In Cold Chocolate by Dorothy St. James is the 3rd book in the Southern Chocolate Shop mystery series. I read the first book, but not the 2nd one so I do feel like I was missing some important developments in the series, though the author did kind of touch on what happened in the previous book. I enjoyed reading In Cold Chocolate, but I had a difficult time really liking the main character, Penn. She's still very prickly, but there is some progress in the softening of her personality. Maybe the next book in the series will take that even further and make Penn more likeable. The murder mystery was very clever, even though I wasn't surprised by who did it or why. The series mystery of Penn and her connection to the Maybank family is even more intriguing. I honestly can't wait until the next book just to see what happens next in that regard. Overall, this is a good mystery which should please cozy mystery fans, as well as those who enjoy culinary mysteries.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This story is the third of Charity Penn's adventures in Camellia Beach, South Carolina. She has inherited the Chocolate Box - a store making and selling unique chocolates from a rare cocoa bean - from a woman she believes to be her grandmother. However, her aunts and uncles are contesting the will because they don't believe Penn is actually their mother's granddaughter. One of the aunts did confess that she was Penn's mother but only Penn and her lawyer Harley heard the confession and now she's denying it.

Penn has gotten involved with the turtle watch because the island is a prime breeding ground for sea turtles. One of the other volunteers in Jody Dalton who is Harley's ex-wife and an anger-filled person who seems to have a particular grudge for Penn. When Jody loses her temper because a new owner hasn't turned off his house lights and takes out her gun to take care of the lights, an accident happens and the local lothario, and Jody's current lover, is found shot to death with Jody holding the gun. It should be an open-and-shut case but Jody says she's innocent and Jody's 10-year-old son Gavin asks Penn to find out the truth.

Penn begins investigating but she receives threats and discouragement from almost everyone. As she investigates, she finds that many people wanted Cassidy dead since he delighted in gathering secrets about the town people.

Because this is the third book in the series, a lot of Penn's background isn't stated. I did learn that she is not a trusting person who was abandoned by her mother and left on her father's doorstep as an infant. Apparently, he wasn't a loving father and his mother didn't nurture her either. She grew up feeling that she wasn't valued. That seems to be why she is so determined to make a place for herself in Camellia Beach where her mother's mother welcomed her and valued her.

I figured out who the villain was pretty early on in this mystery but that didn't stop me from enjoying this cozy mystery. I liked Penn and feel, from some information at the end, that she has more adventures in store. I don't think the question of her parentage has been resolved yet even though her inheritance seems to be. I liked the setting of this story and the quirky characters, including Penn, who inhabit this story.

They are going down to the beach to guide the new baby sea turtles to the ocean. But none hatch. That's not their biggest problem, though. One of the members decides to put out the lights on a beach house with her gun and suddenly they have a dead body...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 11th.

Charity doesn't think the accused woman was the killer so she starts looking for other suspects. She also finds out that the other relatives are trying to get her chocolate shop again.

She gets shot at, someone is stealing her new chocolate dessert and she's trying to maintain a low profile, not very successfully.

This is a very busy cozy with danger at the forefront and a surprise ending. I wonder where the series will go next.

In Cold Chocolate is the third installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop series. In addition to owning to the Chocolate Box, Charity Penn is now volunteering on the sea turtle watch. They guard the nests to ensure the next hatchlings make their way into the ocean safely. When Penn and some of the other women are volunteering, Cassidy Jones appears to have been shot by her nemesis, Jody Belton, who also shoots Penn. But did Jody actually pull the trigger to both guns? What seems like an open and shut case may not be so simple. While Cassidy was notorious for being a womanizer, others also had plausible motives for wanting him dead.
have read the prior two books and while it is helpful to have read them, the book can be read as a standalone. Penn's first person point of view is different than many other cozies and I like that. She is an amiable character. The author has some well-placed red herrings and plot twists that make this series one that I recommend. You won't regret your visit to Camellia Beach, South Carolina and the Lowcountry. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary.

In Cold Chocolate is the third book in Dorothy St. James’ Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but didn’t feel too lost entering the series on the third book. There are grammatical and punctuation errors, inconsistencies, gender confusion within sentences, and sentences with missing or extra words that were distracting, but since I read an ARC, hopefully they will be corrected prior to publication. There are lots of twists and turns and, from the protagonist’s point of view, no shortage of suspects.

Charity Penn inherited the Chocolate Box in Camellia Beach, South Carolina from Mabel Maybank, who she believes is her maternal grandmother. Penn thinks Mabel’s daughter, Florence, is the mother who abandoned her at birth. Bertie Bays, who was Mabel’s best friend and worked in the shop, is Penn’s unofficial business partner and roommate. Althea is Bertie’s daughter and Penn’s closest friend. Althea invited Penn to be an observer to a possible sea turtle hatching and the sea turtle watch team helping the baby turtles make their way to the sea. After learning that Jody Dalton, her attorney, Harley’s, ex-wife, plans to shoot out the outdoor lights on a beach house because all lights are supposed to be off during the hatching season, Penn and the volunteers rush to stop her. Jody is found with a gun in each hand and shoots at Penn and a bullet grazes her shoulder. The body of Cassidy Jones, a realtor, local playboy, and scumbag, is found nearby. Jody’s arrested and while Penn is unsure of her innocence, when Jody and Harley’s ten-year-old son, Gavin, begs her to help his mom, her mouth opens before her brain kicks in and she promises that she’ll get everything figured out before he goes to back to school the next week. While Jody often made everyone around her miserable and had threatened Penn repeatedly that the truth would come out soon and she’d lose everything, Gavin’s broken heart and tears couldn’t be resisted. Althea tells her how crazy her promise is, but doesn’t hesitate to agree to help her friend investigate. Jody insists she’s innocent, picked the second gun up when she saw it lying on the ground, and it accidentally went off and hit Penn. Althea is distraught when she discovers one hundred and eight sea turtle eggs have been stolen from their nest. Someone is stealing Penn’s new chocolate turtles from the display case. Penn discovers Althea interfered in her personal life in a way that might very well destroy Penn’s dreams for her future. Not only is Penn trying to find the murderer, which places her in harm’s way, but she’s also battling the Maybank family regarding the legitimacy of her inheritance.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I'm not actually that fond of cosy mysteries, but I find that reading harrowing stories one after another isn't a good thing so I punctuate my reading with them. This is a good one. Mind you any book based on a chocolate shop has a head start. There are several strands of stories interwoven in this book, nearly all of which are resolved by the end. Just one remains - who sent the second warning? Perhaps we'll find out next time.

Camelia Beach, South Carolina is all excited as it time for the hatching of baby sea turtles to leave the best and to the ocean in The third book of this series.The island very protective of the sea turtles and there are laws that are design for their safety. Pen joins the volunteers to see the sea turtle babies head for ocean. What is completely different as gun shots expose and Penn's is shot. When the area becomes silent again Jody Walker is found standby over Cassidy Jones who has been shot right through the heart. This story continues with many changes in the plot many will surprise Penn and others.The prep was well hidden? Penn has promised Gavin is Mother will be able to walk to his new school on the first Day of school.in order to do that she must showed that Jody was not guilty of shooting Cassidy. Will she succeed? I highly recommend this book and series.
Chocolate recipes are included

Disclosure: Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a review copy.The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the 3rd book in the A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. Not reading the previous two book s did not hinder the experience of reading this story. Our main character and amateur sleuth, Charity Penn (Simply known as Penn) is trying to manage not so nice family members, a mother who hasn't been part of her life, a new business which was willed to her by her grandmother, two types of turtle heists, yes turtle heists, and the murder of the playboy of Camellia Beach, South Carolina, her new home. She does all this with the help of her late grandmother's friend Bertie, Bertie's daughter Alethea, her potential boyfriend and lawyer, Harley, and of course the other local residents. But she does not have the help of everyone. Jody, Harley's ex-wife, does not like Penn, nor do her family who were not aware of her until recently and continue to contest the will and wishes of her late grandmother. So much is going on and making things complicated for Penn, yet she is dedicated to helping to prove that Jody did not kill the local playboy. She made a promise to Harley and Jody's son that Jody would be out of jail by Thursday to take him to his first day of the new school year. Can Penn find the real killer, find out who is stealing the two types of turtles, save her chocolate shop, and make things work with Harley? You have to read this great cozy in order to find out. So glad I got in on this series early. I have added it to my cozy mystery series to continue reading list. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I am giving this book a solid 4-star review.

What has Charity Penn gotten herself into now? In this third installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop mystery, there’s Murder, theft, a lawsuit, rumors and maybe, just maybe some love connections. Penn is starting to immerse herself in the community of Camelia Beach, South Carolina. In doing so, she decides to join her best friend Aletha Bays and the rest of the turtle watch crew witness the birth of baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean. While everyone is awaiting the arrival of the turtles, Cassidy Jones, the local realtor, Casanova and all around scumbag is murdered there on the beach. Jody Dalton, Penn’s attorney’s ex-wife, all around antagonist and one of the many lovers of Cassidy, is found sitting on the beach with not only her own gun, but also the gun that ends up being the murder weapon. Jody is immediately arrested, but Penn feels something is amiss and promises Jody and Harley’s son that she will get this figured out before he goes to school the following Thursday. Can Penn figure out who the real murderer is before time runs out?

To top it all off, not only is Penn trying to assist in solving the murder, the Maybank family is suing her to have their mother’s will overturned contending Penn coerced their mother to leave her the Chocolate Box and the building that houses it. Harley, Penn’s attorney, has taken the case to fight the Maybanks. Can Harley prove that Penn is a Maybank? Are sparks starting to fly between Penn and Harley? Hmmm

Dorothy St. James has written a wonderful story with twists and turn throughout the entire book. You will sit on the edge of your seat to see what’s going to be thrown at Penn next. A fantastic cozy mystery that is fun to read.

I love cozy mysteries and this one I truly enjoyed and couldn’t wait to get to the end even though now it is leaving me waiting and wanting to read the next.

Unfortunately, I really just couldn't get into this book. I felt like the plot dragged throughout the book. There were several plot points that just didn't make sense together. It was like they were trying to throw as many things in to up the stakes but it didn't work.

How can one resist a book with a cute pup on the cover and has the word chocolate in the title?? I was one who could not. It has been quite a while since I've read a cozy mystery so when I saw this book available I had to snap it up.

I'm not sure if it is because I did not read the first 2 books in this series but I didn't feel the connection to the characters in this book. It was cute, love the idea of watching baby sea turtles being hatched, the little pup Stella helping the main character, Charity Penn (or she likes to be called just Penn) learn to let go and allow people to get close and of course little Gavin and Harley such a sweet father and son who are in Penn's lives. The mystery was pretty fun too, but something was missing for me. I normally love the small town feel and it is common in cozy mysteries, but some of the people, particularly the relatives, were just plain mean. I cringed whenever Florence came on the scene. I am kind of glad I did not read the other two books, because of this relationship. And don't get me started on Harley's ex, Jody. How horrible was she! Even at the end!

So all in all this was an okay book for me. Like I mentioned above, there were some really cute elements to the story, but the reason for Penn getting involved in the mystery just didn't jive for me.

I received a complimentary copy of In Cold Chocolate from Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Thank you Netgalley and publisher.

Over the past two months, I've now read all three of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries and believe that each one is better than the one before.

Charity Penn inherited the The Chocolate Box, which is the chocolate shop that she inherited from her grandmother, in the coastal town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina. Once again, a nicely told story with interesting characters.

I'm eager to read upcoming books in this terrific cozy series.

Saving baby sea turtles, "family" secrets, murder and chocolate combine into a delicious confection in this entry in the Southern chocolates series. Charity Penn struggles to solve a murder while holding on to her disputed chocolate shop. You can taste the chocolate, and the salt air while reading this enjoyable book.

This is the third book inthe series.
Charity Penn Chocolate box owner. Mabel Maybank Charity's Grandmother left the chocolate box shop in her will which upset her extended family .
Charity joins a group of turtle watchers on the beach to witness new baby's hatch and make their way towards the sea..I found this very interesting to read .
Fun to read mystery and a good plot new guessed who the killer was and why until the end.
Would highly recommend this book.
Thanks to net galley and crooked lane books .

This is a great addition to the Chocolate series. Looking forward to the next one. It is easy to recommend this to the cozy mystery lovers group.

This is the perfect cozy mystery. Penn and her friends are quirky and loveable. The clues to the mystery were well-spaced throughout the story and completely held my interest. I love that everything revolves around the chocolate shop. This was my first time to read a book in this series, and I’m now looking forward to both catching up and reading the next book. This is a clean story with no bad language or embarrassing scenes.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed being back with Penn in her chocolate shop. She is so vulnerable with her troubling family history, an element that was intensely suspenseful in this installment of A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery. There is mystery, humor and the right touch of romance. I wish it could have gone on, there is so much more I want to learn about Penn and her circumstances.

Such a cute cozy that was perfect for a rainy day and made me have the munchies! This book was fun and I am definitely interested in seeing how the series turns out.

This is an enjoyable culinary cozy. Featuring a chocolate shop in a small south Carolina island community. Penn has inherited the shop, but that's a back story that is best read first if you haven't already. That tale is also a fun read.
Penn is still trying to learn all the recipes, fix up the shop, and handle personal issues, but is drawn to solving the mystery of who shot a local businessman. The sea turtles are hatching and she wants to watch that as well.
She does this while fighting to keep her chocolate shop from family members who seek to overturn the will so they can sell the property.
There's humor, romance and intrigue on the menu.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my honest opinion.

This is the third book in the Southern Chocolate Shop mystery series, and I enjoyed it very much. It's a cut cozy mystery set in the South with great recipes.

Charity Penn is working in the chocolate shop her grandmother left her. There's still doubt among some people in the town of Camellia Beach whether Penn was actually a blood relative, but she's continuing to keep the shop open and sell amazing chocolates.

Penn and her friend Althea are down at the beach waiting for a sea turtle nest to hatch when Jody, her friend Harley's ex-wife and frenemy, shows up waving a gun. One of the houses nearby has a light on, and when Jody goes to shoot out the lights Penn hears a scream. They all run down the beach and find the dead body of the island's Don Juan. Jody is arrested, but Penn is sure she's been set up. She starts investigating the crime for Harley's son's sake, and she puts herself in a lot of danger in the process.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.