Book 16 of the Chocoholic Mysteries, The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha, by JoAnna Carl, takes place near Easter when the TenHuis Chocolade has a huge order and needs to hire an extra person to get the order out on time. At the suggestion of Lee’s husband, Joe, Bunny Birdsong is the new employee, and she is less than competent when working on the chocolate bunnies, but a big help when it comes to computers. Bunny is in the process of going through a divorce from her artist husband, Beau, who has moved a newcomer to their small town, Anya, into his home and thrown Bunny out. Beau’s aunt has threatened to write Beau out of her will and leave her money to Bunny, but before that happens, she is found murdered. Bunny is the main suspect, and Lee wants to find the real murderer before Bunny goes to prison.
Carl’s cozies are typical, and while there is some suspense, they are fairly predictable and lackluster. The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha is no exception. While some of her previous books are well-written and a little more exciting, this one seems to be a bit flat, as are her characters. This novel is light and witty, and is suitable for all ages; it does have several vignettes of chocolate trivia, which are interesting and fun. This one even has a recipe for a scrumptious soup, but it doesn’t contain any chocolate. It is a good choice for a summer or vacation read.