Speeding Bullet Kind of Read – My Book Review

A STUDY IN CHOCOLATE

Bean to Bar Mysteries Book 5

AMBER ROYER

Cozy Culinary Mystery / Women Sleuths / Romance 

Publisher: Golden Tip Press

Date of Publication: January 27, 2023

Number of Pages: 260 pages 

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Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop on Galveston’s historic Strand is expanding, as it has become a gathering spot for the community, despite having been the scene of multiple murders. Artists she met while doing a chocolate sculpture are now working out of the shop. So when Felicity is invited to tea by an eccentric art collector, she’s intrigued, especially when she gets asked to pose for a portrait done with chocolate on chocolate. Only, where there is a murder the next day at the same historic house where the tea was held, one of Felicity’s artist friends becomes the main suspect.

When the killer threatens that unless Felicity unravels the murder, one of her two love interests will be the next victim, she finds herself unwittingly at the center of a puzzle with a Sherlock Holmes-obsessed murderer who wants to be the next Moriarty – and wants to cast Felicity as Sherlock.

Felicity starts finding unexpected connections between her friends and acquaintances and must deal with the idea that someone who knows her is a murderer. At the same time, she has to keep her business running, despite construction dust and unruly customers – and an unexpected order for thousands of truffles.

Satchmo the retired police-dog-turned-therapy dog returns to help her sniff out a few clues, and the kidnapping of Ruffles, the quirky artist’s cat, helps lead Felicity into the puzzle. Can Felicity solve it in time to protect the people she cares about from becoming additional victims?

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“Maybe the best thing of all is being able to find justice for people who no longer have the power to help themselves.”

Woohoo, the fantabulous cozy mystery series continues in Amber Royer’s next Bean to Bar Mystery Series, A Study in Chocolate this time with the mystery centered around the art world.

Readers are immediately treated to a who-done-it mystery when a new artist moves to Galveston. Felicity, the main character immediately starts investigating the who and why of their murder. But this time it is a different reason for Felicity to investigate. She gets deeply involved for personal reasons close to her heart. A Study in Chocolate moves like a speeding bullet, no pun intended.

Ruffles, the cat, and Satchmo, the dog have story time in this fifth book. That’s one of the main draws for me to this series is the animals that Royer incorporates into the storylines.

Royer still showcases Fecility as a relatable strong woman, still dealing with hang-ups. Unfortunately, readers of this series are still left with the tortuous question: Logan or Arlo? Who will finally capture Felicity’s heart forever? Now I will have to read the next book in this series to find out.

I read the first Bean to Bar Mystery, Grand Openings Can Be Murder, and the third book Out of Temper, as well as the fourth book, A Shot in the 80% Dark. Readers are not going to be as lost if they miss one book in this series. Royer is a talented writer giving adequate snippets in each book so that you are not lost.

These books are the perfect weekend diversion for wanting to relax in a crazy world with lots of coffee and chocolate. You will soon get enveloped in Royer’s way with words intertwining delving you into a fantabulous, fast-paced story around murder, and of course chocolate.

If you love stories with strong women, chocolate, animals, an emerging love story, and a steadfast mystery then add this to your TBR. To be honest, I hope more of Gently emerges in the subsequent stories. He seems like a character you really want to get to know better. Once again, Royer left me thinking about something that not even I considered before – who is my favorite painter? Do you have one?

I’m off to search for some yummo chocolate. Thanks, Royer! Right now, a Seattle Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Truffle bar is calling my name!

Special Note: I can hardly believe it, this is my 165 book review for Lone Star Blog Tours. Thanks, Lone Star for opening my reading world to new authors and stories.

Amber Royer writes the Chocoverse comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series and the Bean to Bar Mysteries. She is also the author of Story Like a Journalist: A Workbook for Novelists, which boils down her writing knowledge into an actionable plan involving over 100 worksheets to build a comprehensive story plan for your novel. She also teaches creative writing and is an author coach.

Amber and her husband live in the DFW Area, where you can often find them hiking or taking landscape/architecture/wildlife photographs. If you are very nice to Amber, she might make you cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes, of course! Amber blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate.

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GIVEAWAY!  

ONE WINNER:

Signed copy of A Study in Chocolate +

a chocolate bar from French Broad Chocolate.

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 3/10/23)

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FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, 

or visit the blogs directly:

02/28/23	Series Spotlight	Chapter Break Book Blog
02/28/23	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
03/01/23	Review	Reading by Moonlight
03/01/23	Review	The Real World According to Sam
03/02/23	Review	Boys’ Mom Reads
03/03/23	BONUS PROMO	LSBBT Blog
03/03/23	Guest Post	Sybrina’s Book Blog
03/03/23	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
03/04/23	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
03/05/23	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
03/06/23	Scrapbook Page	The Clueless Gent
03/06/23	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
03/07/23	Playlist	All the Ups and Downs
03/08/23	Review	Writing and Music
03/08/23	Review	Rox Burkey Blog
03/09/23	Review	Forgotten Winds
03/09/23	Review	The Book’s Delight

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3 replies to Speeding Bullet Kind of Read – My Book Review

dandylyon85 says:

March 9, 2023 at 10:19 pm

Thank you for such a fun review! You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate. I haven’t had that particular bar, but it sounds AMAZING!

LikeLiked by 1 person

1. Christena says:
  
  March 10, 2023 at 8:02 am
  
  You’re welcome! It is fab.
  
  LikeLike
  
Hall Ways says:

March 9, 2023 at 8:52 am

Love this review and your enthusiasm for the book & series — what’s not to love with the animals (don’t forget the bunny) and the chocolate and the love triangle and the mystery?

LikeLiked by 1 person