The Chocolate Cupid Killings

BOOK: The Chocolate Cupid Killings
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Table of Contents
 
 
“As delectable as a rich chocolate truffle and the mystery filling satisfies to the last prized morsel.”
—Carolyn Hart
Praise for the Chocoholic Mysteries
The Chocolate Cupid Killings
“Deliciously cozy.
The Chocolate Cupid Killings
is richly entertaining and has no calories.”
—Elaine Viets, author of
The Fashion Hound Murders
 
“A chocolate-drenched page-turner! JoAnna Carl satisfies your sweet tooth along with your craving for a tasty whodunit.”
—Cleo Coyle, author of
Holiday Grind
 
“Anyone who loves chocolate—and who doesn't?—will love this delicious, fast-paced addition to the Chocoholic Mystery series. It has more twists and turns than a chocolate-covered pretzel, but this treat won't add any pounds, so you can indulge without guilt!”
—Leslie Meier, author of
Mother's Day Murder
 
“A deft mix of truffles and trouble. Chocaholics—this book is for you!”
—Laura Childs, author of the Tea Shop mysteries
 
“A delicious treat for cozy fans.... JoAnna Carl is an author that never disappoints.”
—Fresh Fiction
 
“A sweet mystery of how helping others can at times come back and bite you in the backside. JoAnna Carl definitely knows how to pen a sweet read.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
 
The Chocolate Snowman Murders
“Dollops of chocolate lore add to the cozy fun.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
continued . . .
The Chocolate Jewel Case
“[A] fun, very readable book, with likable characters that are knowable whether you've read all seven novels in the series or whether this is your first.”
—Suite 101
 
The Chocolate Bridal Bash
“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
 
“Everything about Joanna Carl's books is 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
 
The Chocolate Mouse Trap
“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 Chocolate Puppy Puzzle
“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
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up
“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
 
The Chocolate Bear Burglary
“Descriptions of exotic chocolate will have you running out to buy gourmet sweets . . . a delectable treat.”
—The Best Reviews
 
The Chocolate Cat Caper
“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
 
“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
The Chocolate Cat Caper
The Chocolate Bear Burglary
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up
The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle
The Chocolate Mouse Trap
The Chocolate Bridal Bash
The Chocolate Jewel Case
The Chocolate Snowman Murders
Crime de Cocoa
OBSIDIAN
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.)
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
 
 
First Printing, October 2010
 
Copyright © Eve K. Sandstrom, 2009
All rights reserved
 
OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
 
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.
ISBN : 978-1-101-55845-4

http://us.penguingroup.com

For my special pals,
Sherry, Louisa, and Linda
Acknowledgments
As ever, thanks are due to many people who helped with this book. Foremost are my Michigan neighbors: Susan McDermott, Tracy Paquin, and Dick Trull. Lawmen Jim Avance and Robert “Officer Bob” Swartz were kind and informative. My daughters and sons-in-law, Betsy and Sam Peters and Ruth and Bart Henson, and my son, John Sandstrom, answered many questions at moments that were convenient for me, but not always for them. Holland, Michigan, librarian Robin Williams-Voight, was a great help. And Dr. Marty Ludlum purchased the right to have his name—not his appearance or personality!—used in this book with a generous contribution to the Lawton, Oklahoma, Arts for All drive.
I'd also like to thank my agent, Maureen Walters, and my editor, Tracy Bernstein, for their unfailing help and encouragement.
Chapter 1
The name on the stranger's ID card may have read Valentine, but he was no cupid.
Cupid is little, round, and cute, and this guy was tall, skinny, and ugly. He definitely didn't look as if he could flit around on a tiny pair of wings; he clunked into TenHuis Chocolade in heavy snow boots that seemed to be bigger than they needed to be. And he wasn't wearing Cupid's airy draperies. His scrawny neck stuck out of a parka shaped like a turtle's shell covered with cheap nylon and trimmed with fur from some polyester beast.
BOOK: The Chocolate Cupid Killings
12.65Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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