Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH BY CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MUFFIN (Book 8 of the Death by Chocolate mystery series) by Sarah Graves in exchange for an honest review. When a television star offers Jake and Ellie a huge amount of money to cater desserts for a party, Jake measures the trouble caused by the dangerous location against the need for new equipment and against funds to see them through the winter. This leads to Jake grudgingly agreeing to the contract. However, Jake almost immediately regrets the decision. The dead body in the shed is one thing, but the dead customer is entirely too much. With the police chief’s boyfriend becoming the main suspect, Jake delves into the star’s life to figure out who else had reason to kill. However, it looks like the victim had a lot of strife in his life, and a lot of people with motive to kill. Can Jake catch the killer fish before she becomes the third victim?

I liked this book and the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series (as well as the precursor series—Home Repair is Homicide) to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring small northern coastal towns, full households, bakeries, and loyal friends.

#DeathbyChocolatePumpkinMuffin #NetGalley

With Halloween over, and Jake and Ellie's bakery quieter than usual, being hired to cater a new home party by a reality TV star, for a season saving fee, is a welcome relief to their finances! Nothing is as simple as it seems, however, and when they arrive at Stone House they discover a body! The two main suspects need Jake and Ellie to clear their names and so once again they are searching for clues and finding more danger than ever! At the same time, at Jake's house, her grandchildren have recently discovered musical instruments, her daughter in law is unwell with suspiciously familiar symptoms, and the place descends regularly into a noisy, unruly chaos! Can the two friends put the clues together, find the killer and keep the Chocolate Moose running at a profit or is that just too much to expect of anyone?

Book eight in this series is a great read. Written in the first person this is laugh out loud funny, it has sympathetic main protagonists and Jake's home life take it to another level. There is a recipe for the Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins at the end of the book too which look scrummy!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cozies but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it highly, especially if you like a humorous read.

Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin by Sarah Graves is a delightful and charming mystery set in the picturesque town of Eastport, Maine. The story's blend of suspense, humor, and mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods makes for an irresistible read. Protagonists Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and Ellie White have a wonderful dynamic that keeps the plot engaging and their banter adds an extra layer of fun. While the ongoing multi-family chaos at Jake's house is starting to feel a bit repetitive, it doesn’t overshadow the joy of the mystery or the warm, inviting atmosphere of the story. A perfect cozy mystery with a touch of sweetness! (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

Book 8 in Sarah Graves Death by Chocolate series finds Ellie and Jake still working hard to keep their bakery financially solvent. So, when they are asked to bake some goodies for a celebrity who is rehabbing an old mansion, they say yes. But, as usual, they stumble upon a few dead bodies and risk their lives trying to solve the crimes. I really enjoy the virtual visit to this fun Maine town, but I have to think that perhaps as the characters age, the author might need to dial down the physical stress on their bodies. While this is obviously fiction, the goal seems to be to have as realistic a setting as possible. Subjecting the characters to super human physical adventures spoils that feeling of reality. But, a fun read on the whole!

I am always drawn into a book with a clever title themed around sweets or if there is an animal on the cover, and this has both! The dog's expression on the cover is hilarious and chocolate pumpkin muffins are delicious. I did enjoy the Halloween theme as it is my favorite time of the year.

I enjoyed the best friend dynamic between Ellie and Jake and I think that the Chocolate Moose is the perfect name for a bakery. They go on quite the adventure together as they explore a haunted house together and find themselves trying to solve a murder.

In my opinion, there were far too many characters. It was a bit difficult to remember everyone from their children to their spouses. A lot of them just didn't add anything to the plot and I felt like it would have been better to just leave some of them out. I understand that it allows for more suspects, but when a character is only mentioned a couple times they usually aren't the culprit. I did have a slight suspicion as to who was the murderer, but there were multiple things going and and multiple twists that did catch me by surprise. Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing, and Sarah Graves for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

I love the bakery shop cozy mystery premise but after having read as many as I have sometimes they can seem like they are all running together. This one did not have that problem! I enjoyed this book, and can't wait to go back and read the 6th previous books.

A tantalizing mystery set in Maine with lots of twists and turns.. A lot of characters to keep track of, but a really enjoyable read. Anyone could read this in one sitting. Engaging plot snd the author is a very good storyteller. Lots of humor too. Definitely a very good mystery.

amateur-sleuth, baker, families, family-dynamics, family-expectations, famous-persons, friends, friendship, investigations, island-life, Maine, murders, read, recipes, reckless, situational-humor, small-business, small-town, state-police, unpleasant-host, unpleasant-victims, verbal-humor****

Did he fall or was he pushed? Was it an accident or murder? Was there a person or a ghost? Who is the arsonist and why? Will Jake and Ellie be OK or will the bakery's finances go bust?
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected e-galley from Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Apr 29, 2025
#DeathByChocolatePumpkinMuffin by Sarah Graves #NetGalley #DeathByChocolateMysteryBk8
@kensingtonbooks @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones **** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #CozyMystery #Murder #Fires #HauntedHouse

“ Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin” is the 8th instalment in the "Death By Chocolate" mystery series by Sarah Graves. The Chocolate Moose, where people treat themselves to the most decadent desserts. But the island town also seems to cater to those with bitter dispositions . . .

I enjoy this series set in the village of Eastport, Maine and really like protagonist Jake and her BFF Ellie. Plus I love her family especially Bella. There was lots of excitement this go around with a haunted mansion, celebrity DIY host and a scared teenager…

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out what will happen next. The book was engaging from start to finish, grabbing your attention from the very start.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this next in series a Halloween theme haunted house is the focus . Jake and Ellie are concerned about keeping their business afloat so they sign onto provide treats for a haunted house event. With their wonderful chocolate pumpkin muffins they are looking forward to a fun event, A murder occurs and Jake and Ellie put on their investigative hats to find clues and soon red herrings abound.

I enjoy this foodie based series for the wonderful characters, the enjoyable small town community and the sleuthing . The author has all the perfect cozy elements here for another enjoyable addition to this fun cozy series.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Jake and Ellie are worried about covering expenses in their bakery thru the winter months when they are offered a well paying job that makes entering a haunted house seem worthwhile. Luckily they got 1/2 up front because fires, murders, and more fires make their profits vanish. This sleuthing duo is again in fine form

This was my first in the Death by Chocolate series and I think it had all the makings of a drool-worthy mystery. Chocolate pumpkin muffins and Halloween! When a TV host falls to his death, the two owners of a chocolate shop—Ellie and Jake—must solve the mystery. This story was filled with suspects, red herrings, and cozy, Halloween atmosphere. It was a lot of fun and I definitely would love to read more from this series!!!

#DeathbyChocolatePumpkinMuffin is another fun addition to this series by a favorite author.
Jake and her bestie Ellie are always stumbling over dead bodies, getting involved in the murder investigation, then finding themselves face to face with a killer.
I like all the little details in these books, I'm a fan of the author's previous series featuring Jake and Ellie, and this new spin off series is just as great.
In #DeathbyChocolatePumpkinMuffin, Jake an Ellie find themselves helping a young woman who is a top murder suspect, but untangling the clues may take longer than expected, and time is quickly running out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.