The Chocolate Cat Caper

Blonde, gorgeous, tall and Texan Lee McKinney leaves her role as "Texas Trophy Wife" and comes to help manage her favorite aunt's chocolate business in a small resort town.Trouble ensues when a much hated defense attorney dies after ingesting a cyanide-filled trouffle that Lee has delivered. The mystery escalates from there and is very skillfully delivered.Although "The Chocolate Cat Caper" is a light, cozy read - it isn't juvenile in the least. The one area that is rather silly is that the author insists on giving Lee McKinney an impediment of a sort where she substitutes the wrong word in sentences at the most inopportune times. The effect is suppose to be funny - but I just found it to be silly. In spite of this, I thoroughly enjoyed the first of this series and am currently reading the second.The cover art is GREAT and it was disappointing to note that the artist did not receive any mention in the book. This is sad as the art helped me to decide to buy the series.Also great were the neat chocolate facts, which were dispersed throughout the book.

Ingredients:Lee McKinney- a perpetually tounge-tied Texas accountant, formerly trophy wife, displaced to the Lake Michigan shoreAunt Nettie (Jeanette TenHuis)- Sweet confectionery expert, and proprietor of TenHuis ChocoladeClementine Ripley- Nationally known attorney, known by many, liked by fewChampion Myanmar Chocolate Yonkers- Very spoiled, very nasty cat of Clementine RipleyJoe Woodyard- former local lifeguard and teen heart scream, and former husband of Clementine RipleyMarion McCoy- Clementine Ripley's right hand, her "Girl Friday"Assorted other characters, some sweet, some tart, some unsavoryLee McKinney is taking a respite in her Aunt Nettie's chocolate shop, TenHuis Chocolade, doing the books for the business while she bones up for the CPA exam, and recovers from her recent divorce from her rich ex-husband. Aunt Nettie is more than glad to take in her niece, as she recently lost her husband, and needs help with the business side of TenHuis Chocolade.Clementine Ripley orders a plethora of expensive chocolates for a huge fund raising affair for the Animal Rescue League. When Ms. Ripley falls dead from a cyanide laced amaretto truffle chocolate, TenHuis, as well as the rest of Warner Pier is stirred up by the high profile death, and the paparazzi descend upon the town like a swarm of hungry locusts. The employees of TenHuis Chocolade, as well as anyone who might have a grudge against Ms Ripley become suspects. With a high profile person that people love to hate, just who could have done it? And why? Lee tries to dig to the bottom of the facts to clear herself and her aunt from the speculation that their chocolates are to die for, lest TenHuis be killed from the negative press attention.This delightful treat of a book sprinkles little bits of chocolate trivia between chapters. Some of the information is really fascinating. The book is a great little indulgence. Nothing heavy or offensive, even the murder is tastefully done. A good light weight mystery for those who don't was serious gore and grisly violence in their books. (Prepare to crave chocolates!)

After divorcing her husband, Lee McKinney moves back to Warner Pier, Michigan to handle the business end of her aunts chocolate shop. But, Lee soon discovers chocolate can be deadly!In this first chocoholic mystery by JoAnna Carl ( aka Eve Sandstrom), Lee is hired to help out at a fund raising party for the local Animal Rescue League. A party in which her aunt, Jeanette TenHuis, has provided [a lot] of chocolate for the guests. However, before the party even starts the hostess Clementine Ripley falls prey to a cyanide laced amaretto truffle, making both Lee and her aunt suspects in Ms. Ripley's murder.Lee steps into the roll of amateur sleuth in an attempt to uncover the murderer, before she and her aunt become the next victims.This book is a must for anyone who enjoys reading cozies. The charaters are well-developed, and the storyline is light and fast-paced making it a good vacation or beach read. I enjoyed the chocolate facts that are scattered through out the book as well as the chocolate quiz at the end.I look forward to reading the next book in this series The Chocolate Bear Burglary.

Lee McKinney was considered a trophy wife because she came from an impoverished background and married a very wealthy Texas bachelor. She left him when the marriage went sour and refused a financial settlement so she was more financially impoverished than before her marriage. Her aunt Nettie, who lives in the Michigan resort town of Warner Pier, hires her to manage her chocolate business. Clementine Ripley, a world famous and widely detested defense attorney, orders a few thousand dollars in specialty chocolates for a party she is throwing. Lee delivers the candy to her and is a waitress at the party whose Clem dies from cyanide poison injected into one of the chocolate candies. With her and her aunt's reputation and freedom on the line, Lee decides to do some sleuthing and manages to become a hostage to the killer. Do not eat THE CHOCOLATE CAT CAPER on empty stomach. The descriptions of the individual pieces of candy are so mouth-watering; one will gain weight just from reading about them. JoAnna Carl has created a delicious mystery starring a heroine who will endear herself to the audience. This is the beginning of what looks like a terrific new cozy series.Harriet Klausner

Lee McKinney is looking for a new start after her divorce. Her Aunt Nettie needs someone to help with the business side of TenHuis Chocolade, a gourmet chocolate business in Michigan that Lee worked at as a teen. But Lee's only been back in town for a week when famous defense lawyer Clementine Ripley is poisoned while eating one of their chocolates. Clementine had made a lot of enemies over the years in her cases and seems to have just as many in the small resort town of Warner Pier. Now Lee must sort through the suspects and motives to find the real killer before she and her aunt get framed for a murder they didn't commit.I've been looking forward to this book since I read the short story in AND THE DYING IS EASY that introduced these characters. And it didn't disappoint. The characters are well developed. Lee's way of mixing up words when she's upset or nervous is fun but not so overused that it becomes annoying and makes her more human. The story is tightly plotted and moves along at a brisk pace. The style invites the reader in and makes it very hard to put down. The only thing that seems odd is the chocolate trivia scattered throughout the book. It doesn't really add anything; it's just kind of there.I am definitely addicted to the Chocoholic Mysteries and look forward to many more. Pick up this book and enjoy a wonderful new series.