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Chocolate Centered Mystery #3
A Bitter Sweet Murder
Ally Sweet is excited to be staying the night at a new luxury hotel for free because ‘Charlotte’s Chocolate Heaven’ is negotiating a lucrative deal for the hotel’s bed turndown service, where a chocolate will be placed on each guest’s pillow every night.
But then Ally stumbles across a dead body. It looks like she is being framed and when hunky Detective Luke Elm is inadvertently implicated in the murder, Ally does everything she can to find the killer.
With a little help from her grandmother, feline friend, pot-bellied pig and some chocolate creations, Ally sifts through the suspects to uncover the truth.
Will Ally’s snooping make the shop lose the deal? Will Ally find the murderer and clear her and Luke’s names before there is another victim?
Recipe Included: Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache Frosting!
But then Ally stumbles across a dead body. It looks like she is being framed and when hunky Detective Luke Elm is inadvertently implicated in the murder, Ally does everything she can to find the killer.
With a little help from her grandmother, feline friend, pot-bellied pig and some chocolate creations, Ally sifts through the suspects to uncover the truth.
Will Ally’s snooping make the shop lose the deal? Will Ally find the murderer and clear her and Luke’s names before there is another victim?
Recipe Included: Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache Frosting!
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2016
346 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 5, 2019
I can see the attraction of a Cindy Bell book. She writes well, short of being mellifluous, and gets her point across.
There aren't too many characters to keep track of. The downside of that is there is much soliloquy. But that too can be an advantage.
For most of the book my rating hovered around 2 stars. But the author did well to keep the traditions of the cosy mystery genre alive, and the quality upped near the last third.
There aren't too many characters to keep track of. The downside of that is there is much soliloquy. But that too can be an advantage.
For most of the book my rating hovered around 2 stars. But the author did well to keep the traditions of the cosy mystery genre alive, and the quality upped near the last third.
October 14, 2017
This is a cute short book which I read on the way to and from my grandson's golf tournament. Seems to be my life lately. Then I forget to post.
This book is number 3 in the chocolate making series and like the others can also be read as a stand alone.
Ally is trying to drum up more business for her candy store Charlotte's Chocolate Heaven, named after her grandmother who has now retired. When she discovers a dead body she is put front and center as the main person of interest. With her cat, her pig and her handsome deputy Ally tries to clear her name before granny has to return to work.
This is a fast read. 130 pages so I didn't go into much. The characters are fun and believable. I still can't warm up to the pig. Sorry.
This book is number 3 in the chocolate making series and like the others can also be read as a stand alone.
Ally is trying to drum up more business for her candy store Charlotte's Chocolate Heaven, named after her grandmother who has now retired. When she discovers a dead body she is put front and center as the main person of interest. With her cat, her pig and her handsome deputy Ally tries to clear her name before granny has to return to work.
This is a fast read. 130 pages so I didn't go into much. The characters are fun and believable. I still can't warm up to the pig. Sorry.
August 25, 2023
Ally sets out to clear her friend of murder.
March 7, 2022
Kindle freebie at the time of download. All opinions expressed in my review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
Ally gets super nosy and tries to first save herself and then save a friend from being arrested for murder. The clues DO point to Ally/Charlotte and Denise so the moronic police do seem to know what they're doing. It takes Ally's gossip to solve this one and save everyone. To me, it was obvious who the murderer was. It took a bit for me to figure it out but once that person appeared on page, it seemed obvious to me. This series features two-dimensional cardboard characters, cute animals and lots of amazing sounding chocolate. Not even the positives can outweigh the ridiculousness of this series. Sure there are tropes in cozy mysteries but this series goes beyond that. Perhaps if the characters were more three-dimensional and the dialogue stronger it would be acceptable.
Ally gets super nosy and tries to first save herself and then save a friend from being arrested for murder. The clues DO point to Ally/Charlotte and Denise so the moronic police do seem to know what they're doing. It takes Ally's gossip to solve this one and save everyone. To me, it was obvious who the murderer was. It took a bit for me to figure it out but once that person appeared on page, it seemed obvious to me. This series features two-dimensional cardboard characters, cute animals and lots of amazing sounding chocolate. Not even the positives can outweigh the ridiculousness of this series. Sure there are tropes in cozy mysteries but this series goes beyond that. Perhaps if the characters were more three-dimensional and the dialogue stronger it would be acceptable.
December 11, 2023
Fairly typical cozy mystery and fairly typical for this series so far.
March 19, 2023
DNF. I had read the two Books in the series where Ally, and her stubbornness not to listen to sage advice, acts on her own putting herself and others in danger. This one is starting the same way and I just can’t take any more of her charging off on her white horse believing she can ignore how her actions impact others.
August 26, 2025
I appreciate the writer's efforts, but the police in this book are like the Keystone Cops, except that they are humorless. The detective and the patrol officer engage in prejudicial misconduct and assume facts not in evidence about the crime. The patrol officer openly accuses Luke Elm, without any evidence, of aiding and abetting a felony, something that should get him a serious reprimand from the police chief. Suspects are not read their rights before questioning, and questioning continues in spite of the fact that a suspect requests a lawyer. In most or all states, questioning must end when a suspect requests a lawyer. I wouldn't be so concerned about this ordinarily, but in the current time we have a government that is routinely violating the rights of the populace and I don't like reading about such things in fiction now. To continue, no cause of death is ever stated and without such, how do the police know that a murder really has been committed? No one ever shows that the arrested suspect was ever in the room of the victim. Yet she goes to prison. Prison is for convicted criminals, not the accused. Someone arrested goes to the county (or city) jail to await trial. First there is an arraignment in which the suspect pleads to the charge and has the opportunity to post bail, unless the judge decides the accused is a flight risk and the crime is especially serious. The charge(s) against the suspect are never mentioned. This summarizes all my complaints about this book. Nevertheless, I don't want to criticize Cindy Bell because she does at least write fiction that is coherent, even if I find the conduct of the police disturbing.
July 9, 2021
Another sweet and clean adventure with Mee-Maw and Ally along with their furry (sort of, Arnold's hair is probably bristly) friends, Arnold the pig and Peaches the cat. Arnold got to be a hero of the day with Peaches as his sidekick during the showdown though, go piggy! I think I would have given that little guy all the pig treats he could eat!
I had a feeling very early who the perp was, but it was still fun to explore all the options and compelling reasons why the other suspects would've killed a security guard who was just an all-around nice guy. Luke was a little too close to the case being the body was found in Ally's trunk, and at one point, he got the feeling he was suspected of helping. He helped as he could behind the scenes. The reveal was scary for Ally, but the showdown was awesome. Not only did Arnold help...you'll have to read and see who took down the perp. It was pretty cool!
I had a feeling very early who the perp was, but it was still fun to explore all the options and compelling reasons why the other suspects would've killed a security guard who was just an all-around nice guy. Luke was a little too close to the case being the body was found in Ally's trunk, and at one point, he got the feeling he was suspected of helping. He helped as he could behind the scenes. The reveal was scary for Ally, but the showdown was awesome. Not only did Arnold help...you'll have to read and see who took down the perp. It was pretty cool!
April 16, 2018
This is the 3rd. book in the “Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery” series by Cindy Bell. With this episode, the series is forming and flowing very well. You would not need to read this series in order to understand the characters.
In Blue River, “Chocolate Haven” is run by Ally Sweet and her grandmother, Charlotte. In an effort to expand their business, they pitch to “Bella Hotel” in Mainbry; the next town over, to provide the chocolates for turn down service…it goes south! In the “dry run” of the opening, their head security man stays in the hotel to make sure everything goes smoothly…..well it doesn’t. Now both Ally and Charlotte are concerned about their potential contract. They need to solve the murder quickly!
In Blue River, “Chocolate Haven” is run by Ally Sweet and her grandmother, Charlotte. In an effort to expand their business, they pitch to “Bella Hotel” in Mainbry; the next town over, to provide the chocolates for turn down service…it goes south! In the “dry run” of the opening, their head security man stays in the hotel to make sure everything goes smoothly…..well it doesn’t. Now both Ally and Charlotte are concerned about their potential contract. They need to solve the murder quickly!
July 22, 2020
I love this series and I have read every book in it. I suggest if you have not read any of this series, that you begin with the first book of the series and read them in chronological order. The main characters are Allie Sweet and her grandmother Charlotte Sweet who owns a chocolate bakery called Charlotte's Chocolate Heaven. Allie has an orange/yellow cat named Peaches and Charlotte has a pig named Arnold, who winds up staying with Allie when her grandmother moves into a retirement home. These two animals are quite adorable and add a lot to the storyline, and in several books winds up saving Allie and Charlotte's lives. I would recommend these books to everybody, young and old. They are clean cozy mysteries with memorable characters.
May 22, 2019
I love chocolate!
Ally Sweet is a professional chocolate-maker and is looking to expand by contracting with a hotel to distribute them on pillows.
On the way back from a meeting, she finds a dead body in her trunk. What? How did it get there? Suddenly, she and a friend are suspected in the death. Good thing she has a good friend that’s looking for a little more as a detective, even though the police think that he may have been involved, too.
With her trusty old granny and this hunk of a detective, Ally will stop at nothing to figure out this mystery.
A quick, easy mystery read!
Ally Sweet is a professional chocolate-maker and is looking to expand by contracting with a hotel to distribute them on pillows.
On the way back from a meeting, she finds a dead body in her trunk. What? How did it get there? Suddenly, she and a friend are suspected in the death. Good thing she has a good friend that’s looking for a little more as a detective, even though the police think that he may have been involved, too.
With her trusty old granny and this hunk of a detective, Ally will stop at nothing to figure out this mystery.
A quick, easy mystery read!
January 19, 2022
Carmels
Ally takes samples of her chocolate to the hotel for the pillow turn down service. She learns Dustin didn't like mint or dark chocolate, she forgot about the two sample chocolate caramels she had and asks Lisa to put them on Dustin's pillow. When Charlotte pops open Ally's trunk they find Dustin's body in it. Denise is arrested for Dustin's murder. Ally is determined to prove Denise is innocent.
Ally takes samples of her chocolate to the hotel for the pillow turn down service. She learns Dustin didn't like mint or dark chocolate, she forgot about the two sample chocolate caramels she had and asks Lisa to put them on Dustin's pillow. When Charlotte pops open Ally's trunk they find Dustin's body in it. Denise is arrested for Dustin's murder. Ally is determined to prove Denise is innocent.
July 22, 2022
A well written cozey mystery murder with an array of vibrant and colorful characters that draw you into its mystery the plot carries you throughout with its intrigue, twists and turns and murder suspects than you can shake a chocolate bar at keeping you turning page after page until you've reached the unexpected climatic conclusion. ACQUIRE " A Bitter Sweet Murder " today so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. 😀 Kat
May 10, 2022
Great read.
The only problem with his story was Ally's reluctance to trust her friend, Luke. She was quick to assume that he had another girlfriend. Her defense of her friend, Denise when she was jailed for murder, was admirable, and when Ally figured out who murdered the victim, Luke came to her rescue. The book had a happy ending, my favorite kind of ending.
The only problem with his story was Ally's reluctance to trust her friend, Luke. She was quick to assume that he had another girlfriend. Her defense of her friend, Denise when she was jailed for murder, was admirable, and when Ally figured out who murdered the victim, Luke came to her rescue. The book had a happy ending, my favorite kind of ending.
November 27, 2023
Great book to add to series!
I'm reading this series for the second time because it's so good! I had forgotten how interesting the series is and am glad I started it over again, beginning with book number one!!
I'm reading this series for the second time because it's so good! I had forgotten how interesting the series is and am glad I started it over again, beginning with book number one!!
November 15, 2017
A great story...
The author has been keeping the characters busy at doing more than making candy! The mystery of the murder in this tale will keep you all busy.
The author has been keeping the characters busy at doing more than making candy! The mystery of the murder in this tale will keep you all busy.
June 13, 2018
A great cozy mystery. (Luke is going to annoy the heck out of me though)
June 26, 2018
A very good and clean book and series except near the end I came across something that wasn't in the other books. So I will not read anymore in this series.
September 18, 2018
Would've liked this story better if she didn't keep she'd stay home and out of trouble, then immediately drive off to break into the crime scene.
March 24, 2020
Another cozy mystery that can make you forget about life for awhile.
March 8, 2022
Loved it
Another great book full of surprises. I really hope the couple get together. I love miss Charlie and ally. They feel so real.
Another great book full of surprises. I really hope the couple get together. I love miss Charlie and ally. They feel so real.
June 16, 2022
Rated G
January 5, 2023
Who killed Dustin Keeris and why??? Thank you, Bertha!!! I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.
June 10, 2023
Fast read
I don't like that there's a cat in the book. Arnold the pig adds a lot to the book. Yeah
I don't like that there's a cat in the book. Arnold the pig adds a lot to the book. Yeah
December 17, 2023
Typical small town proprietor encounters yet another body. Nothing new or innovative. But a pleasant read with nice characters.
February 25, 2024
Who killed Dustin and why??? He was going to interfere??? Thank you, Bertha!!! I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
May 21, 2024
A cozy mystery with lots of twists and turns. Characters are very likable and you feel like they are friends.
August 25, 2024
So cute!💙☕️📚
May 7, 2016
A REAL PAGE TURNER
Aside from my being a CHOCOHOLIC , preferably the darker and richer the better , this story had my pulse racing and I had to wake up at two this morning to finish it.
I hope dear Ally will regain her confidence and give her heart a chance.
ON TO NUMBER FOUR !
Aside from my being a CHOCOHOLIC , preferably the darker and richer the better , this story had my pulse racing and I had to wake up at two this morning to finish it.
I hope dear Ally will regain her confidence and give her heart a chance.
ON TO NUMBER FOUR !
February 18, 2016
Enjoyable
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The author is very talented and I like reading her books. She keeps the characters interesting and lively. I would recommend it to anyone.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The author is very talented and I like reading her books. She keeps the characters interesting and lively. I would recommend it to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews