Book Review - Fudge Bites

Fudge Bites (Candy-Coated Mysteries #7)

Author:  Nancy Coco

Publisher:  Kensington Books

Publication Date:  October 01, 2019

3 Stars

It’s Halloween time on Mackinac Island which means it’s time for the zombie walk, an annual charity event.  Allie, the owner of the McMurphy Hotel, is dressed and ready to go when her friend, Liz, suggests they go find a costume for Allie’s dog.  On the way back from the store, the ladies take a shortcut and cut through an alley.  They run into Allie’s cat, and they can’t help but notice that her paws are covered in blood.  The next thing they know, they hear a scream, and they follow it until they meet Sophie.  Sophie is very distressed, and believes that she has found a dead body.  The dead body turns out to be that of Anthony, the son of Maggs who works at the local drugstore.  As the police try and figure out who killed Anthony, Allie discovers that someone else in town was dressed almost exactly like Anthony the night he was murdered.  Allie begins to wonder if Anthony was truly the intended victim, or was this a case of mistaken identity?  Allie would like to get to the bottom of this, and the townspeople are behind her.

Many other reviewers have said that this book could be read as a stand alone outside of the series.  I found it hard to completely understand the characters though without some more background information.  For instance, both Allie’s friend and boyfriend have moved away, but it was hard to appreciate that loss without knowing what these relationships had been like.  Having said that, Allie seems like a very likable character, and she fits in well with the setting.  I would like to go back and read the other books in the series to get a real feel for her and the other recurring characters.

This book is a great mystery that is filled to the brim with lots of action.  There is so much going on in this story.  There are plenty of twists and turns which put not only Allie in danger, but the town’s senior citizens as well.  The killer is very crafty and hard to pin down.  I was guessing all the way until the end.

There are also some great recipes embedded within the story.  My favorite sounding is the butterscotch fudge.  I can’t wait to try it.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #FudgeBites