by Sarah Erwin & Kim Davis
This week we have a review of the Valentine’s Day mystery Chocolate Can Be Deadly by Kim Davis, along with a recipe from Kim perfect for Valentine’s Day. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.
Chocolate Can Be Deadly by Kim Davis
Review by Sarah Erwin
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand, but what about murder? Kim Davis serves up a mysterious sweet treat in Chocolate Can Be Deadly, book seven in her Cupcake Catering Series. If readers are new to the series, this title can be read as a standalone.
Emory has one last Valentine’s catering order to fulfill before she can celebrate the holiday herself. This time she’s catering a post-Valentine’s Day Death by Chocolate dessert party. It’s a last-minute addition to Emory’s schedule, and the hostess is bossy, rude, and demanding. Emory puts her head down and gets to work, only to later find the new fiance of the hostess dead, clutching one of Emory’s chocolate cupcakes. A new detective on the force zeroes in on Emory as the prime suspect, so Emory, along with her octogenarian pal Tillie dive head first into their own investigation.
What a fast-moving, layered plot. Lots of secrets are revealed about various characters, and I had a sense of the true culprit, but I was unsure of the motivation. When the reason was revealed, I found myself sitting up so I could click the screen of my Kindle as fast as I could. It is an intense, nail-biting showdown.
The story is full of wonderfully well-developed characters – ones I loved to love and ones I loved to despise! Tillie was especially my favorite. She’s dignified and graceful and with a delightful sense of humor. I love her friendship with Emory. There’s lots of found family vibes in this story which is one of my favorite elements to discover in a book. The final wrap-up is just what the story needed – a cherry on the top of chocolate ice cream!
Delicious chocolate recipes are included in the back (you will be hungry after you browse those!). This is a great read to put on your February to-be-read list.
Valentine’s Day Recipe
By Kim Davis
Thanks so much for hosting me on Kings River Life Magazine today! I’m delighted to introduce Chocolate Can Be Deadly to your readers and share one of the recipes from the book, Brownie Cookies. When I started thinking about chocolate recipes (my favorite type of dessert!) I knew I wanted to come up with at least a couple that were gluten-free and vegan (or at least dairy-free). Living in a household where one of us has to eat gluten-free, and the other has to eat dairy-free, means I’m often making two versions to satisfy us. Then a couple years ago, one of my neighbors was told by her doctor that she had to give up both gluten and dairy. Needless to say, after eating whatever she wanted for over 80 years, it was a huge learning curve and hardship. Since then, I’ve tried to share my gluten-free, dairy-free “experiments” with her… and we all agree, this is one of our favorite cookies. Rich, fudgy, and oh so yummy, this will appeal to any chocoholic, even if they don’t have any dietary restrictions!
Brownie Cookies
(Gluten free and vegan)
Makes about 30 cookiesIngredients
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (or substitute almond butter if desired)
1/2 cup aquafaba (chickpea brine)
3/4 cup mini dairy-free white chocolate chips plus more for optional garnish (I prefer the Life Joy brand)
Flaked sea saltInstructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and sugar.
Stir in the peanut butter and aquafaba until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will resemble brownie batter.
Using a one-tablespoon-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop the batter and place on the baking sheets. Leave two inches between cookies since they will spread.
Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, for 11 to 13 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through. The tops of the cookies will crack, and the insides of the cracks should appear undercooked. This is normal, so don’t overbake!
Remove from the oven. If desired, sprinkle the mini chips on the hot cookies, along with flaked sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
When completely cooled, store leftover cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, at room temperature for up to three days.
You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.
To enter to win a copy of Chocolate Can Be Deadly (Print in US or ebook anywhere), simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “deadly chocolate” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 15, 2025. U.S. residents only for print version, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. 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.
Sarah, thanks so much for your marvelous review and for the opportunity to introduce my new book to your readers! I appreciate it so much!!
This looks like a cute book and I love the cover!
Thanks, Gabrielle! I love the vision my cover designer had. Good luck in the contest!
I can’t wait to read this book. How much better can it get, other than with chocolate and a mystery I have enjoyed many of your other books
Rhonda, I’m delighted you have enjoyed my other books! And I can’t help but agree with you… chocolate and a mystery is perfection 🙂 Good luck in the contest!
I can’t wait to read the newest Cupcake Catering mystery. Love this series!
Thanks so much, Brenda! I am grateful you enjoy Emory and the gang’s misadventures, and good luck in the contest!
I love chocolate and a good book.
I love chocolate cookies! And most things, chocolate.
Chocolate is definitely my favorite type of anything 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
I need to find this series. It sounds delicious
Thank you, Jean! Not only do you get a mystery with each book but there are also multiple recipes included… and I tend to lean heavily toward dessert recipes 🙂 Good luck in the contest!
The cookie recipe looks delicious ? I can’t wait to read this book.
Thanks for stopping by, Kim! I hope you enjoy both the cookies and the book – good luck in the contest!
Love the cover and I can’t wait to read!! The cookies also look delicious and I am going to make them for Valentines Day!!
Thank you, Dixie! I hope you enjoy the cookies and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Love the cover of your book and appreciate the GF recipe; even better a chance to win a real book??
Happy Valentine’s Day to all ?
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we have!! I just opened up another can of beans for more aquafaba because all the photos are making me crave more cookies 🙂 Good luck in the contest!
Chocolate and dogs? What’s not to love?
Thank you, Beverly! And good luck in the contest!
thank you for the chance to read this fun book
You’re very welcome, Cindy! And good luck in the contest too!
Kim writes really well. I love her books. Can’t wait to read the new one. The cover is really eye catching.
Thank you so much, Laurie! I’m SO happy to hear you enjoy the series. I adore my cover designer and she always comes up with the most creative covers… Of course I might be biased since she uses photos of my own dog and my granddaughters’ dog in the design 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipes – death by chocolate is not such a bad way to go! But reading about it is a lot better!
Lol, I’ll have to agree with you there! Good luck in the contest, Linda!
Death by chocolate is not a bad way to go but reading about it is much better!
Thank you so very much for this wonderful giveaway. I can’t wait to read your books.
You’re very welcome, Deborah! Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
Chocolate is always a welcome addition to any book.
Sounds good. thanks. txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
Chocolate is my absolute favorite flavor and I had so much fun developing the recipes! Good luck in the contest!
I follow her blog but I never put it together that it was her. The recipe sounds yummy and the book sounds terrific.
Thanks so much, Linda, and I’m delighted you enjoy my blog too! Good luck in the contest!
The book and
The book and recipe both look delicious!
Thanks so much, Carol! I had a lot of fun experimenting with all the chocolate recipes for the book 🙂 Good luck in the contest!
I just attended a chocolate tasting at my local library, so it’s very appropriate to be commenting . I’d love this giveaway prize and really enjoyed your newsletter. Thanks for the chance.
Wow, I want to join your library – it sounds like a scrumptious event! Good luck in the contest, Janis, and thanks for being a newsletter subscriber!
My kind of book! Adding to my TBR list.
Thanks so much, Dianne, and good luck in the contest!
Sounds great! Would love to read.
Thanks for dropping in, Kathleen, and good luck in the contest!
Love this series! Lots of fun, great characters, and tons of amazing recipes.
Awww, thanks so much, Alicia!! Wishing you good luck in the contest!
This book sounds amazing. I would love to win a copy to not only celebrate Valentine’s Day but also my anniversary. It will be 19 years this year.
Happy Valentines Day (early) and thank you for this opportunity.
This looks amazing
Thank you, Miranda. I hope you enjoy and good luck!
Congratulations on your anniversary, Bobbi, and happy Valentine’s Day too! Good luck in the contest!
The brownie cookies look fabulous! Would love to win the book. Thank you for the chance 🙂
You’re very welcome, Jacqueline! I hope you enjoy the cookies and good luck in the contest!
great recipe
Thank you… wish I could have shared with everyone 🙂 Good luck in the contest!
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, thank you for the opportunity to win your book, I love the cover, and I LOVE chocolate !!! God bless, and have a Happy Valentines Day!
Thank you so much, Stephanie! And happy Valentine’s Day to you as well!
Your new book looks so good. Looking forward to reading it.
Thank you, Faith! I hope you enjoy and good luck in the contest!
Thank you for the recipe! And the chance to win.
You’re welcome, Catherine, and I hope you enjoy the cookies! Good luck in the contest too!
Those cookies sound yummy! And I definitely want to read this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
I so wish I could share some of the cookies with everyone! Good luck in the contest, Linda!
I really enjoy your books. Your recipes are always fun as well!
I truly appreciate you letting me know you enjoy both the stories and the recipes! Good luck in the contest, Tracey!
Thank you for the recipe and the chance to win.
Love the fuzz face friends on the cover of the book/
Awww, thanks! I adore that my cover designer was able to use photos of my dog and my grand-puppy for the covers 🙂
Great review!
It definitely is and I’m so very grateful to Sarah for her kind words! Good luck in the contest!
Just looking at the book cover and title makes me want to read your book and bake your cookie recipe. Thank you for the chance.
My cover designer certainly knows how to create a tempting cover 🙂 I hope you enjoy both the book and the cookies, and good luck in the contest, Jeanne!
I not only love a good mystery but I love chocolate.
I definitely think mysteries and chocolate are a great combination 🙂 Good luck in the contest, Kimberly!
This recipe includes my two favorite sweets: brownies AND cookies! What could be better?!?! Thank you for sharing! Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you as well, Tammy, and I hope you enjoy the cookies! Good luck in the contest too!
Thank you for your review on CHOCOLATE CAN BE DEADLY By Kim Davis. Always love Kim’s books and I’m sure this one will be amazing as well. It’s on my TBR list. I can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review it.
Kim’s recipes are to “die” for all the time. I have friends who are also diet restricted so always happy to save back some yummy ones to fix when they visit.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Awww, thank you so much for your kind words, Kay! I hope you enjoy both the book and the cookies and good luck in the contest as well!
An octogenarian, chocolate, and a fun mystery: sounds like fun!
Good luck in the contest, Lisa, and I hope you enjoy both the book and the cookies as much as I did creating them!
I’m excited to read this, and I look forward to making the recipes.
Thank you, Julie! I hope you enjoy all the chocolate recipes as much as I did creating them 🙂 Good luck in the contest too!
This sounds really good!
Thank you, Kara, and good luck in the contest!
This book sounds so good! I would love to read it!! Also those brownie cookies look delicious!!
Thanks so much, Sarah! I wish I could have shared the cookies with everyone 🙂 Good luck in the contest, too!
This looks like a great read. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
You’re very welcome, Mike! Good luck in the contest!
I love the cover of the book and I love chocolate. Thanks for the chance.
I just adore the cover my book cover designer came up with too! Good luck in the contest!
Thanks for the chance!
You’re very welcome, Teresa, and good luck!
As usual when I read a review here, I now need the book. And especially a book that features an octogenarian sidekick! I love seeing older characters in books. Please enter me in the contest. Also, yay for the recipe! As food/ chocolate/ cookie lover who doesn’t (yet) face stringent dietary restrictions, I usually skim past such, but darned if I’m not going to try this one!
I’m right there with you in loving books that feature spunky older women! I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we have and good luck in the contest!
Love all your book covers. This is no exception!
Thank you so much, Judy! I just adore my cover designer… she makes them so fun. Good luck in the contest!
Love this series and can’t wait to read this new book! Just in time for Valentine’s Day ??
Thank you, Gina, that makes me so happy to hear! I love holiday-themed books and a Valentine’s theme was especially fun to write. Good luck in the contest!
This book sounds terrific! I like pulse pounding action endings! Brownie cookies soundd andd look ddelicious. I must addmit that I had never heard of Aquafaba, but it sounds like a great substitute for milk.
Thank you, Sue! I hope you enjoy the cookies… wish I could have shared them with everyone 🙂 Just a note, though, Aquafaba is a substitute for eggs, not milk. Good luck in the contest!
Chocolate can be Deadly. What a delicious device!
Those brownie cookies sound delicious!
Thank you for the chance to win your book. I like the cover and the title of the book The recipe looks really good I’m going to try it. Have a wonderful Valentine’s weekend
Chocolate can be Deadly. What a delicious device!
This series has everything cozy mystery readers adore: great characters, a fun setting, and a fabulous whodunit plot!
Its Valentines Day, for me! Single, chocolate, book, perfect for today!
Interesting recipe, never heard of aquafaba, or salt flakes. One of those households another healthier substitute is always good! thankfully they can eat eggs.
Chocolate and mystery???? Does life get any better???
We have a winner!