Dollycas’s Thoughts

Killer Chocolates and mysteries are what you will find at twin sisters Alex and Hanna’s Murder and Mayhem shop in Harriston, Montana. With names like Strychnine Strawberry, Ricin Raspberry Creams, Cotton Candy Coniine, and Veronal Vanilla Cream, the candies are flying out the door as Christmas approaches. While these poison theme candies have fun names, and no poison is used in the creations there may be a real killer nearby. Alex’s elderly friend Jane watches every true crime television show she can. She tells Alex that she knows one of the killers she has seen on television is living in Harriston. She confesses she also told her friend Nessa, who has never met a piece of gossip she hasn’t spread. Alex reluctantly agrees to visit Jane the next day to watch the program.

When Alex arrives at Jane’s house the next day she finds Jane dead . . . with a box of Killer Chocolates too close for comfort.

Alex is beside herself when she is named as a suspect along with a handyman, Zach who did a lot of work for Jane. Hanna knows she is innocent and she believes Zach is too. She just needs to prove it and fast. She has no desire to spend the holiday behind bars.

This new series is off to a fabulous start.

I really like these twin sisters. Alex runs the book part of the shop and Hanna makes the chocolate creations, but they crossover to help each other and work with the customers because most usually leave the place with a least one book and a box of candy. Their relationship is comfortable and relatable. Alex has a real knack for getting people to open up to her especially if she is offering candy. These characters are well-developed for the first book in the series. Ms. Romeril has left plenty of room for them to continue to evolve as the series continues though.

The author took the first couple of chapters to introduce readers to Alex, Hanna, and their dog Miss Watson. We also meet their neighbor Pastor Tom Kennedy, Penelope Shaw, a divorcee, who lives across the street from Tom, and her sights on him as her next husband, Duncan Fletcher who dated Hanna for about 2 months and then he put her in the friend zone and Gary, owner of Harriston Bloom greenhouse. These characters as well as others we meet in the story are all cleverly crafted.

The mystery was very well-plotted. I really enjoyed the way Alex attacked her investigation. Her former career in banking for 20 years gave her the instincts and knowledge needed to be a pretty good amateur sleuth. I was delighted to follow along with her step by step as she worked through the clues. A key piece of evidence reveals the truth she was looking for and everything started to fall into place. The ending was exciting. I loved the way it played out with a surprising hero.

What more could you want? Candy and books are what this girl loves and to have them both in one place is Perfect!

A Christmas Candy Killing was such an entertaining cozy. With characters I can’t wait to visit again, a sweet mystery, a unique theme, a fun setting, and humor in all the right places, this book is A Perfect Escape. I am excited about the next Killer Chocolate Mystery.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed the mystery and loved the poison-themed chocolates. A perfect treat while browsing in a mystery bookshop. I didn't warm up to the characters immediately but by the end I was invested. I did think Tom moved on a little fast from his wife's passing. Overall, it was a good read and I'll probably watch for the next in the series.

A pair of sisters looking into a murder suspect to clear one's name. A cozy mystery that has you eager to figure out what comes next. Look forward to seeing what comes next in the series.

I enjoyed this one! Alex and Hanna are endearing protagonists, and I enjoyed following their journey in solving the mystery. I wish we got more of Hanna, but I think that will be fixed in the subsequent books. I loved the setting and the mystery. It was well paced and well plotted. I cannot wait for book 2!

"If we want that window replaced in the bathroom at the shop, we'd better find the real killer."

This new cozy mystery series is pretty basic. Twin sisters run a mystery bookshop that also sells poison themed (not poisonous) chocolates. Like most basic of cozy mystery businesses, the bookshop is only open from 9-5 and one of the owners can be gone for hours at a time playing Nancy Drew. Alex is shocked that the shop is busy on the Saturday before Christmas, yet leaves to go do her own shopping in another town.

I didn't really like this book. It was slow. Alex and her sister are mid-40s but honestly acted like retirees. The Nancy Drew sleuthing was also very basic, mostly consisting of asking point blank questions to people like, "oh nice to see you Mary. So what's your alibi for Monday night? Also, did you change your name when you moved here? Any ex-spouses we should know about? Thanks for shopping with us! See you soon!!" I also didn't enjoy all the barbs at people's weight when making or eating sweets.

This exchange totally cracked me up and sums up the main character pretty well:
Alex: "I'm sure I'll be fine. Not that many people know what I'm doing."
Tom: "The whole village probably knows what you're up to. If the killer doesn't, it's because they've left town or they're in a coma."

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

I love the idea of twin sisters owning a mystery bookshop called Murder and Mayhem that also sells their famous poison themed candy chocolates. Another thing that was fun for me is their mother lives and owns her own shop that is in my home state and knew the city that was mentioned. There's a lot of fun and cozy Christmas mentioning. I did enjoy a handful of characters from this small close knit community. I did feel this was a little slow for my taste but I look forward seeing where the author takes us in the second book.

Thank you NetGalley for an early review copy.

ARC received for an honest review

Welcome back to Little Italy and the D'angelos.

I think I put on about 5kg just reading this book, thinking of the delicious Italian food.

I liked getting back to them all, and seeing Chloe D'Angelo get her HEA - even if it does take a little while and a few wrong turns to get there.

Loved the protective vibe from the big brothers (even though in real life I would feel like Chloe and hate that they do it). I adored that she and Dante finally work on the feelings they have had for each other. Loved that they finally told the brothers to back off.

I want to be part of this family so bad (and not just for the cannoli!)

Looking forward to seeing which D'Angelo gets their happy next

What a delightful book … having chocolates named after poisons that are sold in a bookshop that sells mysteries! I loved this first book in the series. The characters are well developed and the author has done a great job of introducing a variety of personalities … nice and friendly, quirky, and crotchety. You will find yourself warming to the town and inhabitants of Harriston, Montana. The mystery was well done and you are left guessing until the end. I look forward to the next installment in this new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

An intriguing new cozy with a unique twist! A set of twins have opened a candy/bookstore with a murder theme and find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery when one of the twin's best friends ends up a victim of murder. A well plotted story with a plethora of suspects to weed through as you follow the twin's logic-based process of elimination. Will the ladies be quick enough to solve the murder before one or both of them find themselves the next victim on the list? You'll have to read to see for yourself! This was my first book by this author, but I sure hope it won't be my last! In particular, I hope we see more from the twins as these characters and their friends are outstanding.

This book had two of my favorite things…. Chocolate and a murder mystery. This first book by an author I have never read has me intrigued about the next book in the series. The book was a bit slow in parts, but overall it was entertaining.

A fun start to the Killer Candy series. I was able to guess who the killer was but I liked the reveal of the motive. I am looking forward to book #2 in this series to see what Alex, Hanna, and the rest of the village get up to.

There's a lot of potential in this series as the mix of chocolate/books is quite original and intriguing. Unfortunately I found this book quite slow and bit repetitive. I liked the setting and the character but some less repetition would have help.
I want to read another book and I'm sure it will work.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A Christmas Candy Killingis the excellent first book in the new “A Killer Chocolate Mystery” series by Christina Romeril. I love the original theme behind this book. Killer Chocolates, created by twin sisters, with the names of poisons, many of which are used in murder mysteries, are delightful. Add in the Christmas holiday and the murder of a real murder television show devotee, and you have everything you need for a fun-filled day of reading.

Alex and Hannah are twins, but they are not completely identical. One twin is definitely more outgoing, while the other is happy to have a small social circle. Both are hard-working, and their killer chocolates are to die for, literally. When a friend is murdered, and Alex becomes a prime suspect, it is up to her to clear her name and find the actual killer before it’s too late. There are more suspects than Alex would have thought. After all, she thought everyone loved Jane. Why would anyone want to kill an old lady who was so well-loved? But it doesn’t take long for Alex to figure out that not everybody loved Jane, and some had an excellent motive to commit murder.

I loved the way the author unveils the clues and points fingers at the suspects. Using a twin as the prime suspect isn’t overly common in cozy mysteries and lent a feeling of newness to the genre. I especially enjoyed the poison theme killer chocolates. It isn’t that poisoned chocolates haven’t been used in a cozy before, but I don’t recall one that built the main characters’ business around something so commonplace. The chocolates aren’t really poisoned, but the names suggest they could be, and that makes them attractive to Alex and Hannah’s customers. The main characters are enchantingly complex and simple at the same time. The setting is compelling, with just the right amount of small-town politics mixed with life in a tourist town and beautiful surroundings.

The victim is the girl who cried wolf; she loved real crime shows and was always accusing people of being a killer if they even slightly resembled someone she had seen in a show. This time, however, it may have gotten her killed. Killer chocolates and being a twin won’t help Alex figure out who the murderer is, but it doesn’t stop her from going all out to track the person down. Was Jane right this time? Did she find a killer among the townspeople? Is Alex the next victim? When the murderer is found, readers won’t be totally stunned, but many will find that they guessed incorrectly. And this makes A Christmas Candy Killing not only a fun holiday read but a captivating mystery that keeps readers flipping the page.

This is a fabulous start to a new cozy series by a new to me author. We meet twins Alex and Hannah who own an adorable bookshop that they use to also sell their poison-themed Killer Chocolates. I must say this is an adorable idea that makes me wish this was areal store that I could visit as the chocolate sounds oh so yummy. Their town is gearing up for the Christmas season when their older neighbor tells them that a murderer from a true-crime t.v. show has moved into town. Before Alex can watch the show with her she turns up dead with the sisters chocolates in her hand making Alex a prime suspect. Well of course that cannot stand so they start looking things making for a fun adventure filled with a wide range of characters, small town charm, and plenty of secrets to keep the story moving. Makes for a fabulous start to this new series that is sure to delight cozy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

A fun cozy mystery swathed in books and chocolate. What could be better? I do think having a business that sells "poisoned" chocolates is a bit on the nose for a mystery, especially when it turns up next to the body.

I’m a sucker for cozy mysteries with a culinary theme or set around books (i.e., in a library or bookstore), so when I came across A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril, it ticked off both boxes, I knew I had to pick it up. Even better, it was the first in a new series by a new-to-me author.

A Christmas Candy Killing follows Alex. She runs a bookstore/candy shop in a small town in Montana with her twin sister. When she ends up as one of the prime suspects in a friend’s murder, Alex decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate with the help of friends and family.

The book started off a little slow as it set the stage and introduced all the characters, so it took me a while to warm up to Alex. At this point, she wasn’t quite as developed as a character as I would have liked. She isn’t exactly unlikable, but she also wasn’t endearing. More often than not, she came off as an irritating snoop, and I wanted more for her.

The plot was really the highlight of A Christmas Candy Killing, with high nods to the setting. As I live in the Pacific Northwest, I love books set near me, and Montana fits the bill. The small-town smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season was just so easy to picture. I just wanted to go visit.

And the plot: Ms. Romeril crafted a great mystery with plenty of suspects and enough red herrings to keep me turning the pages. I had a fairly solid clue who the murderer was about 2/3 of the way through the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the reveal of the motives behind the murder.

For a debut novel, A Christmas Candy Killing was pretty well put together. There was a little too large a cast of characters with less development than I’d prefer. But with an interesting and complex mystery, I was pulled into the story, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this small Montana town.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I adored all the characters in this book. It keeps your attention from the first page. It is entertaining and twisty. My favorite characters are Alex, Hannah, Tom, Jane, and Maggie. I never thought it would be that character. If you love a fantastic cosy mystery this is the book for you. This book will is in stores for $28.99 (USD).

I really tried!
This book seemed odd to me, as if this was not the first book in its series, I can’t really put my finger on why. I feel like the main characters weren’t introduced very well and also the rest of the second plan characters seemed too impersonal and all sort of the same-y.

I found the writing to be a little awkward and stumbling at times and the plot very very slow.

I’m not sure if it’s just me, as I know there are a lot of people loving this book, but it almost seems like I read a completely different book!

Anywho, it really wasn’t the book for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is so slow, I was excited to read it as i think it is going to be a series, the same people were questioned over and over again, I don't know if it was just filling but it was taking forever and when I though I was almost finished i was 65% through, sorry but not for me

A Christmas Candy Killing marks the start of a fabulous new cozy mystery series for Christina Romeril. It features the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a bookshop that also sells chocolates, located in Harriston on the southwest shore of Echo Lake in Montana. Alex Wright and her sister, Hanna are identical twins; they run the shop and the Sleuth Book Club holds its monthly meetings there. Jane is one of the members of the book club, as well as the president of the horticultural society, a woman nearly in her eighties and a neighbour of Alex's. Unfortunately, she is found dead, crumpled on the floor beside her bed, her white nightdress stained red, on a cold winter's day just before Christmas, after inviting Alex for tea at 8 am. A small box of choccies is beside her, thought to be from Murder and Mayhem, putting Alex in the frame.

There's plenty to love in this mystery including some great characterisation and lots of terrific mouthwatering choccie descriptions if that's your bag. I was in heaven! I'm already looking forward to the next instalment.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.