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A Chocoholic Mystery #1-3
Crime de Cocoa
Together in one volume: the first three mysteries featuring Lee McKinney and the TenHuis Chocolade store of Warner Pier, Michigan-plus the short story that started it all... The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue With her parents going through a messy divorce, a mopey teenage Lee is spending the summer working in her aunt and uncle's chocolate shop. When a wealthy customer is kidnapped she quickly discovers an unsuspected talent for sleuthing. The Chocolate Cat Caper When a high-profile defense lawyer dies after eating a cat-shaped chocolate laced with cyanide, it's up to Lee to find out who tampered with the recipe-before she ends up behind not-so-chocolate bars. The Chocolate Bear Burglary A burglary at the shop leads to missing antique chocolate molds and a dead friend-and the main suspect in the murder is Lee's troubled teenage stepson. Lee sets out to clear his name, but awakening long-hibernating family secrets might be more than this daring crime solver can bear. The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up The first customer to buy one of the store's new chocolate croakers is the town crank, Hershel Perkins-just after getting into an altercation with Lee's boyfriend Joe. When he soon goes missing, it looks like Joe is being framed for murder-and Lee must jump to his defense...
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
JoAnna Carl
36 books433 followersJOANNA CARL is the pseudonym for the multi-published mystery writer Eve K. Sandstrom. The author writes about the shores of Lake Michigan and has been reviewed in Michigan newspapers as a “regional writer.” She has also written about Southwest Oklahoma and once won an award for the best book of the year with an Oklahoma setting.
Eve K. Sandstrom is an Oklahoman to the teeth: she was born there, as were five previous generations of her mother’s family. Both her grandfathers and her father were in the oil business, once the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy. One grandmother was born in the Choctaw Nation, and Eve is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Eve and seven other members of her immediate family are graduates of the University of Oklahoma. Eve even knows the second verse of “Boomer Sooner.”
Eve wrote two mystery series: the “Down Home” books, set on a ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, and the Nell Matthews mysteries, semi-hard-boiled books laid in a mid-size city on the Southern Plains.
But Eve married a great guy whose family owned a cottage on the west coast of Lake Michigan, not far from the Michigan towns of Fennville, Saugatuck, and Douglas. Every summer for more than forty years she, her husband and various combinations of children and grandchildren have trekked to the community of Pier Cove for vacations that lasted from two weeks to three months.
The area features gorgeous beaches, lush orchards, thick woods, and beautiful Victorian houses. Eve grew to love it. So when her editor asked her to come up with a new, “cozy” mystery series, Eve set it in a West Michigan resort town, scrambling up Saugatuck, Douglas, South Haven, Holland, Manistee, Ludington and Muskegon with her own ideas of what a resort ought to be to create Warner Pier.
As further background, she plunked her heroine into a business which produces and sells luscious, luxurious, European-style bonbons, truffles and molded chocolates. Most small towns couldn’t support a business like this, but the resorts of West Michigan – with their wealthy “summer people” – can. The “Chocoholic Mysteries” were on their way.
Eve’s editor requested that she use a pen name for the new series, and Eve picked the middle names of her three children, Betsy Jo, Ruth Anna, and John Carl. “JoAnna Carl” was born. So that’s how JoAnna/Eve became a regional author in two widely separated regions.
JoAnna/Eve earned a degree in journalism at the University of Oklahoma and also studied with Carolyn G. Hart and Jack Bickham in the OU Creative Writing Program. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter, editor, and columnist at The Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma. She took an early retirement to write fiction full-time.
She and her husband, David F. Sandstrom, have three grandchildren, whom they love introducing to the lore of their two homes – Oklahoma and Michigan.
She spent 25 years in the newspaper business as a reporter, feature writer, editor, and columnist, most recently at the Lawton Constitution. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of OK and also studied in the O.U. Professional Writing program. She lives in Oklahoma but summers in Michigan where the Chocoholic Mystery series is set. She has one daughter who is a CPA and another who works for a chocolate company and provides yummy insider information on the chocolate business.
Eve K. Sandstrom is an Oklahoman to the teeth: she was born there, as were five previous generations of her mother’s family. Both her grandfathers and her father were in the oil business, once the backbone of Oklahoma’s economy. One grandmother was born in the Choctaw Nation, and Eve is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Eve and seven other members of her immediate family are graduates of the University of Oklahoma. Eve even knows the second verse of “Boomer Sooner.”
Eve wrote two mystery series: the “Down Home” books, set on a ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, and the Nell Matthews mysteries, semi-hard-boiled books laid in a mid-size city on the Southern Plains.
But Eve married a great guy whose family owned a cottage on the west coast of Lake Michigan, not far from the Michigan towns of Fennville, Saugatuck, and Douglas. Every summer for more than forty years she, her husband and various combinations of children and grandchildren have trekked to the community of Pier Cove for vacations that lasted from two weeks to three months.
The area features gorgeous beaches, lush orchards, thick woods, and beautiful Victorian houses. Eve grew to love it. So when her editor asked her to come up with a new, “cozy” mystery series, Eve set it in a West Michigan resort town, scrambling up Saugatuck, Douglas, South Haven, Holland, Manistee, Ludington and Muskegon with her own ideas of what a resort ought to be to create Warner Pier.
As further background, she plunked her heroine into a business which produces and sells luscious, luxurious, European-style bonbons, truffles and molded chocolates. Most small towns couldn’t support a business like this, but the resorts of West Michigan – with their wealthy “summer people” – can. The “Chocoholic Mysteries” were on their way.
Eve’s editor requested that she use a pen name for the new series, and Eve picked the middle names of her three children, Betsy Jo, Ruth Anna, and John Carl. “JoAnna Carl” was born. So that’s how JoAnna/Eve became a regional author in two widely separated regions.
JoAnna/Eve earned a degree in journalism at the University of Oklahoma and also studied with Carolyn G. Hart and Jack Bickham in the OU Creative Writing Program. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter, editor, and columnist at The Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma. She took an early retirement to write fiction full-time.
She and her husband, David F. Sandstrom, have three grandchildren, whom they love introducing to the lore of their two homes – Oklahoma and Michigan.
She spent 25 years in the newspaper business as a reporter, feature writer, editor, and columnist, most recently at the Lawton Constitution. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of OK and also studied in the O.U. Professional Writing program. She lives in Oklahoma but summers in Michigan where the Chocoholic Mystery series is set. She has one daughter who is a CPA and another who works for a chocolate company and provides yummy insider information on the chocolate business.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 22, 2008
I gave this book three stars because I'm just torn about the whole thing.
First of all, if you look at the cover of this book, you would think it was one story called Crime de Cocoa, but no...it's actually four short stories. (Yes...I know the title of this book on this website says it's three stories, but there really are four!) Since I started reading this book before I knew about this website, I felt a bit deceived when I found out it was actually a book with several stories.
That being said, I went ahead and read the first short story, which is extremely short (it's only 17 pages long while the others are about 150 pages) and was even more disappointed because the whole plot was incredibly obvious and felt like a waste of time to read.
However, since I was so intrigued by the book when I initially saw it at the library, I thought I would go ahead and give the second story a chance since it didn't involve reading the whole book. This is where more frustration began...
The second story starts discussing the same store in the first story, yet the main character in the first story was 16 and the main character in the second story is talking about being divorced. The stories are written in the first person, so I was just reading and thinking, "Who in the world is this person??? Who is "I"? What in the world is going on?" So...I had to stop to read the back of the book to figure out the main character is in fact the same person, although even the back of the book doesn't mention that over 10 years has passed between the first and second story. It would have only taken a simple sentence saying "More than 10 years later..." at the beginning of the second story for me to be able to follow what was going on.
Another annoying point is that this character cannot talk! She keeps getting her tongue twisted on words and while it's ok at first, it gets to be really annoying after a while and I almost quit reading just because this annoyed me so much.
On a brighter note, the mysteries are really great and I liked the writing. The author gives little subtle hints throughout the stories and while you're there, you're thinking "hmm...that might be a clue," but then the story takes you someplace else and by the time you get to the end you have no idea who the killer is and when you do find out, you're thinking...whoa...I saw those clues and completely forgot...I definitely missed out on those clues, etc. In other words, it's definitely not completely obvious and they all had interesting twists. The last story even has frogs in the title, which I can't stand, but I was so intrigued by the mysteries that I read it anyways.
I noticed that the author is from Oklahoma, where I'm from, and even went to the same college with the same major I did, but the main character is from Texas and makes lots of references to Texas (she has moved from Texas to Michigan in the stories). It would have been cool if the author would have made the character from Oklahoma. :)
First of all, if you look at the cover of this book, you would think it was one story called Crime de Cocoa, but no...it's actually four short stories. (Yes...I know the title of this book on this website says it's three stories, but there really are four!) Since I started reading this book before I knew about this website, I felt a bit deceived when I found out it was actually a book with several stories.
That being said, I went ahead and read the first short story, which is extremely short (it's only 17 pages long while the others are about 150 pages) and was even more disappointed because the whole plot was incredibly obvious and felt like a waste of time to read.
However, since I was so intrigued by the book when I initially saw it at the library, I thought I would go ahead and give the second story a chance since it didn't involve reading the whole book. This is where more frustration began...
The second story starts discussing the same store in the first story, yet the main character in the first story was 16 and the main character in the second story is talking about being divorced. The stories are written in the first person, so I was just reading and thinking, "Who in the world is this person??? Who is "I"? What in the world is going on?" So...I had to stop to read the back of the book to figure out the main character is in fact the same person, although even the back of the book doesn't mention that over 10 years has passed between the first and second story. It would have only taken a simple sentence saying "More than 10 years later..." at the beginning of the second story for me to be able to follow what was going on.
Another annoying point is that this character cannot talk! She keeps getting her tongue twisted on words and while it's ok at first, it gets to be really annoying after a while and I almost quit reading just because this annoyed me so much.
On a brighter note, the mysteries are really great and I liked the writing. The author gives little subtle hints throughout the stories and while you're there, you're thinking "hmm...that might be a clue," but then the story takes you someplace else and by the time you get to the end you have no idea who the killer is and when you do find out, you're thinking...whoa...I saw those clues and completely forgot...I definitely missed out on those clues, etc. In other words, it's definitely not completely obvious and they all had interesting twists. The last story even has frogs in the title, which I can't stand, but I was so intrigued by the mysteries that I read it anyways.
I noticed that the author is from Oklahoma, where I'm from, and even went to the same college with the same major I did, but the main character is from Texas and makes lots of references to Texas (she has moved from Texas to Michigan in the stories). It would have been cool if the author would have made the character from Oklahoma. :)
July 7, 2011
So my mom passed on this book to me and honestly, I thought it was one book - one heck of a long mystery at 500 pages! But then, upon further inspection - I realized it's 3 books in 1. Oh. Well anyway, i got bored halfway through the first one. It's not horrible, but the characters weren't terribly interesting and the book is big and heavy, so I gave up.
February 22, 2025
This book is actually three books in one with a short story at the beginning. They all gave the same main character, Lee, as well as the same setting. The short story is a sweet introduction to a teenager , Lee. The three books are when Lee is older. In all the stories Lee helps solve a mystery that connects to her Aunt’s chocolate shop. Each one is nicely paced and enjoyable. The time of the story is pre-cell phone technology, so it changes the tone of the story. I enjoyed being transported back to a time where not everyone had a cell phone. In fact, only one character has a cell phone and that doesn’t happen till the final story. Since I grew up in that period of time, the story made sense. It might be difficult for someone who was born in the cell phone age to follow the story. That can’t be helped, but I thought I would mention it. Overall, a fun read…especially if you love chocolate.
September 1, 2025
This book is for chocolate lovers! You’ll learn fun facts about the best convections! It’s a series of three murder mysteries, solved by the main characters. Undertone of romance, but no graphic sex.
I really enjoyed this book! Even though it’s a murder mystery, it’s light hearted.
I really enjoyed this book! Even though it’s a murder mystery, it’s light hearted.
November 18, 2019
enjoyed this book. would read more of this series
May 15, 2008
The Chocoholic Mystery is a light, cozy series focuses on Lee McKinney, who helps her aunt run a high-end chocolate shop in the resort town of Warner Pier, Michigan. From time to time, crime finds it way into the town, and Lee winds up right in the middle of the danger, sorting things out in the end. This book collects the first three volumes in the series in one large soft cover book, along with the short story that first introduced the characters.
The book starts with "The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue," a short story that originally appeared in the book AND THE DYING IS EASY. In it, a teenage Lee spends the summer in Warner Pier while her parents go through a nasty divorce. She spends her afternoons working in her uncle and aunt's TenHuis Chocolade shop. Every afternoon, another teen girl comes in and gives Lee a hard time before buying some chocolates. But then the girl is kidnapped. Who would do such a thing in the small town?
The first official book of the series was THE CHOCOLATE CAT CAPER. A now grown Lee moves back to Warner Pier after her own divorce to help her recently widowed Aunt Nettie run TenHuis Chocolade. Lee's hardly been back in town when infamous defense lawyer Clementine Ripley is poisoned with a custom made chocolate from their shop. Not wanting to let their name be pulled through the mud, Lee decides to look into murder herself.
Next up is THE CHOCOLATE BEAR BURGLARY. When Lee's stepson shows up unannounced, Lee is hardly too pleased. But she and Aunt Nettie put him to work in the shop. After all, with the teddy bear promotion in town, they could use the extra help. But then antique chocolate molds are stolen from the shop and the antique dealer who lent them out is murdered. Even more unfortunately, Lee's stepson in the sheriff's top suspect and doesn't have an alibi for the crimes. Lee's going to have to work fast to clear him.
Finally comes THE CHOCOLATE FROG FRAME-UP. Everyone fights with town crank Hershel Perkins. But Lee's boyfriend Joe had the unfortunate distinction of doing so right before he disappears. While the evidence continues to mount, Lee searches for the truth so her flame does wind up behind bars.
The book starts with "The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue," a short story that originally appeared in the book AND THE DYING IS EASY. In it, a teenage Lee spends the summer in Warner Pier while her parents go through a nasty divorce. She spends her afternoons working in her uncle and aunt's TenHuis Chocolade shop. Every afternoon, another teen girl comes in and gives Lee a hard time before buying some chocolates. But then the girl is kidnapped. Who would do such a thing in the small town?
The first official book of the series was THE CHOCOLATE CAT CAPER. A now grown Lee moves back to Warner Pier after her own divorce to help her recently widowed Aunt Nettie run TenHuis Chocolade. Lee's hardly been back in town when infamous defense lawyer Clementine Ripley is poisoned with a custom made chocolate from their shop. Not wanting to let their name be pulled through the mud, Lee decides to look into murder herself.
Next up is THE CHOCOLATE BEAR BURGLARY. When Lee's stepson shows up unannounced, Lee is hardly too pleased. But she and Aunt Nettie put him to work in the shop. After all, with the teddy bear promotion in town, they could use the extra help. But then antique chocolate molds are stolen from the shop and the antique dealer who lent them out is murdered. Even more unfortunately, Lee's stepson in the sheriff's top suspect and doesn't have an alibi for the crimes. Lee's going to have to work fast to clear him.
Finally comes THE CHOCOLATE FROG FRAME-UP. Everyone fights with town crank Hershel Perkins. But Lee's boyfriend Joe had the unfortunate distinction of doing so right before he disappears. While the evidence continues to mount, Lee searches for the truth so her flame does wind up behind bars.
December 20, 2009
This compilation of the first three books, plus bonus short story, of the Lee McKinney & TenHuis Chocolade mysteries is definitely value for money for fans of cozy mysteries. They're not the most challenging novels, but they're well-enough written and highly readable. My favorite was the second book, because it didn't telegraph the ending from a mile away, and I have to admit that by the last book, I was starting to get a little tired of Lee running around by herself to do something reckless. As another reviewer said, these are good, clean novels, and I certainly enjoyed the way the educational aspects were presented, at no detriment to the stories themselves.
February 24, 2008
Cute, nice, easy to read at night after the kids are in bed. The main character has an unusual flaw -- she tangles her words - and it doesn't really fit the story line. You keep waiting for it to have meaning - but it doesn't. Takes place in Michigan - which is nice. Focuses around a chocolate shop - which makes me crave chocolate the way a Goldy/Diana Mott Davidson book makes me crave espresso.
March 19, 2014
The collection of the first three Chocoholic mysteries plus the short story that was set and released before the series started. If you haven't started the series, this might be the place to start. The stories are light but fun and the characters are great.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 21, 2017
I think this is the first time I've ever given any book 1 star. If I could describe this book in one word it would be 'annoying'. The second word would be boring. Boringly annoying. Yep thats it. The author tries....but her devices are annoying. The main character uses malapropisms ( I think). If she wants to say 'meet' she will say 'mean'. JoAnna Carl the author wants this to be an endearing quality. It isn't. Its distracting. I won't be looking for any other of her books.
February 26, 2009
Maybe it's been awhile since I've read mystery books but This new series reminded me of Nancy Drew in how the main character Lee McKinney keeps getting pulled into these crimes. But what's not to like about chocolate and a good mystery?? I like the random inserts about the history of chocolate too. I think #2 and #3 were my favorites in this collection.
September 27, 2010
This book contains the first 3 books in a mystery series featuring a chocolate shop in a resort town in Michigan. I thought what could be better. The mysteries are okay but the heroine has an annoying habit of getting nervous and mixing up words. It seemed okay at first but it is just irritating after awhile.
August 13, 2008
I read the short story at the beginning (which was really juvenile) and most of the first book - The Chocolate Cat Caper or something... The lead character was really annoying and the story never really captured my interest. I won't waste my time with the rest of it.
July 21, 2011
I didn't really like the short story and I was afraid I wouldn't really like the three chocoholic mysteries. Fortunately they were a lot better and I started to really enjoy them after a few chapters.
January 25, 2012
This was my second try at this collection and once again I found myself too bored with the stories to continue. I like cozy mysteries but I just couldn't get interested enough in Lee and her aunt to keep going.
February 4, 2008
I love this series. Another one of my "soft" mysteries that I have fallen in love with and can't wait for the next and the next and the next...
March 18, 2008
These books are great reads. They are fun and really clean. I thoroughly enjoyed them. It's nice also because they are short reads.
December 5, 2010
If you like mysteries, you'll enjoy these light stories, filled with chocolate facts.
March 14, 2011
This book has really cosy atmosphere and pleasant characters. Althoug the mysteries are not very difficult to see through. In every story it's quite obvious right in the beginning who the villain is.
May 30, 2011
had three stories in it I had already had read one, but I still liked the other ones. plus these books always make me want to each chocolate.
December 14, 2011
This book is actually 3 novels in one cover. The stories were cute but trite. Centered around a chocolate shop in Michigan.
September 27, 2013
Light and fun.
November 26, 2014
A lot of fun, plus fun facts about chocolate
January 27, 2015
Really enjoyed the main character, Lee! Great for snuggling up with cozy mysteries. There are 3 mysteries in this one book and I liked the first 2 the best! Cozy reads.
January 26, 2016
A three-in-one treat for the mystery fan; there are three novels plus a short story featuring the same female sleuth. Enjoyable fare.
August 14, 2009
This book contains the first 3 books in the series. It's good mysteries but not thrillers.
March 5, 2014
I am enjoying reading this series. They keep my attention from beginning to ending.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews