Yvonne
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth F, over at ‘Beth Fish Reads’. It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. When leaving your link, don’t forget to leave a comment for Beth F, we all like to receive comments and share your thoughts.
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I must apologise to all you serious ‘foodie’ and cookery buffs out there, who like to take part in this excellent weekend meme, in the hope of exchanging some great new recipe and menu ideas.
I am afraid that ever since I started participating in the meme, I have taken Beth F. literally at her word and have shared some very random and loosly related ‘foodie’ items with you all, almost exclusively from fiction books.
This week is no exception, but I just couldn’t pass up yet another heaven sent opportunity to highlight an author who was featured in a ‘Mailbox Monday’ post of one of my regular commenters, Mary over at ‘Bookfan’.
The author is Sally Berneathy, an experienced, respected and much published writer, of both mystery and romance novels.
Writing under her own name, Sally has introduced Mary and her followers to the ‘Death By Chocolate’ series. Three books of mystery, humour and chocolate recipes …. Sounds good to me!!
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Death by Chocolate
A Delicious Novel
(Mystery, humor, chocolate recipes)
 Lindsay Powell’s only secret is the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies, but she is surrounded by neighbors with deadly secrets. Suddenly Lindsay finds herself battling poisoned chocolate, a dead man who doesn’t seem very dead and a psycho stalker.
Her best friend and co-worker, Paula, dyes her blond hair brown, hides from everybody and insists on always having an emergency exit from any room. Secrets from Paula’s past have come back to put lives in jeopardy.
Determined to help Paula and save her own life, Lindsay enlists the reluctant aid of another neighbor, Fred, an OCD computer nerd. In spite of his mundane existence, Fred possesses tidbits of knowledge about such things as hidden microphones, guns and the inside of maximum security prisons.
 Lindsay needs more than a chocolate fix to survive all this chaos.
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Murder, Lies and Chocolate
Book 2 of the Death By Chocolate Series
(Mystery, humor, chocolate recipes)
Rodney Bradford comes into Lindsay’s restaurant, offers to buy her small house for double its value, eats her brownies, and drops dead on the sidewalk in front. Then someone breaks into her house and tries to dig up her basement. Next her almost-ex-husband offers to sign the divorce papers, but only if she’ll give him her small, old house and take his big, new house instead.
Suddenly everybody wants Lindsay’s house. Is there oil under the basement, plans to bring the railroad through, pirate treasure buried in the basement? A second break-in occurs and causes her cat, King Henry, to launch into full attack mode, taking a few chunks out of the intruder.
Lindsay enlists the aid of her enigmatic neighbor, Fred, to help solve the mystery while trying to keep her police detective boyfriend, Trent, from getting in their way with his insistence on all those silly cop rules.
On the positive side, sales skyrocket for the special dessert Lindsay calls Murdered Man’s Brownies. Prisoners, murderers, crazy relatives and strippers are all part of the chaos in this second book of the Death by Chocolate series.
BONUS! Chocolate recipes at the end of the book. Poison optional.
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The Great Chocolate Scam
Book 3 of the Death By Chocolate Series
(Mystery, humor, chocolate recipes)
Rick’s car blows up in his driveway. Lindsay is left with an image of Rick’s green SUV flying around the neighborhood along with pieces of Rick—a blue contact lens in Mrs. Hawkins’ driveway, a perfectly creased trouser leg hanging on the street sign, a vertebra on the immaculate lawn.
Since their divorce wasn’t final and Rick has no family, Lindsay assumes she is his only heir. Then Bryan Kollar, local celebrity bodybuilder and owner of the chain of gyms, Body by Bryan, comes into Death by Chocolate and asks to buy back the flour mill built by his great-grandfather and purchased by Rick before his death. Lindsay readily agrees that, as soon as she gets title, she’ll return it to him.
But before his estate is settled, Rick has more relatives than a lottery winner.
What was Rick planning to do with the old flour mill? Why does Bryan want it back? He doesn’t even eat refined flour!
Is the obnoxious Rickie, Jr., really Rick’s son? Why is the woman who claims to be Rick’s mother so certain the child is not her grandson? Are these people really related to Rick, or was he actually an alien stranded on earth when the mother ship left without him?
Come for the Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars, stay for the murder, mayhem and fun!
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A tasty little trio, I’m sure you’ll agree?
Don’t you just love those covers … All that chocolate … What a great way to go!!!
No prizes for guessing that I have a sweet tooth!
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Combining two things I love: mystery and chocolate! (Writing this while enjoying a chocolate ice cream sandwich.)
I’ve made note of these titles, as I’ve never heard of this author before, but it seems I’d enjoy her work. Thanks for pointing them out.
Hi,
I too, have made a note of both author and titles for future reference, as I just love the title of this series.
I must admit that I do have a very sweet tooth, although these days ‘Death By Chocolate’ as a dessert would probably be just a bit too much and probably the death of me!
In fact we seldom have a dessert when we eat at home and when we eat out, only occasionally. Hubbie just isn’t a dessert fan, so I feel bad sitting there alone eating and therefore generally end up with just a cup of coffee. Oh Well! I suppose that is healthier for me anyway?
Enjoy your ice cream sandwich, I’m not in the least jealous ….. MUCH!!
I love chocolate – but I’m trying to lose weight, so I’m not going to be tempted … 🙂
Hi Margaret,
I am only ever tempted by certain chocolate, so it isn’t too much of a problem. I only eat Cadbury’s Dairy Milk through choice. I can stomach some other milk chocolate, but only in very small quantities and only occasionally and dark chocolate can stay on the shop shelves forever, as far as I am concerned.
I admire your willpower … no rephrase that … I am jealous of your willpower!
Have a good weekend.
Yvonne, my will power only works if I don’t buy chocolate. If it’s in the house I have no will power – I eat it!!
I hope your weekend is going well.
Hi Margaret,
I do have friends who will get into their car of an evening and drive to a shop to buy chocolate or sweets .. I am not that bad.
It is like doing a supermarket trolley dash, to get down the sweet aisle at the supermarket though and I can’t avoid it, because there are other ‘healthy’ foods that I need to get on the other side of the aisle!!
Weekend hectic so far, off out for a curry with friends tonight.
I’ve never heard of this series before. They sound like huge fun so I shall see if the library has any of them. Like Margaret I too am trying (not always very successfully) not to be tempted.
Hi Cath,
There does seem to be an explosion of ‘foodie’ fiction books around at the moment and whilst I am not sure that I am a huge fan, this series does look good if nothing else. Those chocolate recipes in the books can’t be good though …. far too much temptation!
I think that any healthy eating plans are out of the window tonight, as we are off out with some ex-neighbours for a curry!! and to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary.
Hope you are enjoying the spring sunshine and have a good weekend.
You are making me crave chocolate Yvonne! Sounds like a great series 🙂
Hi Naida,
This series sounds like a cross between a cozy mystery and a mystery caper, I am seriously thinking about adding them to my reading list, although I am still not sure about the concept of having recipes in a fiction book.
We have just been out for a curry with friends and we all decided to skip dessert, so the first thing that Dave has just said, is that he fancies a bar of chocolate!
Spring has finally spung here today, although it isn’t supposed to last. I hope that you are having a good weekend.
I enjoy novels with recipes in them; this sounds like a cute series.
Hi Diane,
I have a couple of books on my review list right now that have recipes in them, although I haven’t actually read one before. I am still a little unsure about the whole concept of mixing fiction and non-fiction in this way, but I am willing to go by the enthusiasm of fellow bloggers, such as yourself and at least give it a chance!
I do love the title of this series and the cover of the very first book ‘Death By Chocolate’ is my favourite.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment, I hope that you have a good weekend.
I am SOOOOOOO glad you take me at my word because it’s the variety that make this meme so much fun.
I just love mysteries like this! I’m going to have add all three to my list.
Hi Beth,
I am glad that you intended to be taken at your word, as it makes for a really interesting, fun meme. When I started looking around for content for these posts, I was amazed at just how many ‘foodie’ references there were out there. Just browsing through my own bookshelves has unearthed a wealth of material, enough for some time to come. Who knows, even a confirmed boring, unadveturous cook like myself, might come up with a recipe or two, in the course of time!
Leaving the recipes for chocolate to one side, I haven’t read much in the way of cozy mysteries, so I am definitely thinking of taking up the challenge of this series, although I can foretell some serious chocolate cravings coming on when I read them!!
Thanks for hosting and for taking the time to answer individual comments, it is appreciated.
totally agree with what BethF wrote. I tend to do a lot of recipes, but I love a post a little off the beaten path, food wise!
Hi Caite,
I am so glad that you said that, as one of my future posts, is definitely going to be ‘off the beaten track’.
I don’t follow any of the myriad cooking programmes which invade our television screens every day and I don’t think that I own a cookery book!! I do love looking at recipes, but that’s about as far as it goes, I really am a boring cook, although I love to try something different when we eat out.
Mind you, a few recipes which are chocolate focused can’t be that bad!!
I love mysteries, and I LOVE chocolate. I’ll have to check to see if my library has this series!
Hi Vicki,
When you put it quite so succinctly, how can I not add this trio of tasty treats to my reading list …. ‘Love mysteries, Love chocolate’ …. I like it!
Thanks for stopping by, I always look forward to your visits.
I am a huge fan of any kind of culinary fiction! I’ll have to track down a book or three in this series.
Hi Janel,
Your own book, ‘Must Love Sandwiches’, will be the first I have read in the genre of ‘culinary or foodie’ fiction, so this will be unchartered waters for me.
During the course of my blogging and reviewing time so far, I have been asked to read from several new to me genres, which have taken me out of my comfort zone.
So far, I have had no negative thoughts about the books I have tried and I am pleased that I made the decisions to try something new.
This series looks like the next step up from ‘Must Love Sandwiches’, so they will definitely be on my reading list.
Thanks for stopping by, your comments are appreciated.
My sister read ll three and liked them (she’s a trained chef). I should get them from her. Thanks for the reminder.
Rose City Reader
Hi Gilion,
If your sister is a trained chef and she thought the series worth reading, then the recipes must be quite good, as well as the stories themselves.
It would be good to get your take on them, purely from the storytelling point of view, so perhaps you should ask if you can borrow them at some point, it would be interesting to read your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by, your time spent here is always appreciated.
Sounds like a good series! I suspect chocolate may be needed whilst reading them! 😀
Hi Nikki,
But of course, who could possibly sit and read about all those chocolate related mysterious deaths and of course those choclaty recipes, without a product sample to hand, just for research purposes of course !! LOL!
Hope that you have had a good weekend, it finally looks and feels as though spring has arrived!
I must be strange because I don’t care for chocolate! But Iove Mysteries!
Hi Peggy,
You might think you are strange, but I just think that you are eminently sensible and make me wish that I didn’t have such a sweet tooth!
In general my mystery reading books, are full of blood, gore and fatally violent crime. Cozy mysteries and mystery capers are relatively new to me, as are ‘foodie’ fiction books. I enjoyed the one or two I have read, enough to want to try a few more and this series looks like the ideal place to carry on my quest, especially as there are three books in the series, so I would have something to get my teeth into!!
Thanks for stopping by today, I always appreciate your gift of time!
These look like fun. I prefer my light reading on audio. Wonder if these are available as audiobooks? I like the variety of the Weekend Cooking posts, too, and am always glad to see book reviews as part of the meme!
Hi Laurie,
I can’t do audio books at all. First of all I can’t stand headphones or earpieces of any description, I will get a headache and earche after just a few minutes.
I also can’t stand being read to. Even as a small child, once I could read a little bit and I could guess the rest of the story from the pictures, I would always insist on being left alone to read my own story and nothing has changed!
I can’t find specific details of any audio books, but the author has a fantastic site, so it might be worth contacting her direct.
I am not much of a one for recipes and cookery books, so my contributions to ‘weekend cooking’ will quite often be something only very loosely food related and I am always pleased when I am not the only person thinking along those lines.
Thanks for taking the time to stop and comment.
Yum, some great chocolate based books. is it too early to break into that bar? Seriously though, such a great topic, this sounds like a wonderful series of books.
Hi Tracy,
Ah! I am sensing the presence of a fellow chocoholic. It is never too early to break into a bar, although as I am just about to go and start dinner, now might not be a good time for me … but later!!!
Thanks for ‘sniffing out’ the chocolaty nature of this post and stopping by, always appreciated.