JoAnna Carl - The Chocolate Jewel Case (Chocoholic Mysteries, No. 7)

Table of Contents

Praise for the Chocoholic Mysteries

The Chocolate Bridal Bash

Entertaining and stylish.... Reading this on an empty stomach is hazardous to the waistline because the chocolate descriptions are... sensuously enticing. Lee is very likable without being too sweet.

Midwest Book Review

The sixth delicious mix of chocolate and crime.

Writerspace

JoAnna Carls books are delicious treats, from the characters to the snippets of chocolate trivia... fantastic characters who have come to feel like good friends. The Chocolate Bridal Bash stands alone, but once youve read it, youll be craving the other books in this series.

Roundtable Reviews

The Chocolate Mouse Trap

A fine tale.

Midwest Book Review

Ive been a huge fan of the Chocoholic Mystery series from the start. I adore the mix of romance, mystery, and trivia... satisfying.

Roundtable Reviews

The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle

The pacing is perfect for the small-town setting, and the various secondary characters add variety and interest. Readers may find themselves craving chocolate, yearning to make their own.... An interesting mystery, fun characters, and, of course, chocolate make this a fun read for fans of mysteries and chocolates alike.

The Romance Readers Connection

The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up

A JoAnna Carl mystery will be a winner. The trivia and vivid descriptions of the luscious confections are enough to make you hunger for more!

Roundtable Reviews

A fast-paced, light read, full of chocolate facts and delectable treats. Lee is an endearing heroine.... Readers will enjoy the time they spend with Lee and Joe in Warner Pier, and will look forward to returning for more murder dipped in chocolate.

The Mystery Reader

The Chocolate Bear Burglary

Descriptions of exotic chocolate will have you running out to buy gourmet sweets.... A delectable treat.

The Best Reviews

The Chocolate Cat Caper

A mouthwatering debut and a delicious new series! Feisty young heroine Lee McKinney is a delight in this chocolate treat. A real page-turner, and I got chocolate on every one! I cant wait for the next.

Tamar Myers

As delectable as a rich chocolate truffle, and the mystery filling satisfies to the last prized morsel. Lee McKinney sells chocolates and solves crimes with panache and good humor. More, please. And Ill take one of those dark chocolate oval bonbons....

Carolyn Hart

One will gain weight just from reading [this].... Delicious... the beginning of what looks like a terrific new cozy series.

Midwest Book Review

Enjoyable... entertaining... a fast-paced whodunit with lots of suspects and plenty of surprises... satisfies a passion for anything chocolate. In the fine tradition of Diane Mott Davidson.

The Commercial Record (MI)

Also by JoAnna Carl

The Chocolate Cat Caper
The Chocolate Bear Burglary
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up
The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle
The Chocolate Mouse Trap
The Chocolate Bridal Bash

Crime de Cocoa

SIGNET
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First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
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First Printing, August 2007

Copyright Eve K. Sandstrom, 2007

ISBN : 978-1-101-56494-3

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For Janet McGee,
without whom I cant cook anything,
sew anything, or watch a bird.

Acknowledgments

With thanks to friends, relatives, and complete strangers who generously helped me as I tried to get it right. They include Elizabeth Garber and Betsy Peters, who provided information on chocolate; Tracy Paquin, Susan McDermott, and Dick Trull, Michiganders who answered questions about their native state; Dwight Sto-dola, Helen Jones, and Alice Mayer, who helped me learn about antique jewelry; Jeff Smith, who gave me tips on property insurance; Kim Kimbrell, who described the process of remodeling; Louisa Halfaker, who suggested stealing antiques; and Jim Avance, a font of knowledge on law enforcement.

Chapter 1

J ust when I finally found fifteen minutes for myself, the dead man came to the door.

Not that he looked dead.

In fact, he was lively-looking, tall and thin, with dark hair shot with gray. He was nicely dressed in khakis and a blue polo shirt. Only the scar on his cheek kept him from looking distinguished. Instead it made him look rakishlike a James Bond wannabe who might be a good guy to have on your side in a bar fight. And he was smiling widely enough to display canine teeth, which gave him a wolfish look.

A blue Ford pickup truck was parked behind him in our sandy lane. It was pointed toward Lake Shore Drive, which showed hed come around from Eighty-eighth Street, driving into our semirural neighborhood by the back road and coming past our neighbors house. Despite this hint that he knew the territory, the man had proved he was a stranger by coming to the front door; all our friends and relations come in through the kitchen.