"A sweet tale of the coziest kind!"

Mix a little chocolate with a dash of murder and a pinch of deception, and you get "Candy Apple Dead," a new mystery that is sweet, deadly, and highly entertaining.

Abby Shaw has been left an inheritance in the form of her beloved Aunt Grace's candy Shop, Divinity. Puzzled as to why her aunt left the shop to her and not her brother or cousins, Abby decides to leave her flourishing career as a corporate attorney and her less than flourishing marriage behind and return to her hometown of Paradise, Colorado to take over the popular candy store.

Getting the hang of running the shop and making the candies that her aunt was so famous for was a challenge for Abby, but she was fairly happy in her new surroundings. She was working with her cousin Karen, was near her brother Wade and his family, and had a blossoming romance with fellow business owner Brandon Mills, owner of the gentleman's store in town.

But Abby's life is soon turned upside down when Brandon's store is burned, and his body is found inside. And it becomes even more complicated when it looks like Abby's brother might have been involved in the murder.

Her natural lawyer's curiosity arises and Abby sets out to find out who really murdered her friend and hopefully clearing her brother's name in the process. She finds some assistance in the form of Officer Pine Jawarski, the new policeman in town who seems as determined to discover the real perpetrator of the crime as Abby is. Or is he just interested in her fabulous toffee candies?

Sammi Carter stirs up a lively, fast-paced story of sweet and sour in this first installment of the Candy Shop Mysteries, a new series in the cozy mystery genre. Fans of this genre will welcome this new collection of stories with open arms, and admirers of mysteries will enjoy the chocolatier's fancy sleuth work as well.

Reviewed by Sharon Galligar Chance
Posted August 30, 2005

Summary

The new Candy Shop mystery series tastes so good, it's criminal.

Abby Shaw has returned to her hometown of Paradise, Colorado—leaving behind a career in corporate law and a cheating husband—to take over her aunt's candy shop, Divinity. But her sweet new life quickly turns sour when a fellow merchant dies in a fire. With all clues pointing to arson—and Abby's brother as the number one suspect—she must sink her teeth into finding the killer.

Old-fashioned candy recipes included!