Death Is Semisweet: A Heaven Lee Mystery [Hardcover]

Lou Jane Temple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2002

Heaven Lee has lived in Kansas City a long time, and she thought she knew as much as there was to know about her hometown. But when her longtime friend Stephanie Simpson starts a new business as a chocolatier after divorce, Heaven is surprised and delighted to find out that Stephanie is getting back to her family roots with her new enterprise. As it turns out, her mother was heir to the famous Foster's Chocolates fortune, a chocolate company that is a Kansas City institution. That is, until her brothers, Stephanie's uncles, swindled her out of her share lo these many years ago.

Still, Stephanie is excited to be back in the family business, albeit in a small way with her own downtown chocolate shop, and Heaven can't wait to learn all about chocolate. She's got a restaurant to run, of course, and is always on the lookout for new ways to use traditional ingredients. The pair's excitement turns suscpicious, however, when a giant blimp advertising the 50th anniversary of Foster's is shot down almost directly on top of Stephanie's new store, it's pilot dead before he hits the ground.

Is this terrible event a direct threat to Heaven's friend's new business? Or is it all just a big coincidence? Heaven suspects the former, and when her friend's livelihood, not to mention her life, is on the line, no one can stop her from getting at the truth. She'll figure out what's going on and be back in time for dessert in this smart, saucy entry in the Heaven Lee series from fan favorite Lou Jane Temple. Complete with many sinfully delicious chocolate recipes!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When someone shoots down a blimp advertising the 50th anniversary of Foster's Chocolates, Kansas City (Mo.), chef-cum-sleuth Heaven Lee gets on the case in Lou Jane Temple's Death Is Semisweet: A Heaven Lee Mystery, the seventh entry in this enticing food cozy series (Red Beans and Vice, etc.). A range of recipes, from Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake to Chocolate Marshmallow Gingerbread, sweetens the plot, making this a feast for mystery-loving chocoholics.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Sleuthing chef Heaven Lee (The Cornbread Killer) here tackles a case of sabotage and murder aimed at a local chocolate factory-owning family. Excitement, suspense, and chocolate recipes abound. Recommended wherever culinary mysteries are popular.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (September 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312301227
• ISBN-13: 978-0312301224
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not The Best Of The Series, March 11, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death Is Semisweet: A Heaven Lee Mystery (Hardcover)

I have reviewed all the books so far in this series. Although Death Is Semisweet is not as good as her two best books. A Stiff Risotto and Red Beans and Vice. It is much better than the other books in the series.

It's Christmas Time and Heaven Lee - 4 times divorced, once widowed, disbarred lawyer, ex-stripper and current restaurant owner is minding her own business, sitting in a restaurant with her friend Stephanie, discussing chocolate.

Suddenly a giant blimp which has been advertising Foster Chocolates fiftieth anniversary is shot down, its pilot killed.

Is someone trying to ruin Foster's anniversary or their entire business. Does Stephanie know anything about it? Does the fact that she's a member of the Foster Family and her side of the family was cheated out of the business by her uncles, the current owners have anything to do with it.

Nobody knows, but Heaven is determined to find out and with the help of her friends, once more leads an investigation into this sweet mystery.

What I liked about this book:

Heaven has really grown on me. I disliked her a lot in the first couple of books, but I think her character has mellowed out a little and isn't as irritating.

The mystery was interesting without too many characters, which has sometimes been a problem with her books. So many characters you can't keep them straight and finally just give up.

Many humorous parts. Heaven can be a scream.

Great Chocolate Recipes!

Things I don't like about the book.

I still find no chemistry between Heaven and her twenty years younger boyfriend Hank. But he's such a nice guy I feel bad dumping on him in every review.

My least favorite character is unfortunately in the book. Heaven's daughter, Iris. Heaven and Hank are practically shooting sparks off each other compared with the relationship these two have. Whenever they're together they seem as if they're two strangers instead of mother and daughter.

Heaven says how smart her daughter is. To prove how smart she is, Iris, who grew up with her mother's many bad marriages has taken for a boyfriend, A member of her father's rock band. (Iris's father is a famous rock star). This man who is already a grandfather, is also old enough to be Iris's father and is ex-drug addict and alcoholic. Considering Heaven finds him smoking a joint in her bathroom, I'm not too sure about the ex part.
I know this is just the kind of guy an intelligent girl would want to hook up with.

The mystery was interesting until the end. That solution was ridiculous and disappointing. I think I could have written a better ending.

Not enough use of her supporting characters. Where was Mona. Where was Chris. Please, Please bring back Bo Morales. That is the guy Heaven should get together with. He may also be young enough to be her son, but sparks really flew between them in the two books he was in.

This series is in the middle for me. Not as good as Mary Daheim or Joan Hess, but not as bad as many others, who will remain nameless.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars tasty amateur sleuth, September 14, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death Is Semisweet: A Heaven Lee Mystery (Hardcover)

The plaza, a shopping center in Kansas City, is festive dining the holiday season and Foster's Chocolates blimp just adds to the glittery atmosphere. Chef Heaven Lee and her friend Stephanie are eating at a restaurant in the plaza when they hear gun shots. Somebody shot at the blimp and killed the man operating it.

Foster's Chocolates is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in business when a man trying to destroy them is murdered on the property. Heaven, always interested in solving a murder case, does a little snooping. She discovers that the Foster family is divided against itself and everyone had a motive to kill the man. Things turn really weird when Foster's Chocolates and Stephanie's Chocolates shop are vandalized, but Heaven is incensed when somebody trashes her restaurant too. She's very determined to find out who the perp is and bring that individual down.

This culinary mystery should come with a calorie warning: Do not read when hungry. The recipes, mostly chocolate, are easy to follow and taste delicious (don't say a word). The who-done-it is excellent because there's seems as many legit suspects as the number of carbo grams in any of the recipes. Lou Jane Temple has written another tasty amateur sleuth novel.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A chocolate lovers delight - it's heavenly!, May 15, 2005

By 

nonstopreader (Studio City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death Is Semisweet: A Heaven Lee Mystery (Hardcover)

I've read all the Heaven Lee series thus far - and I think this one is just as good as, if not better than, the others. And the recipes are fantastic! I know that's not a reason to buy a novel but it's kind of a fun extra bonus! This mystery is a quick read and I enjoyed it. I do agree with another reviewer who said they don't feel the chemistry between Heaven and Hank. He seems like a great guy, but I keep waiting for Heaven to meet someone who really lights a fire in her!