It's the same old story. A cozy mystery seems to always be either abysmal or really good, with very few landing in the middle. The bad seem to outnumber the good – but the good ones are so enjoyable that I keep trying. And this one was one that made me glad I keep trying.

The author can turn a phrase like a prima ballerina's pirouette. (I have my doubts about THAT phrase, but time's a-wastin'.) "...The gossip wire in Eastport worked so fast and accurately that if you got a bee sting at one end of the island, minutes later
somebody was getting a pair of tweezers and some baking soda out for you at the other." (Also - baking soda on a splinter? Interesting.) "...You could have run your tongue over any surface in the place and it would come up tasting like rainbows." And two on the woes of telephony in the modern age: "Now any fool can start a phone company and provide the kind of high-class personal communication service once offered only by two tin cans and a length of string." Followed by "When I tried calling back, I got the kind of fast busy signal that can only mean one of the tin cans has fallen off the string." If deft writing is all there is in a book, that still makes it miles better than a lot of the stuff I've tried to read.

But the characters are wonderfully drawn too. This alone would put me on our heroine Jake's side forever:
“You hit that dog,” I yelled, shaking Wade’s hand off my shoulder, “and I’ll break every damned bone in your stupid—”
I was so mad, I’d have grabbed that damned gun and threaded our attacker onto its barrel the long way, if I could ...

Atta girl.

Also, the story is fun to read and holds interest as the plot unspools merrily. AND there's a recipe. Best yet? Sarah Graves is pretty prolific. There's lots of fun to look forward to.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

A corpse has been found on the Chocolate Mousse and now it’s up to the owners to discover who did it.

I was expecting to really enjoy this one. The premise seemed so fun! But, sadly, it disappointed me. The characters didn’t captivate me and the story bored me so much!

Nothing in the book made me want to read it.

Needless to say, this one was not for me.

Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. .

Great mystery! Nice town to visit with a main character I enjoyed. There are lots of twists to keep you on your toes. I'm ready for more Jacobia and her cheesecakes.

This was a did not finish for me. The author jumps right into the story as if we already know her character and doesn’t provide sufficient back story to engage my interest. Also the murder was foreshadowed from the very first page. I felt like I had no time to get to know any characters or care about them before I was thrust into a murder scene. It didn’t work for me.

Jake (Jacobia) and her friend Ellie are opening a Bake shop called the Chocolate Moose in their island town of Eastport Maine. They've been asked to make a number of chocolate cherry cheesecakes for the 4th of July auction to raise the funds for the town fireworks. Happy to help out, their timing plans are drowned in chocolate when a disgruntled neighbor is found murdered in their shop literally drowning in the melting chocolate.

Since the last person to claim to have seen the victim alive is Ellie, the two bakers set out to clear Ellie's name while at the same time baking those dozens of cheesecakes. Problems co tinue when a hurricane sets its sights on Eastport making the timetable for investigating and baking even tighter.

It was interesting to see familiar characters in a new setting (home repair vs. chocolate baker) and hope that they continue to move forward in their new venture.

I picked this book up as it was advertised as the first in a new series. What I didn't know was that these characters were well loved in another series, so there was a lot of character development and relationship information that I was lacking, through no mistake of my own. Jake and Ellie have opened up a bake shop on the waterfront of town Eastport, called Chocolate Moose. Apparently, Jacobia (Jake) has experience helping to solve murders, so when the annoying town inspector ends up murdered in their shop, Ellie is the main suspect. Matt Muldoon has been after them since they opened with one complaint after another, even saying he would report them to his “friends at the Maine State Health Department”. Ellie didn’t kill him but she and Jake will have to find out who did or Ellie may find herself under arrest. In addition to the dead man in the kitchen, there is a hurricane headed toward Eastport and the town is planning for their huge 4th of July celebration. Jake and Ellie have a huge order for Chocolate Cherry Cheesecakes for the silent auction. Also, Jake’s dad checks himself out of the hospital after having a heart attack. There is so much going on that I am not sure how it all gets sorted out.

Jake and Ellie are both strong women and work together very well. Jake's husband, Wade, makes a few appearances in the story, but is not a major player. Bob the sheriff is another good character and he does not want Jake and Ellie investigating on one hand, but feeds Jake information on another. The story rolls along at an okay pace with Jake and Ellie getting themselves in several sticky and dire situations. There were a lot of twists and turns and the conclusion pulling everything together was well done, but I found I did not really get invested in the story. If you are familiar with Sarah Graves' other series and these characters, you will probably love this book.

“Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake” earns 4/5 Cheesecake Chaos…Clever!

Completely taken with the delicious book cover, I was eager to read “Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake” by Susan Graves, the first in her new A Death by Chocolate series. I am a newbie to her work, but who would pass up murder, mayhem, and a Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake recipe? However, although it is presented as a “first in a new series,” it is really a reimagining of her sixteen-book Home Repair is Homicide series published 1997-2013. Graves keeps the setting of a quaint, island fishing village in Maine, but she has Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her BFF Ellie White starting up a new business venture. Originally owning a home repair business, they now are opening up The Chocolate Moose, a waterfront chocolate-themed bake shop. For fans of the original series, this change of venue will be refreshing, but I felt somewhat at a disadvantage with references to other events, investigations, and characters that seem already well established. However, I am a true ‘coziholic’ and was not going to give up before I gave it my full attention.

Susan Graves treated me to an entertaining mystery, but not without some missteps. She reintroduces Jacobia Tiptree, known to friends and family as Jake, and Emily White who are busy, busy running their bake shop and prepping for a few local summer events. However, the dead body face down in a pot of chocolate may put a damper on their success, put their business in jeopardy, and possibly land one, or both, in jail. First, some incongruences caused me pause. I know small towns can offer a more secure feeling that big urban cities, but when Jake is called really early in a.m. from a nosy neighbor that the backdoor of the bake shop was left open, it seemed Ill-advised to tell her to close it and she'll check it when she comes to work later. Then arriving at the shop she discovers unfamiliar scratches on the door frame, a possible blown fuse, and trips over something—none of which caused he pause. And when Ellie finally arrives, she's more concerned about the wasted chocolate than the dead body, and the victim, a very obnoxious shop patron, isn't immediately recognized? All of this in the first couple chapters made me worry that the mystery would have holes, and the two characters might not display reasonable reactions to the dilemma. But, it did improve with a clever mystery, good characters, and a satisfying ending. She relied a bit more on the narrative with descriptions of the chocolatey treats, environment, and people, but she did include entertaining dialogue to provide insights into personalities and emotions. Along with the murder investigation several home life and personal dramas are explored adding a nice intertwining subplots.

Don't misunderstand any of my critique as it is my honest view. I enjoyed the book, and now that I feel I'm up to speed, I look forward to book two, “Goodbye Cruller World.”

This is the first book in a new series but with characters from another series by Ms. Graves. It was well-written with nice twists and turns. Although I had most of it figured out, it kept my interest until the very end.

A SWEET cozy mystery set in New England always catches my attention and Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake was no exception! However, before I go into my review- this series is a spin-off from Sarah Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series. I haven't read that entire series but I did recognize a couple of names from the series. Also, Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake runs right into the action from the get-go. It didn't bother me (I rather like having the action start popping immediately but others won't.).

The characters are fun and likable. The mystery was well done and kept me enchanted.

HIGHLY recommend this new series and grab a plate and a slice of cheesecake so you can dive right in!

Review: DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE by Sarah Graves
(A Death by Chocolate Mystery #1)

This endearing cozy mystery is the first in a new series, the third series from author Sarah Graves of Eastport, Maine, the island community which is the setting of this series and of her first series, HOME REPAIR IS HOMICIDE. I discovered that series back in 2008 and devoured it, oddly, in reverse order {smile}. I've also immensely enjoyed her first two Lizzie Snow Mysteries (though those are noir and not cozies).

I was delighted to discover that this new "A Death by Chocolate" series stars our lovely protagonists from "Home Repair Is Homicide"," Jacobia (Jake) Tiptree and best friend Ellie. They have opened a bakeshop, The Chocolate Moose {love it}, and it's most successful. Of course, where Jake and Ellie go, mystery and trouble inevitably appear. This time Ellie is the prime suspect, and both ladies and Jake's extended family find themselves in physical danger from a seemingly invisible and inescapable source.

If you've read Sarah Graves before, you'll know she's written the Home Repair Homicide mystery series. The characters from those books are back in this series, the Death by Chocolate mysteries. If you are new to Ms. Graves, you can pick up this series and enjoy!

I was happy to see Jake and her friend Ellie again. They've opened The Chocolate Moose, a bakery in Eastpoint Maine. They're getting ready for the 4th of July celebration by baking cheesecakes to auction off when Ellie finds the body of an obnoxious health inspector dead in the shop. Ellie is immediately under suspicious for his murder, and Jake opens an investigation to clear her name.

This was cute cozy with familiar characters with great writing and plotting. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree co-owns The Chocolate Moose in the small waterfront town of Eastport, Maine with her best friend, Ellie White. They are busy making a dozen chocolate cherry cheesecakes to be auctioned off by the Coast Guard to pay for the town’s Fourth of July fireworks. Jake gets an early morning call from her business neighbour Miss Halligan that the door to her shop was ajar and finds the dead body of nosy Matt Muldoon. Police chief Bob Arnold thinks Ellie is the prime suspect and Jake is determined to clear her name. Jake and Ellie have to go on a late night boat trip to meet up with their chocolate supplier Marla so they can finish making their cheesecakes, and they have a rocky trip. Meanwhile, Jake's family is causing troubles with her ailing father going AWOL from the hospital after suffering a heart attack, and her formerly drug-addicted son Sam calling with a cryptic phone message. Jake's snooping puts her and Ellie in danger numerous times as the killer tries to make a getaway as a wicked tropical storm approaches Eastport.

This was a quick and engaging read. This was the first book in a new series but Jake and Ellie had appeared in a previous series by the author, so there is a backstory that I was not aware of.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Although this book looks like the start of a completely new series, it’s actually a sin off of another series, Home Repair is Homicide. I have read the other series but I went in expecting a new series and was surprised when it was the same characters, just with a different occupation. This is the main reason I knocked the rating down to three stars. The story would be difficult to connect to without having read the previous series. Other than that this was a great cozy mystery with delicious food descriptions and a tantalizing mystery to solve. It’s a good mystery but readers will enjoy it far more if they have read the other series.

What a yummy cozy complete with recipe for the "to do for" chocolate cherry cheesecakes! Looks to be the next page chapter in the life of former Wall Streeter, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and her best friend Ellie White as they take on the colossal job of baking a dozen cheesecakes during an impending monster storm. The last thing they need is for a dead body to show up in their water front bakery, the Chocolate Moose and for Ellie to be the #1 suspect. The pace of the book was wonderful with fully developed characters. I devoured this book and didn't figure out who the culprit was until the author wanted me to know, a plus in my opinion. I quickly looked for predecessors since the characters seemed to have a history with one another. Turns out that Jake and Ellie are the lead characters in The Home Repair is Homicide mystery series. I can't wait to start back at the beginning and see how Jake went from Wall Street to home improvement to chocolate pastry chef extraordinaire.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
It has got to be challenging coming up with something new and exciting when writing a cozy. So many are set in similar places with food or drink connections. The fact that so many of them are entertaining is a nod to the skills and creativity of the authors. So, when one is nail-biting, edge of the chair exciting, it is a real treat.
I did not expect this one to fit that description but I was wrong. I found myself turning the pages and being quite perturbed when something or someone interrupted my reading. That is high praise indeed. Jake and Ellie have a big job ahead of them, making chocolate cherry cheesecakes for auction on July 4th. Then they are asked at the last minute to make more which would be hard enough without all the other stuff going on- like a murder where Ellie is the prime suspect, or running out of chocolate, or a hurricane bearing down on their island or having their lives threatened. Jake has extra stress from a son with whom she cannot connect and a sick father who refuses to behave.
Good grief.
Luckily both Jake and Ellie are feisty, smart and very capable but it can be hard making heads or tails out of who to trust and who to suspect. In fact, both the ladies and the readers are left wondering right throughout the book. That combined with some taut action sequences puts this book clearly in the “cannot put down” category.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Sarah Graves' latest book is Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake, part of the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake and her friend, Ellie, are owners of the Chocolate Moose, a chocolate themed bakery. When the man who has been threatening to turn them into the health department is found dead in the bakery, Ellie is the only suspect. Other people turn up injured and a big storm is on the way. To make matters even worse, Jake has lost contact with her son. This book has so much going on that it was hard to keep track at times. On the positive side the story moves at a fast pace with several twists and turns. While it was slightly unbelievable at times, I do not mind the fictional side being strong. The action went right up until the end. I look forward to seeing what happens to the characters in the next book.

Thanks to Publisher/Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

This is the first book i am reading of this author. First off, the cover and title are great. No culinary or cozy mystery lover would miss it. I have not read the other series by this author and will definitely find them.

The part i loved the most is instead of beating around the bush, the murder happens in chapter 1 and sleuthing the rest. The other hindrances/distractions like the hurricane, auction for july 4th, son stranded add relatable because in real life it definitely pours when it rains!

Definite recommend for cozy mystery lovers.

After a dead man is found head first in a pot of chocolate, Ellie is a prime suspect. Her business partner and best friend, Jake, teams up with Ellie to try to find the real murderer. I did not feel the characters were fleshed out enough, and after reading other reviews, agree that their back story from another series left a gap of understanding their situation and personality. Just okay, but appreciated the various references to chocolate.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sarah Graves ended her Home Repair is Homicide Mysteries back in 2013. To her fans delight, she has brought the characters back in this new Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake and Ellie have opened up a bake shop on the waterfront and the town of Eastport still has a murder problem and this murder happens right in their business, The Chocolate Moose. Matt Muldoon has been after them since they opened with one complaint after another, even saying he would report them to his “friends at the Maine State Health Department”. Ellie couldn’t stand the man, but she can’t be the only one. She didn’t kill him but she and Jake will have to find out who did or Ellie may find herself working in the prison kitchen.

These characters were very well developed in the previous series but are now facing new situations as they try to get their new business off the ground. Enough background is given so new readers should not feel lost. They do mention the crimes they have solved before but it is not too much to take over this new story. Jake and Ellie are both strong women and work together very well.

In addition to the dead man in the kitchen, there is a hurricane headed toward Eastport and the town is planning for their huge 4th of July celebration. Jake and Ellie have a huge order for Chocolate Cherry Cheesecakes for the silent auction. Also, Jake’s dad is in the hospital when the story begins. To say these ladies have their hands full is an understatement.

The story rolls along at a great pace as Jake and Ellie find themselves in some dire situations. Twists and turns aplenty keep us readers on our toes. I did enjoy the interaction between the ladies and chief of police Bob Arnold, he trusted them enough to be able to accept their input because they have a history with this type of situation. Jake’s family life added a nice subplot and I was so surprised by Sam’s announcement.

Fans of the previous series will love this spin-off, new readers will fall for these characters too after reading this book. I have to say spin-offs are rare and hard to do in cozy mysteries but Sarah Graves has done a fine job. I am looking forward to future stories with Jake and Ellie.