In Cold Chocolate: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
by Dorothy St. James
About the Book
In Cold Chocolate: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 11, 2018)
Hardcover: 350 Pages
ISBN-10: 1683317432
ISBN-13: 978-1683317432
Digital ASIN: B078M3N9TC
In Dorothy St. James’s third delectable Southern Chocolate Shop mystery, a new batch of chocolate and troubles of the heart cause a string of disasters for the Chocolate Box’s new owner, Charity Penn.
The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world’s richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box’s owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island’s moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.
Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton—the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box—holding the gun. It’s an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody’s young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can’t say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it’s too late for Penn and for those she loves in Dorothy St. James’s third rich installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries, In Cold Chocolate.
Christie’s Review
5 STARS
What isn’t there to like about In Cold Chocolate? It has a beautiful setting, chocolates, sea turtles, several mysteries, and a bit of romance. It was a perfect way to spend my day, getting to know the residents of the quaint little town of Camellia Beach!
Penn is settling into her life running The Chocolate Box, the little shop her grandmother left her. Trouble comes knocking at her door soon enough though in the form of her nemesis, Jody Dalton, family secrets, and even murder. Wouldn’t you know it…Penn is in the center of it all!!!
Cassidy Jones, a realtor and the town’s Casanova is found dead on the beach one night. All signs point to Jody as she is the one who was shooting guns in the dark night, and she was supposedly involved with him. However, not all things are as they appear. There was a list of women who might have wanted Cassidy dead. No matter how Penn feels about Jody, she will do what she has to for justice.
Murder wasn’t the only plot going on in the book. Penn’s relatives aren’t happy with her inheriting her grandmother’s shop, and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. They aren’t convinced Penn is really who she says she is, and they mean to prove it. Don’t underestimate Penn. She is quite the fighter, and she won’t give up easily. Harley, her lawyer and Jody’s ex, is standing by her side, and there might just be some sparks between him and Penn.
As one mystery is solved, Penn’s questions about her past haven’t been completely answered yet. Camellia Beach appears to be a little peace of paradise, but underneath that beautiful veneer lies secrets that many don’t want unearthed. That little foreshadowing tells me that Penn’s questions won’t result in easy answers.
The icing on the cake are the recipes at the end. Of course, my favorite is the Moon Benne Wafer Cookies…benne wafers are a Charleston treat! I, myself, am a South Carolina girl who was born and raised in the Lowcountry, so any book I get my hands on about this area is a plus for me. Seriously, if you are looking for a book that has just about everything, look no further than In Cold Chocolate. Pardon the pun, but it’s a real treat. Looking forward to heading back to the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina and Penn’s new adventure!
About the Author
Mystery author Dorothy St. James was raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, a neurotic dog, and a fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.
Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.
* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”
Author Links
Website: www.dorothystjames.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothymcfalls
Purchase Links
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