The Chocolate Jewel Case: A Chocoholic Mystery

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“Entertaining and stylish.... Reading this on an empty stomach is hazardous to the waistline because the chocolate descriptions are . . . sensuously enticing. Lee is very likable without being too sweet.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“The sixth delicious mix of chocolate and crime.”

—Writerspace

 

“JoAnna Carl’s books are delicious
treats, from the characters to the snippets of chocolate trivia . . . fantastic characters who have come to feel like good friends.
The Chocolate Bridal Bash
stands alone, but once you’ve read it, you’ll be craving the other books in this series.”

—Roundtable Reviews

 

 

“A fine tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“I’ve been a huge fan of the Chocoholic Mystery series
from the start. I adore the mix of romance, mystery, and trivia . . . satisfying.”

—Roundtable Reviews

 

 

“The pacing is perfect for the small-town setting, and the various secondary characters add variety and interest. Readers may find themselves craving chocolate, yearning to make their own.... An interesting mystery, fun characters, and, of course, chocolate
make this a fun read for fans of mysteries and chocolates alike.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

 

 

“A JoAnna Carl mystery will be a winner. The trivia and vivid descriptions of the luscious confections are enough to make you hunger for more!”

—Roundtable Reviews

 

“A fast-paced, light read, full of chocolate facts and delectable treats. Lee is an endearing
heroine.... Readers will enjoy the time they spend with Lee and Joe in Warner Pier, and will look forward to returning for more murder dipped in chocolate.”

—The Mystery Reader

 

 

Descriptions of exotic chocolate will have you running out to buy gourmet sweets.... A delectable treat.”

—The Best Reviews

 

 

“A mouthwatering debut and
a delicious new series! Feisty young heroine Lee McKinney is a delight in this chocolate treat. A real page-turner, and I got chocolate on every one! I can’t wait for the next.”

—Tamar Myers

 

“As delectable as a rich chocolate truffle, and the mystery filling satisfies to the last prized morsel. Lee McKinney sells chocolates and solves crimes with panache and good humor. More, please. And
I’ll take one of those dark chocolate oval bonbons. . . .”

—Carolyn Hart

 

“One will gain weight just from reading [this].... Delicious . . . the beginning of what looks like a terrific new cozy series.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Enjoyable . . . entertaining . . . a fast-paced whodunit with lots of suspects and plenty of surprises . . . satisfies a passion for anything chocolate. In the fine
tradition of Diane Mott Davidson.”

—
The Commercial Record
(MI)

Also by JoAnna Carl

 

SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a
division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0745,
Auckland, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, August 2007

Copyright © Eve K. Sandstrom, 2007

ISBN : 978-1-101-56494-3

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The
publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage
electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

With thanks to friends, relatives, and complete strangers who generously helped me as I tried to get it right. They include Elizabeth Garber and Betsy Peters, who provided information on chocolate; Tracy
Paquin, Susan McDermott, and Dick Trull, Michiganders who answered questions about their native state; Dwight Sto-dola, Helen Jones, and Alice Mayer, who helped me learn about antique jewelry; Jeff Smith, who gave me tips on property insurance; Kim Kimbrell, who described the process of remodeling; Louisa Halfaker, who suggested stealing antiques; and Jim Avance, a font of knowledge on law enforcement.

J
ust when I finally found fifteen minutes for myself, the dead man came to the door.