Asking for Truffle

A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery #1

by Dorothy St. James

When Charity Penn receives a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina complete with free cooking lessons at the town's seaside chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, she's immediately skeptical. She never entered any contest. Her former prep school friend offers to look into the phony prize--only to end up drowned in a vat of chocolate. Struck with guilt, Penn heads to the southern beach town to investigate why he was killed. But as wary as she is of the locals, she finds herself lured into their eccentric vibe, letting her defenses melt away and even learning the art of crafting delicious chocolates. That is, until delight turns bittersweet as she steps straight into the midst of a deadly plot to destroy the seaside town. Now, only Penn's quick thinking and a mysterious cask of rare chocolate can save the town she's learning to love. Rich and decadent, Asking for Truffle, the first in a new cozy series by Dorothy St. James, is sure to be a delectable read for fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Food

326 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2017

About the author

Pseudonym for author Dorothy McFalls

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, tiny little dog and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.

Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn't as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Charity Penn - an attractive, thirty-something, marketing executive - is a skeptical kind of gal. Her parents, an itinerant fortune teller who briefly hooked up with the young heir to a fortune, abandoned her right after birth. So Charity (who calls herself Penn) was raised by her paternal grandmother Cristobel, who never had a kind word for her. Still, Penn has a hefty trust fund, and always fears people are after her money.



So when Penn, who lives in Wisconsin, gets a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina - complete with cooking lessons at a chocolate shop - she's sure it's some kind of scam. Penn asks her friend, Skinny McGee, to look into the matter and - since he's going south anyway - Skinny stops by Camellia Beach to see what's what. Shortly afterward Skinny calls Penn and excitedly says she MUST come to Camellia Beach to see something for herself! Not long afterward Skinny is found dead in a vat of chocolate.



Consumed with guilt, Penn accepts her 'prize trip.' She packs up her ill-tempered pooch Stella - who never saw a toe she didn't want to bite - and heads for Camellia Beach.



There, Penn stays in a small hotel, meets the local residents, takes cooking lessons at 'The Chocolate Box' confectionary shop, and looks into Skinny's murder.



In less than a week there's another death, things get very complicated, and Penn herself becomes the target of a killer. Not sure who to trust, Penn has to race against time to expose the miscreant before she becomes the next victim.

The book has an intriguing premise and a variety of interesting characters, including: Althea - a woman who runs a crystal shop and has mystical thoughts; Mabel and Bertie - two elderly ladies who run the 'The Chocolate Box' and teach Penn to make heavenly sweets; Harley Dalton - a handsome attorney; Cal Dalton - a surfer who looks like an action hero; Jody - a real estate agent who wants to develop Camellia beach; Troubadour - a hairless cat who looks like a giant rodent; and more.



My biggest problem with the book is Penn, who needs to go to 'detective school' if she's going to be a cozy mystery sleuth.



For example, after arriving in Camellia Beach Penn takes cooking lessons for four full days before she looks into Skinny's death. A real detective (even an amateur) would never do this! And when someone hands Penn an important envelope, she ignores it, thinking she already knows what it contains (she's wrong, of course). How long does it take to look into an envelope? Even in cozies, the gumshoe should be clever and resourceful.

I was also a little put off by Penn's personality. She constantly whines about people being after her money..... and about her cold and distant relatives. These are legitimate issues - and I get it - but I don't need to hear it over and over again.

There are also too many cooking scenes in the story. I enjoyed them - but this is a mystery, not a cookbook. (I do like the recipes at the end of the book.....which sound scrumptious.)

All in all, this isn't a bad book, but it could be better (IMO).

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Dorothy St. James), and the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

With hint of Shakespeare death but using chocolate instead of wine. This Southern American Chocolate dark & rich proper cacao not the disgusting milk chocolate muck but real extra rich.
So is the mystery with really good print which makes it easy to read.A good cover that stands out & few chocolate recipes now all need is box of Lint chocolates
This bit like Miranda James cat books or Unlucky black cat Mysteries there is lot of good Modern American cr books with hint of both Christie & Chandler almost as if were old classic books but its no swearing or no sex so can be read by any age from 7-100 that makes this so good just like Miss Marple or an Albert Campion
Penn cannot cook she burn a boiled egg & then she wins competition that she never entered so her best friend Skinny takes a look & gets killed he is accessed of been drugy Penn is so mad she goes to prove what really happened along with her Papillon dog Stella who's favorite food is toes & fingers given to her by greed ex boyfriend The Cheese King who was after her billions .
This very funny & very easy to read.
About 15ys ago I read a book on the history & making of chocolate it talked about how the early chocolate was only drunk & hot not boiling water was used in special pots it was pored onto the cacao beans from high height to form bubbles & also explained the drying & grinding process in which making chocolate goes through. Dorothy must done lot reading to get her wonderful description of the same process so right that you can smell the bitter dark chocolate been made you can all most taste the truffles she talks about. This book reminds me of Perfume by Patrick Suskin it has same type of power to make taste as well as smell the vision on the pages of the story as dances the tango of taste on your tongue.
This was really top light mystery & it is 100% not last book I be reading by this author.
Best of all this book as great cover that is dead right but says nothing the story so no spoiler. The dog is right, the shop is right & wording is it is a mystery .Second thing that is great is at end of book is the recipes with blank page so look at them but not see the last page of the story.
A taste hot spicey chocolate minced beef & tomato chili that is easy to make not one of these crazy recipes & you can freeze it too if there is too much.Mmmm

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asking for Truffles is the first book in the Southern Chocolate Shop mystery series.

I enjoyed the setting in the chocolate shop, the cooking classes with Mabel and the preparations for the Sweets on the Beach Festival - chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. There is no such a thing as too much chocolate for my taste.

My suspicions regarding the murderer were all over the place and even though I suspected the right person at some point it was still a surprise.

Charity Penn is an interesting main character but her negative attitude towards the people surrounding her is a bit overpowering. It is mentioned commonly that she fears to be conned or has been conned. I hope we will see a lot less of this in future installments.
Stella the naughty little Papillon dog is a hoot and had me laughing a lot.

I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Crooked Lane Books and the author provided me with a copy.

[Linda Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seldom have I read a cozy in which I did not like the main character, but I did not like this one. The female protagonist, Penn, has a past that troubles her and bleeds into every aspect of her life. As such, her 'tortured' character is tedious and unappealing throughout the story. She's paranoid about her trust fund; she's forever irresponsible and immature in her decisions, and doesn't even like the cute little dog, Stella, that her ex gifted her.

The plot is partly centered around the Chocolate Box shop and the special chocolate they use. There's a mystical touch about it's origin that's interesting, and I enjoyed the cooking lesson scenes. At 30% of the book, I had Penn's DNA association figured out with the shop's family, and was disappointed it was that early on and that easy to solve.

The supporting characters are mostly part of the chocolate shop owner's family plus a select few friends and townspeople. For seemingly no reason, most are hostile toward Penn as soon as she arrives in their run-down beach community. They never heard of her before nor she of them! I did enjoy Penn's Granny Mae (not a blood relation) who is smart and fun, and I hope will be present in future stories.

I am interested in reading book two because I want to see if the protagonist manages to overcome her insecurities and successfully manage the chocolate shop and meld with the Camellia Beach Community, South Carolina residents as her benefactor, Mabel, intended for her to do.

Recipes included!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charity Penn receives a strange letter in the mail. It states she has won a trip to Camellia, SC to take cooking lessons at the local chocolate shop. Penn knows she didn't enter a contest, and she doesn't know anybody from Camellia. The whole thing seems very strange to her. Penn's friend, Skinny McGee, agrees to stop by the little town and check things out. Her father is wealthy, and although her dealings with his family have never been good, she has frequently been the victim of scams and tricks by people trying to get mits on her father's money. Skinny calls once from the little SC town leaving a message that says that she needs to come down. He has found out who invited her on the trip and why....but before she can contact him, she discovers Skinny has been murdered. His dead body is discovered in the very chocolate shop Penn has been invited to visit. Penn rushes to SC to investigate Skinny's murder, but ends up meeting the two lovely older ladies who run the chocolate shop. She takes the cooking lessons....but soon her sweet visit to Camellia gets even more complicated, troubling....and dangerous.

This book is so much fun to read! From descriptions of chocolate goodies to Stella, the little papillion who bites....just entertaining from beginning to end!! I can't eat chocolate for medical reasons, but I can certainly enjoy reading about it!! Penn's background and feisty, independent personality make her a great MC in this mystery. The side characters are quirky and interesting. The bad guys are adequately horrible. I found a couple characters that I could enjoy hating...but it took me a bit to figure out which one was a murderer and not just a jerk. The plot is nicely paced, with plenty of surprises. There were a few things I figured out pretty quickly....but plenty that I didn't see coming.

For chocolate fans, there are recipes at the back of the book. :) Mmmmmmmm. Cook up something yummy in my honor because I can't have any! :)

The cover art is colorful and just awesome! Cozy mysteries always have the best covers!! Stella doesn't look like she would bite, does she? ha ha. It's the little dogs that are always the most feisty (I have two chihuahuas)! :)

All in all, a great start for a new cozy series! I'm definitely going to read the next book! Book 2, Playing with Bonbon Fire, comes out in March 2018! :)

Dorothy St. James also writes the White House Gardener series. To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.dorothystjames.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charity Penn has been raised to trust no one, so she is immediately suspicious when she receives a letter stating she won a contest for cooking lessons in a chocolate shop in South Carolina – a contest she didn’t enter. When her friend goes down to investigate, he calls her teasing good news and then winds up dead in a vat of chocolate. Determined to figure out what happened to her friend, Penn goes to investigate. But can she trust anyone? What is going on?

This book started out slowly, at least mystery wise, since it had the hard job of setting up the series as well as solving the mystery. However, the second half included some good twists and turns as well as payoff for the set up. Penn is an interesting main character since she is pricklier than we normally see in a cozy mystery, but the reasons for her behavior as fully explained and understandable. I’m looking forward to seeing some growth from her as the series progresses, and we already see some of that here.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Release Date: September 12, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Actual Rating: 3 stars

I am going to keep this review short because I don't have too much to say about the book. First and foremost, I think this is a good start to the series but I am hoping the books improve as it continues. Otherwise, I won't waste my money as the newer books are pricey for the length. Next, there were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. First, the series name is A Southern Chocolate Shop mystery. Nothing about this book felt southern to me besides the characters saying where they were from. And when I say nothing I mean ZILCH. There wasn't any character slang, there didn't seem to be any southern values, and these characters certainly didn't have the southern charm I look for when reading a book based in the south. Next, the way Penn kept harping on her inheritance (or lack of as her family doesn't want to give it to her) bordered on insanity. How many people could she seriously accuse of wanting to use her for her money?? It was CONSTANT. I got it after the first time- your dads side of the family (who don't support her) have cash. You don't have to keep saying it. It was over the top and made her seem like an uptight brat. And honestly, it annoyed the heck out of me. Finally, her DOG. Get it some training huh? It bit EVER SINGLE CHARACTER in this book. And she didn't even like it- this was made clear numerous times. GAH! I was losing my mind.

Aside from all that, I did feel like Penn was a true amateur sleuth. She clearly had no clue what she was doing when she was trying to solve the murder of her old friend which made it believable. And the ending was cute too. So it had THAT going for it. Other than all this though, I found this one to be a decent read, not the best, but good despite that crap I mentioned above. Would I read the second story? Only if it goes on sale. I don't want to waste my money on a book that is going to grate on my nerves like this one.

[Stacie Amelotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asking for Truffle, book #1 of A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery is one of my favorite new series for 2017. The author skillfully weaves so many mysteries and layers into the story. For me, it felt like a combination Nancy Drew meets Willie Wonka with a splash of Cinderella. Once I started reading, I couldn’t book this book down.

I love the unique characters and situations in this book. The setting of this story, a quaint beach town that is in need of some refurbishing but is still full of folks who love their community is the perfect location. The quirky array of locals make wonderful additions to the series and give the author plenty of options on how to develop each one as the books progress. The main character in this story is Charity Penn, aka just Penn. An heiress/black sheep of the family, she has never really had a place to call home and is in search of just such a place. When she winds up in Camelia Beach and starts learning how to make chocolates from Mabel she starts wondering the real reason why Mable wanted her to come to Camelia Beach.

The chocolate shop is intriguing. It sounds like it could use some TLC, but I love that the “magical” chocolate speaks for itself and draws the customers back time and time again. Penn’s temperamental Papillon, Stella, is a hilarious sidekick. I thought the writing in this story was superb. The plot was excellent with many twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are other questions that arise in addition to who the killer is and the way that part of the story plays out was charming and in a way surprising. The reveal of the killer was a total shocker. All of the talk about chocolate and the recipes included will have your sweet tooth wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book to be released!

A huge thank you to the author, Crooked Lane, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and review an advance readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

As soon as I saw this cover pop up on Facebook I knew I needed to read this book! Look at those truffles and the cute puppy.

Ms. St. James starts us out just up the highway from where I am sitting here in Wisconsin, when Charity Penn (Penn) learns she has won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina and The Chocolate Box. Thinking is has to be some kind of scam she doesn’t get too excited. Then a friend, Skinny McGee, says he is going to be in South Carolina area and tells her he will check the place out. After a phone call from Skinny gets cut off and she learns he was found later dead in vat of chocolate, she has no choice but to venture south to find out what happened. She is not welcomed with opened arms by everyone but the ladies at The Chocolate Box are sure happy to see her. But there is something very wrong in Camellia Beach, in addition to the death of her friend, and Penn is not heading back to Madison until she gets to the bottom of it.

I really enjoyed this story. Penn reminds me a little bit of myself, we both have the “waiting for the other shoe to drop” mentality. She has kind of closed herself off due to her upbringing making her very independent but hard for people to get to know. She is clearly an individual that has a deep hurt that has affected her for a long time. Still she hops on a plane to a place unknown to her to find out why her friend was killed. Everyone in the town was sketchy from police chief, to the local lawyer, and even the ladies at the chocolate shop were hiding something. Her skeptical nature serves her well in this town. I appreciated the character development throughout the story while still allowing room for the characters to continue to grow over the course of the series.

The plot itself has several twists giving several viable suspects but I was on the right track early on. I always say, first books in a cozy mystery series are a heavy lift because the author not only has to introduce the main character and the people around them but give us a mystery that clicks with the readers and engages them to come back for future books. The author did that here with an extra twist in the plot away for the murder/s. Something that the reader is unsure about until almost the very end of the story. While the murder was solved she left other questions I need answered. I am definitely excited for the next installment.

Learning about the cacao beans, where they come from and how to work with them was super interesting too. The candy descriptions had be drooling and craving chocolate.

Oh and just a little heads up – that cute little puppy on the cover is a feisty little creature known to bite even her owner. 🙂 She also has to deal with another animal in this story and when it was introduced I could have fallen out my chair laughing.

This series is off to a great start and I am excited to see what happens next.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first in a new series about chocolate, a cozy mystery. The characters are developed in depth and will appeal to you. The background is a small island off the coast of South Carolina. Penn is notified that she has won a series of cooking lessons. She has never entered a contest and sends a friend to look into the matter. The friend calls her and tells her to come and see what he has found. She will be surprised by it. The next morning the friend is found dead in a vat of chocolate. Penn and her feisty dog Stella arrived on the island to find the murderer. Yes, there is even a Sphinx cat. The ups and downs of the narrative will hold your attention until the book ends. I thought I knew the answer but I missed it. I highly recommend this book. Looking forward to the next one. Candy Recipes included.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and interesting beginning to a new series. When Charity Penn heads to Camellia Beach, South Carolina she has no idea what is awaiting her there. She feels responsible for the death of her friend "Skinny" McGee and wants to see if she can find out what happened to him. Penn comes from wealthy family on her father's side, and has not idea who her mother is. When she arrives in town, she finds out that Skinny was found dead in a vat of chocolate, at the shop where she has supposedly won cooking lessons. The shop seems rather dilapitated and Penn assumes that the owners are trying to get her to invest money in the shop. When she meets the two older women who run the shop, she actually develops a friendly relationship with them and enjoys learning how to make chocolate. When Mabel, the owner who is teaching her, dies, things get even more complicated.

I love the unique characters and situations in this book. The setting of this story is a quaint beach town that is in need of some repairs, but the funds are not there. The town is full of people who love it, but they do not want it to become some big touristy area. I love Bertie and Althea, who live above the chocolate shop and Bertie helps run it as well. There is Penn's lawyer, Harley Dalton, who might become a love interest in future books and the animals are also a fun addition to the story. Penn has a feisty dog who tends to sink her teeth into shoes, hands and pants, and Harley's sphinx cat. The main character in this story is Charity Penn, aka just Penn. An heiress/illegitimate daughter of the family, she has never really had a place to call home. When she winds up in Camelia Beach and starts learning how to make chocolates from Mabel she starts wondering the real reason why Mable wanted her to come to Camelia Beach. She doesn't actively investigate the murder so much as talk to people and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She also does not know who to trust and speaks out when she should play her cards close to her vest.

Overall this was a fun book to read/listen to. I loved the descriptions and information about chocolate. It gave me a new appreciation of why chocolate goodies in these stores are a bit more expensive. The plot is nicely paced, with plenty of surprises. There were a few things I figured out pretty quickly, but I did not figure out the ending at all. The many suspects threw a lot of red herrings into the mix. The one thing I got tired of in this book was the constant whining and commenting about people being after Penn's money, and about her grandmother who treated her quite badly. I know this is an important part of her background and is an important part of the story, but it was a bit much. I did enjoy this book and the narration of the audio book that I listened to. I recommend this series to cozy mystery lovers who enjoy small towns, culinary cozies, and those that have some family issues and secrets.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charity Penn, known as "Penn," is living in Madison, Wisconsin with her "Gram," when she receives a mysterious letter that she has won a free trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina for chocolate making lessons. Gram, a kind woman who raised her but not related to her, and her childhood friend nicknamed "Skinny" are also suspicious and Skinny says that he will investigate the store when he is travelling in the area next week for a surfing competition. He leaves a cryptic message on Penn's voice mail, purporting to know why the letter was sent, from whom and tells that he wants to give her this information in person. But before she leaves Wisconsin, Penn reads that Skinny has been murdered in a chocolate vat right in the Chocolate Box. She decides to travel there anyways, take the candy lessons, and find his murderer.
Upon her arrival, she meets Mabel Mayback, the long-time owner of the chocolate shop and her partner, Bertie, as well as many other of the small town's residents. As she digs deeper into Skinny's death, she finds herself in the middle of another mystery. This seemingly benign beach town holds many dark secrets and Penn's own life may just be ticking away!

I enjoyed the book very much. It had a pleasant pace and I read 3/4 of it in one sitting. The mystery was well-plotted and the many red herrings kept me in suspense until the very end. Penn's character is very likeable and sympathetic. There is no graphic sex, violence or foul language. The author integrated detailed information about the harvesting and sourcing of chocolate and its economic impact on the plantations in South America and West Africa into the plot. She also included a recipe for chili, hot chocolate/hot chocolate shots, and dark chocolate hazelnut truffle. I will definitely be looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher. My review is voluntary and contains my own honest thoughts and opinions.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally got to go back and read the first in this series. I won a copy of the second book and enjoyed it so I knew I'd read them all. Hearing about how Penn first got the letter to go to town and her first murder case was fun. I like all the characters mentioned. Also, it's been a while since I read the other book so I forgot who the killer actually turned out to be (but I do remember it being mentioned in the second book after they were revealed!). He was one of the ones I suspected but I wasn't fully sold on him. I love all the chocolate parts mentioned! It made me want to eat chocolates though so is that really a good thing?! 🤷‍♂️😀

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. This was a hot mess of a book. Unlikeable MC. Unlikeable townspeople. A mystery that really made no sense if you looked at it too closely. And dropped plot lines everywhere. Welcome to Camellia Beach, South Carolina. You won't want to stay too long. Just grab your chocolate and go.

Charity Penn is a rich girl with a serious chip on her shoulder and a ton of daddy (and mommy) issues. That, on the surface, shouldn't make her unlikeable. I enjoy my MCs flawed. However, when she mentions at EVERY turn that she thinks people are after her money, she needs to stop talking to anyone but her shrink. She's annoying, y'all. Oh, and she tells people her name is Penn. Just Penn. Not short for Penny. Just Penn. Like Madonna. Or Prince. Or Beyonce. Seriously, Penn, get over your damn self. P.S. take a detective class or something, because you are a big dummy who can't even be bothered to read what is handed to you in a very important envelope. Who does that? Well, I guess Penn, and Penn only. Common sense 101 wasn't taught at her prep school, clearly.

Also, the plot was dumb. We are supposed to think her friendship with Skinny is a deep one of trust, but then she knows nothing about him. Nothing, because she can't stop talking about how people want her money. And she calls the police and accuses like 200 different people, and they keep listening to her, because this universe is the most unrealistic one on the planet.

Secrets, lies, and nonsense abound. Plus a poor dog who desperately needs an obedience course before she has to be put down for biting the wrong person. Probably the dumbest part of a terrible book. 1.5 stars.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a difficult review to write. I knew there were some mixed reviews on this book before I started reading, but I liked the premise well enough to give it a try. I guess my biggest problem with this book was that I really didn't like Charity Penn, the main character. She is stand-offish, prickly and paranoid. One character in the book likened her to a porcupine and I think that was a very apt description. Because of these personality traits I found it difficult to warm up to Penn and like her character. There were some interesting secondary characters that helped to redeem the story. Also, I found it strange that Penn didn't start really start investigating her friends death until after she had been in town for 4 days. That seemed a little unrealistic to me.

The mystery was good. There were plenty of suspects to choose from with varying motives. However, in what was a surprise to me, I figured out the identity of the killer about 1/2 way through the book. For me, this person just stood out too much not to be the culprit.

I'm still on the fence as to whether I will continue with this series or not.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

[PugMom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asking for a Truffle is the first book in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. The premise is very cozy including a dog and chocolate! What's not to love? Unfortunately, I didn't love it. The main character wasn't immediately likable and it seemed I couldn't get past the quite annoying dog and annoying characters (well, most of them). I loved the whole idea of the "mystery" surrounding the letter that Penn, the main character, got at the beginning of the story but it wasn't carried out in a logical and engaging way. I think the ending was surprising and made sense in the end so even though I didn't love it, I definitely didn't hate it and will probably read the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed this book via NetGalley.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I voluntarily read this ARC**

I tried really, really hard to love this book. The premise was great, but it failed to live up to its potential. My biggest issue was that the murderer was so obvious from fairly early on, which left me frustrated at the main character for the majority of the book. My other issue is the that main character was annoying. She was so naive, yet she kept insisting she had learned from her mistakes - as she made the exact same mistakes she claimed she had learned from. There were some enjoyable characters, and a wonderful heartwarming scene towards the end.

[Melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that got my attention from the beginning and kept it till the very end. I really enjoyed the setting of this story, a quaint beach town that is in need of some refurbishing but is still full of folks who love their community. The main character in this story is Penn and I really liked her. She has never really had a place to call home and she is in search of just such a place. When she winds up in Camelia Beach and starts learning how to make chocolates from Mabel she starts wondering why Mable wanted her to come to Camelia Beach. I thought the writing in this story was superb. The plot was excellent with many twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are other questions that arise other than who the killer is and the way that part of the story plays out was charming and in a way surprising. The reveal of the killer was a total shocker and totally blindsided me. Of course all the talk about delicious chocolate in this book had me craving chocolate. I look forward to more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good with only one shortcoming.

Full review coming to More Mysteries Please on August 28!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asking for Truffle is the debut in the A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series featuring Charity Penn. Penn, as she prefers to be called, is living in Madison, Wisconsin with Granny Mae, her biological grandmother's one time housekeeper when she receives a note that she's won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina and free cooking lessons in a chocolate shop.

Immediately suspicious of the prize as she didn't enter a contest, Penn asks her best friend Craig "Skinny" McGee to investigate who sent her the note. Skinny leaves an excited yet cryptic message on her cell phone saying that she needs to come to Camellia Beach and that is the last Penn hears from him, as he's discovered dead in a vat of chocolate the next day.

Determined to find out what happened to her friend and discover who sent her the mysterious prize, Penn sets out across country with her Papillon, Stella. Quickly she finds herself caught up in a week long class at The Chocolate Box, owned by Mabel Maybank and her assistant Bertie Bays, and not long after Penn discovers that things around the candy shop aren't as sweet as they seem.

A terrific debut with well rounded and interesting characters that will draw you in from page one. The main murders are solved but several subplots are not by the end of the book and you'll most definitely want to pick up the next installment in the series to follow the adventures of Penn and Stella.

I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the series

I really enjoyed this book, it made me want to keep turning pages to see what would happen next. There were lots of little mysteries going on. I liked Penn and look forward to seeing how her life evolves in future books.

[The Cozy Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asking for Truffle: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Author: Dorothy St. James
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Charity Penn won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina and free cooking lessons at "The Chocolate Box". She knows that she didn’t actually win because she never entered. She figures it is just another scam, like so many before trying to get into her bank account. Her best friend and former school friend, Skinny offers to look into the situation and ends up drowned in a vat of chocolate.

Charity “Penn” as she is known, hurry’s to the seaside town determined to find Skinny’s killer. As much as she distrusts everyone, and tells herself that she wants to get in and out of the decrepit old town, she finds herself enjoying her time and the people. That is until she gets involved in a second murder and puts her life in danger to solve both.

--
Penn is a bit too untrusting and not a very likable character, at least not at first. Her childhood issues continue to plague her and make her into an angry and at times rude individual. Her mistrust of everyone and everything gets in the way of her truly learning to live. She is given the opportunity of a lifetime but can’t accept it for what it is, a genuine gift.

In many ways, the character of Penn is not in the least unusual is the real world. However, the fact that she continues to hold onto her issues in the face of acceptance and love is in no small part the attraction to the character and the story. The reader has to keep turning the pages to find out if she will ever let go of the past and find true happiness, and solve the murder of her friend.

This story is fast-paced, entertaining and filled with possibilities. The twists and turns often leave the reader reeling from the harshness of Penn’s thoughts and attitudes. There comes the point when the reader may want to shout at the character, shake her and tell her to stop living in the past and to look at what is right in front of her.

In the last few chapters, the reader is left with a sense of anxiousness and satisfaction, knowing that they didn’t waste their time reading to the end. The ending gives people joy and an outlook on life that all things are possible even for Charity Penn.

This is the first book in a new series and is highly recommended for its entertainment value as well as its ability to pull an emotional response from the reader. Those who enjoy a good who done it will love this book.

An ARC was provided by Netgalley

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charity Penn receives a letter from Camellia
Beach in South Carolina. The letter claims
that she has won a contest for free cooking
lesson at The Chocolate Box. However, she
never entered any contest. Penn as she
prefers to be called contacts her friend,
Skinny McGee to help trace the letter and
what is really happening. Skinny heads to
Camellia Beach where he has a surfing
history. He leaves a message for a Penn to
get down to Camellia Beach. Then Skinny
is found murdered in a vat of chocolate.
The old boy town sheriff declares the death
as the result of drugs. But Penn knows that
Skinny didn’t do drugs.
Penn and her nippy, yappy little dog, Stella
head to the beach. She located The
Chocolate Box where she enjoys learning
cooking and creating chocolates.
Penn is then shocked when the owner dies
and leaves the shop to Penn. The owner’s
family wants the piece of property where
the shop is located to sell. They vow to
discredit their mother’s will.
Biggest question is why did Penn inherit???
Fast paced, complex mystery as to the murder,
store robbery plus someone is trying to scare
Penn away or worse yet murder her.
Come along as Penn jumps in to solve the
mysteries.
It was interesting working with The Chocolate
Box owner while she taught Penn about the
various cacao beans. Penn learned their
origin, how to process them and about their
secret ingredient.
Yummy read with recipes included.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angry rich young woman arrives in a beat-up Carolina town and makes friends and enemies.
Charity Penn is an heiress with a poor attitude to life, so the main feature of the tale I enjoyed was seeing her character development. She's used to being around folks who know her and want her money, so a town where nobody knows or cares is new. She does her best to tell them about her fame but they are busy surfing or running shops. Why is Penn here? That's the hard part to believe.

Penn was sent a mysterious letter informing her that she'd won a cookery course in a chocolate shop. With her wealth, whether she wants to use it or not, she should have ignored this; when a school pal who goes to check it out is killed (over the top and unsanitary manner) she should have stayed a million miles away. Yet out of a sense of responsibility she goes to investigate his death - not very well. She brings a puppy Maltese Terrier which isn't trained yet, rather than a friend.

I like that the population is a diverse set; attention is given to responsible cocoa production; a theme such as Like Water For Chocolate is introduced. Most of all I like that our main character starts to see the natural beauty of the coastline and change her values and attitudes.

I read an ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asking for Truffle by Dorothy St. James was a delightful and surprising cozy that is coming out in September 2017. I feel really excited to share about this first in series put out by Crooked Lane Books. I kept waiting to for this book to have some truly "Magical" revelations but it didn't and it read so well I was never quite sure right up until the end. I was sure this would turn out to be a paranormal cozy but it did not! There was so much suspect activity in this book, suspense and amazing chocolate. Great back story for main character Penn, fun way for her to finally come into her own. I appreciated the complexity of the relationships in this book and while the author could have taken some really tidy and easy ways out, she didn't. I was guessing until the very end and I so enjoyed that! I think this could be a really great cozy series. Look for it now and put it on your list, you are going to enjoy this early fall read!

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the cover of this book the very first time I saw it. I adored the pup pictured. Finally, I got the book! It was everything I hoped for. Every bit of entertaining as the cover promised me. I love Stella, the cover dog, even more! There are a few things going on with the story’s main character, Penn. I like Penn a lot. I think her and Stella are a great match. I also liked the other characters to various degrees. I love that the author gave everyone good and bad parts. It made choosing the villain hard but also kept things real. How many people do you know who are totally either good or evil? That’s right. Most people are a mix of good and bad. I really enjoyed this story. I love chocolate so reading all about it was no hardship at all. If you are thinking about choosing this book, my recommendation is to go for it. I got caught up in the story fairly quickly. I hope you will, too.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asking For Truffle A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James is a scrumptious cozy mystery that delivers an exceptional fun read.


Penn gets a strange letter saying she has won chocolate making lessons at a beach town on South Carolina. She never entered a contest so she asks her friend to check it out but when Skinny is murdered Penn's guilt for asking him for help propels her to go and find out who killed him? Will she find the answers she seeks or will she become a victim too? Who is trying to scam her and why and did it lead to Skinny's death? 


This is a very fun, engaging read. Penn is a very cautious, inquisitive woman who doesn't trust easily. She has had her share of rejection and people trying to scam her out of an inheritance that she can't or doesn't want to touch. She isn't always a good judge of character so she tends to suspect everyone of trying to deceive her and want something from her. When she meets the women, Bertie and Mabel who have the Chocolate Box where the letter came from she seems to let her guard down some. Mabel who owns the shop is a person you just can't help loving. She finds a chip in Penn's wall and starts wheedling her way in. There are some characters that just make you dislike and distrust them like Jody and Mabel's children. Then there is the good looking smooth talking Cal that seems to be just a little to chummy and slick if you ask me. Harley seems to be a straight shooter but still you just aren't sure of him either.  The author makes the characters so complex that one minute you love them and the next you are suspecting them and not liking them at all. I always love a mystery that you have to keep reading and guessing to the end which is exactly what this one does. Penn is strong yet vulnerable, a woman who wants a family since her father didn't want her and her Mother abandoned her when she was born. She is likeable and you find yourself connecting easily with her and hoping she will find her happy ending when all is said and done. The ending is a little predictable but still the journey getting to the end has some twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book.


All in all this is a delightful, interesting fun mystery with complex interesting characters and a good plot. The chocolate recipes included sound delectable too.


I received this book for my honest opinion and review.

[Rima Aiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delectable beginning to a promising new series! We are introduced to Penn, a loner trying to navigate her way through being unwanted and unappreciated by almost everyone. Yes, she seems to have the makings of happiness, trust fund, intelligence, a promising career. Yet she is unwanted by most of her wealthy family after being dropped off on their doorstep as an infant, and has had to navigate through life being wary that everyone was using her for her money. Feeling alone and unwanted her entire life, she is surprised and wary that she received notice that she won a contest to learn to make chocolates, a contest she never entered. She shares the notice of her winning with her friend Skinny, and he promises to look into things for her.
After a late voicemail message from Skinny, telling her she needs to get down to Camellia Beach where the letter originated from, and that it is nothing to fear, she never hears from him again. Later finding out that her dear friend was murdered in the very chocolate shop that sent her letter, she vows to find out what happened to Skinny. Little does she know she is about to find herself and finally begin to feel whole.
This book has all the makings of a great beginning to a culinary cozy mystery series. Likable characters, animals that have big personalities, and the main character being thrown into one mystery after another. The characters are well thought out and written and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat until you realize you have reached the end. With wonderful recipes included this book definitely leaves you craving more.
I received an advance copy of this book via Netgalley. The review and opinions included are may own.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great beginning to a new series with lots of twists and turns!

This is the first book of a very promising series! I really ended up liking Charity Penn who only wants to be called Penn. She is a trust-fund baby in a family that considers her the black sheep and treats her like Cinderella. She has been taken advantage of by almost everyone she ever meets when they find out who her family is. Even her former boss, the Cheese King of Wisconsin swept her into a romance only to drop her heavy when she wouldn't give him money or have her family give him money for expansion of his business. This formed her personality to date. Being burnt so many times, she is very skeptical of everyone she meets, man or woman since they always want money from her or her family, or so she feels. And according to her wicked witch grandmother, it always has to be Penn's fault no matter what the problem! Now she wins a cooking contest from a chocolate shop in Camellia Beach, South Carolina. A contest she knows she never even entered. So, she asks her good friend, Skinny to check it out for her since he was going to be in the area. When he ends up dead, she has no choice but to go to the town and the Chocolate shop to try and find out what happened to her friend. She meets the owners of the shop, Doris and Mabel and takes the cooking lessons while investigating what the motives are for this contest and why her friend Skinny was murdered when the chief of police called it a drug deal gone bad. Lots of complex twists and turns and red herrings to keep you turning pages! I will love to see what the next book in this series will bring. I received an ARC from the Review Crew but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first in a series. Penn receives a notice that she won a cooking prize that she never entered. Her friend decides to check it out for her and ends up dead.
Penn is a refreshing character in the fact that she has a family history and also boyfriends that have given her trust issues, totally understandable, my one drawback was that it was mentioned a little too frequently for my taste and her dog that barks and bites everybody, granted that she didn't have much time to work with the dog but it did get a little irritating, however the plus side is that it appears that it will be a help in her sleuthing.
The side characters I fell in love with, you get the sense of being there with them. The mystery was excellent just when I thought I had it figured a new twist would arise. It is a little slow getting into it but once it starts it just keeps picking up more momentum. I will definitely continue on with this series and eagerly await the next.
*I was lucky enough to have received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion*