Halloween never tasted so good when fudge maker, innkeeper and amateur sleuth Allie is once again involved in solving a murder case on Mackinac Island and this time, someone is playing for keeps! When a local man is murdered during a Zombie Walkathon, to benefit charity, Mella, Allie's cat, finds the body and starts a chain of events that will lead to a possible life changing decision for Allie.

I'm a fan of this series and the latest book didn't disappoint. I admired Allie's determination to solve the mystery and grow her business. She didn't take unnecessary risks and I liked the fact she worked with Rex in solving the crimes. I loved the descriptions of the Island during the off-season and Allie's group of senior sleuths are so entertaining! The mystery kept me reading and I didn't figure it out until the author revealed "whodunit"!

The book is a perfect Halloween cozy mystery! I can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

This was the first time I have read anything by this author, and it was also the first book I have read in the Candy-Coated series. 📒 I enjoyed it a lot. It holds up well as a standalone. 👍 The mystery was laid out well and kept me guessing right until the end. 👀 There was a fantastic cast of secondary characters. 👤👤👤👤 Allie was a likable (mostly) main character. 👩 She needed to learn some discretion, and I wasn't a fan on the love triangle. 💑👤 But overall she was a good lead. 👍

I also loved the setting of Mackinac Island. 🍂 Especially as I have vacationed there growing up. 🚗 However, one disappointing aspect was this really had ZERO to do with Halloween. 🎃 The cover and the first line of the synopsis are a tad bit misleading in that aspect. 👎 Still, overall it was a cracking good read and as a bonus you get several yummy sounding fudge recipes that I can't wait to try out. 🍴

Fudge bites is a cute cozy mystery. Little bit of a love triangle, Mella the cat finds another dead body. Allie steps in to help solve the murder, but Rex wants her to stay out of it. Yummy recipes throughout book.

Allie McMurphy and her friends are getting ready for the Zombie walk on Mackinac Island, when her calico kitty, Mella, shows up outside the McMurphy with blood on her paws. She leads them to a dead body. With the body belonging to the son of one of her friends, Allie begins to investigate. She reaches out to the seniors on the island and can't help but wonder if she is putting them in danger when someone sets off explosives in the senior center. As she starts looking further into the death, more questions arise than answers. Was her friends' son the intended victim? Was it the zombie lookalike? Are the murder and the explosion connected? When another explosion happens in the McMurphy, Allie is all but sure that everything is connected. Her ex, Trent, wants her to come to Chicago with him, while Allie wants to stay on the island. I love the setting of Mackinac Island. I could defiantly see myself visiting there. The characters are fun and likable and people I genuinely want to be friends with. I loved all the different twists and turns in this book. The story and mystery are perfect for the Halloween setting of the book. I thought it was well written and overall a good mystery. I think the love triangle has finally come to an end and I couldn't be happier. I can't wait for the next book. I received this from Net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and the Candy-Coated Mystery series (of which this is book 7) is a quick, easy, and delightful read.

FUDGE BITES, the seventh book in the Candy-Coated Mystery series by Nancy Coco is filled with Halloween hi-jinx, a zombie walk, adorable pets, and yummy fudge…along with another murder victim. Ms. Coco brings the setting of MacKinac Island to life and I love the quaint descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the island that she portrays. The protagonist, Allie McMurphy, runs a historic hotel and fudge shop. The fudge sounds utterly drool-worthy! (Some great fudge recipes are sprinkled throughout the story, too.) Allie’s little dog is known for sniffing out dead bodies but this time it’s Allie’s cat, Carmella, who finds the victim. As Allie gets involved, with the help of the local senior citizen’s group, she wonders if it could be a case of mistaken identity. The action and danger to her and her friends increase as she narrows down the suspect field until the final edge-of-your-seat reveal. This newest book is another delightful installment in a delicious series!

Loved this trip to Mackinac Island. Fall is in full swing and the Island is slowly closing down for the season. On the evening of a zombie walk, Allie's cat, Mella, discovers a body. Even though Allie is still feeling like she has to prove herself, people keep asking her to help solve the murder. Renovations begin on the second floor of the hotel and the party deck on the roof. Mal finds a bag of old hymn books and Rex finds another body. There is much going on the Island, when the Senior Center is targeted with a bomb, both Rex and Allie are shaken up. Still on the case they work to discover what happens. Lots of twists and turns and even Trent comes back to the Island to make sure Allie is alright and offers her a place to stay in Chicago for the winter. While she longs to live on the Island all winter, should she? The question continues until the end of the book. Well written, a fun plot and a good ending. Loved this book!

Another entertaining visit to Mackinac Island. I can smell the fudge and love the recipes included. This charming mystery has a delightfully convoluted conclusion. Surprised me! I am looking forward to the next one in this fun series.

What's not to love when a book gives you fudge recipes and takes place on beautiful Mackinac Island?! I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. The characters are fun and the story is well crafted.

Fudge Bites is a fun book! Nancy Coco is one of my favorite cozy authors. Her books never disappoint me and this book was no exception. The characters are well written and are interesting. The story is well thought out and the plot flows nicely. If you're thinking about Halloween, grab this cozy, and Happy Trick or Treat! Thanks to netgalley for the arc, the review is my opinion.

Allie McMurphy is finding bodies again on Mackinac Island. In the 7th installment of the Candy coated mystery series, the island is settling down after the tourist season and is getting ready for Halloween with a zombie walk. Allie and her friend reporting Liz are getting ready to go out when they find a dead body in the alley. The body is that of Anthony the son of a close friend of Frances (Maggs). Frances offers Allie to help with the investigation. Allie begins to suspect that perhaps Anthony was killed as a result of mistaken identity and he appears to have no enemies and there is no motive. She reaches out to the seniors at the community center and helps get everyone out when a suspicious package arrives and soon after a series of explosions demolishes the center. Is the explosion and Anthony's death related? On a morning walk Mal finds a duffle bag and Allie calls Rex who later finds a body nearby. Another explosion rocks the McMurphy. Trent wants Allie to go to Chicago for the winter but Allie wants to stay. She has to choose between Rex and Trent. Good solid mystery and , fast read and great continuation to this series. I hope this series continues and is an automatic buy for me. Highly recommend.

This book was a perfect fit for me.....I love Cozy Mysteries......have visited Mackinac Island and can't get enough of the fudge there.......well written story......characters you care about and every book is like a visit back to the island

I received an ARC from NetGalley, this is my voluntary review. Well, it wasn't Allie that found the body.....this time! All it's cat, Mella, appears in the alley with bloody paws which leads Allie to find the body! This series is heart-warming and hilarious! The plot is great and very well developed with quirky characters. Everyone will love this mystery series. Enjoy!📚

Halloween is fast approaching idyllic Mackinac Island, MI, and the historic McMurphy Hotel & Fudge Shop owned by Allie McMurphy. During the annual Zombie Walk, the bloody paw prints of Carmella, Allie’s stray cat, lead to a gruesome murder scene.

I thought Author Nancy Coco’s writing was in it’s prime as I read this spooktacular story. There are constant twists and turns, and the surprises don’t end until the shocking reveal! I’ve been waiting for Allie to choose her man, and she finally does. Book #7 is a great addition to a long-running series—A Candy-Coated Mystery.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

Fudge Bites is a fantastic cozy mystery that is a must read for the year. This would be a great gift to buy for the holidays. The characters are charming and interesting. The book is well written.

I’ve been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately, and will place this one firmly on the top of the fun and feisty pile. I loved the location on Mackinac Island, and the super-entertaining characters. Allie and her fudge-making combined with her nose for a mystery made for excellent reading on a lazy afternoon. Clever mystery, skillful writing, and appealing characters & setting make this one a winner.

Fudge Bites
A Candy-coated Mystery, Book #7
Nancy Coco
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Halloween on Mackinac Island is a season of fun tricks, but finding a corpse is no treat for fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy . . .

NIGHT OF THE REALLY DEAD

It’s late October, off-season for tourists, but locals are up and lurching for the annual zombie walk charity event. Though everyone’s living it up, trouble is a just a few pawprints away. Allie’s followed the bloody tracks of her calico cat, Carmella, to a body in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop. Unlike the island’s other walking dead, this one’s flatlined for good. It seems that someone is using the zombie fest as the perfect backdrop for murder. Now amateur sleuth Allie and dreamboat officer Rex Manning must use every trick in their treat bag to unmask a killer in disguise.

Praise for Nancy Coco and the Candy-Coated Mysteries

“Memorable characters, a charming locale, and a satisfying mystery.”
—Barbara Allan

“It’s probably best not to read this while you’re too hungry, as the assorted fudge recipes may send you right to the kitchen.”
—The Oakland Tribune

“I will be counting down the days until the next mystery with Allie McMurphy.”
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

Help support pet adoption – see details inside.

***Includes an excerpt from Nancy Coco’s new and upcoming Oregon Honeybee Mystery series!*** (Goodreads)

Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and this book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Mackinac Island seems like I place I would really like to visit, especially in the fall.

The characters are well wounded and well developed. I was a little sad that Jenn, Holly’s best friend, was not in this book, causing trouble with Allie. But I did get to hang out with some of her other friends and got to know them a little better. I am sorry to say that the love triangle is still in play, but I am hoping that Allie has made up her mind for the next book.

There was quite a bit of action taking place in this book. I couple of times my jaw dropped open from what was happening in the story. There were a few things that I did not expect, which is a great thing. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. I had about four suspects that I was sure were guilty, one of them was right!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This whole series is great and I think you should check it out.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I thoroughly enjoyed my latest visit to Mackinac Island in Nancy Coco's latest addition to her A Candy-Coated Mystery series. Allie is set to enjoy Halloween on the island but discovering another murder victim interrupts the festivities. The mystery in 'Fudge Bite's is fast-moving and suspenseful. Adding to the tension is a remodel and rooftop addition to the McMurphy Hotel & Fudge Shop, as well as pressure from many sources to leave the island for the winter. All of this combined to make a superior story with (for me) a completely satisfying conclusion. I look forward to more in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I've read a lot of books like this, but this one was full of whiplash action like very few books I've read. Just when you think you've got l plot, something else happens I found myself rushing home to keep reading.

Allie McMurphy runs the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop, having inherited it from her Grandpa Liam. She's been working hard to upgrade it while making and selling her fudge. Living in a seasonal town, she plans to make the most of her off season to do repairs and upgrades.
Unfortunately finding the body her cat lead her to, on this year's Zombie Walk, puts a definite kink in her plans. Allie along with her friends, the seniors and her current love interest, Rex look into every possible clue and motive to find out who killed Anthony and why, he had no enemies.
Red herrings and incidents abound and the couple search relentlessly, despite the warnings she receives. The ending has a twist, and she is injured, is all right in the end.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC when I saw it was available because I liked the previous installment, and all the fudge recipes too. I've added a few to try for Christmas. I recommend this seasonal cozy for an enjoyable read.