USA Today Bestselling Author Books 1, 2, and 3 from bestselling series, Death by Chocolate BOOK 1: DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Lindsay Powell's only secret is the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies, but she is surrounded by neighbors with deadly secrets. Suddenly Lindsay finds herself battling poisoned chocolate, a dead man who doesn't seem very dead and a psycho stalker. Her best friend and co-worker, Paula, dyes her blond hair brown, hides from everybody and insists on always having an emergency exit from any room. Secrets from Paula's past have come back to put lives in jeopardy. Determined to help Paula and to save her own life, Lindsay enlists the reluctant aid of another neighbor, Fred, an OCD computer nerd. In spite of his mundane existence, Fred possesses tidbits of knowledge about such things as hidden microphones, guns and the inside of maximum security prisons. Lindsay needs more than a chocolate fix to survive all this chaos. BOOK 2: MURDER, LIES, AND CHOCOLATE Rodney Bradford comes into Lindsay's restaurant, eats her brownies, and drops dead on her sidewalk. Lindsay enlists the aid of her enigmatic neighbor, Fred, to help solve the mystery of his death while trying to keep her police detective boyfriend, Trent, from getting in their way with his insistence on all those silly cop rules. On the positive side, sales skyrocket for the special dessert Lindsay calls Murdered Man's Brownies. BONUS! Chocolate recipes included. Poison optional. BOOK 3: THE GREAT CHOCOLATE SCAM After two years of waiting, Rick has finally agreed to sign the divorce papers and give Lindsay her freedom. But while she’s waiting in her lawyer’s office for him to appear, his car blows up in his driveway. Lindsay is left with an image of her estranged husband’s green SUV flying around the neighborhood along with pieces of Rick—a blue contact lens in Mrs. Hawkins' driveway, a perfectly creased trouser leg hanging on the street sign, a vertebra on the immaculate lawn. Since their divorce wasn't final and Rick has no family, Lindsay assumes she is his only heir. But before his estate is settled, poor orphan Rick has more relatives than a lottery winner. Is the obnoxious Rickie Jr. really Rick's son? Why is the woman who claims to be Rick's mother so certain the child is not her grandson? Are these people really related to Rick, or was he actually an alien stranded on earth when the mother ship left without him? Come for the Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars, stay for the murder, mayhem and fun!
“Write what you know,” they said. I’d been married three times. I wrote romances.
Fast forward ten years.
“Write what you know,” they said. I’d been divorced three times and fantasized about murdering my ex. Only massive doses of chocolate kept my finger off the trigger.
Now I write about murder and chocolate and the occasional ghost.
The first three books in the Death by Chocolate series are everything I like about cozy mysteries: well-written w/ pithy comments, a spunky heroine w/ loyal sidekicks, and a hint of romance. Lindsay Powell is even more fearless than Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, which is saying something.
Lindsay has a way w/ chocolate desserts and owns a shop called Death by Chocolate. She employs her next-door neighbor in suburban KC (a fictional suburb, which annoys me, as I am from KC), a woman w/ a toddler and a very mysterious past. In Book #1, Lindsay is in the process of divorcing her serially-unfaithful husband and finding out who is her neighbor’s mysterious stalker. It gets pretty intense and scary, but we all get to meet hunky detective Adam Trent. Did I mention That Lindsay doesn’t like cops b/c she loves to speed? A girl after my own heart. All ends well w/ a twist, which is great.
In Book#2, a hopeful business partner of Rick’s (the not quite ex-husband) drops dead in front of Lindsay’s shop. He wanted Lindsay’s house, where possible drug money is hidden. Danger ensues. Lindsay and her neighbor/sidekick, Fred, try to solve who has the money/where it is before Lindsay gets killed over it. More hi-kinks w/ a happy ending. You figure out the money-owning before the end, but still a good read.
In Book #3, Rick’s car blows up in his driveway, (good!) but all kinds of mysterious relatives turn up to claim half of Rick’s estate. Are they all really Rick’s relatives? Lindsay is ‘way too nice in this one; she should have sent all the obvious grifters packing. More investigating by poor Paula and Fred, and yet more teasing about when Trent and Lindsay will finally get to be intimate. Another excellent twist, even though you know the killer before the end.
I can’t wait to get home and buy more mysteries in this series!
I read a LOT of books and to find a series that keeps me begging for more is rare. However, I'm always impatiently waiting for the next Sally Berneathy book to hit Amazon. I have loved each one of her books and to get the first three books in the series for only $0.99 is incredible. If I didn't already have them, I would buy them. With that said, I'm seriously considering buying this set for someone I know that also loves cozy mystery novels.
Not only is this series impossible to put down once you start reading (I usually devour the new releases in one day), but they're funny, have awesome recipes, and even a bit of romance. I just can't say enough about these books. I would recommend these anyone that loves cozy mystery novels.
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Lindsay is a quirky but lovable character, and is a whizz with chocolate creations. For her love life, she does or doesn’t love her husband, soon to be ex.husband is living with Buffy but keeps showing up, She rented the house to Paula, and a little boy Zack, with secrets, and more secrets. Giving her a job in her bakery to help earn.money. The other neighbor has a multi talent at many things. The main job is to keep Lindsay grounded with all the Mayhem things that go around her all the time, Interesting plot, and filled with humor. MURDER, LIES & CHOCOLATE Lindsay and Rick, still no divorce. His latest scheme is the house she is now living in. Guy wants to pay more than it is worth, saying it was his grandparents, With Rick and the salesman he is what is really true. The man asks for a glass of water, and then collapses on to the sidewalk in front of her business . He ate a brownie she is nervous that he may have been allergic to nuts. Calling 911 and saying she killed a man. Fred now asking why she said that..Mix up stories about the house, who was in prison. Was there an intruder or a mouse in Lindsay basement. It is filled with numerous lines and one enjoys the Mayhem with Lindsay. THE GREAT CHOCOLATE SCAM Time was set to sign the divorce papers, while Rick didn’t show up. Later told somehow his car blew up and he was dead. Rick could t tell the truth if he tried. When his real estate partner comes to her, and wanting his parents home back.Then a woman saying she was his mother. comes with hifs brothers. Then a woman comes saying she was a wife, and their son. A circus of people for Lindsay, and is any of it true. Rick was a salesman, a good con artist.
If there was a classification called "Funny Murder Mysteries", this series would be at the top of the list! They are definitely murder mysteries but what goes on before, during and after the murders are solved is what makes them unique. I would love to meet Sally Berneathy, the author, to see if she has the same personality as Lindsay! Not many books make me laugh out loud but some of the situations and dialogue in these books did just that. For a fun, relaxing read, pick up any one of the books in this series. You will not be disappointed. Oh, by the way, the chocolate recipes at the end of each book are delicious, too!
Can reading get any better? The intro in book one was a little slow, but once Lindsay got into action, she never slowed down. The characters are crazy and endearing. Her mystery neighbor never fails to come through when she needs information and always knows what is going on in her life. Her estranged husband is unshakable and always interfering. Each person in her life has a story that complicates and adds excitement to her adventures. Funny and intense murder and mystery abound in these books because of the quirky personalities. I read the intro to book four and can’t wait to get it!
Lindsey, who owns a chocolate shop, manages to get involved in a lot of dicey situations. But with her neighbor, Fred, she manages to come out on top of most of them. Throughout all 3 books she is diligently trying to get her cheating ex to sign the divorce papers. But he has decided that even though he is continually cheating on her that Lindsey is the best thing that ever to him! Lindsey of course disagrees!! I especially love Lindsey's sense of humor and sarcastic wit!! She'll keep you in stitches! Enjoyed this series and am looking forward to reading the next adventure.
I thought I might be less interested in these characters and plots, but here I go again I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books. I like the authors imagination for stories and characters. I also like that the main characters are in each book (except for the ex-get rid of him) . I really hope the chocolate and her cop get together, but is very imaginative how the author gives a little more each time. Kind of fun waiting for it to happen. Oh well, off to the next book and hoping it's not the last. P.S. don't forget to try the recipes.
My latest guilty pleasure. A bit of a mystery. More of likably strange characters, not the least of whom is a cat. The guilty pleasure is in part that the main character constantly swigs coke (the drink) and consumes mounds of chocolate slightly interspersed with pizza. An Overeaters Anonymous wet dream, without a whisper of fat or diabetes on the horizon.
I really liked this book series. The characters from book to book stayed the same with the addition of a few new ones in each book. Lot of well deserved karma moments for Lindsay_one tough lady. The chocolate recipes at the end of each book sound really delicious-which I will be trying.
Book three was a hoot. More crazy maybe relatives of Rick. Murder, sneaking around , kidnapping and a sensitive cat rounds out the extras. The main characters are more fleshed out and more endearing. Start reading the series from the beginning to best enjoy this writer's chocolate series. Oh, I forgot there are recipes of her favorite chocolate bakery specials.
I love this series! I have laughed out loud while reading this series. I love these characters and the shenanigans that they get involved in. The books are easy to read and I find I don't want to put them down. I'll recommend this series to my friends and family for sure!
A fun read that lures you in, book after book, in this series.
Love the authors writing style, characters, and complicated plots. I look forward to the rest of the series and as far as I'm concerned she could continue with this series until the characters are old and no longer interesting. (Not that old people can't be interesting!)
So much fun! Very escapist light murder mysteries with a bakery owner, and recipes. You can't read these stories without craving chocolate and sex. What could be better when you want to get away from Covid and real murder stories? Similar to the Goldie caterer books by local author Diane Mott Davidson that I read years ago.
I read all three over the weekend. Each book can stand on it's own but if you can read them in order you'd probably enjoy them more. I liked the storyline, some unexpected turns and twists.
This series is so fun. The plots are wonderful and well thought out. The characters are quirky and humorous yet still have believable qualities that will make you gasp and make you laugh. The recipes sound delicious. A must read series.
Sassy and unbelievable, yet captivating and charming, Triple Chocolate Murder has twists and turns you don't see coming. I look forward to the next delicious episodes.