Nancy Coco

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I've enjoyed CoCo's other work, but this is my first time delving into this series. It says a lot about the high quality of the writing that I had no problem at all getting immersed in the mystery and characters even though this was #13 in the series.

Allie runs a fudge shop on Mackinac Island. She's preparing to wed Rex, a local police officer, in a wedding that involves a public picnic and her dogs and everyone they know on the island. Complicating show more matters: Allie finds a local woman dead outside of the library, her long-time rival sobbing nearby with a blood-soaked rock on the ground. Complicating matters even more: Allie's elitist socialite mother shows up 2 weeks before the wedding, with other snobbish family in tow, determined that her only child will have a "proper wedding," meaning designer everything, a fancy venue, and family only. Allie needs to balance her own precarious mental health with a tricky murder investigation as the clock ticks down to her big day.

This book was such incredible fun. I've wanted to go to Mackinac Island since I was a teenager, thanks to the old movie Somewhere in Time, and I really want to try their famous fudge. This book, and this series, is probably providing the island with a tourism boost, as I want to go there even more now. Allie is a great, sympathetic character, and I love Rex and so many other cast members--but not her mother. Good grief, but the scenes with her mother gave me the kind of anxiety that most readers probably get from a horror novel. That helped contribute to a fast and breezy escapist read, which is just what I needed this week! show less

A Midsummer Night’s Fudge by Nancy Coco takes us back to Mackinac Island, Michigan in time for the first Midsummer Night’s Festival which celebrates the beginning of the summer season. The fireworks are scaring Mal, Allie McMurphy’s bichenpoo so she takes take him back to the McMurphy. On her way back to the festivities, Allie sees someone floating in the water. Allie dives into the water to bring the person back to shore. It turns out to be Winona Higer who had just crowned the Queen show more of the festival before the fireworks began. Winona has crowned her last queen. The next day as the parade is beginning, Allie is recruited to take Winona’s place on the festival committee. It has Allie in the right place to hear all the juicy gossip about the victim. Allie with help from Mal begins digging into the case when the killer strikes again. Allie works to sift through the clues, but she will need to be careful so that she does not get burned. A Midsummer Night’s Fudge is the tenth A Candy-Coated Mystery. It can be read as a standalone. I like reading the series in order because it allows me to get to know the characters and the setting. I thought A Midsummer Night’s Fudge was well-written with developed characters. Allie, Rex, Jenn, Frances, and, of course, Mal are back for another adventure. I just love Mal who has a nose for crime. He is good at sniffing at bodies and clues. I enjoy the vivid descriptions of Mackinac Island with its charming shops, lovely hotels, and delectable fudge. Allie is busy at the hotel since she lost her assistant. She must get up early to make the various flavors of fudge and take care of the hotel guests. Plus, she does fudge demonstrations during the day with free samples (yum). Of course, no matter how busy Allie is, she cannot resist a mystery. The whodunit was fun to follow. There are various suspects along with a red herring or two. The clues are there if you pay close attention. I enjoyed the dramatic reveal. The only thing that I did not like was Rex constantly discouraging Allie from investigating. One or two mentions I could live with, but it seemed like every time Rex saw Allie, he gave her a warning. I was sorry to see my visit to Mackinac Island come to end. There are recipes included for the fudge Allie made for the McMurphy Fudge Shop. A Midsummer Night’s Fudge is a tasty tale with a contentious contest, fabulous fudge, fatal fireworks, a clever killer, a fun festival, and an inquisitive fudge maker. show less

I received an advance copy through NetGalley.

A Matter of Hive and Death is the second book in the Oregon Honeycomb mystery series. I hadn't read the first book but I found this easy-breezy to get into, and a delight all the way through! This is really the epitome of a cozy mystery. Wren runs a honey-themed shop in downtown Oceanview along the Oregon coast. When she finds a mentor dead, his hives vandalized, suspicion falls on another member of the local bee community. Wren is certain of his show more innocence and starts investigating on her own despite the disapproval of the handsome local cop who was certain of her guilt during a previous incident. Meanwhile, an old flame has wandered into town and takes an interest in the beloved Havana brown cats of her family--and in Wren. She might develop a new romance--if she can stay alive.

This book was sheer fun. I don't know a lot about beekeeping, but it really felt like the author did her research and the information throughout the book was fascinating. Plus, every chapter began and ended with info on using honey and included recipes--I'm all about that! The mystery packs in danger and plentiful twists and turns, and the ending contained some nice surprises. The whole thing also left me yearning for the Oregon coast. This is a setting and series I would gladly read more of--you could say that I'm sweet on it! show less

This is a particularly fine entry in the Mackinac Island set "Candy-Coated Mysteries" series following the adventures of island hotel-proprietor and fudge-maker Allie McMurphy. In this one, Allie is about to wed her long-time beau, Police officer Rex Manning, but complications arise in the form of her excessively controlling socialite mother, and of course, a murder.

I would not recommend it to those who aren't familiar with the series, since the primary focus is the wedding and family show more issues. However, the murder mystery is not neglected, and is actually rather clever. So all-in-all, bravo Ms. Coco! show less