The Chocolate Snowman Murders
A
Chocoholic Mystery with Lee McKinney
JoAnna
Carl
New American Library (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22506-6 (0451225066)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22506-1 (9780451225061)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $19.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Lee McKinney Woodyard knows that being in the luxury
chocolate business isn't all sweetness and light, and neither is the
holiday season. But she tries to draw the line at cold-blooded murder.
As treasurer of WinterFest, Lee is up to her elbows in the arguments,
egos, and last-minute mix-ups that happen behind the scenes. But she's
coping, even when the guest juror of the art show shows up drunk. Lee
leaves him to sleep it off, and is stunned the next day when her
husband, Joe, discovers someone has put the visiting dignitary into a
permanent state of repose ...
Review:
Both chocolate shop manager Lee McKinney and her husband Joe Woodyard
are implicated in the murder of a visiting art critic in The Chocolate
Snowman Murders, the eighth mystery in this cozy series by JoAnna Carl.
WinterFest is the social event of the season for Warner Pier, the small resort town on the Michigan
shore of Lake Michigan where TenHuis Chocolade, the chocolate shop for
which Lee works and which is owned by Lee's aunt, is located. A major
event during WinterFest is the annual arts festival drawing major
artists and critics from around the country. When one of the judges of
the festival has to drop out, the organizing committee recruits retired
art professor Fletcher Mendenhall to be a juror. Lee is assigned to
pick him up at the Grand Rapids airport but once there, he starts to
make unwanted moves on her. She promptly dumps him at a local motel,
returning home alone. When Joe goes to pick up Mendenhall the next
morning, he's found murdered, his head bashed in. The police at first
suspect Lee (being the last person to see him alive) and then Joe (the
presumably jealous husband), but for lack of evidence they are
released. When Mendenhall's missing cell phone turns up in Lee's
jacket, she's the center of attention again. Later when the festival's
public relations director found with her head bashed in, and the murder
weapon found in Lee's car, she knows she's being framed and sets out to
prove her innocence.
The Chocolate Snowman Murders
is a pleasant if predictable mystery. Although the book probably
doesn't have any more or less dialog than any other cozy, it just seems
chatty, as if someone is always speaking. And as is typical when
someone prattles on and on, it's not always interesting and it's fairly
easy to tune it out. Still, the plot moves along at a brisk pace and
there is no shortage of suspects for Lee to investigate. Subtitled "a
chocoholics mystery", there is actually very little chocolate mentioned
and it certainly isn't integral to the plot (though it does play a role
when Lee defends herself against a mysterious attacker). The infrequent
inclusions of chocolate historical trivia are, however, a welcome
addition, informative and entertaining.
Special thanks to Penguin Group for providing a copy of The Chocolate Snowman Murders for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
The Chocolate
Cat Caper
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), March 2002
ISBN-10: 0-451-20556-1 (0451205561)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20556-8 (9780451205568)
The Chocolate
Bear Burglary
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), November 2002
ISBN-10: 0-451-20747-5 (0451207475)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20747-0 (9780451207470)
The Chocolate
Frog Frame-Up
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), December 2003
ISBN-10: 0-451-20985-0 (0451209850)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-20985-6 (9780451209856)
The Chocolate
Puppy Puzzle
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), December 2004
ISBN-10: 0-451-21364-5 (0451213645)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21364-8 (9780451213648)
The Chocolate
Mouse Trap
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), September 2005
ISBN-10: 0-451-21635-0 (0451216350)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21635-9 (9780451216359)
The Chocolate
Bridal Bash
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), August 2006
ISBN-10: 0-451-21918-X (045121918X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21918-3 (9780451219183)
The Chocolate
Jewel Case
Signet (Mass Market Paperback), August 2007
ISBN-10: 0-451-22188-5 (0451221885)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22188-9 (9780451221889)
The Chocolate
Snowman Murders
New American Library (Hardcover), September 2008
ISBN-10: 0-451-22506-6 (0451225066)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22506-1 (9780451225061)
Omnimystery keywords for The Chocolate Snowman Murders
...
Location(s) referenced: Michigan.
