Lee McKinney can't believe her ears when she overhears a
confrontation in the grocery story. She comes to the aid of
the woman, only to then get into a fender bender with her
later in the parking lot. When they exchange information,
Lee realises that the woman seems familiar to her, and no
wonder! Sissy Smith has long been rumoured to have killed
her husband, Buzz. Last winter, Buzz was found shot to
death, and the town's top suspect was Sissy. However,
lacking enough evidence to make an arrest, the case remains
open and gossip abounds despite Sissy's alibi being airtight.
Lee finds herself sympathising with Sissy, especially after
hearing Buzz's father (a tough retired Army colonel)
threatening to sue Sissy for custody of her son. Sissy has
been unemployed for awhile, and Lee happens to need a
bookkeeper for her chocolate store, TenHuis Chocolade.
Sissy comes to work, which attracts quite a few
rubberneckers, as well as a number of people who tell Lee
that she shouldn't hire someone who can't be trusted.
Soon after Sissy starts working for Lee, the town's
self-appointed chief gossip, Helen Ferguson, is found dead.
Once again, everyone points the finger at Sissy. However,
this time, Sissy doesn't have a solid alibi. In fact, she
says Helen had called a meeting, promising to give Sissy
information about the impending custody case. Is this true?
or is Sissy just covering her hide?
When Lee finds out that the house Sissy shares with her
grandmother has been broken into, she decides that Sissy is
(once again) an innocent victim and she sets out to prove
Sissy innocent. As she begins investigating, she finds out
that Buzz had started a novel before he died - a draft of
which mysteriously disappeared when he died. Was what he
wrote worth killing him? More evidence is slowly revealed,
which uncovers an unlikely ally - or could this person be
pretending to help only to get closer to Lee to stop the
investigation before she reveals the truth?
THE CHOCOLATE MOOSE MOTIVE is a fun read that grabbed my
attention from the
beginning and never let go. It was suspenseful and
fast-paced, yet filled with wit and humour. The characters
are all unique and fun, and I enjoyed that I could jump
right into the book although I hadn't read any other books
in this series. I enjoyed learning little tidbits about
chocolate, as well as hearing the descriptions of the
chocolates sold in TenHuis when Lee interacted with customers.
This was a great mystery that unfolded at just the right
pace. All of the clues were there, but I didn't put it all
together until I was intended to. The red herring character
wasn't over-played, and there weren't so many suspects and
motives that I tired of sorting through them. This struck a
perfect balance between stimulating and relaxing. Well done!
When Lee hires a free-spirited employee with a tie-dyed,
troubled past, she discovers that even the counter-culture
can conceal a killer...
As much as the chocolate concoctions at TenHuis can
tantalize people's tongues, Lee's newest hire is more likely
to make them wag. Forsythia "Sissy" Smith is the
granddaughter of Warner Pier's only remaining resident
hippie, and lives out at the Moose Lodge-once an informal
commune in the forest east of town. But the fact that Sissy
is a third-generation flower child is the least of Lee's
concerns.
The previous winter, Sissy's husband, Buzz, was found shot
to death, and local talk named Sissy the number one suspect.
Even though her alibi was airtight, the gossips are still
pointing their fingers at her. Lee sympathizes with the
young woman-even more so when Buzz's dad, a tough retired
Army colonel, threatens to sue Sissy for custody of her son.
Then the chief gossip is found dead, with Sissy on the
scene. Was she lured there? Or is she the killer? Lee has a
sneaking suspicion that there is someone even more sinister
to blame. Someone out to keep a dark secret from coming to
light. And they would have no problem killing a certain
clever chocolatier who might uncover the truth...
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