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A Chocoholic Mystery #17
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans
In the newest mystery from nationally bestselling author Joanna Carl, a dive into house flipping becomes a deadly flop....
When a house near Lee and Joe's home goes up for sale, the couple teams up with Lee's aunt and uncle, Nettie and Hogan, to buy it, remodel it, and resell it for a sweet profit. But after the owners of the house, the Baileys, accept their offer, a local developer, Richard "Spud" Dirk, suddenly swoops in with a higher one, and it seems their dreams might be snatched away.
Lee, never as passionate about the plan as her husband and uncle, is anxious to get back to focusing on managing TenHuis Chocolade. But when a long-hidden gun is found behind a pipe in the Baileys' basement, she begins to suspect a mystery is afoot. And when Spud turns up dead in the Baileys' carport a few days later, it becomes clear there's something rotten at the foundation....
To solve the murder, Lee will have to strip away layers of secrets--that is, if someone doesn't level her first....
When a house near Lee and Joe's home goes up for sale, the couple teams up with Lee's aunt and uncle, Nettie and Hogan, to buy it, remodel it, and resell it for a sweet profit. But after the owners of the house, the Baileys, accept their offer, a local developer, Richard "Spud" Dirk, suddenly swoops in with a higher one, and it seems their dreams might be snatched away.
Lee, never as passionate about the plan as her husband and uncle, is anxious to get back to focusing on managing TenHuis Chocolade. But when a long-hidden gun is found behind a pipe in the Baileys' basement, she begins to suspect a mystery is afoot. And when Spud turns up dead in the Baileys' carport a few days later, it becomes clear there's something rotten at the foundation....
To solve the murder, Lee will have to strip away layers of secrets--that is, if someone doesn't level her first....
244 pages, Hardcover
Published November 5, 2019
66 people are currently reading
2281 people want to read
About the author
JoAnna Carl
34 books434 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 91 reviews
October 15, 2019
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is the 17th book in the Chocoholic Mystery series by JoAnna Carl. I've had most of the books in this series on my TBR shelf for a very long time. When you own thousands of books, it takes awhile to bring a series to the top of the pile. When I saw the front cover of this newest book, I knew it was time to start reading this series!
I don't usually jump into a series on book 17....but I did this time. I'm learning to take chances in my old age. ha ha. I knew if I didn't just jump in, that this series could remain in TBR limbo even longer than it already has. I'm glad I finally tested the waters and "met'' the owners of TenHuis Chocolade!
I enjoyed this book! I think I would understand the characters better starting at the beginning of the series, but I still enjoyed this fun mystery. The characters are quirky. There's lots of humor. And some great investigation as well. All in all, a fun, entertaining cozy mystery. I'm definitely back-tracking and starting this series from book 1 though....I want to see how this all got started!
The basics: Lee Woodyard's husband decides to buy a house to remodel and flip. She's not too keen on the idea, but goes along with it. When a hidden gun and a dead body are discovered in the house, they all get pulled into investigating a past crime and a present killing. Who knew flipping a house could be so dangerous?
I liked the humor and fun in this story most of all. Sometimes a really entertaining cozy can just be so refreshing and fun to read. I needed this dose of humor. This whole series appears to be this way if the covers are any indication! I can't wait to read the rest of the books! I need a little Lee -- and her constant use of wrong words -- in my life! I don't often give cozy mysteries full stars because they are such light reads and often written in a definite formula....but I had so much fun reading this entertaining, cute story that I'm giving it full marks.
Cute story! Fun read! I will definitely be reading this entire series!
**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
I don't usually jump into a series on book 17....but I did this time. I'm learning to take chances in my old age. ha ha. I knew if I didn't just jump in, that this series could remain in TBR limbo even longer than it already has. I'm glad I finally tested the waters and "met'' the owners of TenHuis Chocolade!
I enjoyed this book! I think I would understand the characters better starting at the beginning of the series, but I still enjoyed this fun mystery. The characters are quirky. There's lots of humor. And some great investigation as well. All in all, a fun, entertaining cozy mystery. I'm definitely back-tracking and starting this series from book 1 though....I want to see how this all got started!
The basics: Lee Woodyard's husband decides to buy a house to remodel and flip. She's not too keen on the idea, but goes along with it. When a hidden gun and a dead body are discovered in the house, they all get pulled into investigating a past crime and a present killing. Who knew flipping a house could be so dangerous?
I liked the humor and fun in this story most of all. Sometimes a really entertaining cozy can just be so refreshing and fun to read. I needed this dose of humor. This whole series appears to be this way if the covers are any indication! I can't wait to read the rest of the books! I need a little Lee -- and her constant use of wrong words -- in my life! I don't often give cozy mysteries full stars because they are such light reads and often written in a definite formula....but I had so much fun reading this entertaining, cute story that I'm giving it full marks.
Cute story! Fun read! I will definitely be reading this entire series!
**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
December 26, 2019
Cute, cozy, and clever. This is the 17th Book in this series and the first one I have read.I was completely sucked in by the charming cover, The quirky title, and of course the chocolate. I would have probably enjoyed the story more had I known more of the characters backstory, but it truly worked perfectly fine as a standalone. The mystery was clever and a little more complex than most cozies. Lee, her husband, and her uncle have purchased the house next-door with hopes of flipping it. When a gun and a dead body are discovered in the house there plans are diverted. Why does nothing like this ever happened on HGTV? The mystery involves the past, a high school club, and a prank gone wrong. I thought it was well plotted and I enjoyed trying to puzzle it out. I also loved all the chocolate facts sprinkled throughout the story, and I am now convinced that chocolate is good for you! A fun cozy with a little bite!
This book in emoji’s 🔨 🍫 🦈
*** Big thanks to Berkley for my gifted copy ***
This book in emoji’s 🔨 🍫 🦈
*** Big thanks to Berkley for my gifted copy ***
November 8, 2019
Much to Lee Woodyard’s dismay, her husband, Joe, and her uncle, Hogan, have bought the house next to Lee and Joe. They intended to flip it, but Lee is nervous about it. It doesn’t help when she and a plumber find a gun while checking the pipes in the basement. When Lee and Hogan go back to take a second look at the basement, they find a dead body. Can Lee figure out what is going on?
It has been a couple of years since we last got to visit Lee and the rest of the gang, and I was thrilled to be able to spend a little more time with them. As usual, the friends in Lee’s life are given cameos, but Lee, Joe, and the other couple of main characters more than make up for this. Not to mention, the new characters that help compel us into the story. Speaking of which, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The story is filled with twists and turns. The ending is a bit rushed, but it does tie everything major up. The book is on the shorter side, but by eliminating sub-plots, it still presents a full mystery that will leave you hungry for more. Speaking of which, the descriptions of chocolate made my mouth water, and the chocolate trivia sprinkled along the way is fun as always. We even get a recipe at the end of the book. Fans old and new will be glad they picked up this book.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
It has been a couple of years since we last got to visit Lee and the rest of the gang, and I was thrilled to be able to spend a little more time with them. As usual, the friends in Lee’s life are given cameos, but Lee, Joe, and the other couple of main characters more than make up for this. Not to mention, the new characters that help compel us into the story. Speaking of which, I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The story is filled with twists and turns. The ending is a bit rushed, but it does tie everything major up. The book is on the shorter side, but by eliminating sub-plots, it still presents a full mystery that will leave you hungry for more. Speaking of which, the descriptions of chocolate made my mouth water, and the chocolate trivia sprinkled along the way is fun as always. We even get a recipe at the end of the book. Fans old and new will be glad they picked up this book.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 29, 2020
I have been a big fan of this series since the beginning.
Lee and Joe have a home go up for sale next to their house. So Joe , Lee and her Aunt & Uncle buy it. They plan on remodeling it and reselling. A local developer, Spud, wants it and isn't to happy that they bought it. While Lee is down in the basement with the plumber, they discover a gun. Spud turns up dead a few days later at the house. Lee just can't help herself again trying to solve a murder.
I received this from NetGalley for review.
Lee and Joe have a home go up for sale next to their house. So Joe , Lee and her Aunt & Uncle buy it. They plan on remodeling it and reselling. A local developer, Spud, wants it and isn't to happy that they bought it. While Lee is down in the basement with the plumber, they discover a gun. Spud turns up dead a few days later at the house. Lee just can't help herself again trying to solve a murder.
I received this from NetGalley for review.
December 11, 2019
Lee and Joe buy a house to remodel and sell, the local developer ‘Spud’ also wants the house. Lee isn’t really into remodel and selling a house and wants to get busy working at her chocolate shop. Going through the old house a gun fall outs of the cellar goes off and almost hits Lee. Late Spud is found dead. It takes going back to Joe’s high school days, a group of friends and a prank that went wrong to figure it out.
November 16, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am so happy this series has returned!
Lee Woodyard’s husband Joe and her uncle Hogan have decided to get in on the house-flipping craze much to Lee’s dismay. Local developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk is not happy either. He had his eye on the property and even states the owner had given him the right of first refusal. The owners have given Joe approval to get estimates from contractors prior to the completed sale, but Joe was unavailable when the plumber came to check out the pipes so Lee played tour guide. She almost loses her life when an old gun is found in the basement and goes off just winging her a bit, but it is when the body is found in the carport cupboard that she knows this whole flipping deal was a big mistake. When the body is identified as “Spud” Dirk and him feuding over the sale with her family Lee knows she is going to have to hammer down the clues and paint the real killer into a corner unless they wipe her out first.
___
As a confirmed chocoholic, I have been all-in on this series from the very beginning. Lee and Nettie are two of my favorite cozy characters and I am thrilled their stories are continuing. I love the relationship they have with the men in their lives.
Sea salt and sharks are the themes of this story and Ms. Carl doesn’t disappoint, This time the mystery links the present and the past with an old high gang called the “Sharks” and an old prank may have lead to a new murder. The author peppers this story with suspense as well as humor. After spending a little time catching up with the characters things move along at a quick pace. The flow was excellent and I read the entire book in one sitting.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series are the TenHuis chocolates. Whenever a character takes a bite readers are given a full mouthwatering description. I only had a Hershey bar in the house at the time but it took care of my chocolate cravings until I can lay in some truffles of my own.
Well-written, wonderful characters, a captivating mystery, Chocolate Shark Shenanigans was an entertaining story and a great escape for an afternoon or evening. I was excited to get back to Warner Pier and anxiously await my next visit.
I am so happy this series has returned!
Lee Woodyard’s husband Joe and her uncle Hogan have decided to get in on the house-flipping craze much to Lee’s dismay. Local developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk is not happy either. He had his eye on the property and even states the owner had given him the right of first refusal. The owners have given Joe approval to get estimates from contractors prior to the completed sale, but Joe was unavailable when the plumber came to check out the pipes so Lee played tour guide. She almost loses her life when an old gun is found in the basement and goes off just winging her a bit, but it is when the body is found in the carport cupboard that she knows this whole flipping deal was a big mistake. When the body is identified as “Spud” Dirk and him feuding over the sale with her family Lee knows she is going to have to hammer down the clues and paint the real killer into a corner unless they wipe her out first.
___
As a confirmed chocoholic, I have been all-in on this series from the very beginning. Lee and Nettie are two of my favorite cozy characters and I am thrilled their stories are continuing. I love the relationship they have with the men in their lives.
Sea salt and sharks are the themes of this story and Ms. Carl doesn’t disappoint, This time the mystery links the present and the past with an old high gang called the “Sharks” and an old prank may have lead to a new murder. The author peppers this story with suspense as well as humor. After spending a little time catching up with the characters things move along at a quick pace. The flow was excellent and I read the entire book in one sitting.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series are the TenHuis chocolates. Whenever a character takes a bite readers are given a full mouthwatering description. I only had a Hershey bar in the house at the time but it took care of my chocolate cravings until I can lay in some truffles of my own.
Well-written, wonderful characters, a captivating mystery, Chocolate Shark Shenanigans was an entertaining story and a great escape for an afternoon or evening. I was excited to get back to Warner Pier and anxiously await my next visit.
July 17, 2019
It has been awhile since I have seen a JoAnna Carl's book. I have always enjoy my visit to the TenHuis factory and Lee Woodyard. Of course a visit with Lee and friends we must have chocolate. Special Chocolate in the book are a shark that goes along with a summer advertisement. I feel the rating should be 4.5 stars as there is not a lot about chocolate that I especially enjoy reading about it.
Joe and Hogan want to flip a house. When a house in Lee and Joe's neighborhood is for sale, the group buys it. Lee is at the house with plumber when a exploration occurs and Lee is nearly shot dead. It turns there was a gun that went off by accident. Richard "Spud" Dirk claims he had an agreement from the parents to buy the house. Spud is found MURDERED the carport of the disputed house. As Lee begins to examine the Murder she finds that she must look into what happen in the mid-fifties to find a motive for te two killings.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Joe and Hogan want to flip a house. When a house in Lee and Joe's neighborhood is for sale, the group buys it. Lee is at the house with plumber when a exploration occurs and Lee is nearly shot dead. It turns there was a gun that went off by accident. Richard "Spud" Dirk claims he had an agreement from the parents to buy the house. Spud is found MURDERED the carport of the disputed house. As Lee begins to examine the Murder she finds that she must look into what happen in the mid-fifties to find a motive for te two killings.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 3, 2019
I must say, I do believe Carl pulled out all the stops, delivering a delightfully funny story and a really good mystery! The cast of characters were highly entertaining and talk about a twisty plot! I loved it! I really enjoyed the spots of humor with Lee’s tongue tangles. Her bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time also had me feeling sympathetic for her.
I’ve been a long time fan of Joanna Carl, yet after reading Book 16, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha, I really thought the Chocoholic series had run its course. Actually, I think I wrote as much in my review... At any rate, I read the blurb on this one and couldn’t resist revisiting the charming community of Warner Pier and its zany residents! I am one delighted reader, because The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans reminded me of why I fell for this series in the first place! Even better, I do believe there’s one more book slated to release;)
I read an arc of this book and this is my honest review.
I’ve been a long time fan of Joanna Carl, yet after reading Book 16, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha, I really thought the Chocoholic series had run its course. Actually, I think I wrote as much in my review... At any rate, I read the blurb on this one and couldn’t resist revisiting the charming community of Warner Pier and its zany residents! I am one delighted reader, because The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans reminded me of why I fell for this series in the first place! Even better, I do believe there’s one more book slated to release;)
I read an arc of this book and this is my honest review.
March 18, 2021
I used to read this series ages ago, but since it took 3 years between when numbers 16 and 17 came out, I completely forgot about it. However, I saw the ARC come up in Edelweiss for number 18 recently. I remember liking this series, so I grabbed 18 and ordered 17. It came yesterday and I read it today. Well, I almost read it all. The last page was town out of my copy. But, honestly, I don't think it would have helped much.
The writing was terrible. The characters said some really inane things and made some really stupid actions. The characters would crack up laughing over the least little thing, but none of it was funny!
***There will be spoilers for the ending from here on out. You've been warned.***
So, let me get this straight. 4 asshole high school boys stage a pretend robbery at the store where their friend works because he's super paranoid about something happening. The friend freaks and brings out a real gun, shooting it and hitting a slushy machine before realizing it's his friends. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, is an older guy. Once the friends leave, the old guy starts raising hell, so the kid working there calls his dad, a local doctor. To keep the old guy from telling anyone about this stupid prank, the doctor shoots him and covers it up by pronouncing him dead by heart attack. THEN, the 5 friends tell EVERYONE in town about what they did. Seriously? None of this makes a bit if sense. Not to mention the part where, evidently the plumber steals the shoes and gun from a safe. The owner of the safe then stashes lots of money in the safe, but evidently doesn't notice the missing gun and shoes?
Gah! This was terrible. I'll read the next one since I have the ARC, but I think it's time to give up on this series.
The writing was terrible. The characters said some really inane things and made some really stupid actions. The characters would crack up laughing over the least little thing, but none of it was funny!
***There will be spoilers for the ending from here on out. You've been warned.***
So, let me get this straight. 4 asshole high school boys stage a pretend robbery at the store where their friend works because he's super paranoid about something happening. The friend freaks and brings out a real gun, shooting it and hitting a slushy machine before realizing it's his friends. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, is an older guy. Once the friends leave, the old guy starts raising hell, so the kid working there calls his dad, a local doctor. To keep the old guy from telling anyone about this stupid prank, the doctor shoots him and covers it up by pronouncing him dead by heart attack. THEN, the 5 friends tell EVERYONE in town about what they did. Seriously? None of this makes a bit if sense. Not to mention the part where, evidently the plumber steals the shoes and gun from a safe. The owner of the safe then stashes lots of money in the safe, but evidently doesn't notice the missing gun and shoes?
Gah! This was terrible. I'll read the next one since I have the ARC, but I think it's time to give up on this series.
November 27, 2019
An old mystery and a new murder are tied together, and Lee and her husband Joe are tied up in the middle of it. Joe and Hogan are remodeling a house to flip, and their plumber discovers an old gun concealed in the basement. One thing leads to another, and before you can say chocolate shark, the detectives are looking at Joe with interest and Lee is itching to find the real culprits. The coverup goes back to Joe’s high school days, and it takes a lot of digging to get people to own up to what really happened back then. It’s a delightful mystery, filled with the twists that readers love.
December 16, 2019
It was a good plot , a mystery with twist and turns ,with chocolate sharks .
November 14, 2019
A very enjoyable read and it was great to have another entry in this long running series after a hiatus.
March 25, 2020
https://openbooksociety.com/article/t...
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans
A Chocoholic Mystery #17
By JoAnna Carl
ISBN 9780593100004
www.joannacarl.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
In the newest mystery from nationally bestselling author Joanna Carl, a dive into house flipping becomes a deadly flop….
When a house near Lee and Joe’s home goes up for sale, the couple teams up with Lee’s aunt and uncle, Nettie and Hogan, to buy it, remodel it, and resell it for a sweet profit. But after the owners of the house, the Baileys, accept their offer, a local developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk, suddenly swoops in with a higher one, and it seems their dreams might be snatched away.
Lee, never as passionate about the plan as her husband and uncle, is anxious to get back to focusing on managing TenHuis Chocolade. But when a long-hidden gun is found behind a pipe in the Baileys’ basement, she begins to suspect a mystery is afoot. And when Spud turns up dead in the Baileys’ carport a few days later, it becomes clear there’s something rotten at the foundation….
To solve the murder, Lee will have to strip away layers of secrets–that is, if someone doesn’t level her first…. (from Goodreads)
Review:
It’s October, and in western Michigan, TenHuis Chocolade is in full production of specialty Christmas chocolates. Nettie TenHuis, Lee’s aunt, has always lived in Warner Pier except when she was in Europe learning to make luxury bonbons and truffles. Her niece, Lee, moved to Warner Pier from Texas five years earlier, intending to only stay a couple years. Now she is Nettie’s business manager and wife of Joe Woodyard, attorney and wooden boat restoration expert.
They are purchasing the old Bailey house next door to the TenHuis family home where Lee and Joe live. Joe and Hogan, Nettie’s husband, plan to make repairs and updates and flip it for a healthy profit. Lee was going through the old home with Digger, a plumber, so he could prepare an estimate. In the basement, he found a bundle of rags in the rafters which was odd, since Hogan and Joe had cleaned out everything. He pulled it out and accidentally dropped it, and a bullet whizzed past Lee. There was a Colt Peacemaker in the bundle of rags, a model that sometimes misfired. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and Hogan, the chief of police, took it to run through the system.
Lee, whose “curiosity bump” was awoken, asked Joe about Digger’s question of whether a crime had ever been committed in the Bailey house. Joe was unaware of one, but he did mention a fake robbery connected with the home. It was committed 20 years earlier by members of the Shark “gang”, with fake pistols and disguises, at the convenience store one of the members worked at. While the incident had never been reported to the police, another incident occurred that night. Meyer “Curley” McWhirley, a man with a heart problem who walked every evening per his doctor’s orders, had been found dead by Dr. Davis, father of the teen who worked at the convenience store. Not much was thought of it at the time. Dr. Davis said Curley died of a heart attack, and it was only later that the widow learned his nightly walk took him to the convenience store for a Hershey bar. Twenty years later, his widow told Hogan and Lee that Curley’s nearly-new sneakers were never seen that night – he was found in stockinged feet.
The next day, Hogan and Lee went through the house so she could show him where the gun was. On the way out, he wanted to check something in the carport. Opening the door brought out a terrible odor. Hogan looked in the cabinets and found the dead body of Spud Dirk, the developer who tried to outbid Joe and Hogan after they made a deal with the owner. He had been hit over the head, the gun in the basement unrelated to the murder.
Unfortunately, a note found with Spud’s body implicates Joe in the murder, so the state police oversee the investigation rather than Hogan. Star, Spud’s almost ex-wife, says Spud claimed to have a first right of refusal letter on the property, giving him priority to buy the Bailey house. Spud seems to have had his hand in many things over the years; which of them could have resulted in his murder? The Sharks don’t know what broke up the group all those years ago, or if any of them do, they aren’t saying.
I enjoyed getting to know Lee better and being reminded of her word challenges. Thinking of Lee’s brain twists of using conflicting words, such as collarbone for collateral, brings humor to (almost) any situation! Lee is very well defined, and there is sufficient background on the characters, including Aunt Nettie, Joe, and Uncle Hogan. I enjoyed having a wife and husband working on the mystery, a nice change from boyfriend/ girlfriend situations in many cozies.
Several pieces throughout include Chocolate Lore and interesting health benefits. One thing I found ironic are the heart benefits of chocolate while poor Curley, walking for his nightly Hershey bar, lost his life due to a heart attack. Plot twists increase the number of suspects even while ratcheting up the intrigue. Discovering whether Spud’s past relationships have anything to do with his demise is an interesting twist, even as they try to discover why the gun was hidden in the rafters of the Bailey basement. A couple clues gave me an idea who had some involvement with the situation, but I still was in for some surprises. The end is completely satisfactory, with all loose ends tied up. I highly recommend this novel and successful series!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans
A Chocoholic Mystery #17
By JoAnna Carl
ISBN 9780593100004
www.joannacarl.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
In the newest mystery from nationally bestselling author Joanna Carl, a dive into house flipping becomes a deadly flop….
When a house near Lee and Joe’s home goes up for sale, the couple teams up with Lee’s aunt and uncle, Nettie and Hogan, to buy it, remodel it, and resell it for a sweet profit. But after the owners of the house, the Baileys, accept their offer, a local developer, Richard “Spud” Dirk, suddenly swoops in with a higher one, and it seems their dreams might be snatched away.
Lee, never as passionate about the plan as her husband and uncle, is anxious to get back to focusing on managing TenHuis Chocolade. But when a long-hidden gun is found behind a pipe in the Baileys’ basement, she begins to suspect a mystery is afoot. And when Spud turns up dead in the Baileys’ carport a few days later, it becomes clear there’s something rotten at the foundation….
To solve the murder, Lee will have to strip away layers of secrets–that is, if someone doesn’t level her first…. (from Goodreads)
Review:
It’s October, and in western Michigan, TenHuis Chocolade is in full production of specialty Christmas chocolates. Nettie TenHuis, Lee’s aunt, has always lived in Warner Pier except when she was in Europe learning to make luxury bonbons and truffles. Her niece, Lee, moved to Warner Pier from Texas five years earlier, intending to only stay a couple years. Now she is Nettie’s business manager and wife of Joe Woodyard, attorney and wooden boat restoration expert.
They are purchasing the old Bailey house next door to the TenHuis family home where Lee and Joe live. Joe and Hogan, Nettie’s husband, plan to make repairs and updates and flip it for a healthy profit. Lee was going through the old home with Digger, a plumber, so he could prepare an estimate. In the basement, he found a bundle of rags in the rafters which was odd, since Hogan and Joe had cleaned out everything. He pulled it out and accidentally dropped it, and a bullet whizzed past Lee. There was a Colt Peacemaker in the bundle of rags, a model that sometimes misfired. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and Hogan, the chief of police, took it to run through the system.
Lee, whose “curiosity bump” was awoken, asked Joe about Digger’s question of whether a crime had ever been committed in the Bailey house. Joe was unaware of one, but he did mention a fake robbery connected with the home. It was committed 20 years earlier by members of the Shark “gang”, with fake pistols and disguises, at the convenience store one of the members worked at. While the incident had never been reported to the police, another incident occurred that night. Meyer “Curley” McWhirley, a man with a heart problem who walked every evening per his doctor’s orders, had been found dead by Dr. Davis, father of the teen who worked at the convenience store. Not much was thought of it at the time. Dr. Davis said Curley died of a heart attack, and it was only later that the widow learned his nightly walk took him to the convenience store for a Hershey bar. Twenty years later, his widow told Hogan and Lee that Curley’s nearly-new sneakers were never seen that night – he was found in stockinged feet.
The next day, Hogan and Lee went through the house so she could show him where the gun was. On the way out, he wanted to check something in the carport. Opening the door brought out a terrible odor. Hogan looked in the cabinets and found the dead body of Spud Dirk, the developer who tried to outbid Joe and Hogan after they made a deal with the owner. He had been hit over the head, the gun in the basement unrelated to the murder.
Unfortunately, a note found with Spud’s body implicates Joe in the murder, so the state police oversee the investigation rather than Hogan. Star, Spud’s almost ex-wife, says Spud claimed to have a first right of refusal letter on the property, giving him priority to buy the Bailey house. Spud seems to have had his hand in many things over the years; which of them could have resulted in his murder? The Sharks don’t know what broke up the group all those years ago, or if any of them do, they aren’t saying.
I enjoyed getting to know Lee better and being reminded of her word challenges. Thinking of Lee’s brain twists of using conflicting words, such as collarbone for collateral, brings humor to (almost) any situation! Lee is very well defined, and there is sufficient background on the characters, including Aunt Nettie, Joe, and Uncle Hogan. I enjoyed having a wife and husband working on the mystery, a nice change from boyfriend/ girlfriend situations in many cozies.
Several pieces throughout include Chocolate Lore and interesting health benefits. One thing I found ironic are the heart benefits of chocolate while poor Curley, walking for his nightly Hershey bar, lost his life due to a heart attack. Plot twists increase the number of suspects even while ratcheting up the intrigue. Discovering whether Spud’s past relationships have anything to do with his demise is an interesting twist, even as they try to discover why the gun was hidden in the rafters of the Bailey basement. A couple clues gave me an idea who had some involvement with the situation, but I still was in for some surprises. The end is completely satisfactory, with all loose ends tied up. I highly recommend this novel and successful series!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
November 6, 2019
Series: Chocoholic Mystery - Book 17
Author: JoAnna Carl
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 256
From Berkley comes the 17th book in the “Chocoholic Mystery” cozy murder series from JoAnna Carl, AKA Eve Sandstrom, The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans.
Lee may not be happy with the current house flipping arrangement that Joe and Hogan, as well as her aunt Nettie, have roped her into, but she is still doing her part to get things moving. Even when she almost gets shot due to the clumsiness of a plumber, she carries on. But when a body is discovered on the property, she is nearly ready to call it quits!
Readers can’t help liking Lee in this new cozy murder book. The characters are fun to read and learn about, and they make you want to grab a hammer and go to work. Sometimes in a series as long-running as this one, characters can become stale, annoying even but not these characters! Every new addition to the series brings new mystery, new revelations, and page-turning enjoyment.
Adding in the element of chocolate never hurt in a cozy murder story, and The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is no exception. Readers will fall in love with the chocolate shop, and all the delicious descriptions and interesting facts sprinkled throughout the book.
The identity of the killer and the ending is almost a surprise, and yet not one as well. If readers follow the clues in this cozy murder book and pay attention to the details, they will be able to figure out who the murderer is before the final reveal. Even the motive becomes evident if you take the time to sit back, relax, and read between the lines.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition to the series. It has all the elements needed in an excellent cozy murder book, some wonderful characters and a feeling of being there, strolling down the sidewalk, and meeting the cast of characters as if they were old friends. I am happy to recommend this book and series to readers of all cozy genres.
Author: JoAnna Carl
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 256
From Berkley comes the 17th book in the “Chocoholic Mystery” cozy murder series from JoAnna Carl, AKA Eve Sandstrom, The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans.
Lee may not be happy with the current house flipping arrangement that Joe and Hogan, as well as her aunt Nettie, have roped her into, but she is still doing her part to get things moving. Even when she almost gets shot due to the clumsiness of a plumber, she carries on. But when a body is discovered on the property, she is nearly ready to call it quits!
Readers can’t help liking Lee in this new cozy murder book. The characters are fun to read and learn about, and they make you want to grab a hammer and go to work. Sometimes in a series as long-running as this one, characters can become stale, annoying even but not these characters! Every new addition to the series brings new mystery, new revelations, and page-turning enjoyment.
Adding in the element of chocolate never hurt in a cozy murder story, and The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is no exception. Readers will fall in love with the chocolate shop, and all the delicious descriptions and interesting facts sprinkled throughout the book.
The identity of the killer and the ending is almost a surprise, and yet not one as well. If readers follow the clues in this cozy murder book and pay attention to the details, they will be able to figure out who the murderer is before the final reveal. Even the motive becomes evident if you take the time to sit back, relax, and read between the lines.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new addition to the series. It has all the elements needed in an excellent cozy murder book, some wonderful characters and a feeling of being there, strolling down the sidewalk, and meeting the cast of characters as if they were old friends. I am happy to recommend this book and series to readers of all cozy genres.
October 28, 2020
When a house in the neighborhood goes up for sale, Lee and Joe decide to team up with Lee’s aunt and uncle to flip the Bailey house for profit. A local developer, “Spud” Dirk has the same idea and swoops in with a higher offer on the house. Lee, who was not excited about flipping the house anyway, is happy to concentrate on managing the family business, TenHuis Chocolade. After a gun is discovered in the basement of the Bailey house, and Spud turns up dead in the carport, Lee knows there is a mystery to solve. The urge to solve the mystery has Lee digging her way through years of secrets to find a murderer.
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this new installment of the Chocoholic Mysteries. I enjoyed this book because of the friendly, truth-seeking characters and placement in small-town Michigan. As a bonus, the book contains chocolate trivia!
Robin W. / Marathon County Public Library
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this new installment of the Chocoholic Mysteries. I enjoyed this book because of the friendly, truth-seeking characters and placement in small-town Michigan. As a bonus, the book contains chocolate trivia!
Robin W. / Marathon County Public Library
April 11, 2021
I love this series and was so happy to see that it was continuing (despite the announcement that book #16 would sadly be the last). There’s another installment coming out later this year so it’s very nice to see this series is back!
February 7, 2023
I hate to say it but this was my least liked of all the series. I have enjoyed this series even though it can be very formulaic and how the murderer is usually quite easy to figure out but that is not why I read this series. I love the characters, both the main and secondary characters and each book lets you into more of their lives. I would read these even if the series took a turn into a "drama series" of the lives of the people and dropped the mysteries altogether. Unfortunately, this book had very little of the lives of any of the characters. Even the main characters had nothing going on other than the main point of house flipping. The rest of the towns people we have gotten to know were pretty much nonexistent and the couple that were there were pretty much walk in for a moment and then walk out of the book. The main mystery was pretty boring. No real sense of tension or even danger. Usually I read these in 1 or 2 days because they are so fun but this one took me almost a week. By the end I had to force myself to push on and finish. Even the main investigator only showed up for 1 or 2 short scenes like even he couldn't be bothered to solve the murder.
October 15, 2022
I will start by saying I have read all of the previous books in this series in order and for the most part thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I was so happy when I spotted this book in the store and realized that she had decided to start writing this series again. But this book does not feel like the others at all. Our main characters Lee & Joe speak like they are either way older than they are supposed to be or they’re from another era. A lot of the regular characters were missing or barely in it and the mystery was ok, but the events & clues were really obvious. Overall, this felt like a draft and didn’t have the same charm and coziness the others in the series had. I really hope the next one is better and that hopefully she just needed to get back into the rhythm of the characters.
November 6, 2019
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is a cute and entertaining cozy mystery that features lots of yummy chocolate treats, amusing chocolate trivia and of course murder! It is the seventeenth book in JoAnna Carl’s Chocoholic Mystery series and is written from the point of view of the main character Lee TenHuis Woodyard. I highly recommend that you get yourself some delicious chocolate, preferably with sea salt, get comfortable and get ready to enjoy another Chocoholic Mystery adventure with Lee Woodyard as she uncovers the true secrets of the “Sharks”!
Lee Woodyard is originally from Texas. Five years ago she decided to move to her mother’s hometown of Warner Pier, Michigan. She loves working as a business manager at TenHuis Chocolade, her Aunt Nettie’s specialty chocolate shop, and she’s been happily married to Joe Woodyard for the past three years. When her husband Joe and her Uncle, Chief of Police Hogan Jones, decide to go into business together to flip a neighboring house for profit, Lee isn’t very happy about it. Despite her protests, she finds herself at the Baileys’ house with a local plumber when a mysterious gun is discovered behind a pipe in the basement. When a dead body is found in the Baileys’ carport the next day, Lee once again finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation.
This story has quite a lot of twists and turns as Lee and her husband Joe try to find out the owner of the gun, why Richard “Spud” Dirk was murdered, and whether there is a connection to a past high school gang known as the “Sharks”. As they continue to investigate they discover that there could be a connection to a high school prank that happened twenty years ago. They also find out that on the same night 20 years ago a local man died of a heart attack outside his home but for some mysterious reason his shoes were missing. During their investigation there’s also a lot of action with shootings, break ins and threatening notes. Will Lee and her husband be able to uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt? Could a 20 year old prank hold the key to discovering the truth behind the mysterious gun and Spud’s murder? Will they be able to buy the Baileys’ home or does it legally belongs to someone else?
I enjoyed reading The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans and I found it to be a cute and entertaining mystery. I did feel that at the beginning the story was a little too slow with a lot of description and very little action or dialogue. However, as the investigation progressed the story’s pace began to pick up and I found myself thoroughly invested in the story and its outcome. This was the first book I’ve read by JoAnna Carl and I really enjoyed how the story had a lot of twists and turns and some misdirections that kept me guessing until the very end. Although I made a lot of connections early on in the story, there were still quite a few surprises. I enjoyed the many different characters in the story but I didn’t feel that there was a lot of character development but that could be due to the fact that it is the seventeenth book in the series and the characters are all well known by this point. Overall, I thought JoAnna Carl wrote a solid mystery, with unique characters, a strong plot, a wonderful and sweet relationship between Lee and Joe, a few surprises, and some great descriptions of many decadent chocolate treats. I particularly enjoyed how the author ended the story with a recipe for a special chocolate surprise!
I would like to thank Berkley Prime Crime, Penguin Random House, and JoAnna Carl for providing me with a free copy of this wonderful book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. I truly appreciate the opportunity!
Lee Woodyard is originally from Texas. Five years ago she decided to move to her mother’s hometown of Warner Pier, Michigan. She loves working as a business manager at TenHuis Chocolade, her Aunt Nettie’s specialty chocolate shop, and she’s been happily married to Joe Woodyard for the past three years. When her husband Joe and her Uncle, Chief of Police Hogan Jones, decide to go into business together to flip a neighboring house for profit, Lee isn’t very happy about it. Despite her protests, she finds herself at the Baileys’ house with a local plumber when a mysterious gun is discovered behind a pipe in the basement. When a dead body is found in the Baileys’ carport the next day, Lee once again finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation.
This story has quite a lot of twists and turns as Lee and her husband Joe try to find out the owner of the gun, why Richard “Spud” Dirk was murdered, and whether there is a connection to a past high school gang known as the “Sharks”. As they continue to investigate they discover that there could be a connection to a high school prank that happened twenty years ago. They also find out that on the same night 20 years ago a local man died of a heart attack outside his home but for some mysterious reason his shoes were missing. During their investigation there’s also a lot of action with shootings, break ins and threatening notes. Will Lee and her husband be able to uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt? Could a 20 year old prank hold the key to discovering the truth behind the mysterious gun and Spud’s murder? Will they be able to buy the Baileys’ home or does it legally belongs to someone else?
I enjoyed reading The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans and I found it to be a cute and entertaining mystery. I did feel that at the beginning the story was a little too slow with a lot of description and very little action or dialogue. However, as the investigation progressed the story’s pace began to pick up and I found myself thoroughly invested in the story and its outcome. This was the first book I’ve read by JoAnna Carl and I really enjoyed how the story had a lot of twists and turns and some misdirections that kept me guessing until the very end. Although I made a lot of connections early on in the story, there were still quite a few surprises. I enjoyed the many different characters in the story but I didn’t feel that there was a lot of character development but that could be due to the fact that it is the seventeenth book in the series and the characters are all well known by this point. Overall, I thought JoAnna Carl wrote a solid mystery, with unique characters, a strong plot, a wonderful and sweet relationship between Lee and Joe, a few surprises, and some great descriptions of many decadent chocolate treats. I particularly enjoyed how the author ended the story with a recipe for a special chocolate surprise!
I would like to thank Berkley Prime Crime, Penguin Random House, and JoAnna Carl for providing me with a free copy of this wonderful book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. I truly appreciate the opportunity!
April 23, 2024
Are any of us not tempted by a chocolate lover’s mystery? Joanna Carl’s Chocaholic Mystery series it a whole lot of mouth-watering fun! In Chocolate Shark Shenanigans, what starts as a house flipping project leads to murder…
Lee Woodyard isn’t excited about her husband Joe’s plan to buy the house next door and flip it. He’s cooked this up with her uncle, Hogan Jones, who happens to be the local police chief. Lee would rather spend her time working as the business manager at her aunt’s chocolate shop, but she agrees to at least meet with the plumber for an estimate. When the plumber is checking out the house, he finds a bundle of rags in the cellar that have a gun hidden inside, which he realizes too late as he it accidentally goes off. Thankfully it missed Lee!
No one is sure where the gun came from, but it seems to lead back to an incident involving the Sharks—a group of high school boys who pulled pranks (among other things) back in the day. One of those “pranks” involved pretending to rob a convenience store where one of the members worked, he pulled out a fun and fired it. The bullet didn’t hit anyone, but it does seem to have similarities to what happened to the plumber.
Meanwhile a local business developer Richard “Spud” Dirk had tried to swoop in and outbid them on the house, but Hogan and Joe don’t want to let it go. That’s the least of their worries, though. When Lee and her uncle Hogan go back to the house so he can see where the gun was found, and they find a dead body—Spud! With Hogan pulled off the case due to the bidding dispute over the property, Lee may have to use her own sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is on the sillier side of cozy mysteries, but the humor is fun and the characters are quirky and enjoyable. This isn’t the most serious of mysteries, despite it involving a murder. The fun outweighed the mystery-solving in my eyes, which was fine and will appeal to readers who are looking for something light that still has mystery to it.
The story is on the shorter side—its easily a read-in-an-afternoon kind of book which can be perfect for a lazy Sunday. I actually liked that it was shorter because it kept the story tight and didn’t meander the way some cozy mysteries do.
Lots of tidbits and trivia about chocolate throughout! I definitely learned a thing or two, though not enough to open my own chocolate shop. Fans of the series and those new to it will enjoy this funny, light mystery!
Lee Woodyard isn’t excited about her husband Joe’s plan to buy the house next door and flip it. He’s cooked this up with her uncle, Hogan Jones, who happens to be the local police chief. Lee would rather spend her time working as the business manager at her aunt’s chocolate shop, but she agrees to at least meet with the plumber for an estimate. When the plumber is checking out the house, he finds a bundle of rags in the cellar that have a gun hidden inside, which he realizes too late as he it accidentally goes off. Thankfully it missed Lee!
No one is sure where the gun came from, but it seems to lead back to an incident involving the Sharks—a group of high school boys who pulled pranks (among other things) back in the day. One of those “pranks” involved pretending to rob a convenience store where one of the members worked, he pulled out a fun and fired it. The bullet didn’t hit anyone, but it does seem to have similarities to what happened to the plumber.
Meanwhile a local business developer Richard “Spud” Dirk had tried to swoop in and outbid them on the house, but Hogan and Joe don’t want to let it go. That’s the least of their worries, though. When Lee and her uncle Hogan go back to the house so he can see where the gun was found, and they find a dead body—Spud! With Hogan pulled off the case due to the bidding dispute over the property, Lee may have to use her own sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is on the sillier side of cozy mysteries, but the humor is fun and the characters are quirky and enjoyable. This isn’t the most serious of mysteries, despite it involving a murder. The fun outweighed the mystery-solving in my eyes, which was fine and will appeal to readers who are looking for something light that still has mystery to it.
The story is on the shorter side—its easily a read-in-an-afternoon kind of book which can be perfect for a lazy Sunday. I actually liked that it was shorter because it kept the story tight and didn’t meander the way some cozy mysteries do.
Lots of tidbits and trivia about chocolate throughout! I definitely learned a thing or two, though not enough to open my own chocolate shop. Fans of the series and those new to it will enjoy this funny, light mystery!
January 27, 2020
What another fun mystery from my home state! I enjoyed reading about October in Warner Pier, a tiny town in western Michigan, and of course, TenHuis Chocolade. It is a wonderful luxury bonbon and truffle shop owned by Aunt Nettie. Lee moved there from Texas a few years ago, planning to spend only a short time. Instead, she is business manager at TenHuis and living in the TenHuis family home with her husband Joe.
Uncle Hogan and Joe are purchasing a home to flip next to Joe and Lee's home; it needs work, which is why Lee and Digger, a plumber, are going through the home. Digger is working on an estimate for repairs and upgrades. Joe grew up in the area and knows most of the folks in this town of 2,500, many of whom use their teenage nicknames.
While in the basement, Digger sees a clump of rags; inside the rags is an old gun that reminds Lee of a six-shooter. The next day, Hogan, chief of police in Warner Pier, wants to see where the gun was since he and Joe had cleaned out the home thoroughly. Going into the carport to check on something, he finds a horrible surprise - the dead body of Spud, a local developer who was trying to outbid them on buying the home after the deal was done. He had been clobbered over the head and hidden there a couple days earlier. Evidence planted at the scene casts suspicion on Joe, but everyone who knows him realizes he would never hurt anyone for the sake of buying the property.
Past and present collide in this delightful, chocolatey mystery! The truffles sound amazing, the chocolate lore interesting, and some even relate to parts of the story. The plot twists and turns kept me on my toes, and while I had an idea of some of those involved, it is much more complex than at first glance. There are some fascinating surprises in this well-executed tale of sharks, Sharks, and murder. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy excellent chocolate, the Midwest, and well-written cozy mysteries.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher; a review was not required.
Uncle Hogan and Joe are purchasing a home to flip next to Joe and Lee's home; it needs work, which is why Lee and Digger, a plumber, are going through the home. Digger is working on an estimate for repairs and upgrades. Joe grew up in the area and knows most of the folks in this town of 2,500, many of whom use their teenage nicknames.
While in the basement, Digger sees a clump of rags; inside the rags is an old gun that reminds Lee of a six-shooter. The next day, Hogan, chief of police in Warner Pier, wants to see where the gun was since he and Joe had cleaned out the home thoroughly. Going into the carport to check on something, he finds a horrible surprise - the dead body of Spud, a local developer who was trying to outbid them on buying the home after the deal was done. He had been clobbered over the head and hidden there a couple days earlier. Evidence planted at the scene casts suspicion on Joe, but everyone who knows him realizes he would never hurt anyone for the sake of buying the property.
Past and present collide in this delightful, chocolatey mystery! The truffles sound amazing, the chocolate lore interesting, and some even relate to parts of the story. The plot twists and turns kept me on my toes, and while I had an idea of some of those involved, it is much more complex than at first glance. There are some fascinating surprises in this well-executed tale of sharks, Sharks, and murder. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy excellent chocolate, the Midwest, and well-written cozy mysteries.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher; a review was not required.
October 27, 2019
Chocolatier Lee Woodyard once again finds herself in the middle of a murder case in JoAnna Carl’s latest Chocoholic Mystery, “The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans.”
When a mysterious gun and a dead body are found in the house Lee and her husband Joe are flipping with her uncle, Chief of Police Hogan Jones, Lee hops into detective mode to find out who killed the man, how did the gun appear in their basement, and are either of these situations connected to a prank and a death 20 years ago?
Told from the perspective of Lee — including her silly twisted tongue moments like saying collarbone instead of collateral — the story moves along quickly as it’s told in the way her mind works — frantically, rambling, fast-paced. Carl always writes in a fun, plucky manner, sometimes almost tongue-in-cheek. So “Shenanigans” doesn’t disappoint with an interesting, intriguing tone.
Filled with twists and turns, misdirections, and all sorts of action like prowlers, shootings and murders, “Shenanigans” will leave the reader guessing until the very end — who killed Spud Dirk and why, and does his death have anything to do with a pretend convenience store robbery 20 years ago, the same night the town curmudgeon died?
Readers will love Carl’s characters — Lee always delights with her determination and her twisted tongue; her and Joe’s relationship is as sweet as can be; and Hogan and Lee’s Aunt Nettie, as well as the rest of the townfolk, are fun and delightful.
As usual, the author includes several chocolate facts and a recipe throughout the book to whet the appetite for the chocolate lovers out there.
“The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans” is a fun little whodunnit in a series that once again delivers a great story! Releases Nov. 5.
Five stars out of five.
Berkley Prime Crime, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.
When a mysterious gun and a dead body are found in the house Lee and her husband Joe are flipping with her uncle, Chief of Police Hogan Jones, Lee hops into detective mode to find out who killed the man, how did the gun appear in their basement, and are either of these situations connected to a prank and a death 20 years ago?
Told from the perspective of Lee — including her silly twisted tongue moments like saying collarbone instead of collateral — the story moves along quickly as it’s told in the way her mind works — frantically, rambling, fast-paced. Carl always writes in a fun, plucky manner, sometimes almost tongue-in-cheek. So “Shenanigans” doesn’t disappoint with an interesting, intriguing tone.
Filled with twists and turns, misdirections, and all sorts of action like prowlers, shootings and murders, “Shenanigans” will leave the reader guessing until the very end — who killed Spud Dirk and why, and does his death have anything to do with a pretend convenience store robbery 20 years ago, the same night the town curmudgeon died?
Readers will love Carl’s characters — Lee always delights with her determination and her twisted tongue; her and Joe’s relationship is as sweet as can be; and Hogan and Lee’s Aunt Nettie, as well as the rest of the townfolk, are fun and delightful.
As usual, the author includes several chocolate facts and a recipe throughout the book to whet the appetite for the chocolate lovers out there.
“The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans” is a fun little whodunnit in a series that once again delivers a great story! Releases Nov. 5.
Five stars out of five.
Berkley Prime Crime, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.
Read
November 13, 2019I find cozy mysteries fascinating! I can’t handle really scary, suspenseful mysteries, so cozy is right up my alley. I also LOVE how humorous the genre can be - the puns are real, my friends! 😂 My friends are getting used to me halting all conversation to read a new cozy title out loud and then I laugh and laugh and laugh! Such fun!
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is the first cozy mystery I’ve read and I’m pleased to say it went well.
What I like:
- A quick read
- Kept me engaged
- Chocolate history and trivia peppered throughout
Things I struggled with:
- Characters doing stupid stuff, especially when it came to police investigations (I’m pretty sure this comes with the territory of cozy mysteries though - the amateur sleuth!
- Lots of names/characters: I have the memory span of a goldfish, so I admit that I had to go back a few times to try and remember who someone was or to keep names/relationships straight
- The villain: Scarily one dimensional and not sure how someone that evil would fit into society without people being more wary of them
Overall: I’d absolutely read more books by author JoAnna Carl. The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans ticks many of the boxes when it comes to cozy mysteries. I would have liked to hear more about the chocolate shop business. There was so much going on in the book that it sometimes felt like that job was an aside.
The cover is so fun. Great colors and illustrations - campy and cute.
I didn’t solve the mystery ahead of time, which kept the action going and there were twists and turns that held my interest all throughout. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy chocolate dusted with sea salt!
#booksbrewsandbooze #thechocolatesharkshenanigans #joannacarl #cozymysteries #cozymystery
Note: My friend received this as an ARC and was kind enough to let me read it. Thank you!
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is the first cozy mystery I’ve read and I’m pleased to say it went well.
What I like:
- A quick read
- Kept me engaged
- Chocolate history and trivia peppered throughout
Things I struggled with:
- Characters doing stupid stuff, especially when it came to police investigations (I’m pretty sure this comes with the territory of cozy mysteries though - the amateur sleuth!
- Lots of names/characters: I have the memory span of a goldfish, so I admit that I had to go back a few times to try and remember who someone was or to keep names/relationships straight
- The villain: Scarily one dimensional and not sure how someone that evil would fit into society without people being more wary of them
Overall: I’d absolutely read more books by author JoAnna Carl. The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans ticks many of the boxes when it comes to cozy mysteries. I would have liked to hear more about the chocolate shop business. There was so much going on in the book that it sometimes felt like that job was an aside.
The cover is so fun. Great colors and illustrations - campy and cute.
I didn’t solve the mystery ahead of time, which kept the action going and there were twists and turns that held my interest all throughout. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy chocolate dusted with sea salt!
#booksbrewsandbooze #thechocolatesharkshenanigans #joannacarl #cozymysteries #cozymystery
Note: My friend received this as an ARC and was kind enough to let me read it. Thank you!
January 25, 2020
3.5 Stars (rating shown may vary depending on whether the site allows half star ratings).
I've read other books in this series--at least a few--but apparently not all as there's a saying in this book that keeps getting repeated, "curiosity bump", that I have no idea of its meaning. I suspect it must be something that came up in one of the books I've not read.
I saw this book on the new books shelf at my local library and decided to check it out to read.
WARNING: Remainder of review may contain spoilers. Read on at your own discretion:
*****
I guessed wrong about what had happened to Curley. I thought one of Brad's shots had hit him and then Brad had tried to keep that information from his friends and that was why he asked them to leave. I also guessed wrong about who had put the gun in the Bailey house rafters.
What I liked:
The story seemed lighthearted--despite the serious topic of murder and despite that Joe and Hogan are getting into a business that Lee really doesn't approve of.
The Chocolate Trivia included in this book really did seem more like chocolate trivia to me than what was included in the last title in this series that I read.
I liked learning more about Joe's time in high school and what Warner Pier had been like back then.
I wonder if the idea of reviving the Showboat will be revisited in a future book in the series--whether it will be a plotline running through several books, or if we'll just be shown that it has become what the committee envisions for it.
What I didn't like:
I found it hard to figure out how the names of the chocolates matched the descriptions of the chocolates--sometimes they just really didn't seem to go together in my mind.
I've read other books in this series--at least a few--but apparently not all as there's a saying in this book that keeps getting repeated, "curiosity bump", that I have no idea of its meaning. I suspect it must be something that came up in one of the books I've not read.
I saw this book on the new books shelf at my local library and decided to check it out to read.
WARNING: Remainder of review may contain spoilers. Read on at your own discretion:
*****
I guessed wrong about what had happened to Curley. I thought one of Brad's shots had hit him and then Brad had tried to keep that information from his friends and that was why he asked them to leave. I also guessed wrong about who had put the gun in the Bailey house rafters.
What I liked:
The story seemed lighthearted--despite the serious topic of murder and despite that Joe and Hogan are getting into a business that Lee really doesn't approve of.
The Chocolate Trivia included in this book really did seem more like chocolate trivia to me than what was included in the last title in this series that I read.
I liked learning more about Joe's time in high school and what Warner Pier had been like back then.
I wonder if the idea of reviving the Showboat will be revisited in a future book in the series--whether it will be a plotline running through several books, or if we'll just be shown that it has become what the committee envisions for it.
What I didn't like:
I found it hard to figure out how the names of the chocolates matched the descriptions of the chocolates--sometimes they just really didn't seem to go together in my mind.
March 6, 2022
The Chocolate Shark Shenanigans is the latest installment in the Warner Pier Chocoholic series by JoAnna Carl. This series has been a reliable source of entertainment and is filled with pleasurable reads. Unfortunately, this is not one of the best books in the group.
Lee, our leading lady, and her husband Joe have joined forces with her Aunt Nettie and Chief of Police Hogan (who is also Nettie's husband) to purchase a house on the nearby lake to renovate and flip. It just so happens that this house contains a body and the classic investigation begins. A group of individuals called the Sharks are involved and these former high school friends are now grown adults who have gone their separate ways after the night a high school prank went awry. This creates a long list of suspects when the body is discovered to be one of the Sharks. As more information about their past becomes available, it is likely one of the Sharks may be able to help and the case takes off.
The plot was solid and enjoyable to read but the best parts of this series are the main cast of characters that has grown throughout the books and the setting within the chocolate shop. Much of this was left out. There were minimal scenes at the chocolate shop and no discussion at all involving chocolate making which is always an interesting side panel within the books. Also, Aunt Nettie and the entire cast of Ten Huis Chocolade are mostly absent in this story. No mention of Dolly Jolly, Mike Herrara and his wife, or any of the other townspeople is a noticeable detraction from the overall feel of the book. Three stars is the highest rating due to these missteps.
Lee, our leading lady, and her husband Joe have joined forces with her Aunt Nettie and Chief of Police Hogan (who is also Nettie's husband) to purchase a house on the nearby lake to renovate and flip. It just so happens that this house contains a body and the classic investigation begins. A group of individuals called the Sharks are involved and these former high school friends are now grown adults who have gone their separate ways after the night a high school prank went awry. This creates a long list of suspects when the body is discovered to be one of the Sharks. As more information about their past becomes available, it is likely one of the Sharks may be able to help and the case takes off.
The plot was solid and enjoyable to read but the best parts of this series are the main cast of characters that has grown throughout the books and the setting within the chocolate shop. Much of this was left out. There were minimal scenes at the chocolate shop and no discussion at all involving chocolate making which is always an interesting side panel within the books. Also, Aunt Nettie and the entire cast of Ten Huis Chocolade are mostly absent in this story. No mention of Dolly Jolly, Mike Herrara and his wife, or any of the other townspeople is a noticeable detraction from the overall feel of the book. Three stars is the highest rating due to these missteps.
November 12, 2019
A BIG thanks to Berkley Prime Crime. 4.5 stars!
This is a new to me author and a new to me series. I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but when I saw the cover art on this book, I wasn't sure what to think. Can this be serious??? I am happy to say, I liked the book!
Lee and Joe are happily married. Joe is an attorney and Lee works for a chocolatier. Tasty business! At the end of several chapters, in this book, there is a page dedicated to little known facts about chocolate. I found these facts interesting and a nice addition to the cozy.
Lee has a little quirkiness to her personality, she gets words wrong and it makes for some amusing moments. An uncle is the chief of police. He seems to trust Lee and Joe to do good sleuthing.
I liked this mystery and I plan to read this series in the future. I thought the mystery was more complicated than other cozies I have read. I think it was because there were so many layers to the mystery. The mystery began several years earlier, so, people move on and their lives change. If you like a cozy with layers, this might be the book for you. I recommend it!
This is a new to me author and a new to me series. I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but when I saw the cover art on this book, I wasn't sure what to think. Can this be serious??? I am happy to say, I liked the book!
Lee and Joe are happily married. Joe is an attorney and Lee works for a chocolatier. Tasty business! At the end of several chapters, in this book, there is a page dedicated to little known facts about chocolate. I found these facts interesting and a nice addition to the cozy.
Lee has a little quirkiness to her personality, she gets words wrong and it makes for some amusing moments. An uncle is the chief of police. He seems to trust Lee and Joe to do good sleuthing.
I liked this mystery and I plan to read this series in the future. I thought the mystery was more complicated than other cozies I have read. I think it was because there were so many layers to the mystery. The mystery began several years earlier, so, people move on and their lives change. If you like a cozy with layers, this might be the book for you. I recommend it!
January 16, 2020
When a house in Lee and Joe's neighborhood goes on the market, Joe and Hogan talk Lee into purchasing the home to flip. Lee is not keen on the idea but gives in and trouble follows. An old school friend of Joe's is also interested in buying the house, when he shows up dead on the property all clues point to Joe. Can Lee, Joe and Hogan find the killer before Joe is framed for murder or worse?
I have enjoyed this series since I discovered The Chocolate Snowman Murders. I had to start from the beginning and read them all in order. The characters are unique and the town has many unusual people and places.
This story caught my attention from the very beginning. There were lots of people to keep track of and many of them had nicknames, sometimes I had to stop and think it through to be sure I understood which character had which nickname. Other than slowing down for those moments, i had a hard time putting down the book throughout the second half. In the end I had an idea of who i thought did it and how the second mystery may play into the main story. I had it mostly figured out by the end. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
I have enjoyed this series since I discovered The Chocolate Snowman Murders. I had to start from the beginning and read them all in order. The characters are unique and the town has many unusual people and places.
This story caught my attention from the very beginning. There were lots of people to keep track of and many of them had nicknames, sometimes I had to stop and think it through to be sure I understood which character had which nickname. Other than slowing down for those moments, i had a hard time putting down the book throughout the second half. In the end I had an idea of who i thought did it and how the second mystery may play into the main story. I had it mostly figured out by the end. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
February 7, 2022
Wacky plot and not in a good way. Protagonist and her husband are affectionate in a way that feels awkward...like the specific mentioning of kissing each other "right on the mouth"...don't most couples kiss on the lips? Do readers need that clarification?
And what bothered me the most was one particular part in which the protagonist (Lee) is surprised another character (Edna McWhirley) who seems like a sweet grandmother type is a highly educated college professor. Lee says something about sooner expecting Edna to knit baby blankets...I inferred Lee thinks being a kindly soul/grandma type and highly educated is mutually exclusive, which is bizarre. I thought the author herself was an educated woman with a college degree and decades of professional experience so it felt odd for her to write Lee (also educated and a professional) to make such a sexist, limiting, and outdated assumption. I'm giving the author the benefit of the doubt by assuming she had no ill intent but the whole episode rubbed me the wrong way.
And what bothered me the most was one particular part in which the protagonist (Lee) is surprised another character (Edna McWhirley) who seems like a sweet grandmother type is a highly educated college professor. Lee says something about sooner expecting Edna to knit baby blankets...I inferred Lee thinks being a kindly soul/grandma type and highly educated is mutually exclusive, which is bizarre. I thought the author herself was an educated woman with a college degree and decades of professional experience so it felt odd for her to write Lee (also educated and a professional) to make such a sexist, limiting, and outdated assumption. I'm giving the author the benefit of the doubt by assuming she had no ill intent but the whole episode rubbed me the wrong way.
September 11, 2019
In the Chocolate Shark Shenanigans, Lee & Joe buy the house next door hoping to flip it for a profit, but things get off to a nasty start. First, they find a gun in the basement rafters that accidently gets dropped and Lee almost gets shot. Thankfully no one is hurt, but then they find a dead body in the garage! In order to solve this case, they must look back on the towns history to figure out a long ago fake holdup by the high school group known as the Sharks, of whom Joe was almost recruited to be one. This one is full of twists and turns and seemingly unconnected incidents that all come to light in the end. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book!
January 2, 2020
I always enjoy these cozy mysteries. I read and owned the entire series. Lee and Joe (and family) are buying a house to flip and of course hijinks ensue. This was a interesting mystery with it sort-of being a cold case that is brought to current times. The bread crumbs were so huge that I figured out the mystery half-way through.
Also, I’m a little confused because on Joanna Carl’s website it said that the book before this one was to be the last in the series...then this one came out and there is no update on the website. It leads me to believe that JoAnna Carl wrote this and went to a different publishing house or the publisher found a ghost writer.
Also, I’m a little confused because on Joanna Carl’s website it said that the book before this one was to be the last in the series...then this one came out and there is no update on the website. It leads me to believe that JoAnna Carl wrote this and went to a different publishing house or the publisher found a ghost writer.
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