REVIEW: Chocolate With a Side of Murder

Chocolate With a Side of Murder
Author: Meredith Potts

I love listening to cozy mystery audio books while working in my garden and yard. It's nice to have an interesting story to listen to while I work. This week, I had a huge amount of leaves to rake and this short, easy listen was a perfect companion!

Sabrina Daley manages the family coffee shop, Daley Buzz. Treasure Cove is usually a quiet, seaside town but lately there are some strange goings-on: strange lights flickering in the windows of a long abandoned house, men in matching suits attending a "by invitation meeting,'' and a local developer approaching every business owner downtown to buy up their shops. When the local chocolate shop owner is found murdered in an alley, things take a decidedly dark turn. Because her sister disappeared without a trace years before, Sabrina really hates the fact that local law enforcement (including her detective boyfriend David) are coming up empty on clues in the case. She doesn't want another case to go unsolved, so she decides to do a little sleuthing on her own.....

There were a few minor plot and writing issues with this story (police procedure inaccuracies, abandoned plot points, repetition of the same words and phrases), but none of the problems prevented me from enjoying this first book in the Daley Buzz series. The story is a fun and engaging light mystery. There were plenty of suspects and a few twists along the way to keep me interested in the story. Totally willing to over look a few rough spots. Sabrina is an interesting main character, although I would term her investigation methods as bullying with style. :)

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Lainie Pahos, the audio was just over 5 hours long. Easy listening length. At first, I had a rough time getting used to Pahos' voice and reading style. After a couple chapters, I was in the groove and got into the story. There were a few editing mistakes in the audio and an audible hiss in the background -- the recording quality needs some improving. But, overall, it was a good listening experience.

Fun start to a cozy series! I'm definitely going to keep reading and listening to this series! There are 10 books so far in the Daley Buzz series and several more books by Meredith Potts that are also set in Treasure Cove.

On to book 2 -- Caramels and a Side of Murder!

**I received this audio book for free from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**