In Cold Chocolate

Written by Dorothy St. James

Narrated by Callie Beaulieu

The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world's richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box's owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island's moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.

Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton-the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box-holding the gun. It's an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody's young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can't say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it's too late for Penn and for those she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Sep 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977387615

Reviews for In Cold Chocolate

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is the third of Charity Penn's adventures in Camellia Beach, South Carolina. She has inherited the Chocolate Box - a store making and selling unique chocolates from a rare cocoa bean - from a woman she believes to be her grandmother. However, her aunts and uncles are contesting the will because they don't believe Penn is actually their mother's granddaughter. One of the aunts did confess that she was Penn's mother but only Penn and her lawyer Harley heard the confession and now she's denying it. Penn has gotten involved with the turtle watch because the island is a prime breeding ground for sea turtles. One of the other volunteers in Jody Dalton who is Harley's ex-wife and an anger-filled person who seems to have a particular grudge for Penn. When Jody loses her temper because a new owner hasn't turned off his house lights and takes out her gun to take care of the lights, an accident happens and the local lothario, and Jody's current lover, is found shot to death with Jody holding the gun. It should be an open-and-shut case but Jody says she's innocent and Jody's 10-year-old son Gavin asks Penn to find out the truth.Penn begins investigating but she receives threats and discouragement from almost everyone. As she investigates, she finds that many people wanted Cassidy dead since he delighted in gathering secrets about the town people. Because this is the third book in the series, a lot of Penn's background isn't stated. I did learn that she is not a trusting person who was abandoned by her mother and left on her father's doorstep as an infant. Apparently, he wasn't a loving father and his mother didn't nurture her either. She grew up feeling that she wasn't valued. That seems to be why she is so determined to make a place for herself in Camellia Beach where her mother's mother welcomed her and valued her. I figured out who the villain was pretty early on in this mystery but that didn't stop me from enjoying this cozy mystery. I liked Penn and feel, from some information at the end, that she has more adventures in store. I don't think the question of her parentage has been resolved yet even though her inheritance seems to be. I liked the setting of this story and the quirky characters, including Penn, who inhabit this story.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In Cold Chocolate by Dorothy St. James is the third story in A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series. In Cold Chocolate can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Charity Penn owns The Chocolate Box in Camellia Beach, South Carolina where she is currently finishing up renovations to the shop. The sea turtles will soon be hatching so Penn has created a delectable treat in their honor that is flying off the shelves. On the night of the hatching, Cassidy Jones is killed, and it looks like antagonistic Jody Dalton is responsible. Penn would love to avoid this investigation, but Jody’s son asks her to please help his mommy. Despite being warned to keep her nose out of the case, Penn is soon knee deep in suspects. I wanted to give this series another chance after not having been enthralled with Asking for Truffle. Charity Penn is a nice character and I just love the descriptions of the chocolates that she creates for the shop (they have me pining for a chocolatey treat). The island sounds like a lovely place to live, but there are too many mean people in this story for my liking. There were some slow sections that could have been peppier and some areas that could have been eliminated completely (seemed like filler). It was interesting to learn about the hatching of sea turtles. I had no idea they were considered a delicacy (that is just terrible and disgusting). I see why they need people to keep an eye on the hatching ground. The mystery was uncomplicated, and the guilty party can be identified before the coroner removes the body. I did enjoy the dog, Stella and her antics. She was a delightful addition to In Cold Chocolate. While In Cold Chocolate was not the right fit for me, I suggest you obtain a sample to judge for yourself. In Cold Chocolate is a light-hearted cozy mystery with sun, sand, sweets and sea turtles.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charity Penn has been working at the Chocolate Box for 7 months ever since she "found" her grandmother (she was abandoned as a baby). and inherited. She has been trying to make friends among the locals because her new "family" doesn't want anything to do with her. A new friend, Jody, invites her to observe the hatching of the baby sea turtles - but things aren't going well. The baby nests have been tampered with and a realtor who wants that land is found dead. Jody is the prime suspect. Penn not only has to haggle with her "relatives" but find a murderer.These characters are great and the setting very enjoyable. Wish I could taste some of that chocolate!

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seven months since Charity Penn inherited her grandmother's chocolate shop, and her family are still trying to prove she is not who she says she is. Legal wranglings continue to try and turn over Mabel's will but Charity is trying to make a go of the shop, The Chocolate Box, in Camellia Beach, SC. Althea tries to help Penn forget her troubles by inviting her to observe with the "turtle watch team". This is a serious activity as sea turtles are endangered and there are a lot of rules and laws revolving around sea turtle hatching time. When local real estate agent and playboy, Cassidy Jones, is shot dead on the beach, Jody is arrested for the killing. Penn has a very difficult relationship with Jody, as she is always threatening her shop and it's ownership, but she promises Gavin, Harley's son, that she will help get her out of jail in time for his first day of school.

This book had a little bit of everything that is good about cozy mysteries: chocolate, murder, lots of sleuthing, secrets, quirky characters, some romance and family dynamics. The mystery moved along at a nice speed, with plenty of suspects and twists. The plot isn't overly complex, but held my attention. There is a lot going on in the second mystery of who is Penn's mother, but I will not spill the beans about where that goes. Then there is the side story about Penn's dog. She is working with a dog trainer to try and get her to listen, but there is still a ways to go in that story line. I really enjoy how Dorothy St. James' series is more than just a quick mystery. There has been a lot of growth and development in Penn's character and I have really liked that. You would be able to follow this story without reading the others in this series, but I recommend you start at the beginning to get the full story of Penn and the Chocolate Shop. I will definitely keep reading this series. Looking forward to the next book! The publisher, Crooked Lane Books, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions are my own.

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charity Penn is a more complex character than I first thought. The arc about her parentage still resonated throughout, even though she is ensconced and successfully running her late grandmother's chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box. When her friend Althea allows her to attend a night sea turtle hatching on the beach (as an observer, there is a long list to become a turtle volunteer), the subsequent chaos reveals a body on the beach. Naturally, one of the town's more unpleasant people seems to be a slam dunk for the murder, but a small boy's plea makes Penn take another look at the events of that night. All in all, a very engrossing read.

[laurasreading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hatching baby sea turtles, chocolate seasalt turtles, secrets, lies, threats and MURDER!Another exciting adventure in Camellia Beach, South Carolina Penn can not seem to avoid being dead center of. Even when the prime suspect is a woman Penn would be better off without her presence in life, Penn can't turn her back on justice and the hopes of a little boy.Besides the new trouble in town, there is still controversy about Penn's ownership/inheritance of the chocolate shop. Are Penn's struggles to renovate and increase business all in vain? When it seems even friends are telling her to back off and leave secrets buried, who can she trust?And then there is Stella...Another delicious 5 star dangerous investigation

[lindapanzo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Over the past two months, I've now read all three of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries and believe that each one is better than the one before. Charity Penn inherited the The Chocolate Box, which is the chocolate shop that she inherited from her grandmother, in the coastal town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina. Once again, a nicely told story with interesting characters.I'm eager to read upcoming books in this terrific cozy series.(I received an advance copy of this book via Net Galley from Crooked Lane Books}

[joannefm2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charity Penn, known as just Penn, owns a building that also house her custom chocolate shop, both deeded to her by her grandmother, Mabel. While she never knew of her family growing up, Mabel's children aren't happy with the decision - they don't want the shop but want to sell the building - Penn is sticking to her guns and refusing to cave, keeping the shop open.One night she's with her friend Althea on the beach ready to watch sea turtles hatch. While she's not on the team, she's being allowed as an observer. When Althea leaves for an errand, Jody Dalton, her attorney Harley's ex-wife and the bane of her existence, shows up. Jody isn't supposed to be there, having been kicked off the team, and is raring for a fight. When she sees lights on at a house down the beach, (all lights need to be off for the hatching) she pulls out a gun and tells everyone she'll take care of it. While Penn is horrified, she later hears shots and a woman scream.When she and others arrive at the scene, Jody is holding two guns and standing over the body of Cassidy Jones, a realtor who wants to buy Penn's building and Jody's paramour. Then Jody shoots Penn in the shoulder (a graze, and, she claims, accidentally). Soon Jody is in police custody for murder.But the next day Jody and Harley's son Gavin begs Penn to find a killer, telling her he knows his mom couldn't kill anyone. Harley doesn't really agree, and neither does anyone else. Jody is a nasty piece of work and makes everyone around her miserable, but Penn can't resist Gavin and agrees to help.There's also the fact that not only is someone stealing her new chocolate turtles - all of them - and the eggs of the sea turtles. While these two things can't possibly be connected, Penn isn't sure. At least until she starts getting threatening messages - enough to make her stop asking questions.When she starts looking, however, she finds nearly everyone had a reason to hate Cassidy and want him dead. But did Jody do the deed, or is she just a convenient scapegoat? And will asking questions put Penn in harm's way? But when she's still being threatened, Penn starts up her investigation again because she decides that there must be a reason why, and she's determined to find out what it is...I really enjoyed this book. I felt the plot was done well, and there was enough going on around Penn that her focus wasn't completely on the murder, so we had a few nice subplots as well. Enough to form the opinion that her biological family is a nightmare, and the people she's surrounded herself with in Camellia are true friends (except for the aforementioned Jody, who isn't anyone's friend I would imagine).Anyway, while I figured out the killer early on (I read a lot of these, so my Spidey senses are honed) it didn't detract one whit from the pleasure. While I haven't as yet read the first two in this series, I certainly plan on doing so. Ms. St. James has given us likable characters (mostly) and I find it interesting that two very different people as Althea and Penn have grown to become great friends. While I lean more toward the tendencies of Althea in real life (believe in ghosts and magic, but not too 'woo-woo'), I can see how she is drawn toward Penn, who appears to be a damaged soul deeply in need of love surrounding her, and the residents (well, not all) seem to be doing their best to fill that void. They are an eclectic bunch, and I like them.The setting of Camellia Beach seems like a perfect place for a vacation during hatching season. I would love to watch sea turtles hatch, but I imagine it's not something that's widely advertised; and I most likely would find my way to Penn's chocolate shop before I even checked into a hotel.When all is said and done, this was a very good read indeed, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.