The Chocolate Cobweb

by Charlotte Armstrong, A.J. Finn (Introduction)

When Amanda Garth was born, a nearly-disastrous mix-up caused the hospital to briefly hand her over to the prestigious Garrison family instead of to her birth parents. The error was quickly fixed, Amanda was never told, and the secret was forgotten for twenty-three years . . . until her aunt thoughtlessly revealed it in casual conversation.


But what if the initial switch never actually occurred, and what if the real accident was Amanda’s being “returned” to the wrong parents? After all, her artistic proclivities are far more aligned with painter Tobias, patriarch of the wealthy Garrison clan, than with the uncreative duo that raised her. Determined to discover her true identity within her aunt’s bizarre anecdote, Amanda calls on her almost-family, only to discover that the fantasy life she imagines is not at all like their reality. Instead, she encounters a web of lies and suspicions that ensnares her almost immediately, and, over a murky cup of hot chocolate, realizes something deadly lurks just beneath the surface. . . .


Mixing tense family drama with edge-of-your-seat psychological suspense, The Chocolate Cobweb finds the “mistress of day-lit terror” at the top of her game (New York Times). The book, adapted to film by Claude Chabrol in 2006, remains as fresh today as it was when Armstrong wrote it over seventy years ago.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Gothic, Romance, Crime, Classics, Mystery Thriller

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Full name Charlotte Armstrong Lewi. Wrote 29 novels, plus short stories and plays under the name Charlotte Armstrong and Jo Valentine. Additional writing jobs: New York Times (advertising department), Breath of the Avenue (fashion reporter).

Reviews

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

08/2020

From 1948
I loved this so much at first. The modern gothic house, upside down off a canyon. The paintings. But I found the whole Mixed Up At Birth mystery hard to swallow. I know they didn't have DNA tests back then, but still. There was a murder plot, and that was good.

[Lesle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in sunny California the story uses its West Coast environment to enhance the exploration into the mind of a cunning sociopath. It takes a contrast of their chilling plans with everyday life by creating dark and memorable moments.

Forget the mystery of "who done it." The killer is known from the start! This story delivers a read in suspense by focusing on the chilling look of control over the victims who unknowingly walking into danger.

Amanda was a result of a switcheroo at the hospital. Her curiosity is with the other and the plan...?

Armstrong's style is full of smart dialogue and the ability for tension to exist through seemingly normal characters with just a touch of humor.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Armstrong wrote 29 novels, several plays, and numerous short stories between 1939 and 1970. The Chocolate Cobweb, a 1948 suspense, is set in Los Angeles.

The gimmick here is that two babies were almost switched at birth (or were they?) and, 23 years later Amanda Garth, who happens to be an art student, hears the story and sets out to find out who her parents could have been if they were really mixing up the babies. The father she could have had, Tobias Garrison, is a famous artist. Amanda knocks on their door, gets invited in, and has this odd relationship with her sort-of birth father.

But, all of that fascinating gimmickry just sets the stage for Amanda to play amateur detective when she thinks she witnesses Garrison’s wife Ione (who was wife # 1 and 3) trying to poison Garrison’s son and son if wife #2, Belle. Of course, anyone who Amanda relates her suspicions to thinks she’s nuts or some offbeat kind of golddigger.

Not one to give up easily, Amanda gets herself invited to spend a week with the Garrisons and match wits with Ione. Will Amanda find Ione guilty or will she fall prey to another trick? The question isn’t who was the poisoner but how Amanda can prove it.

Armstrong tells the story backwards with the mystery revealed early and the rest of the novel working out how to expose the nefarious deeds. The story of the switched at birth babies gets your attention, but the actual mystery doesn’t revolve that gimmick.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

More suspense than mystery as the killer is revealed quite early in the book. Love this cheesy cover, but it's not the edition I read. Published in 1948 and somewhat dated.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** "The Chocolate Cobweb" by Charlotte Armstrong spins a mystery around a sweet-seeming Mrs. Santa Claus who poisons hot chocolate. We look over her shoulder yet cannot stop her. We know whodunit, but how to expose her long-ago murder of the previous wife? and convict her of new attempts without allowing deaths? Suspense builds to the very last chapter.
Lovely artistic single Mandy discovers a mixup at her birth. Can she convince the handsome bachelor son of his danger without dying herself? Is she the real child of the famous painter? Is she the true target of jealousy from his plump motherly wife? Plot develops more than characters. In a short book, priorities are in the right place. A likeable girl is figuratively fast dangled over a fatal cliff; a grandmotherly neighbor-type is a villain.
Attention to costume is often part of romance protocol; here is integral to the solution. Surprisingly, for an author born in 1905, the female lead is courageous, resolute, and clever. I have read of instant loves that last a lifetime, so suppress my cynicism regarding the romance angle. I prefer how we are given all the clues, unlike CBC-TV providing alternate endings for Agatha Christie shows. To already know whodunit from page one is masterfully developed.

[Sydnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 13! I loved it then, but who knows what I or any other adult would think of it now! I just remember loving it and thinking it was an excellent book. If I remember correctly the murderer is one of the narrators and her identity is not a mystery. The true mystery is about whether or not the beautiful, young protagonist will figure it out. I'll have to see if my library has a copy and reread!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spellbinding howdunit centered in 1940s Los Angeles, The Chocolate Cobweb is a real treat. We follow Amanda (Mandy) Garth on her search for truth, beauty, art, and justice, all centered around the Garrison family. We learn who the killer is early in the telling, but that does not take away from the suspense about how the crime will be carried out, and if the killer will ultimately succeed. The title gives the unfortunate impression this is a cozy mystery (not a bad thing in its own right, but ill-fitting in this context), but really, it is more noirish, although not at all hard boiled. This would make a beautiful film, largely based on the house where most of the drama takes place, which is a character in and of itself. A real page-turner and a delight to read.

[Subashini · Rating 4 out of 5]

About 3.5 stars, but I'll round it up. I thought this was a lot of fun. We know the identity of the murderer early on, but the book is a tightly-wound plot about how they get prove the murderer's guilt. It's a little bit melodramatic, a little bit gothic, but also somewhat noir at times. The setting is an artist's house and the bittersweet ending that was firmly on the side of the youth had me smiling like a fond Papa Poirot. Would love to read more of Armstrong.

The book also felt theatrical at times and it lent itself well to being stylishly adapted into an elegant French thriller by Claude Chabrol called Merci pour le Chocolat, starring the sublime & enigmatic Isabelle Huppert. I watched the film years ago before reading this, but the book still felt refreshing because Chabrol's adaptation Europeanised it, and it was cool to read the original/American. A rare case where the book and film each provide its own unique pleasures.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reverse mystery is not my favorite, but if you want to read a story where you know the murderer from close to the start, and watch while the plot slowly unravels, you could do worse than this classic by Armstrong. Amanda, a young art student finds she has a very slight connection to a famous artist, and uses it to strike up an acquaintance. Quite by accident, she sees something sinister happening. Her mere presence is enough to stop a murder attempt, but also lead her to suspect that the subtle murderer has struck before. The murderer thinks all traces have been covered, but murderers have blind spots, too.

[Mysti Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect thriller structure set in a domestic sphere. Great fun!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am delighted to see some classic mysteries reprinted, giving another generation a chance to enjoy them, shout I have to say this cover is better than the reprint. Sure, it has a bit of a dated look, but color is very important to the story. Mandy is a budding artist, and is intrigued by the family story of her birth. She was born at the same time as the son of a famous artist, and for a few minutes at the hospital, the artist believes she is his child. While there's no chance of a true changed baby scenario, she decides to use this story as a way to meet the man. Once there, she witnesses something that makes her believe that all is not well in the household-- and that someone is in mortal danger. While this isn't as gritty as the present day domestic noir tales, I found it to an entertaining read and feel it has influenced authors through the years.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1948 classic is a reverse, psychological and noir thriller by Charlotte Armstrong. The high point is the breathless suspense that fills each page, despite the fact that the reader knows from the very first, not only who the murderer is, but their mode of operation. The people are well defined, if not entirely rounded.

[Z.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way she tells you who the murderer is almost immediately and still builds a novel full of suspense. A very fun read!

[Raime · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐ A readable psychological thriller. Felt pretty modern in its overall amateurishness. Neither memorable nor thrilling book.

[Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regrettably meh. The writing was fine but it was very weird that both the female and male main characters referred to their parents by their first names. Maybe that was what hip 23-year-olds were doing in the 1940s but it was jarring.

Also the structure didn't work for me. The murderer and their motivation is revealed near the beginning so there's no real mystery.

It wasn't a very fun read.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis: When art student Amanda Garth found out that she might have been switched at birth with the son of the famous artist Tobias Garrison, she turned the bizarre anecdote into an off-beat introduction to this past master of her calling. Once she met Garrison and his handsome son, Thone, she knew she didn't want their acquaintanceship to end. And then Thone's stepmother, plump, motherly Ione, accidentally knocked over a thermos of hot chocolate and quickly as that Amanda was caught in a perilous web of jealousy, suspicion and murder. For only the slim possibility that Amanda was Tobias' child stood between Thone and sudden, violent death.

My take: I am not a big fan of the inverted mystery story. This book is touted on the cover as "a novel of suspense." I can hardly swallow that when the reader knows all along "who" and the how for at least one murder. The only real question is will s/he get away with it again? I've long heard praise for Charlotte Armstrong in mystery circles...supposedly Anthony Boucher called her "one of the few authentic spellcasting witches of modern times." If true, then I'm afraid her magic just doesn't work on me. The writing is decent...nothing extraordinary and I certainly didn't feel any of that magical suspense at work. There were bursts of delightful description...but they were few and far between. The dialogue is often stilted and downright strange (particularly between Amanda and Thone).

Perhaps this just isn't one of her best. I might give her another try if one of her books comes my way again. But I can't say that I'm going to go out of my way to find any.

This review was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[David Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's probably a formula that has been copied many times since this thrilling thriller first appeared in 1948, but it's difficult to imagine that it has ever been excelled. -- The reader knows who the murderer is fairly early on, as well as the intended victim(s). There is a somewhat elaborate backstory to the set-up: some twenty years previously, there was a temporary mix-up at a hospital involving the Garth and Garrison families: a boy and a girl were born almost simultaneously, but their identities confused. As the story opens, Amanda (Mandy) Garth learns of this for the first time. The infant boy went to Tobias Garrison, a prominent artist, and his beloved (second) wife Belle. Mandy cannot help but wonder if her artistic impulses might not be inherited from Garrison, so she decides to insinuate herself into the Garrisons' lives to see if she can learn more. Although he is certain that Thone is, in fact, his son, Tobias is nevertheless intrigued by Amanda and invites her to come to his home, which he shares with his wife Ione and (when he is visiting from the East Coast, which he so happens to be at this time) son, plus two elderly retainers. While touring the Garrison house, Mandy notices in a mirror as a thermos of hot chocolate is deliberately knocked from Thone's nightstand, shattering in the process. Mandy puzzles over this, becoming convinced that all is not as it seems in the Garrison household. As she enters more and more deeply into the family dynamics and their lives, darker things are revealed, things that are potentially life-threatening for Mandy herself. -- I could not put this one down. Need I say more? The characters are all vivid and real, but here the plot (and counterplot and counter-counterplot) is the thing, and it is a corker. More Charlotte Armstrong, please!

[tortoise dreams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty years later, a possible maternity ward switch leads to murder.

Mystery Review: The Chocolate Cobweb is clever, innovative, occasionally far-fetched, and an entertaining and compelling read. Featuring a brave and resourceful young woman as protagonist, this is a modern gothic suspense tale with a touch of romance. The prolific Charlotte Armstrong (1905-69) reveals the murderer early on, but can they be stopped? Despite the cringey title, The Chocolate Cobweb (it makes sense after a few chapters) is what's apparently called "domestic suspense" and isn't a cozy mystery. Unpretentious, entertaining, dramatic. A psychological thriller. In 2000, The Chocolate Cobweb was also made into a French film titled Merci pour le Chocolat (in English: Nightcap) with Isabelle Huppert, directed by Claude Chabrol. Truth, this isn't the cover of the book I read (from the American Mystery Classics series), but I like it so much better. [3½★]

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this back in about 1976, picking it up by pure chance in the library. It held me spellbound, and I devoured all the Armstrong books I could get that summer. Armstrong has a penchant for telling us her tales backward: we know who dunit and how, and we slowly learn why. Or sometimes, who's gonna do it and why...and then we learn how. Even though I knew how the story ended, at this second reading decades later it still made a rattling good suspenseful page-turner, in spite of Armstrong's tendency to lace mystery with romance.

Isabelle Huppert starred in a little-known outside France film of this book, Claude Chabrol's Merci Pour Le Chocolat. Huppert's character is not the cute but deadly Mrs Santa of the book, but disquieting nonetheless.

[Daniel Groth · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this book at a garage sale I wasn't really sure whether I'd like it or not. I guess the title intrigued me more than anything else. The copy I bought was an old "Pocket" brand books. Published in 1949. But I truly found this book to be amazing and I highly recommend it if you can find it.

[Ireneherz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracefully written

The author is in complete command of the English language. I was struck by the easy grace of some of her passages. The plot was unusual. Not exactly a mystery...but not exactly not. Strong female heroine. Very well plotted. A pleasure to read.

[Carolyn Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! This was a re-read, probably my third or fourth. Published in 1948, my first copy was a 1971 tattered paperback that had made the rounds through several paperback book exchanges before I nabbed it and kept it. I was delighted to see it had been re-printed by the Otto Penzler Presents American Mystery Classics, snapped it up, and happily re-immersed myself in its pages. Charlotte Armstrong was called the 'Queen of Suspense' and I totally agree. Several of her novels have been made into movies (including this one, in French in 2000), and she also wrote plays for Broadway. There is a cinematic quality to her books, and I kept thinking this would have made a wonderful Hitchcock style film. Set in the late 1940's in Los Angeles and a canyon in the Hollywood hills, the twenty-three year old protagonist Amanda or Mandy Garth, a budding designer and painter, hears for the first time the story of how at the hospital after her birth there was a near mix-up with another baby. The father of the other baby is a famous artist who has a show at a local gallery which Amanda attends to see the man himself as well as his paintings. There she also sees his handsome charismatic son who shares her birthday. Knowing that she had an unusual connection to the artist, she presses her rare advantage for a meeting and bravely arrives at his modern canyon home uninvited. The artist graciously agrees to talk with her and is delighted by the connection. Meanwhile, we are made privy to a murderer's plans to dispense with the handsome son. Only Amanda managed to stumble into the plot and averted the murder, but in doing so, now becomes the target. Amanda is no witless damsel in distress. It is by her own courage and spirit that she propels herself into dangerous circumstances, the causation of the events that follow. The suspense never lets up and there is an undercurrent of romance. It's the kind of book you'll avidly read in one sitting. Armstrong vividly describes the setting and details from the strange architecture of the canyon home to Amanda's tasteful outfits, so that you can visually imagine yourself there, caught in a web watching it all unfold.

[Diana]

Budding young artist Amanda Garth learns that she might be the daughter of a famous painter. Once she meets him, however, questions about her birth are forgotten when she witnesses an attempted murder. When she discovers that her possible suspect has killed before, can she stop them before they try again?

This is the third Charlotte Armstrong mystery I've read and this one contains tropes I've seen in her others: a single location; a familial cast of characters; non-professional investigative figures whose feelings for each other become personal; an evil antagonist; an MMC who does questionable things; and strong, active female leads. She also employs the inverted mystery structure: we -- and the characters -- know who the murderer is. With this book, however, Ms. Armstrong takes this inversion even further: not only do we know the identity of the murderer, but, also, how they committed their crime. Thus, this isn't a whodunnit or even a howdunnit, but a howcatchem: the suspense comes from wondering whether our two leads can outsmart the killer without losing their own lives.

This type of narrative is not to all tastes and I notice that many readers didn't find the storyline particularly interesting. I liked it for four reasons. First, all the action is driven by women -- not unusual for this author, but very unusual for mystery writers in general. Second, I'm a sucker for mid-century culture and this book provides ample descriptions of architecture, clothes, and that quintessential mystery city Los Angeles in all its glory. Third, the family's backstory is unusual. Finally, the significant clue was one I had missed so I did not guess how certain plot points would be resolved.

I recommend this book, but not this publisher. For one thing, they get one narrative aspect wrong in the blurb; for another, the author of the introduction complains about the title and the main character's name, and offers a rather banal reading of Amanda's coming-of-age. Actually, her character doesn't really change, but there is another's who does. Note: I did feel sorry for Gene.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a romantic suspense novel with Gothic overtones, set in California in the later 1940s. When Amanda Garth learns, at the age of twenty-three, that there could have been a mix-up at her birth, she is intrigued. Especially when the other father turns out to be well-known artist Tobias Garrison. Since Mandy is an art student, she attends visits a gallery showcasing Garrison's work, and wangles an invitation to his mansion. She finds herself drawn not only to Tobias, but also to his son, Thone, her "twin". So when she believes Thone is in danger, she sets out both to convince him of the danger, and also to protect him. Although neither Amanda nor Thone really believe they were switched, she can't help but wish for some kind of proof — this long before the current availability of DNA testing. How everything turns out will keep the reader on the edge of the seat. Highly recommended.

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Armstrong often starts with the murderer, deftly building excruciating suspense as the protagonist tries to set things right. Here, you have a young woman whose past history included a possible mix-up at birth with an artist parent. She's drawn to one of his showings and is surprised with the affinity she feels for his work, and manages to meet him and his wife and son (the other switched one?). On that first night, she sees an attempt at murder that she realizes she can't really prove. So, she weaves her way into the family to save the victim, not realizing just how clever her opponent is. The suspense is superb, especially down to the end when Amanda's plan to trap the murdering family member is sabotaged, inadvertently, by those she thinks she is protecting. Armstrong's Amanda Garth is a smart, imaginative, and strong young woman, but her inexperience puts her at disadvantage with a shrewd and seasoned adversary. It's a helluva a read.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A horrible disappointment. I read another book by the same author and really liked it. This one is terrible.

It starts with the introduction. The author of the introduction starts with how bad the title is, references to books of the same genre, continues with pages of ranting about the MFC being referred to by both a formal name and a nickname. I have read countless books where characters have nicknames, in addition to many people in my real life with nicknames. It continues with a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the MFC and her" growth". The entire introduction is interspersed with multiple parenetical comments making it really difficult to follow.

Then the book. Partial sentences and thoughts with no references to anything I can follow. The MFC is unlikeable, flighty, self-absorbed.

In short, thoroughly not readable. At least to me. Sadly, it's turned me off looking for any other books by the same author.

[Darlene Messenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reissued edition, full text of 1948 book, and, yes, a terrible title. A.J. Finn writes the introduction and I agree, the title is awful!! She "pounced on" more books by this mistress of mayhem, Charlotte Armstrong. I plan to do the same. With thirty plus titles to choose from, finding them in print is another story. American Mystery Classics is doing a fine job of adding more books to the reprinted classic crime genre. In this, the killer is known up front and we hold our main breath in anticipation while the police dawdle and the killer becomes more brazen. Envy, greed, hatred and an evil soul determines to get her way in this domestic thriller. Chilly night? Check your hot chocolate before you drink it.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Good tension builds up | I've only read one other by Armstrong, so I don't know if all her books are in the Lt Columbo style, in which the reader knows from the start who the killer is and watches to see how they're caught and if anyone else is killed, or if it's just the two I've stumbled onto. It works very well here, even when you tell yourself that books of the time didn't kill the hero, you know they'll sacrifice somebody, so you're whisked along wondering. Good pace, intricate plotting.