This book is delicious as it is intriguing. Set in a charming small town, it combines the warmth of baking with the thrill of a whodunit. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing until the very end, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying. It's a book that invites you to curl up with a cup of tea and a piece of cake and lose yourself in a comfort of a good story.

I love a cozy mystery. This is one of the better ones I've read. I've read a couple from Sarah Graves. and she never disappoints. Cozy mystery with a good twist. Just what the soul needs

A very lively and entertaining cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. Lovely setting, likeable characters and a solid mystery.
I liked how the narrator told the story even if I found a bit too fast at times.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone takes the reader on a sea adventure as the main character, Jake, and her best friend/business partner Ellie investigate who murdered their friend’s husband.

I loved that a majority of the sleuthing took place on the water and all the interesting characters (that end up being red herrings) that came with it. This provided a unique approach to the amateur sleuthing world and delivered some hilarious mishaps that Jake seems to always herself in. Coupled with another edition added to Jake’s already overcrowded household and the delicious baked goods, this book was a fun one to listen to. In addition, narrator Suzie Althens’ voice was the perfect one to bring this story to life.

This was cute, however it did not wow me. I absolutely adored all the food, recipes, chocolate and baking! It was fun. The mystery was okay, but fell a little flat for me. The narrator did a really great job with the book though! I honestly think it would have been even more enjoyable if they added more fun baking and chocolate to the mix. It was more on the side of an actual thriller then a cozy thriller to me... which is totally fine! I just was wanting and expecting a little more cozy.

I still would like to try more by this author, and sincerely appreciate the ARC!

The narrator is perfect, I’ve I listened to the entire Home Repair series as well as this series until the current book. I know there is a Lizzie series but this feels like it would be a back door pilot to a new series with her and Dylan, which would be fun to read. I enjoy these series because they are mostly cozy just a tad darker, the writing is excellent and holds my interest throughout. I highly recommend but start with the first book in the first series.

I jumped into this series to read this ARC and it was good as a stand-alone but now I have another series that I want to read all the books! I am adding all of Sarah Grave's books to my TBR and starting with book 1 in this series, maybe I can catch up before the next installment is released!

#DeathbyChocolateRaspberryScone
#NetGalley

A fun and enjoyable cozy mystery novel. I really enjoyed the mystery and the characters. I haven't read any of the other books in the series but was able to jump into this one, no problem.

Cute little story, I enjoyed the relationship between the two best friends. This is not the first in the series but is the first in the series that I've read, so some of the interactions with the rest of her family seemed a bit odd to me. That said, it wasn't that they were out of character or unbelievable per se, just that they were definitely not the focus of the book.

A fun story, TW for shark phobia though. Haha... It was fun to wander around in boats and solve the mystery.

I have enjoyed the books I have read so far in the Death by Chocolate series. In fact, so much so that I bought audiobook versions of the earlier ones and can’t wait to get the background information on some of the characters. Though I am sure it will be beneficial, you can actually read this one as a standalone and still enjoy it immensely. The characters are well developed and some of them are quite quirky. There are a lot of people to keep up with as you get settled in with the people of Eastport, Maine. This story will have you turning the pages quickly as you travel along with Jake and the rest of the inhabitants and tourists trying to solve a murder, find a missing 4-year-old grandson, and dealing with shark attacks. You will be sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails as you anxiously work to figure out who is guilty. I can’t wait for the next adventure with Jake and her family; her boyfriend, Dylan; and best friend, Elle. I’m sure it will be another grand adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in audiobook format. I really enjoyed it. The narration was excellent!

If your looking for something cozy with slices of life in between your mystery action this is definitely the book for
I really enjoyed getting to know Jack and Ellie.

Also who can resist Chocolate!

One thing I’ve liked about this series is the progression and aging in the characters. The town and its people change as the series continues. The merging of Lizzie into this series and her detective style with Jake and Ellie are great examples of the series progressing. I was feeling a bit “meh” about the series lately, but I really like this change. Nothing against Bob, but at times, it seemed sad to have him in town.

This is the first novel I’ve read/listened to by this author; even though this was the seventh book in the series I didn’t feel like I was missing information. I enjoyed the story and how locals are asked by others to investigate the goings-on in their community. I’m from New Brunswick, Canada so the fact that the setting was close to home intrigued me.

I would recommend this book to others and look forward to reading/listening to others in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #DeathbyChocolateRaspberryScone

4.5 stars rounded to 5

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scones is the seventh cozy mystery in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake Tiptree and Ellie White pen a chocolate themed Bakeshop in Eastport, Maine, but they also have a tendency to get wrapped up in the crimes that take place in their little town. That’s why Sally Coates comes to them when her husband goes missing, she’s convinced he’s been murdered and she wants Jake and Ellie to look into it. Unable to stop their curiosity, the baking duo gear into action and start snooping around until they’ve unraveled the mystery.

I am a fan of this series and was excited when I saw a new mystery coming out. This book has all of the things that make it a perfect cozy mystery, the small town feel, the determined sleuth, in this case sleuths, and the mystery that needs unraveling. I have come to love Jake and her family and enjoy following along with all of their craziness just as much as I love the mystery in this series. I feel like this mystery had more twists and turns than normal and I enjoyed that, it kept me guessing. This was one mystery that I was pulled into from the beginning and didn’t want to put down. If you are looking for a good, baking themed cozy mystery with a little bit of grit, this series is work a try!

This is my first Sarah graves book! I have seen her books at the library a few times and her totaled always seem so fun! I absolutely do not regret giving this book a shot! I adored it.
Jake and Ellie are a tag team duo, trying to solve a mystery and almost getting themselves killed! I don’t want to give away spoilers but the plot twists had me at the edge of my seat. Once I started reading, I was hooked pretty fast. Don’t tell anyone, but It was so hard to put down that I even showered with my phone. Haha! Definitely read this one!

3.5⭐

This is the seventh in a cozy mystery series, but my first.*

Main character Jake is a bit snarky—my kind of gal. I actually snorted and chuckled several times during the book.

Relationships abound, including Jake's business partner in a bakery called The Chocolate Moose/bestie/ride-or-die/partner-in-crime Ellie, four generations of Jake's family living in one household, a local witch, at least one dog, and a new police chief (a woman who might have appeared in a previous installment and in a different role?).

I predicted two major plot points well before their reveal in the last less than a quarter of the book. No points were deducted, though—I was plenty entertained. In fact, I'm planning to go back and start reading the series from the beginning! [*A deeper dive reveals that this series is a spin-off of the Home Repair Is Homicide series, started in 1998, of which I read installment six in the first week of 2007. I'm not sure I'll go that far into the backlist. Stay tuned!]

Content warnings include peril to a child and an animal.

[There is a click-to-reveal SPOILER ALERT on my blog.]

The titular recipe is included at the end.

This unbiased review is based on an audio ARC supplied by the publisher—Dreamscape Media. Publication is expected April 23.

It was boring and long I wouldn't recommend this and I enjoyed the others. There were a lot of deaths and mystery but it just felt like it was missing something.

"Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone" by Sarah Graves is Book 7 in her Death by Chocolate cozy mystery series. I liked this book. This is a pretty exciting thriller! It isn't gory, per the cozy mystery aspect, though. It has several likable characters.

And it has ...
SHARKS!! SHARKS!!! SHARKS!!!!!!!! YIKES!!

OK. Back to the review.
The main characters are Jacobia (Jake) and Ellie, proprietors of the Chocolate Moose bakery in Eastport, Maine. The new police chief is Lizzie Snow.

This is my first read of this series. It works well as a stand-alone, but there are a lot of other characters that would be more familiar with prior reading. Jake lives in an old house with her husband, her parents, and her son and his wife and kids. There is an old woman, Glenna, that many people think is a witch, and we are left wondering.

Jake and Ellie are investigating the disappearance of the husband of their friend, Sally Coates. He was a fisherman, and no body had been found. While they are searching, they also have to create a recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Scones for a big order. There is quite a bit of humor as Jake repeatedly gets in trouble from her clumsiness and her big mouth.

There are several dead bodies that turn up here and there. Near the end, a young child goes missing. I don't think Jake slept at all during the story, and certainly not once the boy is missing!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5, Suzie Althens
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 5/5

I really liked this book. I recommend it to those who love cozy mystery and thrillers alike. It is exciting and entertaining! I'll read more of this series for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Sarah Graves for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 7 in the “Death by Chocolate Mystery Series” and I haven’t read the others but still greatly enjoyed this story. I listened to the first bit on audio, but switched fairly quickly because for a cozy mystery this one was a bit more action packed and I didn’t want to wait. I really liked the main character and amateur sleuth Jacobia “Jake” and her partner in their bakery business Ellie. the two of them are known for being nosy (as all good amateur detectives are) so when a local fisherman is missing and presumed dead both his wife and the new police chief ask Jake and Ellie to see what they can find. The fisherman’s wife let’s them know he had a gold coin on him and while she doesn’t know what it would be worth she needs that money to take care of her kids and asks if they can try to find it and return it. But the sleuthing becomes more dangerous as sharks, additional body, and a missing child raise the stakes. I really liked this mystery, but I like the whole gambit. It felt a little more intense than a typical cozy, but it was clean and free from gruesome details with the deaths. Overall I gave it 4.5 stars which I rounded up because the last part of the book gripped me so much I couldn’t put it down at all.

I listened to this audiobook as a standalone. I enjoyed Jacobia “Jake” and Ellie. I thought the author and narrator did a good job with describing Jake’s work and family and her challenges with all of it while also trying to investigate a disappearance and murder. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.