Alvin was truly loathsome while he lived and now he's been murdered but not, Jake and Ellie, are certain by Billy Sewell. Billy's sisters convince our intrepid cozy heroines to investigate- they, like everyone else in town, know that there's more than one person who was ripped off by Alvin. The charm of this series lies in Jake and Ellie, two mature women who run a sweets shop, and in the people of Eastport. Small town Maine makes for a classic cozy setting and Graves has populated her town with some trope-y characters but also with ones who might make you laugh occasionally. The mystery here is just twisty enough to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I've been a fan of this series; this latest installment should be fine as a standalone and then you, like me, will be eager for the next one.

This cozy mystery is set in Maine and centers around Jake (Jacobia) and Ellie who run a chocolate dessert shop in a Maine tourist town. The two occasionally get involved in mysteries that happen in the town and this book focuses on the killing of a reclusive elderly man who frequently changes his will. Jake's son is business partners with suspect Billy, who was apparently the beneficiary of one of the wills.

Billy previously had to kill his father to save his two sisters from abuse. Now a dowdy aunt is threatening to take custody of the girls and make them into dainty ladies (they like to go fishing and are saving for their own boat).

Also, Jake and Ellie are trying to perfect a chocolate snickerdoodle for the town's cookie contest to bring publicity to their shop.

The book starts out a little slow, possibly because I'm jumping into the series on the fourth book. But once the action gets going, I couldn't put it down. The end is a real thriller, and I didn't predict the twists that happened. Highly recommend this series, though I'd probably start at the beginning because Jake's family alone has a lot of characters in it.

I have been a reader of this mystery duo since they were in the Home repair and now this chocolate series. I did think this book was better than the previous one, it still felt silly. The pratfalls that Jake describes in the book become ridiculous after awhile and so utterly unbeliveable. The relationships among the characters seem odd, we see mostly a focus on that of Jake and Ellie with everyone else a a bit part.

I have enjoyed Sarah Graves' books in this past and this was no exception. As the book is set in Maine and cooking is involved, I had a feeling that I would enjoy this one (as the previous ones in the series).

The mystery was well-written and the characters are interesting to follow. The book flows well and kept my attention from the first page. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.

This book was so great! This is a quick read about a cookie baking contest, but like her other books in the series there is a murder that takes place. I read it so quick because I had to know what happened. I love the characters, I really feel like they are so relatable.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Graves and Kensington Books for Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle. This is my personal review.
Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle is book four in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series.
This is one you will pick up and devour in no time. Jake and Ellie are co- owners of The Chocolate Moose in Eastport Maine and they are known for helping to solve murders when they are not selling their delicious bakery goods.
This book is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing whodunit.
The characters are so well written that and the story line is great you will keep trying to figure out who is guilty until the very end.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I have a problem with the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. I am invested in the characters of Eastport, but I don't always find them likeable. I especially don't understand Jake's relationship with her husband. It is off-putting to me how detached they seem. I also have a problem with how unbelievable the physical exertion/injuries that Jake goes through that are especially violent. I will stick with it, but I would love to have more warm and kind relationship involvement.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Another great entry in a fun series set on the Maine coast that has two female sleuths and their wide group of family and friends. if you enjoy female sleuths beautiful settings and chocolate this series is for you.

This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle by Sarah Graves is the fourth in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. Jake and her best friend Ellie own the Chocolate Moose bake shop and are up to their usual high jinx of “assisting” the local police in solving yet another murder.

I enjoy this series even more than the series Home Repair is Homicide that evolved into this one. The characters are realistic and face challenges common to the rest of us - well except for solving murders that is. I hold my breath when Jake and Ellie find themselves in sticky or life-threatening situations but I always cheer them on. Jake’s family is quirky but endearing. The setting is described in such a way that I almost feel that I can step right into the pages. As a matter of fact I was so immersed in the story that when I finished the book I was surprised that I wasn’t on the shore in Maine. As always, I look forward to the next book in this series. (I voluntarily reviewed an complimentary reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

A warm golden morning in late September in the remote village of East Port, Maine the air smelled like sea salt, pine needles and smoke from the grass fires burning around the edges of town. Jackie and Ellie run the Chocolate Moose where they sell cakes, cookies, brownies, e’clairs, scones and just about anything you can bake with chocolate. Summer business had been good the annual Eastport Cookie Baking Contest coming up and the ladies get an order for 12 dozen cookies for the Elks regional meeting. Ellie is the adoptedAunt to Helen and Anna after both their parents died in a domestic incident two years earlier. Anna 15 was a sophomore Helen was 16 and a junior. Jake’s husband Wade I was a harbor pilot which meant he guided ships through the powerful tides, treacherous currents and under water granite ledges that the bay had at marvelous abundance. Sam comes home and tells everyone that Billie found a dead body Alvin Carter. The grumpy old curmudgeon who’d inherited his extensive land holdings, including a seaside estate in Eastport from his grandfather a family landscape designer. The cause of death wasn’t natural not unless Alvin’s pruning hatchet buried itself in his skull by itself. This wasn’t the first time Billy Bayer was involved with murder two years earlier Billy had been accused and nearly convicted of killing his own father with a hatchet. Once the ladies find out Billie is named beneficiary in Alvin’s will everyone believes Billie had killed him. The ladies work together that he is not the killer. Love this story.

Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle by Sarah Graves is a delightfully clear page turner with fully developed characters who live in Eastport, Maine. The heroine, Jake, flees to Maine with her son, Sam, to reinvent herself and finds this remote Northeast town to be just right. Fast forward a few years as Sam grows up, marries and has two children and Jake finds the man of her dreams, too. She and her friend, Ellie, own a bakery and are as good at solving the town's murders as creating delicious chocolate sensations. If you enjoy a cozy mystery that keeps you guessing as to who the murderer is from beginning to end, this is the one for you! Thank you to Kensington Publishing Co. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy for my review.

Sarah Graves knocks it out of the park again with her newest Death by Chocolate book! This mystery really kept me guessing til the very end. When her son's employee is the only suspect in the murder of an unlikable man in Eastport, protagonist Jake does her best to keep him from life in prison away from his dependent teenage sisters. All signs point to Billy, but Jake knows better, so she resumes her amateur sleuth ways, with some help from her best friend and business partner, Ellie. What I love about this series: the cozy, coastal Maine setting, Jake and Ellie's chocolate shop and all the delicious sounding treats they make, the characters I've followed through her Home Repair is Homicide series and this series, and the story lines that keep me on the edge of my seat! Although I feel this can be a standalone story, I recommend starting at the beginning for all the character development and back stories - or start with this book and then go to the beginning to enjoy it all.

As always, I look forward to Sarah Graves' next book!

I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

While I did enjoy "Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle," the reason I'm not rating it very highly is because it felt more like a wacky caper than the typical cozy mystery. The story was less believable than what I'm used to with this type of novel.

Jake and Ellie are preparing for the annual snickerdoodle bake-off, but while they want to do well in the contest, the real reason for their participation is to get Jake's daughter-in-law back in the game. She recently had a baby and is debating going back to work versus staying home with the baby. She's worried her new-mom brain won't be able to keep up with the fast-paced environment of a workplace again.

When a grouchy (but rich) old man is murdered, the woman step in to keep an innocent friend out of jail. It turns out there's no shortage of people who may have wanted the guy dead.

Again, I did enjoy the story, but I wanted something more believable. There was so much going on in this story that it seemed more like a silly caper than a real mystery.

Sarah Graves once again keeps us entertained with page turning mystery that is packed with great side dramas. Jake's multi-generational family is one that I wish to be part of. I could not put this book down!

Well, if you enjoy beautiful, Maine, as a backdrop, cookies, an eclectic group of characters, mystery, join, Jake and her crew for an exciting cozy. Lots of twists and turns.

I enjoy cozy mysteries, and when I saw this one that mentioned one of my favorite cookies, I was excited to check it out.

I haven't read the rest of the series, but I'm inclined to check them out, as I really enjoyed this one. It's a quirky story with solid, enjoyable characters and an enjoyable mystery. It was fun to sleuth things out with the characters.

Jake and Ellie have their hands full with their bakery, family troubles and the death of a cantankerous old man in the 4th book in Death By Chocolate series. When a young man who works for Jakes son is suspected of murder, and the state police won’t listen to them or the Eastport, Maine police chief when they insist he’s innocent, Jake and Ellie get to work looking for other suspects and motives. I love how these books bring us to small town, coastal Maine with the lobstering, the scent of pine and salt air, and the tourist based economy that makes a good summer season a must. As families are impacted by Billy’s arrest Jake and Ellie race against the clock, and spreading wildfires caused by a dry September, to find the killer before Jake needs to make good on a promise to tell all about her somewhat unsavory past.
A great addition to the series, it can be read alone but is better if read in order, I also suggest the Home Repair Is Homicide series that precede this one, it follows Jake, her move to Maine, and the renovation of an old Captains house.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington books for an advance copy, I really enjoyed it!

Awesome read! Such a fun, twisty mystery. The characters were well written and had unique personalities. The plot was good and kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the interactions of the characters and felt the book didn’t end the way I predicted, which I liked. This series keeps getting better and I think the author hit her stride with this book.