"Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone" by Sarah Graves is Book 7 in her Death by Chocolate cozy mystery series. I liked this book. This is a pretty exciting thriller! It isn't gory, per the cozy mystery aspect, though. It has several likable characters.

And it has ...
SHARKS!! SHARKS!!! SHARKS!!!!!!!! YIKES!!

OK. Back to the review.
The main characters are Jacobia (Jake) and Ellie, proprietors of the Chocolate Moose bakery in Eastport, Maine. The new police chief is Lizzie Snow.

This is my first read of this series. It works well as a stand-alone, but there are a lot of other characters that would be more familiar with prior reading. Jake lives in an old house with her husband, her parents, and her son and his wife and kids. There is an old woman, Glenna, that many people think is a witch, and we are left wondering.

Jake and Ellie are investigating the disappearance of the husband of their friend, Sally Coates. He was a fisherman, and no body had been found. While they are searching, they also have to create a recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Scones for a big order. There is quite a bit of humor as Jake repeatedly gets in trouble from her clumsiness and her big mouth.

There are several dead bodies that turn up here and there. Near the end, a young child goes missing. I don't think Jake slept at all during the story, and certainly not once the boy is missing!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5, Suzie Althens
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 5/5

I really liked this book. I recommend it to those who love cozy mystery and thrillers alike. It is exciting and entertaining! I'll read more of this series for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Sarah Graves for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 7 in the “Death by Chocolate Mystery Series” and I haven’t read the others but still greatly enjoyed this story. I listened to the first bit on audio, but switched fairly quickly because for a cozy mystery this one was a bit more action packed and I didn’t want to wait. I really liked the main character and amateur sleuth Jacobia “Jake” and her partner in their bakery business Ellie. the two of them are known for being nosy (as all good amateur detectives are) so when a local fisherman is missing and presumed dead both his wife and the new police chief ask Jake and Ellie to see what they can find. The fisherman’s wife let’s them know he had a gold coin on him and while she doesn’t know what it would be worth she needs that money to take care of her kids and asks if they can try to find it and return it. But the sleuthing becomes more dangerous as sharks, additional body, and a missing child raise the stakes. I really liked this mystery, but I like the whole gambit. It felt a little more intense than a typical cozy, but it was clean and free from gruesome details with the deaths. Overall I gave it 4.5 stars which I rounded up because the last part of the book gripped me so much I couldn’t put it down at all.

I listened to this audiobook as a standalone. I enjoyed Jacobia “Jake” and Ellie. I thought the author and narrator did a good job with describing Jake’s work and family and her challenges with all of it while also trying to investigate a disappearance and murder. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

The cover says, cozy bakery mystery, but be ready for a bit more peril outside the bake shop. I was expecting a lighter mystery more focused around the bake shop and other small shops in a itty bitty town like Tonya Kappes’ Killer Coffee series but this is more along the lines of Leslie Meier’s later Lucy Stone mysteries. Expect three dead bodies, a kidnapping, and threats on the sea from sharks and humans alike.
I have not read the other titles in the series. I don’t think it’s a requirement but would definitely help.

The audio book had an amazing narrator and it made the entire book so pleasant to listen to. The author was descriptive without being too overly detailed.. I felt the writing was wonderful and the characters pleasant. I wish though there was a bit more in the book about the bakery. The majority of the book hit on the mystery solving. I believe if there was even another partial chapter about the bakery shop or characters backstory it would be incredible. Surprisingly the police officer wanted the baker to be involved in solving the case. In most cases they urge citizens to avoid criminals and asking questions. That did change the story and allowed for more intrigue. I loved hearing this story and I will recommend it highly. I also will read the next book this author writes.

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves is the 7th book in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. I read the first book in the series some time ago but I have not read books 2-6 in this series. This book works OK as a standalone, but I would have definitely benefited from reading the previous books (as well as the previous series by this author that is referenced in this series) to better understand the characters.
What I enjoyed: I loved the atmosphere and setting (island village of Eastport, Maine). This is a wonderful summertime read (set in August) and there are multiple scenes that take place on a boat, which was fun. I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters, especially Ellie and Glenna. And there’s a kitty named Jinx (I wanted to see more of her)!
What didn’t work for me: I was worried about how sharks would be portrayed in this, and now that I’ve finished the book, I can definitely say that they were portrayed in a very bad light. This book also felt a little too long for the story itself. A book could be 5x as long as this and I might not even notice the length because the story warrants it. This story needed to be trimmed a little, in my opinion.

3.5/5.0 stars!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves. My comments are an independent, honest review.

This book is just not my cup of tea. I understand this is the 7th book in the series but I felt like I had whiplash when the heroine’s sordid past was dropped in one sentence. I had a hard time connecting to the story and characters.

Death by Chocolate Raspberry is the seventh book in a cozy mystery that follows Jake, a woman who owns a chocolate shop.

I listened to this one on audio and I enjoyed it! I liked the narrator a lot. I like all of the characters and I love the setting. It has a cozy town vibe going for it and it has a beach vibe too. I love the food and chocolate throughout as well. The mystery itself was interesting as well. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a cozy mystery.

Thanks so much to netgalley and Kensington for the arc of this book and Dreamscape media for the alc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I chose this because the title, cover and premise screamed cozy mystery to me and I love cozies. Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me. There's very little to do with the bakery or anything chocolate which I expect from a cozy. This is my first time reading this author so not reading the previous books I didn't know what to expect. The story isn't bad but the story drags and there are so many characters that I'm confused. Stopping at 74%. I tried to push through but I'm no longer invested in what happens. I wanted more of the cozy mystery feel but instead got just a small-town mystery, which doesn't interest me. I'll chalk this up to "it's me not you". One plus...I liked the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ALC of Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read in the series, though it is book 7. I think it worked alright as a standalone, but I certainly would have understood more about the protagonist if I had read the other books. Overall, I enjoyed the book and was definitely interested in trying to solve the mystery along with the sleuthing characters. I felt like the last third of the book was overly dramatic, drawn out, and quite frankly way too unbelievable. If cozy mystery is your preferred genre you will enjoy it!

I love a little cozy mystery and I just found this series by Sara Graves. This is book 7 in the series and can be read independently from the first 6 books.

Jacobi Tiptree "Jake" and her best friend Elle White own a bakery in Eastport Maine called the Chocolate Moose, Jake is married to Wade. Her son Sam, wife Mika and their two children along with Jake's father Jacob Triptree and. his wife Bella Diamond all like with Jake and Wade in an large old house, Jake also loves to restore old houses and is currently working on the one she lives in, Sally comes into the bakery asking Jake and Elle to help her find out what has happened to her husband Paul as he is missing. Sally asked Jake and Elle for help as the are sometimes ametuer detectives. Lizzie Snow is the new Police Chief in town and and old friend of Jake and Elle's from when they were young.
Lizzie's "boyfriend" Dylan Hudson, a detective himself, shows up in town to try to rekindle his relationship with Lizzie. Things in town have been on edge for a bit as it seems that Eastport is in the middle of a heat wave. Sally is very distraught about Paul's disappearance and she ends up telling the ladies that Paul had a rare coin worth a bit of money and this may be why he has disappeared. Which is also why Sally thinks Paul may actually be dead. There are many tourist in town and the bakery is very busy. There is also a "shark convention" in town which also seems to create more business for he bakery. Peter Waldron is one of these shark specialist who shows up with a fancy research boat,
As Jake and Elle investigate along with Lizzie there are so many twist and turns to the plot that it keeps the reader wanting more, As time goes by Elle and Jake work the case eventually all is revealed and the town of Eastport Maine returns to normal, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now I want to read the others too,

I read Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves as a stand alone and it worked just fine! Graves does a nice job explaining who all the characters are so I was never guessing. This is Book 7 of A Death by Chocolate Mystery series.

Somewhere between a cozy mystery and a thriller Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone is one wild ride. An avenging grannie takes to the seas to rescue her abducted grandson. Between baddies and sharks, with some interesting relationships adding loads of charm, I really enjoyed this one.

The audio version is nicely performed by Suzie Althens who does a good job keeping up with the fast pace of this one. Very well done.

I really loved the setting of this book and the main characters. Their family dynamic was fun to follow and really sweet.

There was a lot that went on in the story and I found it a bit hard to remember who all the characters were (maybe it would be easier if I was reading instead of listening via audiobook).

This was definitely more “action packed” than the typical cozy, and I figured out the whodunnit a bit early on, though I wasn’t quite sure why.

The narrator was great and really got my imaginings of the characters spot on.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the first book I've read in the Death by Chocolate mystery series. This book is cozy mystery meets Jaws. It had a lot more action than I've come to expect from the cozies, but it definitely kept my attention.

The series centers around Jacobia who owns a bakery in a coastal town in Maine, with her best friend Ellie . They are good at snooping, and like to help solve mysteries. Their friend Sally have asked them to help find her husband a local fisherman. She fears he was murdered because his boot has washed up ashore, but the valuable coin he hides inside of it is gone.

This book is filled with action. I loved the coastal Maine setting, the town's characters are all interesting. This all makes it a fun summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listener copy. I enjoyed the audiobook, Suzie Althens does a great job narrating. If you're looking for a cozy mystery with a lot of action, this is your books. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great book in the Death By Chocolate series. I’ve listened to the other books in this series and loved all of them.
This one was great as well.

I enjoyed Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series.

This is a new to me author. I listened to the audiobook which was pretty well done. I've read a lot of cozy mysteries and found this one to be a lot less "cozy" than the ones I typically read. The body count kept going up as the book went along. Maybe this isn't even considered a cozy mystery and I was thrown off by the cover and title or something. I don't know. I thought it was going to be cozy for what ever reason but it was probably too violent to be so.

Having not read any of the other books in the series I was confused by the title and now wonder if it is the same with each book. I assumed that the murder came about by someone eating a tainted scone but it was nothing like that. The scones exist in the book but no one dies because of them. Thus my confusion. The series is death by chocolate. Do any of them have someone who actually dies from the chocolate?

There are a lot of characters in the plotline and since I'm not very good with names even in real life, sometimes I had a hard time remembering who was who. I also had a hard time believing that there would be so many sharks every time they were on the water. I started to wonder if the shark was mechanical and controlled remotely by the villain to try to scare them away.

I'm afraid that I figured out early on whodunnit. So the rest of the book was just to see the how and why. And sometimes I found that confusing as well. I maybe should have read the book instead of listening to the audiobook so I could go back easily to review as needed?

I liked the main character and loved their unconventional family set up. It must have added to the stress levels though. Crowded home, construction noise, construction mistakes, busy at work etc... Lots of stressors. I thought the missing coin/missing husband plot was an interesting idea.

There is a small element of the mystical which is centered around one character and I think the reader is left wondering if she really is a witch or if she is just a little bit crazy.

In a nutshell, I wanted to like this story more than I actually did but it was interesting.
Contains language and violence
* I received a complimentary audiobook through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

Audiobook Title: Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone
Series: Death by Chocolate Book #7
Author: Sarah Graves
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: Susie Althens
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Pub Date: April 23. 2024
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 202

This is Book #7 in this series. If you are new, here is some back ground~
Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her BFF Ellie White are co-owners of the bake shop ‘The Chocolate Moose’. In Eastport, Maine
Jake lives in a large house that she is restoring with her husband, Wade, her father Jacob Tiptree and his wife Bella Diamond, Yes it is
a big house as additionally Sam, his wife, Mika along and their children also live there.

Jake and Ellie are working at their bakery when their friend, Sally Coates, whose husband Paul has disappeared while out fishing. Sally begs Jake to find out what happened. Additionally her husband had a rare and valuable coin that he keeps with him for fear it will be stolen; Sally has concerns about its disappeared.
Although Jake and Ellie are super busy with the summer crowd they assure her they will talk to Lizzie Snow, the new police chief.

Jake and Ellie’s investigation leads them to quite an adventure. They are attacked by sharks and confronted by treasure hunters. Then there is Gilda the ‘Sea Witch’ – who has found a life vest and a boot!

However, when danger is close to home
I was with Jake and her worry and stress over finding her 4-year-old grandson who loves banging on xylophones, pots, anything
that causes noise.

I did enjoy this – loved the narrator Susie Althens. Her voice made it even more enjoyable.
I look forward to read next in this series.

I am a psychological thriller fan as well as a Cozy mystery fan. I love and enjoy both and have different expectations from each.

Cozy Mystery link - https://cozymystery.com/authors/sarah-graves/
There are several reasons a story is labeled as a “ Cozy Mystery” – no it isn’t that it will include a recipe! However this does!
One stipulation is ~“Little to no profanity". ~ I did love this story and true the profanity was little but to me it wasn’t necessary from the
main characters. I get that the bad guys are nasty and speak – nasty!


About the Author: I have only read one of Sarah Graves stories but I love Cozy mysteries so I was sure I could catch on Jake’s adventures.
Sarah and her husband John, a musician and luthier, along with black Labrador Retriever live in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine.
When Sarah isn’t writing Jake's adventures, she works with her husband on the house and she plays the 5-string banjo.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and Kensington Cozies for granting me this early audio Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 23, 2024.

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves and narrated by Suzie Althens is a fin contemporay cozy mystery which is book 7 in the series "A Death By Chocolate Mystery"

The story is set in Passamaquoddy Bay, right in between the norternmost point of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick where Jake and Ellie are sweltering in the Midsummer heat, making pastries and goodies in their small Bakery "The Chocolate Moose" (Mousse? I was listening on an audiobook so apologies if I got this wrong!)

Jake and Ellie have a hhuge array of characters coming in to their bakery for sweet treats (and misguidedy their air conditioning!) and this artfully sets up the characters of the town and the visitors as well as a new promotion to the Town Sherriff, just in time to deal with a lost sailor, whose boat has been located spinning in circles just off the coast

Suzie Althens had a big task with such a hige cast and performed this audiobook magnificently, an excellent listen!

The story itself is well constructed, logical and undulates in pace to suit the narrative. It works well as a standalone but I think the series will be ann interesting one to check out

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Sarah Graves and the narrator Suzie Althens for this lovely ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

There are a lot of characters in this book, almost too many to keep up with. I found the plot a bit confusing. I really wanted to like this tale but it feel short of my expectations.