The Chocolate Cat Caper (Chocoholic Mysteries, No. 1) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

JoAnna Carl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

After giving up her career as a Texas trophy wife, 28-year-old Lee McKinney finds herself in a Michigan resort town, keeping the books for her Aunt Nettie’s luxury chocolate business. But she soon finds that her new life isn’t all truffles and bonbons…

Clementine Ripley, the defense attorney everyone loves to hate, is throwing a party that calls for several thousand dollars worth of custom chocolates—some made in the image of her champion cat. Lee jumps at the job, but sweet success takes a bitter turn when someone adds and extra ingrediant—cyanide—to one of their delicious chocolates and it finds its way into Ms. Ripley’s mouth. Now it’s up to Lee to figure out who tampered with Aunt Nettie’s recipe before they find themselves behind not-so-chocolate bars.

INCLUDES YUMMY CHOCOLATE TRIVIA!

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As delectable as a rich chocolate truffle…satisfies to the last prized morsel.” —Carolyn Hart

“A delicious new series! Feisty young heroine Lee McKinney is a delight in this chocolate treat.” —Tamar Myers

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

JoAnna Carl is the pseudonym of a multipublished mystery writer. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter, feature writer, editor and columnist. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and also studied in the OU Professional Writing Program. She lives in Oklahoma but spends much of her summer at a cottage on Lake Michigan near several communities similar to the fictional town of Warner Pier.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786244054
• ISBN-13: 978-0786244058
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,756,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JoAnna Carl is the pseudonym for a multipublished mystery writer. She spent more than twenty-five years in the newspaper business.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Debut in a Great New Series, March 7, 2002

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chocolate Cat Caper (Chocoholic Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lee McKinney is looking for a new start after her divorce. Her Aunt Nettie needs someone to help with the business side of TenHuis Chocolade, a gourmet chocolate business in Michigan that Lee worked at as a teen. But Lee's only been back in town for a week when famous defense lawyer Clementine Ripley is poisoned while eating one of their chocolates. Clementine had made a lot of enemies over the years in her cases and seems to have just as many in the small resort town of Warner Pier. Now Lee must sort through the suspects and motives to find the real killer before she and her aunt get framed for a murder they didn't commit.

I've been looking forward to this book since I read the short story in AND THE DYING IS EASY that introduced these characters. And it didn't disappoint. The characters are well developed. Lee's way of mixing up words when she's upset or nervous is fun but not so overused that it becomes annoying and makes her more human. The story is tightly plotted and moves along at a brisk pace. The style invites the reader in and makes it very hard to put down. The only thing that seems odd is the chocolate trivia scattered throughout the book. It doesn't really add anything; it's just kind of there.

I am definitely addicted to the Chocoholic Mysteries and look forward to many more. Pick up this book and enjoy a wonderful new series.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious new mystery., November 11, 2002

By 

Michele Gregersen (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chocolate Cat Caper (Chocoholic Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

After divorcing her husband, Lee McKinney moves back to Warner Pier, Michigan to handle the business end of her aunts chocolate shop. But, Lee soon discovers chocolate can be deadly!

In this first chocoholic mystery by JoAnna Carl ( aka Eve Sandstrom), Lee is hired to help out at a fund raising party for the local Animal Rescue League. A party in which her aunt, Jeanette TenHuis, has provided [a lot] of chocolate for the guests. However, before the party even starts the hostess Clementine Ripley falls prey to a cyanide laced amaretto truffle, making both Lee and her aunt suspects in Ms. Ripley's murder.

Lee steps into the roll of amateur sleuth in an attempt to uncover the murderer, before she and her aunt become the next victims.

This book is a must for anyone who enjoys reading cozies. The charaters are well-developed, and the storyline is light and fast-paced making it a good vacation or beach read. I enjoyed the chocolate facts that are scattered through out the book as well as the chocolate quiz at the end.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series The Chocolate Bear Burglary.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun new series, May 10, 2002

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chocolate Cat Caper (Chocoholic Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lee McKinney has tired of her life as a trophy wife in Texas. So, the ex beauty queen chucks it all and moves to Michigan to help her Aunt Nettie in her gourmet chocolate factory shop. She takes an order for two thousand dollars worth of chocolate from a much hated local woman. She delivers the chocolate, and is hired to help serve drinks at the party that evening. The hostess pitches over a balcony shortly before the start of the event, evidently poisoned by one of the chocolates. It seems that everyone in town is a suspect, even Aunt Nettie and the local police chief.

This is a really fun new series, the story line moves along quickly and the novel itself is short. A great beach book!