The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss by Krista Davis Narrator: Hillary Huber
Series: A Domestic Diva Mystery #9
Published by Tantor Media on October 14, 2016 (first published 2015)
Source: Library
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 8 hrs 28 mins
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Audible
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The New York Times bestselling author of The Diva Wraps It Up unwraps an all-new tale in which chocolate is the kiss of death…
Domestic Diva Sophie Winston is in charge of the sweetest event in Old Town this summer. Amore Chocolates is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a chocolate tasting at the mansion of the company’s CEO, Joe Merano—and Sophie is running the show. With cookies, candy, and five kinds of chocolate cake, it’s a chocolate lover’s dream! But when Joe goes missing, the celebration becomes bittersweet. And when Sophie discovers the body of a competing chocolatier in the guesthouse, the event turns downright deadly.
As if that wasn’t enough, Sophie’s been receiving daily boxes of sweet treats. After ruling out her new beau and her exes, Sophie wonders if someone’s trying to send her a message—and if she’s next on a chocoholic’s hit list…
Includes delicious recipes and entertaining tips!
I had a book on next up on my to-read pile that was a little too dark for Valentine’s Day, so I looked for something light and fun and free to listen to first. A cozy mystery with chocolate sounded perfect and it was available through my library. I’ve read several of the Domestic Diva mysteries and they’re always enjoyable.
This time around Sophie is in charge of the 60th Anniversary event for Amore chocolates, including a tasting at the owner’s mansion. Unfortunately, the owner, Joe Merano, is missing and his family is trying to keep it quiet. Then, during clean-up after the tasting, Sophie finds a dead body- not Joe, thankfully- in the guesthouse.
Sophie is one of those too good to be true women. She’s smart and spunky, a great cook, a spontaneous entertainer, a loyal friend. She’s maybe dating a lawyer, is friends with her former former love interest/detective, and is still close to her ex-husband – like let’s him live with her when his house doesn’t have water close. Her best friend, Nina, is funny and always ready to back her up.
The more Sophie looks into the Merrano family and the Amore business, the more secrets she discovers. There was a lot going on between family drama and power struggles at the company. I can’t say I was surprised by the reveal, but I did like how Sophie went about getting it to work.
It’s another fun entry in the series. These are not my favorites, but they’re always solid cozies.
About Krista Davis
New York Times bestselling mystery author Krista Davis writes three mystery series: the Domestic Diva Mysteries; the Paws & Claws Mysteries; and the Pen & Ink Mysteries.
Krista resided in Northern Virginia for many years and lived for a time in Old Town, Alexandria. Today she lives with an assortment of dogs and cats in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Like her Domestic Diva protagonist, Sophie Winston, Krista loves to entertain friends and family, but would just as soon leave cleaning to someone else.
In the unlikely event that Krista ever wins the lottery, you will find her in the middle of a giant pile of rescued dogs and cats.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges: