This was a fun end-of-summer read. I enjoy these Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries a lot. They're fun and a great cozy mystery. I usually know who the villain is before the end, but that's okay. I still enjoy the books.

These are great characters. I love Penn and Harley and Bertie and all of them! They're complex and well-rounded characters. They're fun and there isn't one of them that gets on my nerves.

The plot lines are always complex. Yes, I usually guess who the villain is before they're revealed, but that doesn't mean the plot lines aren't complex enough. They are. There are usually a few red herrings in the mix and it can keep you guessing.

I do recommend this book, though I recommend starting at the beginning of the series with Asking for Truffle so you can learn more about the interpersonal relationships. Each mystery can be read as a stand alone so you don't have to go back to the beginning of the series, but I find it best so you can understand character dynamics.

This series gets better with every book!! The mix of chocolate and mystery is a combination that I find hard to resist. The extra effort taken to make the process informative shows making me drool. The characters feel like friends that I can tag along with as they stumble across clue after clue even if they don't know it. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a culinary twist then you have to read this book/series! I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38723192-in-cold-chocolate" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="In Cold Chocolate (A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery, #3)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519327860m/38723192.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38723192-in-cold-chocolate">In Cold Chocolate</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4457468.Dorothy_St_James">Dorothy St. James</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2305364687">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world’s richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box’s owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island’s moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.<br /><br />Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton—the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box—holding the gun. It’s an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody’s young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can’t say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it’s too late for Penn and for those she loves.<br /><br />Once again the author has given us another well written mystery that is full of twists, turns, and red herrings, that lead the way to a surprising conclusion. The characters are well written and well defined and they all act realistically. The mystery of how Penn is related to her biological family is still a mystery that will hopefully solved in the next book. The relationship between Penn and Harley is at the stage where they could just remain friends or they could become romantic with each other, I hope they take the next step and start a romantic relationship since they seem perfect for each other. <br /><br />I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my honest review.
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I really enjoyed this latest effort by Mrs. St. James. For those who have been following along since Asking for Truffle https://smile.amazon.com/Asking-Truffle-Southern-Chocolate-Mystery-ebook/dp/B06XW8GW16/ref=pd_sim_351_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XW8GW16&pd_rd_r=4dd0a944-c18d-11e8-aaba-0599d350fffb&pd_rd_w=dezdG&pd_rd_wg=wEWW2&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=56838e6b-66d4-41e0-a762-743f1a1a628a&pf_rd_r=047YPM2TTJCMERT1FXY7&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=047YPM2TTJCMERT1FXY7 (on sale $1.99 for each book) and Playing with Bonfire https://smile.amazon.com/Playing-Bonbon-Fire-Southern-Chocolate-ebook/dp/B074MBXLWX/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B074MBXLWX&pd_rd_r=78256630-c473-11e8-a709-598374602c47&pd_rd_w=kgl1Y&pd_rd_wg=y8KwE&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=56838e6b-66d4-41e0-a762-743f1a1a628a&pf_rd_r=HE4Z6J475HTH8XCYBNZ3&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=HE4Z6J475HTH8XCYBNZ3 we finally handle the will which has been a big issue since book one. Man does she throw us a curve ball at the end! But I digress, the main focus of this book is helping Harley's crazy ex-wife because his son Gavin asks, finding the missing turtle eggs and finding out who's stealing from her chocolate shop. Yep, Charity is really busy in this book! She learns secrets about others and concerning herself. Secrets and half-truths seemed to be a prevalent theme in this third installment and it ends with some secrets still not fully known. I would highly recommend this entire series to anyone who wants a good whodunit mystery.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC I received.

It's been seven months since Charity Penn inherited her grandmother's chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, in Camellia Beach, SC. With rumblings and problems from her grandmother's family continuing, Penn isn't too surprised when Jody Dalton threatens to reveal information she knows that will run Penn's reputation and take away her shop. When local real estate agent and playboy, Cassidy Jones, is shot dead on the beach and Jody is accused of the killing, Penn promises to try to clear her name despite her threats. How can she say no to a little boy who wants his mama home in time to take him to his first day of school?

This book had a little bit of everything I love in a cozy series....chocolate, murder, sea turtles, lots of sleuthing, and secrets. And, a cute but impish dog, too. The mystery portion of the plot moved along at a nice speed, with plenty of suspects and twists. The plot isn't overly complex, but held my attention. I like the characters and the chocolate background theme.

In Cold Chocolate is the third book in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. But it isn't vitally necessary to read the books in order. There is enough of the backstory woven in with the new plot to make it easy for new readers to just jump in and enjoy this book. But, for the full story about Penn, her inheritance, the subsequent family squabbles and attempts to contest the will, and the story of Camellia Beach, try reading from Book one, Asking For Truffle.

There are several yummy recipes containing chocolate at the back of this book! Cookies, pancakes and cocoa pork tenderloin! Yummy!

I will definitely keep reading this series. Looking forward to the next book!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This is book 3 in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series and it's nice to be visiting South Carolina and Charity Penn. Charity gets involved in solving a murder when the major suspect's young son begs her for help. Penn has never been friendly with Jody but can't say no to the little boy. The chocolate shop is also in jeopardy when her Grandmother's will is being challenged by other family members. Also some great information on the turtle hatching season in the Carolina's. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dorothy St. James is an amazingly talented author who paints a picture of a town and characters so well that you get lost in the story, only fully emerging upon turning the last page. The characters in this series leap from the page and demand your attention right from the start. I simply can't say enough, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as I have enjoyed the other two books in the series. I get lost every time by all of the talk about chocolate. I think I drool through most of the book. And there are quite a few recipes for you to try your own hand at right tat the end of the book. I really had a hard time pegging the whodunit of this mystery, there were so many twists and turns that the story took us on. And let's talk about all of the sea turtles...I want to journey down and watch a nest of turtle hatch! Really, all-in-all this is a great add to the series and I know that you will enjoy it as much as I did!

3rd installment in this series and my first introduction to it. I think I would have preferred to read in order, however, I was able to follow along. Charity Penn (who goes by Penn) has inherited a chocolate shop from her Grandmother (who she did know and other family members are fighting her inheritance) and is settling into the town of Carmellia Beach South Carolina. It is the time of year when the sea turtles are ready to hatch and she joins her friend Althea on the Sea Turtle Rescue. Penn is dismayed that Jody (Harley’s ex and Penn’s love interest) has joined that night. Shots are heard and when the dust settles Penn has been shot (nothing major) but so has the local ladies man is dead Jody is found over his body with a gun in her hand. Penn promises Gavin (Jody and Harley’s young son) that she will do whatever she can to get his Mother out of jail before he starts school. No shortage of possible suspects as Cassidy had lots of enemies. There is also a mystery involving some missing sea turtle eggs that appears to be connected. This was an interesting read and I really did enjoy the story. Plan to go back and read the first two. Enjoyed.

Chocolate Box shop owner Charity Penn is excited to be with her friend Althea to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch. But before the babies emerge, shots are fired and Cassidy Jones is found dead in the sand. Charity's nemesis, Jody Dalton, is found holding 2 guns and is arrested for murder. But when Jody’s young son Gavin begs for Penn to get evidence to free his mother before school starts, she cannot refuse. Penn's snooping soon gets her in trouble. She starts getting threatening notes, someone is stealing Penn's new sea turtle chocolates and more gunshots ring out. Meanwhile, Penn's future with the Chocolate Box is again in jeopardy as her estranged family threatens to prove she is not the long lost granddaughter of the late owner.

This was another fun tasty read and strong entry in the Southern Chocolate Shop mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Dorothy St. James' third book in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series is In Cold Chocolate. Charity Penn has settled into life on the coast of South Carolina as owner of The Chocolate Box. She joins a turtle watch team in hopes of seeing some baby sea turtles hatch. One of the volunteers seems to take things a bit too far when she is found holding two guns over the body of a local homeowner. Penn finds herself in the middle of another mystery all while dealing with legal issues over the chocolate shop. It is not necessary to have read the first two books, but it does help as one plot line is ongoing.

I love the quirky characters, the setting and the story. A wonderful light cozy mystery. I recieved a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

In Camellia Beach, SC a candy store by the name of The Chocolate Box is owned by Charity Penn. She has solved murders before so when Cassidy Jones get killed she tries to solve the case because the person blamed is the mother of the young boy next door to her apartment.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Bullets! Missing turtle eggs! Missing chocolate turtles! The quiet seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina is having a crime wave. A local man is dead and someone is stealing sea turtle eggs from the nests on the beach, and Sea Salt Chocolate Turtles are disappearing almost right before Charity Penn’s eyes from her shop. Jody Dalton has accused Penn of lying to get The Chocolate Box Sweet Shop and taunts her almost daily about it, but when she is arrested for Cassidy Jones murder Penn just can’t believe it. Then Jody’s young son begs Penn to help get his mother out of jail. She finds herself quickly promising that she will do just that. There is nothing sweet about the point Penn finds herself in. There are several suspects in addition to Jody, but Penn needs to be careful or she may end up the killer’s next victim.

Penn has so much on her plate in this third Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery. Penn has found her mother, but the family has opened up yet another lawsuit to try to take The Chocolate Shop away from her. The shop is busy so she needs to hire more help and she is still trying diligently to learn all she can about making luscious chocolate treats. She has started observing with the sea turtle watch team her friend Althea Bays is in charge of. Her relationship with Harley, Jody’s ex, is starting to move in a new direction. And on top of all that she has told Harley and Jody’s son, she will get his mom out of jail before school starts next week.

I really enjoy how all the recurring characters not only grow from book to book but within the pages of this story. Penn is getting comfortable in Camellia Beach and is meeting new people and making friends. She is still struggling with the chocolate making but the woman does not give up. She has a great core of support when any sort o trouble arrives, but she is learning to stand up for herself much better when her family tries to take her shop away. She learns something in this story that shakes and bends her but doesn’t break her.

The author has written a dynamic story with a couple of mysteries swirled together with family drama. I really like the way all the subplots flowed together with the main plot almost effortlessly. This seaside mystery does have its share of red herrings and diversions that keep us readers on our toes. Penn seems to hone in on one individual but my mind kept pulling me in another direction. In my mind, the answer really depended on if the mysteries are separate or connected. The family battle over Penn’s inheritance gets a new twist that made me dislike members of that family even more. The ending left me surprised and wondering how I was going to wait the approximately 6 months until the next book comes out. 🙂

It was fun learning about the sea turtles and the great lengths people go to to protect their eggs and the species.

Oh and the chocolate! I have learned to have some nearby while reading this series. It doesn’t come close to what Penn and Bertie create for The Chocolate Box, but it takes care of my cravings.

Ms. St. James has penned another delectable treat for her readers to enjoy. I hope she writes the next one fast!

It's August in Camellia Beach, SC and the baby sea turtle nests are set to start hatching under the watchful eyes of the local sea turtle rescue volunteers. Charity Penn, new owner of the Chocolate Box, is excited to join her best buddy, Althea, to watch the hatching. Unfortunately, they end up at the scene of a deadly shooting, wounding Penn, and sending Jody Dalton to jail for the murder of Cassidy Jones. Jody is caught, dead to rights (so to speak) with not one but two smoking guns. Jody is the mother of Gavin, however, the son of her new heartthrob, Harley Dalton, and she promises Gavin she'll have her mother out of jail before school starts.

This is the third in the series but could be viewed as a standalone as there was enough fleshing of the protagonist to learn who she is. Her heritage is in question and she is waging a legal conflict to settle the inheritance from her grandmother(?) Mabel which included the Chocolate Box.

In the meantime, Penn has poured her heart and soul into learning the business from Bertie Bays, Althea's mother and Penn's roommate. There is a lot going on in this narrative and some of it slows the well-plotted mystery. There are a number of support characters who add dimension to the small coastal town atmosphere. The scenes are described well and the information on the sea turtles interesting. There is a sub-plot going on with her insecure five-pound black, brown, and white snappy Papillion that needs a LOT of training.

Penn is a 37-year-old protagonist abandoned as a child, damaged and flawed. There were sympathetic characters and angry relatives. Lots of little hints and it wasn't too hard to figure out the antagonist. As the twists hit, however, they fly in the face of what you expected and actually are a surprise, including the big one at the conclusion. There are a surprising number of edit misses.

I was given this download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for any who love small town southern-based cozies, chocolates (including recipes), dogs, and the saga of the sea turtles.

Really enjoyed this read. Dorothy St. James is a masterful author. Would highly recommend this to all cozy mystery readers.

"Penn" is still making her place in Camellia Beach, SC and finding her inner chocolatier. It is the season of sea turtle hatching and Penn wants to become a turtle volunteer. In order to do so she joins Althea and the other turtle volunteers to watch a nest for possible hatching. As they are watching they notice a house has left outdoor lights on. Althea goes to get cardboard to cover the light and Jody, Penn's nemesis, shows up with guns a blazing, truly. Unfortunately, Jody finds herself on the wrong end of the law when all signs point to her in the murder of the beach's playboy, Cassidy. Can Penn prove Jody's innocence?

I have really enjoyed this series this year. Penn has grit and determination of a Southern lady even though she is from Wisconsin. She has her mother's blood in her that is for sure. I enjoy her spars with the police chief and detective. Detective Gibbons is one of my favorite characters. I believe he has a crush on Penn. I'm not a big love triangle kind of person but I hope something starts to happen in the love arena between Penn and Gibbons. Harley needs a run for his money.

This is the perfect book for all sea turtle lovers and cozy mystery fans. An enjoyable read for any time of the year.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Hatching baby sea turtles, chocolate seasalt turtles, secrets, lies, threats and MURDER!
Another exciting adventure in Camellia Beach, South Carolina Penn can not seem to avoid being dead center of. Even when the prime suspect is a woman Penn would be better off without her presence in life, Penn can't turn her back on justice and the hopes of a little boy.

Besides the new trouble in town, there is still controversy about Penn's ownership/inheritance of the chocolate shop. Are Penn's struggles to renovate and increase business all in vain?
When it seems even friends are telling her to back off and leave secrets buried, who can she trust?

And then there is Stella...

Another delicious 5 star dangerous investigation

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

In Cold Chocolate, the third book in Dorothy St. James’s Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series, Charity Penn seems to be still trying to be accepted by all the townsfolk of Camellia Beach. Not an easy task given that her mother, her aunt, and her uncle are trying to overturn Penn’s inheritance of The Chocolate Box from their mother (Penn’s grandmother). I came into this series at this 3rd book hopeful that I would be able to catch up with the characters and enjoy the series from this point on. I must say, there was enough of a backstory to various characters that overall, I was able to follow their stories without much difficulty. Would I have like to start from the beginning….yes… but my enjoyment of the story was not diminished in the least by starting at this 3rd book.

One plus in my mind regarding Penn is that she does not shy away from admitting that she is sleuthing. She does not make excuses… she has a goal and a timeline and she is sticking to it. You see, the murderer (Jody – the accused murderer) is the mother of sweet young Gavin, who also happens to be the son of Harley, a potential love interest but most definitely Penn’s lawyer. And with school starting in the next week, Gavin has always had his mother take him on the first day of school. So Penn, it seems, will stop at nothing to make sure Gavin has his mother available to take him to the first day of school.

Another plus for this lovely cozy mystery is the setting in that this seaside town of Camellia Beach is a natural nesting place for sea turtles. And let me tell you, this town does not joke around about this… everyone is on board with saving the sea turtles natural nesting place. I love how a mystery involving the sea turtles also springs up (besides the murder of one Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova). Actually, as time goes on, there are more mysteries that need to be solved – but I shall let the reader discover those on their own. J I loved Penn’s enthusiasm when Althea asked Penn to join her on the beach, much to Penn’s initial reluctance:

Althea huffed. “I was hoping to make it a surprise. Some babies are about to be born. Actually, they’re several days overdue. We’re out here to greet them and make sure they get a good start in life.”

“Babies?” That intrigued me. And since I really should trust my friends, I walked (albeit slowly) over the wooden walkover that served as a bridge over the beach’s fragile rolling dunes.

….

“Baby turtles? We’re going to help baby turtles hatch? Where’s the nest?” I started a mad dash down the sandy beach, my arms pumping, because I didn’t want to miss the little ones’ arrival.

This dialogue set the whole tone for me. I liked how friendships could be trusted and nature was respected.

The mystery of who the killer was did stump me for a while, though about ¾ of the way through it finally hit me… who the killer had to be. But what was the motive? And more importantly… did I actually guess right?

I loved the local constabulary. They kept reminding Penn that she should leave the investigating to them, but of course, we all know how cozy mysteries play out…our amateur sleuth could not leave well enough alone. The townsfolks were also colorful and played important roles in the story throughout.

I also found intrigue in the mystery surrounding Penn’s birthright to The Chocolate Box. This is where reading book one and two might have helped? I will reserve that judgment until I read those two books. Needless to say, that mystery twisted and turned and certainly produced anxiety in Penn’s life… and in this reader as well.

There are so many good things to say about this book. It flowed so well that I was hard-pressed to put the book down, even for sleep.

I need to see how the budding romance between Jenn and Harley plays out. And will Jenn fully forgive Althea? I will certainly be on the lookout for further titles by Dorothy St. James, possibly one of my new favorite authors in the cozy mystery genre!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

IN COLD CHOCOLATE, is the third installment in the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series by Dorothy St. James. This newest release is a worthy addition to a delightful story centered on protagonist, Charity Penn, who goes by the name of Penn. I love how the author has developed Penn’s character from the very first book and continues her progression through this third book. While this can be read as a stand-alone I personally think it is better to start at the beginning. The metamorphosis the protagonist experiences after inheriting her grandmother’s chocolate shop (whom she never even knew existed while growing up) can be better appreciated by reading the first two books first. There is a subplot thread through each book with Penn trying to find out who her mother is and trying to connect with family she never knew existed. Ms. St. James throws in several curves that had me thinking about the story long after I read the last page. After all, life is truly about family and friends and the author has centered the books on this important theme.

When I started the book, I didn’t have much time before I had to leave for an appointment. I thought I would sit down, read a few pages to get a sense of the story and then be on my way. But instead, the first chapter started off quickly with conflict and pulled me so deeply into the story that I didn’t want to put it down at all. (I may have been a tad late for that appointment.) Ms. St. James creates memorable characters and scenes. I especially loved her portrayal of the sea turtles nesting and the hatchlings. She brings their risk of survival to light and what rescue groups are doing to help the sea turtles. The author effortlessly weaves these themes into a tightly knit plot with plenty of clues and suspects to keep the reader guessing while providing a cohesive and exciting conclusion.

Not only was this a page-turner of a story, but also a sweet read that had me craving chocolate and the desire to visit Penn’s chocolate shop! Ms. St. James includes a few recipes at the back of the book and they all sound delicious!

This is the third in this delightful cozy series but, if you are new to this author, don't worry about reading In Cold Chocolate first. The sub-story is explained so nothing is missed. If this is your first, be prepared to go find the previous two in the series.
We have a well written mystery, a cute dog, chocolate, a likable main character in Penn and, this time, sea turtles. Call me a happy reader. The murder victim is the local ladies man, Cassidy Jones. One of Penn's least favorite people, Jody, is found holding the smoking gun. Add to that, Jody shoots Penn. Or did she? Now why would Penn want to have anything to do with proving Jody innocent of homicide? Because a child asks her to, that's why. Jody's son, Gavin, wants his mom to be home for his first day of school - a request Penn can't refuse.
Things are not so straight forward as it turns out lots of people were gunning for Cassidy Jones. The mystery is well plotted and there were some red herrings that caught me. I also enjoy Penn's story line as it gives a teaser from one book to the next. Without a doubt, I will be reading the next in this series.