by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Oh Fudge, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

When Allie McMurphy inherited the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge shop on Mackinac Island, she was lost in mourning for her grandfather and terrified to be taking over her family’s business. Allie never considered that her estranged California cousin would be furious about being cut out of the McMurphy inheritance, or that their next encounter would be when Allie finds Victoria “Tori” Andrews in the Mackinac Island Butterfly House, standing over a dead body holding the bloody murder weapon. Since Tori was also recently seen having a loud argument with the victim, she unsurprisingly becomes the primary murder suspect in the eyes of most of the islanders and especially the investigating officer Rex Manning. While he may resemble an action hero, Rex’s many warnings to stay uninvolved do nothing to dissuade Allie from investigating, especially when she’s motivated by guilt and need to mend the cousins’ rift.

The late Barbara Smart may not have been a spring chicken, but that didn’t inhibit her pursuit of husbands. Her own much-older spouse died early and left Barbara a wealthy widow, which only seemed to spur on her need to acquire paramours and evidence for blackmail. A string of break-ins around the island seems to be unrelated, but Allie is determined to look for other culprits and prove her cousin innocent. Still considered a Fudgie who only summered on the Island, Allie knows enough to begin investigating among the all-knowing fudge-loving crafters at the senior center. That’s just one item on her agenda as she looks forward to being a bridesmaid in her employee’s very-late-in-life wedding, continues daily fudge-making recipes, and maintains the McMurphy hotel. The questions Allie doesn’t expect to face is why her business-traveling boyfriend Trent Jessop didn’t tell her he had returned to Mackinac Island, or more importantly, why she just saw him kissing Tori.

This being the sixth in the Candy-Coated mystery series, no one should be surprised that Allie manages to get herself in the middle of a murder investigation. There does come a point where even Allie begins to question her effectiveness, as everything she does seems to get Tori that much closer to jail. There is an undercurrent of locals versus Fudgies, but what prevails is the need to feel part of a family’s legacy. Mackinac Island being the world capital of fudge, numerous recipes and descriptions of fudge abound, along with good-natured humor and banter. Allie faces a perplexing decision for her future, so she needs the support of her old friends, new ones, and of course her malti-poo Mal and new cat Carmella. Charming characters and an escapist setting provide the ideal read for a lazy afternoon.

To enter to win a copy of Oh Fudge, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “fudge,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 23, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Oh, Fudge!

You can also use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.