Death by Chocolate Mystery

Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it'll be a piece of cake. With Ellie's old family recipes luring in customers, they expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of July weekend. Having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake-that is, until the ill wind of an early-season hurricane blows up her family's plans. But as bitter as the storm is, something even more sinister is brewing in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose-where health inspector Matt Muldoon is found murdered. Ellie never made a secret of her distaste for Matt, who'd been raining on their parade with bogus talk of health-code violations. But now, with no alibi for the night of the murder, she's in a sticky situation with the police-so it's up to Jake to catch the real killer and keep Ellie living in the land of the free.

The island fishing village of Eastport has plenty of salty local character. It also has a sweet side, thanks to Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, her best friend Ellie, and their waterfront bake shop, The Chocolate Moose. This summer, Eastport's favorite lovebirds‚ kindergarten teacher Sharon Sweetwater and Coast Guard Captain Andy Devine, are getting married. The gala reception is sure to be the fete of the season, especially with a wedding-cake-sized whoopie pie. For Jake and Ellie, the custom-ordered confection will finally reel in some much-needed profits. But the celebratory air-and sweet smell of success-are ruined by foul murder. When Sharon's ex-boyfriend is poisoned with an arsenic-laced milkshake, Andy is jailed as the prime suspect, and the wedding is cancelled, whoopie pie and all. Then Sharon makes a shocking-and fishy-confession and ends up behind bars too. With the fate of The Chocolate Moose at stake, it's up to Jake and Ellie to catch the poisonous predator before someone else sips their last dessert.

Everything is shipshape at Jake and Ellie's new waterfront bakery The Chocolate Moose, especially now that the annual Pirate Festival is dropping anchor in their quaint island village of Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are ready for the bounty of tourists sure to flood their shop. But their plans quickly sink when the body of celebrity-foodie Henry Hadlyme is discovered in the Moose's basement. Jake and Ellie are horrified, but their shock turns to dismay when Jake is pegged for the murder. Now, to clear Jake's name and save the shop, Jake and Ellie must swashbuckle down and figure out who among Henry's numerous enemies scuttled him in the cellar. Was it a long-ago jilted sweetheart's vengeful relative? His long-suffering personal assistant? Or perhaps some bitter-as-dark-chocolate unknown enemy, now aboard the mysterious ship lurking in Eastport's harbor? Alas, dead men tell no tales, so Jake and Ellie will have to get to the bottom of the case on their own and find the real killer before anyone else is forced to walk the plank...

As co-owners of Eastport's beloved waterfront bakery, The Chocolate Moose, Jake and Ellie know their customers expect them to cream the competition. But they're really just in it for fun, hoping to get Jake's daughter-in-law baking again. Those plans collapse when fearsome local curmudgeon Alvin Carter is murdered, and every crumb of evidence points to Tiptree family friend-and all-around sweet guy-Billy Breyer. Billy's sisters beg Jake and Ellie to prove his innocence. After all, lots of folks had gone sour on Alvin-the only thing the retired lawyer liked better than bilking widows was swindling orphans, and several victims of his long-ago schemes still lived in Eastport. But just as the ladies begin sifting through the suspects, a series of grass fires blaze across the island, cutting off access to the mainland. Could someone be trying to hide the truth about Alvin's murder? Now, Jake and Ellie will need all their courage-and an extra dash of that down-east Maine stubbornness-to sniff out the real killer before anyone else gets burned...

Jake and Ellie are taking a break from perfecting their chocolate-pizza recipe to cater a housewarming party hosted by movie-icon Ingrid Merryfield. Miss Merryfield is famous for her old-Hollywood glamour. Her new home, Cliff House, has a reputation too-for being haunted. But she isn't concerned, and some of her guests even try to summon a spirit during the party, using a Ouija board. What arrives instead is a freak autumn storm that downs an ancient tree, traps everyone on the property, and leads them to stumble upon a hidden room-where they find film critic Audrey Dalton, apparently frightened to death. Though Jake and Ellie don't intend to get stirred into the mix, there's no avoiding it-especially when they discover a locket in the victim's hand, with a picture of Ellie and the word "next" on it. Is someone trying to write her out of the script too? Jake and Ellie begin sifting through suspects and motives, a search that takes them from a long-lost family graveyard to an antique smokehouse and finally to Cliff House's overgrown gardens. Is there some ghostly presence involved-or a flesh-and-blood villain? And either way, can they ensure that Ellie avoids meeting her very own, very permanent Hollywood ending?

The island village of Eastport, Maine, is full of delights-including the delicious treats sold at The Chocolate Moose, the waterfront bakery run by Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and Ellie White. But a new bakery in town is proving that you can have too much of a good thing... Summer in Eastport means lobsters and blueberries, though tourists and locals alike always leave a little room for baked goods from The Chocolate Moose. This year's arts festival, featuring food, games, and rollicking local musicians, means even more sweet-toothed customers. But it's also bringing competition from a new rival, Choco's, that's trying to slice into the action. Choco's owner, Brad Fairway, is pulling sneaky stunts to divert Moose patrons to his own shop, and Ellie finally confronts him about his tactics. But when Brad is found dead next day, and the weapon is a gun that belongs to Ellie, it's only a matter of time before she is charged with the crime. Sifting through the victim's connections, Jake and Ellie sense they're getting close to the real culprit, a little too close. Can they serve up the solution before the killer dishes up another helping of murder?

With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate's treasure-and a dead body. Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast, and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It's unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn't the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own. As Jake and Ellie's island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there's blood in the water-or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer's trap?

One of the sweetest places to visit in Eastport, Maine, is Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and Ellie White's bakery, The Chocolate Moose, where people treat themselves to the most decadent desserts. But the island town also seems to cater to those with bitter dispositions... Decorations of cobwebs and creatures are just being taken down across Eastport's picturesque houses as the community says farewell to Halloween and ushers in winter with the unique confections found only at the Chocolate Moose. Revelers have gathered on the waterfront for a party at local celebrity Hank Rafferty's ramshackle mansion, known as Stone House. The home repair TV show star and his guests await a devilish dessert delivery from Jake and Ellie-who arrive just after Hank falls to his death from the house's turret's balcony. Despite his show's popularity, Hank was not exactly beloved in Eastport, prompting the police to conduct a homicide investigation. Their number one suspect is the temperamental boyfriend of police chief Lizzie Snow, whom Hank openly hit on during the party. Although he may be hotheaded, Lizzie doesn't believe her boyfriend is capable of killing anyone. And neither do Jake and Ellie. Plenty of people had motive to want Hank dead, a disillusioned admirer, a school bully, and a discontent wife among them. Did any of them take the murderous plunge, or is there another ghost in Hank's shady past yet to be revealed?