I liked the first book. The last few books have dragged on. Hopefully someone else will like this series

Although the premise in 'Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut' was realistic the execution was a little too fanciful for me. I still haven't completely emotionally connected with Jake as some of her responses to her life and relationships seem a little detached. In the case of Sarah Grave's third in this series I immediately figured out the whodunit, however there were some surprises as the book concluded There was an intensity that took the book past a mere cozy. All this being said, I enjoy the series and look forward to more. I would love to see a warmer involvement between Jake and Wade.

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

This is the first book I've read in this series. I have read lots of Ms. Graves work in the Home Repair is Homicide series and really enjoyed that. So I was looking forward to a new series, not realizing that she had given Jake and Ellie something else to work on. I loved it! It's great seeing them again and the mystery was really involved. I love all of the characters and they didn't disappoint. I also love the bakery and hearing about all of the treats. Just wish that they could come with the book somehow. I'm much more an eater than baker. LOL! Can't wait to read more of this series.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

The town's pirate festival promises to be good business for Jacobia "Jake" and her friend Ellie who own the local bakery. When a man turns up dead in their basement, Jake becomes the chief suspect and knows she needs to catch the person or persons responsible before she lands in jail. The bakery plays a secondary role in this adventure with the seaside location paramount. While the main characters feel better developed than in the first installment, the mystery itself needs better plotting. Jake and Ellie come across as bumbling fools who fail to heed their own intuition, rather than clever amateur detectives. I almost quit reading this installment when a snake scene went on far too long. Potential exists for the series, but it still needs a dose of reality achieve it.

I received a free copy of DEATH BY CHOCOLATE FROSTED DOUGHNUT (Book 3 of the Death by Chocolate Mysteries) by Sarah Graves in exchange for an honest review. With the town’s pirate festival in full swing, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her friend/business partner Ellie White expect to be phenomenally busy baking sweet treats and selling them to festival attendees. During the festival, a celebrity foodie known for his nasty reviews tries to bully Jake into allowing him to make The Chocolate Moose part of his show. Jake loses her temper and publicly threatens the bitter foodie. That same day, Jake, working alone in The Chocolate Moose, finds the man’s body in the bakery’s basement; the corpse is wearing a stuffed parrot belonging to Jake’s grandson and is impaled upon an antique cutlass belonging to Jakes husband. Look who had means, motive, and opportunity! Fearing Jake’s imminent arrest for murder, Ellie and Jake implement their many years of amateur sleuthing experience in order to save Jake from walking the plank.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. Jake and Ellie get into a lot of trouble. In this book, Jake is plagued with unexpected encounters with gross wiggly things. I do not recommend reading while eating. After reading the first two books, I went back and started the Home Repair is Homicide series that begins the Jake and Ellie investigations. I recommend this series to fans of the series and to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring small towns, bakeries, ramshackle houses, growing families, pirates, festivals, and sailing.

#DeathbyChocolateFrostedDoughnut #NetGalley

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It's an entertaining story with a good story line, an interesting cast of characters and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other story by this author, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Jake and Henry might have had an argument (which everyone saw) but she didn't kill him- only found his body in the basement of her shop the Chocolate Moose. Eastport, Maine is about to have a big Pirate Festival so there's lots of people in town. Jake and Ellie, mature women who are very good at unraveling the unlikely number of murders in their small town, wanted to make sales of their treats, not figure out who killed Henry. While he had a following as a foodie, he also had a following of people who did not like him. This one kept me guessing, always a good thing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy.

Description
When a pirate festival blows into their small town, bakeshop owners Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie White expect they’ll be busy baking up a storm, but instead they find themselves marooned in a new murder investigation after someone kills a well-known food writer and TV personality . . .Everything is shipshape at Jake and Ellie’s new waterfront bakery, The Chocolate Moose, especially now that the annual Pirate Festival is dropping anchor in their quaint island village of Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are ready for the bounty of tourists sure to flood their shop. But their plans quickly sink when the body of celebrity foodie, Henry Hadlyme, is discovered in the Moose’s basement. . . Jake and Ellie are horrified, but their shock turns to dismay when Jake is pegged for the murder. Now, to clear Jake’s name and save the shop, Jake and Ellie must swashbuckle down and figure out who among Henry’s numerous enemies scuttled him in the cellar. Was it a long-ago jilted sweetheart’s vengeful relative? His long-suffering personal assistant? Or perhaps some bitter-as-dark-chocolate unknown enemy, now aboard the mysterious ship lurking in Eastport’s harbor?

Alas, dead men tell no tales, so Jake and Ellie will have to get to the bottom of the case on their own and find the real killer before anyone else is forced to walk the plank . . .

My Review
Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut is the 3rd book in the series and by far it has well written characters, great scenery, and a welcome return to Eastport. In this novel Jake and Ellie are at it again and they will not stop until they solve the mystery. The task at hand is difficult as the victim was despised by everyone.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion - thank you Kensington and Netgalley. This is truly a cozy enjoyable story with an added bonus - a recipe. You cannot go wrong. Buy it today!! This novel gets 5 Stars!

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves is book three in the A Death by Chocolate Mystery series. This was the first for me but I was able to get current quickly.
There is a Pirate festival in town and business at the bakery is full speed ahead. But not only is the festival there, a TV celebrity is also in town filming. He and Jake have a confrontation in the street being witnessed by quite a few people. Later that day, she finds his body in the basement of the bakery and all eyes are on Jake. She and Ellie have there hands full running the bakery and investigating who could be setting her up. After all, it turns our he wasn't that well liked by his staff. When a mysterious ship sails into the harbor and causes an explosion in town, the plot thickens.
There are twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. I also, enjoyed the setting and the characters are relatable. You get just enough personal lives of Jake, Ellie and their families. You also get a recipe.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Great read. Well written cozy mystery. Fun plot and beautiful Maine setting. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

This is the third in the Death by Chocolate mystery series, and the first that I have read. Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree has the "Chocolate Moose" chocolate shop in Eastport, Maine and expects to be doing a booming business during the annual pirate festival when things go very wrong. A food reviewer despised by all aims his guns at Jake and she shoots back, loudly and in public telling him off quite thoroughly, so when he is discovered dead in her basement.... Pirates, chocolate and murder. What's not to like? Throw in a mysterious black sailing ship, old local secrets, poison and a stolen cannon, and it makes for a rather exciting cozy. Jake and her best friend Ellie get into a good bit of mischief and over their heads on a few occasions, and the mystery plot is fairly twisty. Nice setting and engaging characters, splendid family dynamic, and of course, lots of chocolate. Recommended.

The 3rd book in the author’s chocolate series finds Jake and Ellie trying to save Jake from a murder charge after an arrogant podcaster/food writer gets into a public argument with Jake, and then ends up dead in their basement. I’ve read all of Sarah’s books, and while I enjoyed the characters and the depiction of coastal Maine, the situations the Jake and Ellie got themselves into this time seemed to be a bit far fetched. I kept finding myself thinking ‘tell your police officer friend or the Coast Guard where you’re going”. It just didn’t seem like they would have insights that the local authorities wouldn’t, and if that was the case, a reasonable person would have shared them. I’m happy to have read the book, and will continue to enjoy the series, but will hope Jake and Ellie will have learned a bit of caution while not ruining the fun! Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

I received this copy through netgalley.
Oh my gosh, it is so good.
I hope there will be more to this series
there was very good plot's, loved the character's and love the cover..
I couldn't put it down and didnt want to.
I look forward for more of her book's, they are alway's so good

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Death by Chocolate mystery series by Sarah Graves.

You could just sense it on the wind that when a some-what popular podcaster is found dead that Jacobia, “Jake” for short, would end up being the one fingered for the crime. I mean, come on! The body was found in the basement of the bakery of Jake Tiptree and Ellie White own. It was an only natural assumption, right? The name of this dynamic duo’s bakery just cracks me up: The Chocolate Moose. So cute and so appropriate for the locale! They are hoping the business gets noticed a lot more since the Pirate festival is right on their doorstep. But I don’t think the notoriety in the form of a dead body is what they were thinking.

I thought this was a well written mystery that really kept me guessing. I have to admit that I had no clue as to the identity of the killer. No surprise there, right? The author’s always fool me. Dang red herrings! There is a lot of backstory which I thought was good since this was my first foray into the world of Death by Chocolate! Even though the premise says Jake and Ellie co-own the bakery, I felt like Jake was the main character here. I really resonated with her and her quirky personality. What a likable gal! And that is what you want in a story, people you resonate with whom you can follow and solve the mystery with. Enjoyed the heck out of this. Looking forward to book 4 (and books 1 & 2!)

I really think Graves and Alex Erickson should get together and do a collab. I mean Death by Chocolate and Death by Coffee. What a great match that would be!

If you love a good cozy mystery, you have to check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Family and friends solve this murder with Chocolate being the binding factor... realistic misadventure adds to the total experience. Added to my reading list!

This is the third book in this series. I have been reading about Jake and Ellie since they first appeared in the Fix it series. I think the characters have been around too long. The series is running out of steam. A lot of the jams that they get themselves into have already been done in another book. I noticed that there was an attempt to give some background on the part of Jake. I guess this was to convey info to those readers who are new to the character. It bothered me because some of that info contradicted what was explained in the first series. Through out the book I felt like the timing was unrealistic. A lot of things were supposed to have happened in a time frame that wasn't possible. I also kept thinking how dumb are they when Ellie and Jake got into another jam. This series just seems to be spinning its wheels.

I have enjoyed every book that Sarah Graves has written, but think this is one of the very best. A complicated mystery evolves throughout the book along with the everyday lives of those living in small-town Eastport, and especially Jake and her extended family. Of course, every time I read one I want to head to Maine and find a chocolate bakery.

Jake and Ellie make a fantastic team, and Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut is a great example of it.
When Jake discovers a dead body, she becomes the number one suspect in his murder, which sets Ellie on a mission: prove Jake is innocent.
While the mystery was fantastic and I had a great time reuniting with some favorite characters, I found the general writing lacking a bit. Usually this author always has something exciting going on in the background, and I didn't find that in this book.
Be sure to pick up your copy on the release date.

This is the 3rd installment in the Death by Chocolate mystery series. In Eastport Maine, Jacobia (Jake) and Ellie run The Chocolate Moose bakery and are looking forward to the upcoming pirate festival that is coming to town. Things turn very quickly when TV celebrity foodie goads Jake about the bakery and then Henry is found dead in the basement of the bakery. What! So Jake is naturally a prime suspect so Jake, Ellie and their family work to clear Jake’s name and save the bakery and the find the real murderer. No shortage of suspects as Henry was not the nicest of people. Really enjoyed this installment and look forward to more in this series.

I haven’t read a book by Sarah Graves in years. Liked getting back to core characters from first series but preferred the fix it up books to this chocolate series. Still a good cozy with Jake in the thick, again.