This was a perfect book to read to get into or stay in the Christmas spirit. Identical twin sisters, Hannah and Alex, move to a small town in in Montana to start life anew both love mysteries and chocolate so they open a store called “Murder and Mayhem” a cleverly themed store that sells mystery books and chocolate. The chocolates have a twist although they are all made with benign ingredients they are meant to taste like poisons. It is an excellent gimmick and has proven. They continue to make and experiment and improve upon them.
Jane Burrows, a woman in town, is continually convinced that a murderer is hiding and that she wants to uncover him/her and convinces Alex to come over and watch a true crime episode to confirm her suspicions. Alex come over and finds Jane dead in the living room. Unexpectedly Jane leaves a large portion of her estate to Alex who now becomes a prime suspect.
There is no shortage of suspects. And motives so it becomes incumbent upon Alex to narrow the list and it is not an easy task.
The interesting thing about this book is that there are so many possibilities for having committed the murder. They are all logical and possible and even probable.
Ultimately it boils down to good old detective work and Alex is excellent at separating motive from fluff and brings us to a satisfying conclusion.
It is a well written story and the setting is a charming town one that would be great fun to visit in December and enjoy the Christmas festivities. One can taste the baked goods and the chocolates. Oh yes, the chocolates I want some right now.
An excellent first outing and I look forward to more.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

A Christmas Candy Killing is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries by Christina Romeril. The author did a great job in launching this series and giving the readers enough background information without it being overkill. The characters were likeable and I enjoyed it a lot. I did figure out who the killer was at a certain point, but it still was a great read!

Looking forward to more in this series.

This was an extremely fun and cozy mystery. With very well fleshed out characters, and fun twists and turns. These ladies are living the dream! A combination chocolate and book shop? Amazing. The setting was super cozy and well set up.

A Christmas Candy Killing is a perfet book to curl up with a bok of your favorite chocolates and devour in one quick sitting!!


A huge thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An appropriate read for a snowy day in March! It was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect along side the appreciation of treats and fresh baked bread! Will absolutely recommend.

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.
As always I thank the publisher for the free copy of the book, given in exchange for my honest review.

Fun Cozy Mystery that has a few twists and turns. Sit back with a few of your favorite chocolates, but don't let them out of your sight. I can't wait to try a few of the recipes in the end. Maybe one should try a few of these recipes before cracking open the book? Enjoy!

Well written story, amazing characters & captivating plot. My first book for this author but definitely not the last. It’s totally recommended.

Even read after the holidays this was a fun book. Great characters, good plot, and chocolate! Done!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read.

Alex Wright owner of Murder and Mayhem: Killer Chocolates and Bookshop. The book and chocolate shop is located in the quaint village of Harriston, Echo Lake in the Rocky Mountains of Montana.

Alex and her twin sister Hanna—co-owner of Murder and Mayhem—are proficient bakers and chocolatiers.

Eleven days before Christmas and the town is in full swing. Each month, the bookshop features one of their Killer Chocolates in conjunction with a mystery novel.
When the Sleuth Book Club finishes their book club meeting, Jane hangs back to see Alex.

Jane Burrows is a driving force in the community, spearheading many of the events in the village. She is also president of both the horticultural and historical societies in Harriston.

At the Sleuth Book club meeting, Jane confides in Alex that she’s been watching a certain true-crime show and thinks the killer is loose in their village.

She’s invited Alex to her house for tea and wants her to watch one of her true-crime shows. Jane thinks she recognizes someone from their town in the episode.

When Alex heads to Jane’s house the following morning and discovers her dead. Quickly she calls Duncan, deputy sheriff with the Lakehead County Sheriff’s Department in Swanson.

When the police learn Jane had made Alex the sole beneficiary in her will, Alex becomes a suspect. Can Alex clear her name and find the real killer?

Interesting mystery and beautiful setting. Includes recipes such as Poison Pear Ganache, and Candy Cane Coniine Ganache.

Thank you to Christina Romeril, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book.

This was an excellent Christmas-themed, cozy mystery. It was filled with believable characters and lots of references to foods. The twins Alex and Hannah moved to a small town in Montana and opened a bookshop combined with a chocolate shop with the eye-catching name of Murder and Mayhem. The chocolates all had names that associated them with various poisons. So no surprise, our first victim was found stabbed to death with a box of killer chocolates near her bedside. Alex, a friend of the victim and the victim's handyman, is the prime suspect in her murder. It seems the sheriff was happy with her choice of suspects. Alex did not believe that Zack the handyman was the murderer, and she knew she was not, which left her and her twin sister no choice but to figure out who the real culprit was. Alex set herself the task of finding the real killer before Christmas.

A wonderful first in series cozy. The characters were both believable and relatable.
The Murder & Mayhem bookstore where twins Alex and Hanna create chocolates is a fun and quirky environment, and I loved the chocolate recipes that were included.
I truly enjoyed this quick read and can’t wait to see what Alex and Hanna get up to next!

Thanks to Crooked lane books for the ARC at NetGalley.
#AChristmasCandyKilling #NetGalley

I adore holiday themed cozy mysteries, and the cover of this book was screaming my name. I couldn't resist and started reading A Christmas Candy Killing as soon as I had the chance.
Alex and Hannah are identical twins, and together own a unique book/chocolate shop, where they feature killer candies.
Of course, there's no real poison in their candies, but that doesn't stop a nefarious criminal from using them to kill.
I found all the characters to be easy to like, and the story itself was interesting and informative.
I'm looking forward to reading more by this author, and hope the series continues.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#AChristmasCandyKilling #NetGalley

This book was sent to me for review electronically by Netgalley. The characters are fun and quirky with problems galore. The protagonist is intriguing in that she gets into so many different mishaps...the other characters are likable also...the story is a quick read...candy and books...who could want more? Enjoy this story...grab a comfy, colorful, warm afghan, a cup of hot steaming tea, and a delicious warm scone...cuddle up and read for an afternoon.

Former banker Alexandra Wright left Michigan to move to the village of Harriston, Montana to open a bookshop and chocolate shop, "Murder and Mayhem: Killer Chocolates and Bookshop. Her twin sister Hanna soon joins her there and part of their success is hosting the monthly Sleuth Book Club and making "poison chocolates" in conjunction with a mystery novel. After the December presentation Jane Burrows tells Alex she has solved a cold case she saw on a television show, and she thinks the killer is a resident of the village responsible for four murders. Jane asks Alex to tea the next morning, but Jane finds Janes body instead. When Alex becomes suspect number two and she thinks suspect number one is innocent, she sets out with some help to find the killer when the sheriff seems inflexible and stubborn. The village characters are interesting, and I hope they get filled out more in the next title. Have chocolate on hand for thisenjoyable Christmas read and the author includes chocolate recipes. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

What's not to love with murder and chocolates? This is a fun quick read. Great characters and a good mystery. I also will try the recipes which were included.

I don't normally read holiday books this far away from them but I couldn't help but dive right into A Christmas Candy Killing! This is the first book in a brand new cozy mystery series that I can tell is going to be wonderful! If you like books, chocolate, and amateur sleuths who you can relate to then this is a must read!

A Christmas Candy Killing is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in Montana. I loved the twin sisters and their chocolate/book shop with the murder theme. The story was twisty with lots of clues and suspects. I didn't really figure it out til right before the reveal. I enjoyed this very much and will definitely read any future books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first mystery in this new cozy series. Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah own Murder and Mayhem; A mystery bookstore that sells poison themed chocolate. Jane is an elderly woman and good friend to Alex. She confides in Alex that after watching a true crime show she recognizes a murderer in their midst. Before she can show Alex the recorded tv show, Jane is murdered and a box of chocolate left in Jane's house implicates Alex. Alex and Hannah decide to investigate on their own since the sheriff is determined to pin this on either Alex or the local handyman. This was a quick fun read. Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy!

Killer Chocolates…
Murder and Mayhem - a mystery bookshop and killer chocolate shop - run by twin sisters Alex and Hannah sounds perfection. All is well until news of a murderer hits the town. Is it true? When the body of their neighbour is discovered, next to a box of the stores ‘killer’ chocolates, Alex becomes a suspect. Determined to prove her innocence Alex is soon faced with a longer lost of suspects than she could have imagined. But, what’s behind this seemingly senseless crime? Enjoyable and entertaining cosy mystery with a delightful cast of characters and a fun setting, not to mention a new amateur sleuth.

I received an ARC, of A Christmas Candy Killing, by Christina Romeril. I really liked twins Alex and Hannah. I was surprised to see who the murder was. This book talked about food a lot so I was pleased to see recipes in the back of the book.