Monday, May 18, 2020

Review ~ CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by Maddie Day

Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse (Country Store Mystery, #6.5)
by: Maddie Day
Series: Country Store Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Publisher: Kensington
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'Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly...

CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by Carlene O’Connor
Siobhán O’Sullivan’s hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she’s pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics—or worse—that led to his death by chocolate?

CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by Maddie Day
When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan’s country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie’s hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . .

DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson
A Christmas-themed escape game seems like the perfect pre-holiday treat for bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock and her best friend. But when the host is found dead in a pool of hot cocoa, it’s up to Krissy and her team to catch the killer—or escape before getting killed.

There’s nothing like a hot cup of murder to warm up the holiday season!


Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse by Maddie Day is part of the Christmas Cocoa Murder anthology along with Carlene O’Connor and Alex Erickson. As I have not read the other authors or their series, my review will only focus on Maddie’s contribution.

When her boyfriend Abe’s father is questioned in the murder of his former business partner, diner/country store owner Robbie Jordan has no choice but to figure out who killed Jed Greenberg so that she and the O’Neill family can have a nice Christmas together.

Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse is a completely standalone read. Maddie has written the story in such a way new readers can enjoy it and get a sense of her writing. The story flowed well with some new characters being introduced and focused on. For me, I enjoyed the story but I just wanted more of it. Due to the length of the story, it was very easy to figure out who the killer was. The romance lover in me was excited to see that Robbie and Abe’s courtship has advanced and is still going strong.

**Received a copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed.**

Rating: 3

Purchase Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse as part of the Christmas Cocoa Murder Anthology from:

The Country Store Mystery Series:

Flipped for Murder ~ Review
Grilled for Murder ~ Review
When the Grits Hit the Fan ~ Review
Biscuits and Slashed Browns ~ Review
Death Over Easy ~ Review
Strangled Eggs and Ham ~ Review

Nacho Average Murder, the seventh book in The Country Store Mystery series releases June 30, 2020.

Candy Slain Murder, the eighth book in The Country Store Mystery series releases September 29, 2020.

MADDIE DAY (aka: Edith Maxwell) is a former farmer of a certified organic farm, holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics, and is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Her short stories have appeared in the anthologies Stone Cold, Fish Nets, Burning Bridges, Thin Ice, Riptide, and The Larcom Review. She lives with her beau and three cats in Massachusetts, where she’s currently working on her next Maddie Day mystery when she isn’t out gardening.

Places to find Maddie Day:

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2 comments:

  1. I think I'd enjoy this series. I do love cozies. And what a fun cover!

    ReplyDelete

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