A Christmas Candy Killing is a work of fiction under mystery by Christina Romeril [Release October 2022]. The story is set in a village where everyone knows everyone else and other people's businesses. But is it really so? The main character, Alex, has an identical twin, Hanna. Both moved into the village three years before the story, and they set up a bookshop called Murder and Mayhem. The bookshop doubled as a candy store, selling homemade chocolate named after poisons that had been used to kill mixed in chocolate. Alex discovers a body of a retired teacher who was also her close friend for three years. She is a top suspect in the cold-blood murder, and she works day and night to dig up the real culprit. In the process, she discovers another elderly woman dead down her stairs. She doubles her efforts to unravel the mystery that is snatching old ladies.

In Christmas Candy Killing, themes of mystery, family, friendship, and love are dominant. Alex, Hanna, and Penelope are trying to juggle love and their lives. Penelope is striving to be in the good graces of every single man with the age of over fifty. Joe keeps in touch with his family even if they are estranged.

I liked the plot of the story. The story was well told with characters well-developed. Dialogues used in the story felt fundamental to the story and reality. The story setting felt like real life, where different kinds of people live in a neighborhood, with some people being friendly while others are cold and protective of their secrets. Alex showed great detective techniques.

My least favorite part was repetition and too many characters. The chocolate episodes were overused and the statement about Alex being a suspect. The main character was indifferent. After she discovered her close friend dead, she does not show any grief. She interrogates 'suspects' and keeps her routine of chocolate deliveries and shopping. I didn't see the importance of the dog in the story.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. This story was professionally edited. The mystery was certainly intense. This story would have been perfect without the many characters, and the manner of interrogation was not fun.

I recommend this book to lovers of mystery and crime. People who enjoy making chocolates will find the book a delight.

What a sweet cozy mystery! Identical twins, Alex and Hanna own the Murder and Mayhem, a mystery themed bookstore that serves Killer Chocolates in a small town in Montana. Alex is an amateur sleuth who goes about to solve the murder of her octogenarian friend, Jane. Jane was known in town for a lover of true crime and had thought that a serial killer lived in their town. Before being able to share this information with Alex, she is found murdered by Alex. Then there is another murder. Who is the serial killer in this quiet and quaint little town? Alex and Hanna enlist the help of friends in this clever whodunit with many red herrings and delightful characters. It seems as if everyone in town has a secret and there is lots of gossip. To top it off, Alex become the number two suspect!

This was such a delightful read and I hope the author will continue with more mysteries featuring Alex and Hanna. The setting of a mystery bookstore just added so much ambiance to the story itself. Although I thought I knew who the killer was by the end, it was not a sure thing as there were many possibilities. Fast paced, the story carries you and I couldn’t put it down. So grab a cup of coffee, curl up, and hunker down with this cozy mystery today.

Many thanks to #netgalley #achristmascandykilling # christinaromeril for the opportunity ot read and review this book.

Alex owns a chocolate and book shop called Murder and Mayhem Killer Chocolates and Bookshop. He is in partnership with his sister Hanna and their is a Book Club which as you may suspect they love to dissect murder mystery novels . And of course there is a murder, there is a mystery and there are suspects, including Alex.

There is yet another murder and as you would expect the two sisters endeavour to find the killer and so the adventures begin. While reading this book you go on the journey of discovering and uncovering clues, suspects and eventually of course, the murderer.

This is a great cosy mystery that isn't too long, has some great characters and is even a bit of fun from time to time (especially the chocolate recipes). I look forward to reading the next one (and hopefully there is one) soon.

A cozy mystery set during the Christmas season in a small town. Many residents with secrets make this who done it a pleasure to read. Looking forward to seeing more from this series. The characters are fun and left me wanting more.

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries and chocolates, this is the book for your Christmas time reading list. The characters are a bit more well fleshed out than in many cozies, which is a real pleasure to come across. The recipes for the chocolates sound divine (still have to make the one that intrigued me so much -- the pear one), and as unrealistic in many ways that cozies typically are, this one definitely ticks the box for 'secret wish fulfillment'. Which of us hasn't dreamt of having our own bookstore/foodie shop combo in a quaint, smaller town somewhere? Christina Romeril has done a good job with this foray, and gone straight for the jugular... or rather the stomach. The landscape and part of the country are also well described, by someone who has obviously had experience with the area and loved it. I recommend A Christmas Candy Killing for cozy/food mystery fans, as well as those who just wish to enjoy some better than average, safe, 'away time' from the stresses of the real world. It's one of the best cozies I've read in years.

I loved this book from the first page. What's not to like it had everything I wanted. There was Chocolate Sisters and a mystery to keep you guessing all the way to the end, and I can't leave out Watson. I couldn't read it fast enough. I even loved the cover. I am drawn to Christmas books. I know you are going to love this book.
I loved the way Christina Romeril writes. I look forward to more of her books.

Alex and her identical twin Hanna run a mystery themed book and poison themed chocolate shop called Murder and Mayhem, in Harriston, Montana. Harriston sits on the shore of Echo Lake and is full of picturesque shops and unrepentant gossips. The twins, and their dog Watson, are relative newcomers to the town. They host the Sleuth Book Club and during the meeting Alex's friend Jane, a retired teacher and obsessive true crime show watcher, tells her that she thinks there is a serial killer in town. It's not the first time she's made an accusation so she wants Alex to watch the taped show and give her opinion. Alex agrees and the next day goes to Jane's house. She finds Jane murdered and the DVR wiped clean.

The sheriff is in a big hurry to solve the case because Christmas is just two weeks away and her suspects are Alex and Zach, the young handyman who was seen around the house at the time. Zach is promptly arrested based on some circumstantial evidence and his prior criminal record. But it's clear Alex isn't off the hook, and she doesn't believe Zach did it. So she decides she has to find the real killer, and with Hanna and a couple of friends she sets out to do just that. The best way to do it is to tap into the gossip network, and what a network it is!

This mystery is full of nicely fleshed out characters that run the full gamut from nice to nasty, all with secrets. As the secrets and gossip mount, the suspects either fall away or increase, and the body count and attempted murders rise until it looks like they will never get the answer. It's a race against time and danger as Alex gets too close to the truth.

As a fan of both classic and cozy mysteries I wondered if it could keep my attention. It not only did that but kept me guessing until the very end. I can heartily recommend it. At the end there is the bonus of a detailed recipe for the making of filled chocolates.

This was a fun mystery. I’m new to the “cozy mysteries” genre so I don’t have much to compare it to, but it was an interesting story that kept me guessing. I also love stories set around Christmas and especially when book stores are involved, time so I loved that aspect of it. The characters were great and I enjoyed the recipes as well!

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril is the first (Yay!) in the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. The setting is a mystery book and handmade chocolates shop, Murder and Mayhem, that is run by twin sisters Alex and Hannah. Hannah is the creative talent behind their poison-themed Killer Chocolates. The shop is located in a small village with an interesting and quirky array of locals.

This mystery was marvelously entertaining with so many plausible suspects and the well-plotted twists and turns. The descriptions of the chocolate were delectable, making me want to head out to find a chocolatier. I appreciated the true-to-life relationship challenges of both Hannah and Alex, and look forward to the next installment to find out how their potential relationships progress. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.). This was a great start to a new cozy series that I hope has a long run.

This is my first Christina Romeril book and it was an entertaining cozy mystery. The characters were likable but there were a few too many. The premise that the killer was featured on a true crime cold case tv show was dismissed by the police but I felt like that could've easily been checked by anyone with a computer. Still I enjoyed the story and lovers of Hallmark Mysteries would too.

New Cozy series. Enjoyable and very light reading.

Overall the book is enjoyable. It's a very good start to what I hope becomes a great series. The characters are fun, but you can tell they need a little further development. 2 twin sisters in their 40s move to a "village" in Montana where they open up a bookstore and chocolate store. I love the premise. Alex (Alexandra) is the main sleuth, with her sister Hanna taking a more back seat to crime-solving/murder sleuthing. There is also what may be the beginning of a romance (hopefully they keep it as a good friendship) and an interesting love triangle for Hanna- there were some loose ends, but that may be because they weren't cleaned up - nothing of a cliff hanger.

The murder(s) were well developed and clever - but you can kinda figure out who it is. Alex's character is naive - putting herself in situations where common sense tells you NO... example, she meets alone with suspects - interviewing them.

It's a good start to a series, and hopefully, the author further massages her characters to make this a great series. It has wonderful potential.

"A Christmas Candy Killing" is an enjoyable start to a new series by Christina Romeril.

Set in a small town, twin sisters Alex and Hanna co-own the Murder and Mayhem Books and Chocolates Shop. Alex left her banking job to open the store and invited her sister to join her there.

Now the two live in this small town, but they're not the only newcomers. And when rumor has it that someone who moved into town in the past ten years is a serial killer, it captures Alex's attention, especially since her friend Jane was next on the list. Now, Alex is determined to find out what happened to Jane and clear her own name from suspicion of murder.

There were plenty of potential suspects and some clues that were fairly obvious, but overall, it was a fun story. I look forward to the next installment!

Thank you to Christina Romeril, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance review copy.

This is a charming new series debut by new cozy author Christina Romeril. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Identical twin sisters, Hannah and Alex, move to a small town in in Montana to start life over and have new adventures. They open a wonderful store of mystery books and chocolate called “Murder and Mayhem”. The chocolates are all made with ingredients that taste like poisons. It is selling well with the books so they want to continue this theme .
Jane Burrows, a neighbor has been telling others a murderer is in town. She invites Alex over and Alex finds her murdered. Unfortunately for Alex she is suspect number one as Jane left everything to her in a will. Alex must save herself, her business and her reputation by solving this murder.
This was a well crafted sleuth with many surprises for the reader. I enjoyed the sleuth to its surprising conclusion. The supporting characters are all wonderful and add to the setting. I look forward to many more adventures by Alex and Hannah and their charming shop.

A fun kick off to a new series! Great concept of twins owning a bookstore/chocolate candy store. Lots of red herrings. Great characters who often get into scrapes. Quick read. Ready for the next one in the series! Thanks #Crookedlanebooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

A Christmas Candy Killing was a fun relaxing read. This is Christina Romeril's first novel, but she writes well, with such beautiful prose that I would have expected her to be a more experienced novelist.

The victim was not a surprise, and while I was pretty sure that I had figured out the guilty party before the halfway point, there were lots of red herrings to keep me guessing. I was especially appreciative of the wonderful descriptions. Being able to visualize settings is an important part of successful mystery writing. And as the title suggests, there was a lot of yummy chocolate to keep me reading, as well. The wonderful candy recipes at the end of the novel will no doubt prove very temping to many readers.

I will look for more of Romeril's novels in the future. I was to thank the author and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. This is my honest review, which reflects how much I enjoyed this novel. Thank you also to NetGalley for introducing me to so many wonderful new readers.

I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries so I was really looking forward to this new series. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. The beginning felt a little drawn out to me, slow to connect with the characters. Honestly glad I stuck with it, truly enjoyable after first few chapters. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm reviewing this from an advanced reading copy, thanks #NetGalley #Crooked_Lane_Books #ChristmasCandyKilling

This is a decent cozy mystery, though I do have notes.
All cozies need a theme and a small town setting, apparently, and this one is set in Montana, very far away from anything else. The setting is not particularly well drawn, though there are some mentions of the weather.
Alex quit her job as a banker to open a bookstore -- a mystery bookstore -- and lured her twin sister, Hanna, away from her parents to be her chocolatier. So far, par for the cozy course. However, the chocolates they sell are all named after famous poisons. I can't imagine anyone actually doing that, nor anyone actually buying them, but that's the theme.
Alex's friend Jane asks her to visit the day after book club, but when Alex gets there, Jane is dead. Had Jane uncovered a murderer in Harrison? There are a lot of people in town who won't share their pasts...does one of them have more to hide than usual?
Suspects abound -- too many to really keep track of, as they are not as distinct from one another as one might wish -- but the murderer will probably be obvious to the reader before they are to Alex.
Characters -- have potential. Setting -- not very believable. Mystery -- fair. Romance -- it's the first in the series, so we've just got a few possibilities, but this is best written of the plot elements.
I would not read another in the series because I found the poison chocolates theme just too annoying, but cozy fans will probably like it. With recipes for (poison free) chocolates.

It was a little slow in the beginning and repeated a few things in the beginning that didn't need repeated so often, but once you get past all that, it was really enjoyable. It had a different story line that I enjoyed. I would recommend it and will be looking the next book in the series.

I enjoyed reading A Christmas Candy Killing although I found it a little long. Alex Wright is the main character who owns Murder and Mayhem Killer Chocolates and Bookshop with her identical sister, Hanna Eastham. They live in Harriston, Montana. The supporting characters add a lot to the story. They have a book club named Sleuth Book Club. The club is devoted to dissecting the motives, clues and methods of murder in mystery novels. One of her best friends, Jane Burrows tells her that she saw a reenactment of a cold case. She is certain that the killer lives in their town. The killer killed 4 people 10 years ago. She asks Alex to come to her house to see the series. When Alex goes to her house she finds Jane dead in her bedroom. She calls Duncan Fletcher a deputy sheriff to report the death. Alex is notified that she is in Jane's will which makes her a suspect. Netta Griffiths wants to talk to Alex so when Alex goes to her house she finds Netta dead at the bottom of her stairs. Both woman were murdered.

Jane and Hanna decide that they need to find out who murdered them to clear her name. This is where the reader goes on an adventure of whodunit to the exciting end.
.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC

A great start to a new series and a strong foundation to build on. Fun mystery with twists and turns. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.