Fans of the perennially popular Candy-Coated Mystery series featuring Allie McMurphy are treated to a holiday e-novella in which Allie’s frequent sleuthing partner Carol Tunisian gets mixed up in a holiday homicide.
’TIS THE SEASON FOR FUDGE—AND SLEUTHING
Carol is looking forward to finishing plans for the Mackinac Island Senior Center Christmas Ball. But when she arrives at the center, she finds the door jimmied open and a dead man inside. The victim is a local senior who seems to have been sleeping in the center at night—but why? Although she promises Officer Rex Manning not to involve her book club in solving the mystery, Carol finds a way to fudge around that. Rallying her troop of silver-haired sleuths—and with some support from Ally in between her batches of Christmas fudge -- Carol sets out to discover which grinch tried to steal this Christmas. All she wants from Santa is to get this case wrapped up with a bow!
Praise for Nancy Coco and the Candy-Coated Mysteries
“I will be counting down the days until the next mystery with Allie McMurphy.” —Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
“Full of disguises, danger, and one determined amateur sleuth.” —Fresh Fiction
“A sweet series for cozy mystery readers.”—Parkersburg News & Sentinel
Help support pet adoption—see details inside.
Release date:
September 26, 2023
Publisher:
Kensington Books
Print pages:
92
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“Sprinkled with delightful notes on honey and its various uses, this debut novel in the Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series is a fun introduction to a new cozy series. Everett, the Havana Brown cat, is an animal delight, often proving to be smarter than the humans around him.”
—Criminal Element
“The author writes a captivating story with interesting characters. Naturally, Everett [the cat] contributes to the solution. A charming read.”
—Reviewingtheevidence.com
“This warmhearted book is fast-paced, with realistic dialogue and a captivating plot.”
—Mystery and Suspense Magazine
Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas
“Two nasty murders, charming surviving characters, plenty of Christmas cheer, and enough fudge recipes for a major sugar rush.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Forever Fudge
“Nancy Coco paints us a pretty picture of this charming island setting where the main mode of transportation is a horse-drawn vehicle. She also gives us a delicious mystery complete with doses of her homemade fudge . . . a perfect read!”
—Wonder Women Sixty
Oh, Fudge!
“Oh, Fudge! is a charming cozy, the sixth in the Candy-Coated Mystery series. But be warned: There’s a candy recipe at the end of each chapter, so don’t read this one when you’re hungry!”
—Suspense Magazine
Oh Say Can You Fudge
“Beautiful Mackinac Island provides the setting for a puzzling series of crimes. Now that Allie McMurphy has taken over her grandparents’ hotel and fudge shop, life on Mackinac is good, although her little dog, Mal, does tend to nose out trouble. . . . Allie’s third offers plenty of plausible suspects and mouthwatering fudge recipes.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“WOW. This is a great book. I loved the series from the beginning, and this book just makes me love it even more. Nancy Coco draws the reader in and makes you feel like you are part of the story.”
—Bookschellves.com
To Fudge or Not to Fudge
“To Fudge or Not to Fudge is a superbly crafted, classic, culinary cozy mystery. If you enjoy them as much as I do, you are in for a real treat.”
—Examiner.com (5 stars)
“We LOVED it! This mystery is a vacation between the pages of a book. If you’ve never been to Mackinac Island, you will long to visit, and if you have, the story will help you to recall all of your wonderful memories.”
—Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and Meows
“A five-star delicious mystery that has great characters, a good plot, and a surprise ending. If you like a good mystery with more than one suspect and a surprise ending, then rush out to get this book and read it, but be sure you have the time, since once you start, you won’t want to put it down. ”
—Mystery Reading Nook
“A charming and funny culinary mystery that parodies reality-show competitions and is led by a sweet heroine, eccentric but likable characters, and a skillfully crafted plot that speeds toward an unpredictable conclusion. Allie stands out as a likable and engaging character. Delectable fudge recipes are interspersed throughout the novel.”
—Kings River Life
All Fudged Up
“A sweet treat with memorable characters, a charming locale, and satisfying mystery.”
—Barbara Allan, author of the Trash ’n’ Treasures Mystery Series
“A fun book with a lively plot, and it’s set in one of America’s most interesting resorts. All this plus fudge!”
—JoAnna Carl, author of the Chocoholic Mystery Series
“A sweet confection of a book. Charming setting, clever protagonist, and creamy fudge—a yummy recipe for a great read.”
—Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series and the Jane Eyre Chronicles
“Nancy Coco’s All Fudged Up is a delightful mystery delivering suspense and surprise in equal measure. Her heroine, Allie McMurphy, owner of the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop (as much of a mouthful as her delicious fudge), has a wry narrative voice that never falters. Add that to the charm of the setting, Michigan’s famed Mackinac Island, and you have a recipe for enjoyment. As an added bonus, mouthwatering fudge recipes are included. A must-read for all lovers of amateur sleuth classic mysteries.”
—Carole Bugge (Elizabeth Blake), author of
the Jane Austen Society Mystery Series
“You won’t have to ‘fudge’ your enthusiasm for Nancy Coco’s first Mackinac Island Fudge Shop Mystery. Indulge your sweet tooth as you settle in and meet Allie McMurphy, Mal the bichon/poodle mix, and the rest of the motley crew in this entertaining series debut.”
—Miranda James, author of the Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series
“The characters are fun and well-developed, the setting is quaint and beautiful, and there are several mouthwatering fudge recipes.”
—RT Book Reviews (3 stars)
“Enjoyable . . . All Fudged Up is littered with delicious fudge recipes, including alcohol-infused ones. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Cozy mystery lovers who enjoy quirky characters, a great setting, and fantastic recipes will love this debut.”
—The Lima News
“The first Candy-Coated Mystery is a fun cozy due to the wonderful location filled with eccentric characters.”
—Midwest Book Review
Chapter 1
I’ve lived my whole life on Mackinac Island, and I think there’s no place better in the world. Oh, we have our little political run-ins now and then. For instance, the time Maisy Hansen told everyone that her strawberry tea cakes were better than mine. Or the time when Irma Gooseman tried to oust me as committee chair for the senior center’s Christmas Ball. But usually, we get over life’s little bumps and challenges.
How did I prove my tea cakes were better? Why, we had a baking contest and a blind taste-test. I won, of course. But I digress. It was the morning of December 12 and I was headed to the new senior center to meet Irma and the other ladies to plan the finishing touches to the Christmas Ball. We sold tickets to the ball to raise money for the center to help provide meals for everyone during the winter. A few of us stay on the island year-round and it’s a comfort to come to the center and get a warm meal.
But that day, well, that day I stumbled over a mystery of my own.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” asked Charlene, now Charlene Hunter since she had gotten married two years ago. Charlene had been our emergency dispatcher for the last fifteen years.
“Hi Charlene, this is Carol Tunisian.” I could barely get the words out.
“Carol, what’s going on? Are you okay? Is Barry, okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I think. Just a little light-headed, actually. I’m calling because there’s been a break-in at the senior center. The door was jimmied wide open when I arrived just a few moments ago.”
“I’m sending patrolmen down there right now,” Charlene said. “Don’t go inside. It may not be safe.”
“Too late,” I said and stared at the snowmelt tracks that now puddled on the floor. “I’m already inside and . . .”
“And you touched things?” Charlene tried to predict. “Because you know better. Well, at least you should because you’ve been helping Allie out on a lot of her investigations.”
“I didn’t touch anything,” I said. My heart raced and my sight started to darken. “But I did find a man lying facedown. He’s not moving. I bent down to see if he was okay, and he had no pulse.”
“Okay, Carol, I’m sending Rex out there and the EMTs. They will verify his lack of a pulse. Please step outside and wait for them.”
“Okay.” I moved toward the door. I was in my early seventies but I power-walked daily, so I was able to get out the door within seconds. I took a deep breath of the crisp winter air and looked at the bright blue, cloudless sky. I shivered. “It’s twenty-five degrees outside.”
“I know,” Charlene said. “The snowmobiles are on their way.”
“Right,” I muttered and looked toward town. “Should I hang up now?”
“No,” Charlene said. “I want to stick with you until someone else gets there.”
“Yoo-hoo, Carol.”
I turned at the sound of my name. It was Irma powerwalking toward me. “It’s Irma,” I said into the phone.
“Don’t let anyone inside,” Charlene warned.
“I’ll do my best,” I said. “Hi Irma.”
“Why are you standing outside? It’s freezing if you’re not walking.” Irma was a small woman with steel-gray hair kept in perfect short curls. She’d substituted a snowmobile suit along with thick-soled boots for her usual tracksuit.
“We can’t go inside,” I said.
“Nonsense,” Irma said as she approached. “The door is open. Why did you leave the door open? You’re letting all the heat out. Our power bill is going to be high.”
She took a step toward the building and I stepped in her way, cutting her off. “There’s been a break-in. I’m on the phone with Charlene right now.” I handed her the phone.
Irma put it near her ear. “Hello?” She listened. “Right, okay, well, no one is coming yet.” She glanced at me. “We won’t let anyone in.” Then she handed me the phone with a serious nod.
“Charlene,” I sa. . .
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