All You Need is Fudge is the fourth book in Nancy Coco’s Candy-Coated mystery series and I have enjoyed them all. You do not have to read the previous three books to enjoy this one as there is enough background on the characters to bring you right up to date without it being boring to those who have read the other books. I rounded this up to 5 stars from 4.5.

Allie McMurphy is running the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop on Mackinac Island, Michigan. The town is preparing for the annual Yacht Race off the coast of Mackinac Island. Allie is walking Mal, her adorable Bichon-Poo puppy, through the marina early one morning when Mal leads her to the water’s edge. Allie spots a girl in the lake and dives in hoping to save her life. Unfortunately, the girl is already dead. No one is surprised that Allie and Mal have found a deat body as it is becoming a habit for them. The victim is identified as the daughter of one of the rich families, Carin Moore. After the autopsy, it is determined that she was murdered and was dead before she entered the water. When Paige Jessop, the sister of Allie's boyfriend Trent, is arrested for the murder, Allie's investigative mode kicks in. Allie is hurt that the family, including Trent, will not speak with her and shut her out, but she refuses to believe Paige is guilty of murder and ramps up her own investigation. She soon discovers that Carin was one of the least liked people in the Mackinac social set and that she had a volatile history with Paige. As her investigation continues, she puts herself and her animals in danger. When some of the clubs and groups start cancelling their contracts with the McMurphy Fudge Shop, Allie really gets upset and goes after the person she thinks is responsible. Frances and Jenn continue to provide her with timely information about the residents of the community that help in her investigation.

Of course, the whole book is not about the murder. Douglas Devaney (the McMurphy’s handyman) wants to propose to Frances Wentworth (the McMurphy’s reception manager) and Allie and her best friend, Jenn Christensen, help him plan a special and romantic evening. There are also lots of recipes included in this book like in the others that I really want to try.

The storyline is well plotted with a cast of relatable characters. The story has enough twists, turns, and suspects to keep the reader involved. I did not have any idea who the murderer turned out to be or what the motive could have been until it was revealed at the end. I highly recommend this book to readers of cozy mysteries, those who want a nice clean mystery and of course those who love books that incorporate food into the story and provide great and easy recipes.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Allie McMurphy is preparing for the annual yacht race that will take place off the coast of Mackinac Island. Mr. Devaney wants a small favor from Allie which has Allie very curious about what it could be. The favor it turns out is he wants Allie and Jenn to help him plan a romantic dinner because he wants to propose to Frances. Allie is taking her dog Mal for a walk when Mal pulls her to the water's edge and Allie sees a body floating in the lake. Allie jumps into the water and pulls the body of a young woman out of the water, it turns out the woman had been floating in the lake for a while. The dead woman turns out to be Carin Moore who had a very competitive relationship with Paige Jessop the sister of Allie's boyfriend Trent. When the police arrest Paige for killing Carin Trent and the rest of the Jessop family close ranks around Paige, Trent stops talking and seeing Allie which she finds upsetting since she doesn't know why. Allie sets out to find the real killer to help get Paige out of jail so she can prove her worth to the Jessop family. When Allie's loved ones and friends are threatened she starts to get scared and starts thinking about stopping her investigation, but continues with it in hopes of finding the killer before one of them is the killers next victim.

The author blends some twists and surprises into her mystery which she blends very nicely with the main story plot line and the subplots. With her descriptive way of writing the author brings the characters and the places to life. I was not a big fan of Allie feeling the need to prove herself to her boyfriends family when they didn't trust her to ask for help in helping to prove Paige's innocence. ( )

Allie McMurphy is preparing for the annual yacht race that will take place off the coast of Mackinac Island. Mr. Devaney wants a small favor from Allie which has Allie very curious about what it could be. The favor it turns out is he wants Allie and Jenn to help him plan a romantic dinner because he wants to propose to Frances. Allie is taking her dog Mal for a walk when Mal pulls her to the water's edge and Allie sees a body floating in the lake. Allie jumps into the water and pulls the body of a young woman out of the water, it turns out the woman had been floating in the lake for a while. The dead woman turns out to be Carin Moore who had a very competitive relationship with Paige Jessop the sister of Allie's boyfriend Trent. When the police arrest Paige for killing Carin Trent and the rest of the Jessop family close ranks around Paige, Trent stops talking and seeing Allie which she finds upsetting since she doesn't know why. Allie sets out to find the real killer to help get Paige out of jail so she can prove her worth to the Jessop family. When Allie's loved ones and friends are threatened she starts to get scared and starts thinking about stopping her investigation, but continues with it in hopes of finding the killer before one of them is the killers next victim.

The author blends some twists and surprises into her mystery which she blends very nicely with the main story plot line and the subplots. With her descriptive way of writing the author brings the characters and the places to life. I was not a big fan of Allie feeling the need to prove herself to her boyfriends family when they didn't trust her to ask for help in helping to prove Paige's innocence. ( )

http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/all-you-need-is-fudge-candy-coated.html ( )

All You Need Is Fudge A Candy Coated Mystery by Nancy Coco/ Nancy J Parra is another fantastic, fun and great cozy mystery. It is one in a series of books that you just can't get enough of. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

Allie and Mal her dog have pulled a dead body out of the water and right before the annual yacht race on Mackinac Island. When her boyfriend Trent's sister Paige is accused of being the killer Allie has to prove she had nothing to do with the murder. When Allie starts nosing around things get dangerous for her when a trap is set for her. Will Allie be able to clear Paige, find the answer to who killed the victim Carin and why before she or someone else is hurt?

This book has all the ingredients that keep you turning the page and wanting more. It has an interesting plot with the murder of a society girl that is known for being a so called mean girl. Add in the highlight of being set on the quaint Mackinac Island. Then there is the characters that make you want to move right into the McMurphy Hotel, where you can almost taste and smell the fudge from the fudge shop and it all adds up to a charming, fast paced can't put it down mystery. It is a mystery that has twists to the plot that makes it not predictable and enough different suspects and angles that you have to keep reading to find out whodunit. Throw in a little romance, a lot of good recipes and you have a book you won't want to miss. I have read all the books in this series and they just get better with each book and did I mention it also has great recipes like Fudgie Cheesecake Brownies yum!

I enjoyed this book and think you will too. Don't miss this one. This is the fourth book in this series but you can read it as a stand alone if you want, but why would you want to when the other books are excellent too.
I received this book from the author for my honest opinion and review. ( )