolate that goes on in these books. The story kept me wondering how everything was connected.
I really enjoyed the film noir setting in this one, I was even inspired to watch a couple of movies. As always I enjoy solving cases with Lee and also all the chocolate that goes on in these books. The story kept me wondering how everything was connected.
November 6, 2019
Do you ever read a series because it brings back good memories? A Chocoholic Mystery does that for me. Rewind to 10 years ago and you will find me newly pregnant. Thankfully I didn’t feel sick during that first trimester, but boy was I exhausted. My husband had a business trip to attend for a few days and he asked me to tag along, recommending that I enjoy the comforts of our suite while he worked during the day. Knowing it would be the perfect time to catch up on some reading, I quickly packed this series in my suitcase. Over the next few days, I managed to read the first 7 books!! It’s the kind of cozy that is super light and the stories are never too terribly long. Ever since then, I’ve kept up with it and always smile thinking how easy it was to ignore responsibilities and read a book before having my daughter.
This is book 15 and helps me work my way through a pesky series challenge that I created for our Cozy Mystery Bingo group. It takes place in the quaint town of Warner Pier, Michigan. Lee and her usual gang of sleuths, find themselves dragged into a mystery when her stepson, Jeff, shows up to attend a local film festival. Jeff goes missing and what happens next is straight out of a movie, quite literally. There’s a lot of similarities between the events and the classic tale of The Maltese Falcon. There was plenty of twists and action to keep me entertained along the way.
As always, I love the chocolate facts, stories and recipes sprinkled throughout the book. I wish a few more scenes would have taken place at TenHuis Chocolade though. I always enjoy seeing what chocolates visitors select. The descriptions always sound scrumptious.
This is book 15 and helps me work my way through a pesky series challenge that I created for our Cozy Mystery Bingo group. It takes place in the quaint town of Warner Pier, Michigan. Lee and her usual gang of sleuths, find themselves dragged into a mystery when her stepson, Jeff, shows up to attend a local film festival. Jeff goes missing and what happens next is straight out of a movie, quite literally. There’s a lot of similarities between the events and the classic tale of The Maltese Falcon. There was plenty of twists and action to keep me entertained along the way.
As always, I love the chocolate facts, stories and recipes sprinkled throughout the book. I wish a few more scenes would have taken place at TenHuis Chocolade though. I always enjoy seeing what chocolates visitors select. The descriptions always sound scrumptious.
November 13, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
The Chocolate Falcon Fraud
A Chocoholic Mystery #15
By JoAnna Carl
ISBN 9780451473806
www.joannacarl.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Chocolate Clown Corpse, it’s murder, my sweet, for a chocolatier whose love of old crime films plunges her into a real-life murder where the motives aren’t so black and white…
The Warner Pier tourism board is kicking off its Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival with The Maltese Falcon, and Lee Woodyard and her Aunt Nettie are preparing a delicious chocolate noir tie-in at TenHuis Chocolade. What Lee isn’t prepared for is a face from the past: Jeff Godfrey, her former stepson. The last time Jeff showed up in town, he wound up being accused of murder. Now he says he’s only in Warner Pier to see Bogart on the big screen. Honest.
Jeff may now be a college grad, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less naïve than the kid Lee had to bail out of trouble earlier. There are all those strange phone calls, a girlfriend who’s secretly on Jeff’s tail, and a pack of suspicious-sounding acquaintances right out of Dashiell Hammett. Then Jeff goes missing, the Falcon theme is haunting everyone, and a body falls at Lee’s feet when she opens the front door – just like in the movie.
Now Lee is under deadline to rewrite the ending of a cunning killer’s increasingly convincing murder plot…(from Goodreads)
Review:
What an exciting new take on a classic mystery! Lee and her Aunt Nettie take seriously the value of chocolate in every situation, including the film noir celebration opening with ‘The Maltese Falcon’. How cool is that, chocolate in the shape of the mysterious Falcon? The Chocolate Falcon Fraud is the 15th in this Chocoholic Mystery series, yet I could pick it up and read it as a standalone as I have not read others from this series – yet – and really enjoyed it. Particularly fun are the some of the chocolate trivia and recipes throughout. The beautiful Michigan setting was a grand place to bring light to some of the darker noir films.
When I was in high school I ‘had’ to read The Maltese Falcon. Not my favorite then, but that could be very different, especially after reading the author’s insights on various aspects of the story. I never considered then that it was more than a mystery. Joanna Carl has broken new ground with this mystery by using the classic story to bring additional meaning to this one.
Working at and managing a chocolatier sounds like such a sweet endeavor! It was a wonderful place for Lee to land when leaving Texas several years prior. Aunt Nettie’s TenHuis Chocolade is one of the best things that has happened to Lee, second only to her husband Joe. Lee’s former stepson is now an adult, a very bright, personable young man. Nobody other than his girlfriend grasped how important the film festival was to Jeff, and the unique mystery and danger that everybody around him found themselves in was beyond what they anticipated.
Lee is a fun lady, and I really enjoyed her. Lee, Nettie, their spouses, Jeff and his girlfriend Tess are the primary people, and I felt as if I really came to know them well through the excellent characterizations. Those men and women who were unique to this novel are as well defined as needed for their roles. The conversations and activities brought each to life as the story progressed.
The plot was a great blend of this story and the classic ‘falcon’ tale. There were interesting twists with every turn, including the murder, the disappearing woman, the mysterious third Falcon, and Jeff’s temporary amnesia surrounding his accident. Chocolate remains central to the theme, and the chocolate shop with its tasty creations and kitchens were fun to read about. Trying to guess or logically understand who the bad guy / gal might be was almost impossible, and this reader was deliciously surprised with the resolution and the fully satisfying ending. I highly recommend The Chocolate Falcon Fraud to chocolate lovers of all ages, and those who appreciate well-crafted mysteries that include classic and contemporary elements. And I recommend that one also have a few chocolates nearby to help settle that craving while one reads! Life is too short to solve the mystery without chocolate!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
The Chocolate Falcon Fraud
A Chocoholic Mystery #15
By JoAnna Carl
ISBN 9780451473806
www.joannacarl.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Chocolate Clown Corpse, it’s murder, my sweet, for a chocolatier whose love of old crime films plunges her into a real-life murder where the motives aren’t so black and white…
The Warner Pier tourism board is kicking off its Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival with The Maltese Falcon, and Lee Woodyard and her Aunt Nettie are preparing a delicious chocolate noir tie-in at TenHuis Chocolade. What Lee isn’t prepared for is a face from the past: Jeff Godfrey, her former stepson. The last time Jeff showed up in town, he wound up being accused of murder. Now he says he’s only in Warner Pier to see Bogart on the big screen. Honest.
Jeff may now be a college grad, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less naïve than the kid Lee had to bail out of trouble earlier. There are all those strange phone calls, a girlfriend who’s secretly on Jeff’s tail, and a pack of suspicious-sounding acquaintances right out of Dashiell Hammett. Then Jeff goes missing, the Falcon theme is haunting everyone, and a body falls at Lee’s feet when she opens the front door – just like in the movie.
Now Lee is under deadline to rewrite the ending of a cunning killer’s increasingly convincing murder plot…(from Goodreads)
Review:
What an exciting new take on a classic mystery! Lee and her Aunt Nettie take seriously the value of chocolate in every situation, including the film noir celebration opening with ‘The Maltese Falcon’. How cool is that, chocolate in the shape of the mysterious Falcon? The Chocolate Falcon Fraud is the 15th in this Chocoholic Mystery series, yet I could pick it up and read it as a standalone as I have not read others from this series – yet – and really enjoyed it. Particularly fun are the some of the chocolate trivia and recipes throughout. The beautiful Michigan setting was a grand place to bring light to some of the darker noir films.
When I was in high school I ‘had’ to read The Maltese Falcon. Not my favorite then, but that could be very different, especially after reading the author’s insights on various aspects of the story. I never considered then that it was more than a mystery. Joanna Carl has broken new ground with this mystery by using the classic story to bring additional meaning to this one.
Working at and managing a chocolatier sounds like such a sweet endeavor! It was a wonderful place for Lee to land when leaving Texas several years prior. Aunt Nettie’s TenHuis Chocolade is one of the best things that has happened to Lee, second only to her husband Joe. Lee’s former stepson is now an adult, a very bright, personable young man. Nobody other than his girlfriend grasped how important the film festival was to Jeff, and the unique mystery and danger that everybody around him found themselves in was beyond what they anticipated.
Lee is a fun lady, and I really enjoyed her. Lee, Nettie, their spouses, Jeff and his girlfriend Tess are the primary people, and I felt as if I really came to know them well through the excellent characterizations. Those men and women who were unique to this novel are as well defined as needed for their roles. The conversations and activities brought each to life as the story progressed.
The plot was a great blend of this story and the classic ‘falcon’ tale. There were interesting twists with every turn, including the murder, the disappearing woman, the mysterious third Falcon, and Jeff’s temporary amnesia surrounding his accident. Chocolate remains central to the theme, and the chocolate shop with its tasty creations and kitchens were fun to read about. Trying to guess or logically understand who the bad guy / gal might be was almost impossible, and this reader was deliciously surprised with the resolution and the fully satisfying ending. I highly recommend The Chocolate Falcon Fraud to chocolate lovers of all ages, and those who appreciate well-crafted mysteries that include classic and contemporary elements. And I recommend that one also have a few chocolates nearby to help settle that craving while one reads! Life is too short to solve the mystery without chocolate!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
October 9, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Movies and chocolate always go good together. The Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival featuring The Maltese Falcon is getting reading to start in Warner Pier and Lee’s stepson (former) surprises her by showing up for the festivities. But when he fails to show up for a family dinner and she can’t find him anywhere she gets worried. Then just like in The Maltese Falcon Lee has a late night visitor who just happens to drop dead at her feet as she she opens the door. Thankfully not her stepson, but things start to be curious as more and more things play out just like the movie. Lee and husband Joe, Aunt Nettie and her husband Police Chief Hogan Jones have their hands full this time.
I love this series, they are fun, fast reads. Lee always goes the extra mile and usually ends up in the wrong place and the wrong time. There is always a catchy theme in addition to the chocolate as if chocolate isn’t enough to reel me in.
This time the Maltese Falcon theme/movie festival sounds like a good time. When real life in Warner Pier starts to mimic the film things get even more interesting. I haven’t watched the movie in years. This story makes me want to find that DVD for my own mini film festival.
This long running series continues because of the author is a master storyteller. She blends great plots, fantastic characters along with plenty of humor. They are light and entertaining and a perfect pick me up. They are concise and fast paced. Through each one we get to know the main characters better and each installment quickly becomes my favorite.
Oh and then there is the chocolate. The chocolate trivia this time is all about fudge and includes some arm numbing recipes along with a quick easy one my family usually whips up during the holidays, but really any day can become a holiday if you have fudge and chocolate
Movies and chocolate always go good together. The Tough Guys and Private Eyes film festival featuring The Maltese Falcon is getting reading to start in Warner Pier and Lee’s stepson (former) surprises her by showing up for the festivities. But when he fails to show up for a family dinner and she can’t find him anywhere she gets worried. Then just like in The Maltese Falcon Lee has a late night visitor who just happens to drop dead at her feet as she she opens the door. Thankfully not her stepson, but things start to be curious as more and more things play out just like the movie. Lee and husband Joe, Aunt Nettie and her husband Police Chief Hogan Jones have their hands full this time.
I love this series, they are fun, fast reads. Lee always goes the extra mile and usually ends up in the wrong place and the wrong time. There is always a catchy theme in addition to the chocolate as if chocolate isn’t enough to reel me in.
This time the Maltese Falcon theme/movie festival sounds like a good time. When real life in Warner Pier starts to mimic the film things get even more interesting. I haven’t watched the movie in years. This story makes me want to find that DVD for my own mini film festival.
This long running series continues because of the author is a master storyteller. She blends great plots, fantastic characters along with plenty of humor. They are light and entertaining and a perfect pick me up. They are concise and fast paced. Through each one we get to know the main characters better and each installment quickly becomes my favorite.
Oh and then there is the chocolate. The chocolate trivia this time is all about fudge and includes some arm numbing recipes along with a quick easy one my family usually whips up during the holidays, but really any day can become a holiday if you have fudge and chocolate
November 2, 2019
Not my favorite of the series, but I've never seen The Maltese Falcon nor read the book. Perhaps if I had, this one would've been more fun.
March 14, 2023
I like these chocoholic mysteries. They are quick, light reads that don’t take so much effort to read through.
December 21, 2015
Wonderfully written! 5 chocolate stars for this one…
I love the whole noir film convention. I have never even heard of anything like that but how fun would that be? Completely, dressing in costumes from the 40s, the fedoras, the hair styles, the drinks, the accents, very cool. Warner Pier has some fabulous ideas for tourism.
Lee is pretty funny, she always seems to find trouble or it seeks her out. She and her Aunt Nettie are both so curious. They just can’t sit back and let the police figure it out.
When Lee’s ex-stepson, Jeff shows up and disappears in the same day Lee is extremely worried. Then his friend, Tess shows up and she doesn’t know where Jeff is either. Lee knows there is foul pay involved. So, Lee and Aunt Nettie take off from the chocolate company and follow a few clues. Aunt Nettie has a keen eye for details that even Lee doesn’t see. The two of them are hilarious as they meet character after character from the Maltese Falcon movie. It is a good thing that Nettie is married to the police chief and Lee’s husband has such patience otherwise these ladies wouldn’t only have lots of explaining to do.
I find the characters so believable. The mixture of the Michigan and Texas characteristics are so true to life. Lee has some pretty neat quirks, using a close but different word when she is stressed, being tall, scared of trees and clumsy at time.
I found the way this story follows the Maltese Falcon movie and book to be extremely fitting with just enough change and chocolate to keep it going. You can always count on Ms. Carl to have a nice plot with lots of twists. I always like the research Ms. Carl does and little facts included in the book, be it the facts within the plot or the chocolate facts & recipes Ms. Carl adds in (well, fudge in this book). She makes it fun and exciting with quick wit.
I honestly can’t believe that this is the 15th book. It is such a delightful series, the perfect cozy mysteries. If you haven’t read these books yet start with the first one The Chocolate Cat Caper, and you will be hooked and craving chocolates (both are good things).
This is a Guest Review for Baroness' Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book for your site. ~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
I love the whole noir film convention. I have never even heard of anything like that but how fun would that be? Completely, dressing in costumes from the 40s, the fedoras, the hair styles, the drinks, the accents, very cool. Warner Pier has some fabulous ideas for tourism.
Lee is pretty funny, she always seems to find trouble or it seeks her out. She and her Aunt Nettie are both so curious. They just can’t sit back and let the police figure it out.
When Lee’s ex-stepson, Jeff shows up and disappears in the same day Lee is extremely worried. Then his friend, Tess shows up and she doesn’t know where Jeff is either. Lee knows there is foul pay involved. So, Lee and Aunt Nettie take off from the chocolate company and follow a few clues. Aunt Nettie has a keen eye for details that even Lee doesn’t see. The two of them are hilarious as they meet character after character from the Maltese Falcon movie. It is a good thing that Nettie is married to the police chief and Lee’s husband has such patience otherwise these ladies wouldn’t only have lots of explaining to do.
I find the characters so believable. The mixture of the Michigan and Texas characteristics are so true to life. Lee has some pretty neat quirks, using a close but different word when she is stressed, being tall, scared of trees and clumsy at time.
I found the way this story follows the Maltese Falcon movie and book to be extremely fitting with just enough change and chocolate to keep it going. You can always count on Ms. Carl to have a nice plot with lots of twists. I always like the research Ms. Carl does and little facts included in the book, be it the facts within the plot or the chocolate facts & recipes Ms. Carl adds in (well, fudge in this book). She makes it fun and exciting with quick wit.
I honestly can’t believe that this is the 15th book. It is such a delightful series, the perfect cozy mysteries. If you haven’t read these books yet start with the first one The Chocolate Cat Caper, and you will be hooked and craving chocolates (both are good things).
This is a Guest Review for Baroness' Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book for your site. ~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
January 9, 2023
This series has always made me happy and this book did not disappoint. I’m glad I started this on a Sunday because like many others in the series once I started I couldn’t put it down and therefore finished it in a day. Lee and Joe, Nettie and Hogan, and all the others kept me smiling the whole time. I liked the tie in with the Maltese Falcon. Who knew a bird could continue to cause so much trouble.
October 15, 2022
Lee’s ex-stepson shows up unexpectedly at TenHuis Chocolade. They have remained on good terms, and she is happy to see him, and agrees to go on a dinner date with him and her family. Only, Jeff doesn’t show up for the dinner. Still missing the next day, Lee is concerned, especially when his girlfriend arrives in town, and she is also unable to connect with him. Then a wrecked car, a dead body, and some mysterious people add to the mayhem. Yes, the town is in the midst of a noir film festival, with focus on the Maltese Falcon, but life is starting to mimic that film too closely for comfort. It’s an exciting tale, with all the regular likable characters of the series and with a few disreputable ones thrown in. The tale also contains a variety of chocolate tidbits and fudge recipes to sweeten the pages.
February 3, 2017
I think I've given most of these 3 stars. I didn't like this one nearly as much as any of the others, but I didn't dislike it enough to take away a whole star. This one just felt odd and disjointed. You have to suspend reality with most of these type books, but this one was really pushing it. The entire thing was just kind of ridiculous and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Definitely my least favorite of the series.
July 10, 2016
I love these mysteries. Set in a summer resort town in Michigan where the amateur sleuth is an accountant in a chocolate shop, messes up her use of words and is always getting into trouble. YOu really can't go wrong.
This story surround the goings on at a film noir festival in the town. The focus is on the Maltese Falcon. You won't believe all of the twist and turns that take you to the end of everyone being safe and the murderer being figured out. Well, everyone is safe except for the ones murdered...
This story surround the goings on at a film noir festival in the town. The focus is on the Maltese Falcon. You won't believe all of the twist and turns that take you to the end of everyone being safe and the murderer being figured out. Well, everyone is safe except for the ones murdered...
December 28, 2015
Really used to love this series. it's still ok, just not what it was. This was too predictable, and was able to figure out the killer and reason very early on....
February 20, 2019
I had a hard time putting this down. Usually there are a few random pages about chocolate, but they were about fudge in this book.
August 6, 2020
Book #: 18
Title: The Chocolate Falcon Fraud (Chocoholic #15)
Author: JoAnna Carl
Format: Hardcover, 229 pages, dollar store
Pub. Date: Published November 3rd 2015 by NAL
Awards: none
* Popsugar Cat. Basic: A book with a pink cover
Popsugar Cat. Adv.: A book by an author who has written more than 20 books
Popsugar Cat. Adv.: A book with more than 20 letters in the title
Goodreads Cat.: 2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
Goodreads Cat.: 9. A book that can be read in a day
Bookriot Cat.: 03.) Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman
A-Z Title: C for Chocolate
A-Z Author: C for Carl
Rating: ***1/2 three and a half out of five stars
The town of Warner is hosting a "Tough Guys and Private Eyes" noir film festival. There are Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart impersonators all over town. A wealthy fan is even bringing his yacht, La Paloma, named after the ship in The Maltese Falcon. Lee and her Aunt Nettie are producing chocolate Maltese Falcons and other tie-ins at the chocolate shop. Everything is just like in the movies. Including having the captain of La Paloma, bringing her a package containing the Maltese Falcon to her door before dying at her feet!
I know the cover looks purplish in the picture, but I swear my copy is eye-glaringly hot pink! :D I've read a few of JoAnna's books before and even reviewed one for a "Food on the Cover" category. I managed to read it in one day because it was 80* and humid today and I pulled a back muscle this week, so I wasn't motivated to do anything more than sit and read. Her novels are not brilliant, but enjoyable, and I like her characters and writing style, even though I've read better by others. A good book and series, just not a great book.
Title: The Chocolate Falcon Fraud (Chocoholic #15)
Author: JoAnna Carl
Format: Hardcover, 229 pages, dollar store
Pub. Date: Published November 3rd 2015 by NAL
Awards: none
* Popsugar Cat. Basic: A book with a pink cover
Popsugar Cat. Adv.: A book by an author who has written more than 20 books
Popsugar Cat. Adv.: A book with more than 20 letters in the title
Goodreads Cat.: 2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
Goodreads Cat.: 9. A book that can be read in a day
Bookriot Cat.: 03.) Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman
A-Z Title: C for Chocolate
A-Z Author: C for Carl
Rating: ***1/2 three and a half out of five stars
The town of Warner is hosting a "Tough Guys and Private Eyes" noir film festival. There are Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart impersonators all over town. A wealthy fan is even bringing his yacht, La Paloma, named after the ship in The Maltese Falcon. Lee and her Aunt Nettie are producing chocolate Maltese Falcons and other tie-ins at the chocolate shop. Everything is just like in the movies. Including having the captain of La Paloma, bringing her a package containing the Maltese Falcon to her door before dying at her feet!
I know the cover looks purplish in the picture, but I swear my copy is eye-glaringly hot pink! :D I've read a few of JoAnna's books before and even reviewed one for a "Food on the Cover" category. I managed to read it in one day because it was 80* and humid today and I pulled a back muscle this week, so I wasn't motivated to do anything more than sit and read. Her novels are not brilliant, but enjoyable, and I like her characters and writing style, even though I've read better by others. A good book and series, just not a great book.
Read
February 10, 2023Mysteries in Warner Pier seem to get better and better. As with each of her chocoholic mysteries, this one did not disappoint. Fast action led to having me on the edge of my seat to see how the mystery would end.
When Lee Woodyards' former step son comes to town and invites her and her family to dinner, she is not aware that he is there on a hunt for a mysterious "treasure" related to the movie, The Maltese Falcon. When Jeff disappears and his friend, Tess arrives in Michigan, Lee is still not aware of just how much is going to happen in her life and that she will suddenly be in the middle of a huge mystery.
After Jeff appears hidden in Lee's attic with a head injury, his car is found several miles away wrecked, and a man knocks on Lee's door and dies on her porch , Lee finds herself and Tess kidnapped in order to aid in the kidnappers' effort to get to Jeff. The noir film festival is happening while all of this is in full swing and somehow everyone connected to the festival seems to be out to get Jeff, Tess, and Lee.
The mystery is solved and finds a kidnapping scheme to ransom the rich kid. How it all plays out makes for a great read. I am anxious to read the next book by JoAnna Carl in her chocoholic mystery series.
When Lee Woodyards' former step son comes to town and invites her and her family to dinner, she is not aware that he is there on a hunt for a mysterious "treasure" related to the movie, The Maltese Falcon. When Jeff disappears and his friend, Tess arrives in Michigan, Lee is still not aware of just how much is going to happen in her life and that she will suddenly be in the middle of a huge mystery.
After Jeff appears hidden in Lee's attic with a head injury, his car is found several miles away wrecked, and a man knocks on Lee's door and dies on her porch , Lee finds herself and Tess kidnapped in order to aid in the kidnappers' effort to get to Jeff. The noir film festival is happening while all of this is in full swing and somehow everyone connected to the festival seems to be out to get Jeff, Tess, and Lee.
The mystery is solved and finds a kidnapping scheme to ransom the rich kid. How it all plays out makes for a great read. I am anxious to read the next book by JoAnna Carl in her chocoholic mystery series.
October 31, 2016
The Chocolate Falcon Fraud is the fifteenth book in the delicious
a Chocoholic Mystery series.
The residents of Warner Pier are preparing for the start of Tough Guns and Private Eyes Film Festival with a special showing of The Maltese Falcon. As Lee is putting the final touches on some miniature Falcon chocolates her step-son from a previous marriage, Jeff, appears at the TenHuis candy shop. He is unclear as to why he is in Warner Pier, other to say he doing some research and wanted to attend the festival. When Jeff fails to make the supper he had arranged with Lee, Joe, her aunt, and step-uncle, they figure he had met a girl and will show up soon. But when he is still missing the next morning a search is begun and he is found near his wrecked car. It is soon learned that there is the possibility of another Maltese Falcon might be in existence. Then when a man comes to the door of Lee and Joe’s home and collapses dead on their porch and the package that he was carrying disappears, Lee figures that Jeff’s injuries and the man’s death are all somehow related to the existence of this alleged Maltese Falcon.
Once again Carl provides the reader with a well-plotted story, interesting characters and a helping of chocolate trivia.
Looking forward to the next exciting story in this series, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha.
a Chocoholic Mystery series.
The residents of Warner Pier are preparing for the start of Tough Guns and Private Eyes Film Festival with a special showing of The Maltese Falcon. As Lee is putting the final touches on some miniature Falcon chocolates her step-son from a previous marriage, Jeff, appears at the TenHuis candy shop. He is unclear as to why he is in Warner Pier, other to say he doing some research and wanted to attend the festival. When Jeff fails to make the supper he had arranged with Lee, Joe, her aunt, and step-uncle, they figure he had met a girl and will show up soon. But when he is still missing the next morning a search is begun and he is found near his wrecked car. It is soon learned that there is the possibility of another Maltese Falcon might be in existence. Then when a man comes to the door of Lee and Joe’s home and collapses dead on their porch and the package that he was carrying disappears, Lee figures that Jeff’s injuries and the man’s death are all somehow related to the existence of this alleged Maltese Falcon.
Once again Carl provides the reader with a well-plotted story, interesting characters and a helping of chocolate trivia.
Looking forward to the next exciting story in this series, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha.
February 7, 2020
Warner Pier is hosting a film festival, and The Maltese Falcon is the star of the show. Lee's nephew Jeff comes up from Texas to attend, and promptly disappears, to later be found in Lee's attic with a concusion and a totaled car. Jeff says he can't remember what happened, and spends several days in the hospital. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Tess also shows up in Michigan. After several strange happenings, Jeff, Tess and Lee are kidnapped on a boat and held ransom because of Jeff's wealthy dad.
Of course, they manage to get loose and save themselves, just as they were about to be rescued anyway.
Of course, they manage to get loose and save themselves, just as they were about to be rescued anyway.
March 11, 2021
A poor entry in the series. First, while making a takeoff of The Maltese Falcon might have sounded good in theory, it came across as lazy. Second, Jeff and Tess are idiots and annoying, and not vaguely enjoyable characters. Third, the attic. In the first book in which the idiots appeared, Jeff was at the house only a short time. In this one, Nettie mentions attic access is the old style covered hole in the ceiling of a closet, accessible only by ladder. Somehow Jeff knows about it, gets up there while injured, and leaves no sign he's gotten up to the attic? Nope.
September 29, 2018
Definitely not impressed. The story starts out with the arrival of Jeff, Lee's stepson with her previous husband, who is in the city for a film noir weekend and also wants to catch up with her. Instead of meeting for a dinner that he sets up, he disappears. The rest of the story involves a lot of references to The Maltese Falcon (which I never saw) and an improbable caper. The way that Jeff and Tess act is silly and it doesn't make much sense given the fact that there has been a murder.
dnf
June 20, 2024Read 100 pages which is almost halfway through and I just didn't care about anything that was happening. Admittedly, this is book 15 in the series and I have not read any of the others. I picked this up at a library sale, but I wasn't lost, I wasn't confused. I followed everything, the characters were 'meh' and it took almost halfway through the book before there was a body.
I decided to move on.
I decided to move on.
April 5, 2021
Eh, I've read better mysteries. I already knew who did it by the middle of the story.
Oh, I did like the high speed car chase when the Texan girl pulls out a gun and shots the other driver, like she's been doing it all her life. I'm sure she has... LOL
I always think fiction novels that include recipes are a mystery, but apparently it's a thing.
Oh, I did like the high speed car chase when the Texan girl pulls out a gun and shots the other driver, like she's been doing it all her life. I'm sure she has... LOL
I always think fiction novels that include recipes are a mystery, but apparently it's a thing.
September 7, 2023
An exciting mystery surrounding the Warner Pier Film Festival. Lee and Aunt Nettie get drawn into a mystery surrounding the Maltese Falcon. Before it ends they have managed to get Joe and sheriff Hogan into the mess.
June 30, 2017
It is definitely a light mystery kind of Summer. This fit the bill perfectly.
December 4, 2017
well paced plot, fun characters
August 24, 2019
This set-in-Michigan mystery series is always a good read. Characters you like and a plot that moves along nicely. Believable situations
July 5, 2020
Very fun! It was nice to have Jeff back :-)
February 12, 2021
I liked it the plot was great and now I want to read the Maltese falcon as well.
October 23, 2022
This one actually has recipes for fudge in it.
I thought this one must be an attempted murder mystery, but dang if a person didn't just get murdered anyhow.
Enjoy!
I thought this one must be an attempted murder mystery, but dang if a person didn't just get murdered anyhow.
Enjoy!
February 18, 2023
A nice book to finish reading early on a Saturday morning!
March 6, 2023
One of my favorite books in this series. I loved the Maltese Falcon info.
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