Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Three Fudges and a Baby (A Candy-coated Mystery) on + 642 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
Spring on Mackinac Island means the "fudgies" are coming! It also means it is time for Allie McMurphy's best friend Jenn Carpenter to deliver her baby, but it seems Baby Carpenter is in no hurry to exit the safe, warm, comfort of Mama's womb. Her midwife and doula assure her that being two weeks late is no big deal but she is more than ready for the baby to embark on their trip down the birth canal so she can see her toes again.
Movement is a good way to start labor whether it be walking or waddling so Jenn and Allie walk down to the Coffee Bean to meet her doula, Hannah Riversbend. But when they take a shortcut down an alley they find Hannah holding a gun and her fiance, Matthew Jones dead on the ground. It is clear the woman is in shock and she says she didn't kill him but she was holding the gun.
With her doula in the slammer, Jenn is freaking out. She begs Allie to find the real killer fast. She can't give birth without Hannah. She is going to be busy making fudge but she can't let her friend down, so she decides to find out how to do it all, and oh, did I forget to mention her mother is in town with an agenda of her own?
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McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop owner Allie McMurphy has her hands full in Three Fudges and A Baby and she rolls with just a couple of missteps, just as I have come to expect. Business is brisk and she needs to hire an assistant as soon as possible. Her mother makes a surprise visit and expects her to drop everything so that she can get back together with her old boyfriend because he has money and her current boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning is not good enough for her. Jenn is cranky and rightly so, being nine and a half months pregnant is not fun. And now Allie has a murder to solve. She is a fantastic protagonist and all the people Ms. Coco has put in her orbit are cleverly created and true to life, even Allie's mother.
The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists. Rex wasn't totally on board with Heather Riversbend being the killer but he had to follow the evidence. He takes a huge chance to help Jenn. He is such a good guy. Hear that Mrs. McMurphy! Allie gets help from the "seniors" as she and her puppy Mal try to figure out who has a motive to kill Matthew Jones. Gossip starts to run rampant on the island and in a surprising turn Allie makes a deal with the devil. So much happens within the pages of the book that the pages were absolutely flying. The takedown was scary but I had the right guilty party at the top of my personal suspect list and that always feels good.
Mackinac Island is a special place that I have always wanted to visit. I may never actually make the trip so for now I settle for the virtual trips Ms. Coco takes me on in this series. I know there is nothing like fudge made by a professional like Allie, but the author includes easy recipes at the start of several chapters. I suggest picking one to make before you start reading because you will be craving fudge.
Three Fudges and A Baby is a wonderful addition to this series. It is full of engaging characters, sans a meddling mother and an intriguing mystery set on the #1 Best Island in the Continental U.S. The final paragraphs of the book are not going to make Allie's mother happy but I am thrilled. The teaser chapter has me longing for April 2025 when Fudge and Murder is set to be released.
Spring on Mackinac Island means the "fudgies" are coming! It also means it is time for Allie McMurphy's best friend Jenn Carpenter to deliver her baby, but it seems Baby Carpenter is in no hurry to exit the safe, warm, comfort of Mama's womb. Her midwife and doula assure her that being two weeks late is no big deal but she is more than ready for the baby to embark on their trip down the birth canal so she can see her toes again.
Movement is a good way to start labor whether it be walking or waddling so Jenn and Allie walk down to the Coffee Bean to meet her doula, Hannah Riversbend. But when they take a shortcut down an alley they find Hannah holding a gun and her fiance, Matthew Jones dead on the ground. It is clear the woman is in shock and she says she didn't kill him but she was holding the gun.
With her doula in the slammer, Jenn is freaking out. She begs Allie to find the real killer fast. She can't give birth without Hannah. She is going to be busy making fudge but she can't let her friend down, so she decides to find out how to do it all, and oh, did I forget to mention her mother is in town with an agenda of her own?
____
McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop owner Allie McMurphy has her hands full in Three Fudges and A Baby and she rolls with just a couple of missteps, just as I have come to expect. Business is brisk and she needs to hire an assistant as soon as possible. Her mother makes a surprise visit and expects her to drop everything so that she can get back together with her old boyfriend because he has money and her current boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning is not good enough for her. Jenn is cranky and rightly so, being nine and a half months pregnant is not fun. And now Allie has a murder to solve. She is a fantastic protagonist and all the people Ms. Coco has put in her orbit are cleverly created and true to life, even Allie's mother.
The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists. Rex wasn't totally on board with Heather Riversbend being the killer but he had to follow the evidence. He takes a huge chance to help Jenn. He is such a good guy. Hear that Mrs. McMurphy! Allie gets help from the "seniors" as she and her puppy Mal try to figure out who has a motive to kill Matthew Jones. Gossip starts to run rampant on the island and in a surprising turn Allie makes a deal with the devil. So much happens within the pages of the book that the pages were absolutely flying. The takedown was scary but I had the right guilty party at the top of my personal suspect list and that always feels good.
Mackinac Island is a special place that I have always wanted to visit. I may never actually make the trip so for now I settle for the virtual trips Ms. Coco takes me on in this series. I know there is nothing like fudge made by a professional like Allie, but the author includes easy recipes at the start of several chapters. I suggest picking one to make before you start reading because you will be craving fudge.
Three Fudges and A Baby is a wonderful addition to this series. It is full of engaging characters, sans a meddling mother and an intriguing mystery set on the #1 Best Island in the Continental U.S. The final paragraphs of the book are not going to make Allie's mother happy but I am thrilled. The teaser chapter has me longing for April 2025 when Fudge and Murder is set to be released.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Three Fudges and a Baby is the twelfth installment in the Candy Coated Mystery series set on Mackinac Island and featuring fudge maker Allie McMurphy. Allie is starting her third season on the island and business has been great at her family's Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop.
Allie's best friend Jenn Carpenter is expecting her first baby with husband Shane. Jenn has hired a midwife and doula so that she can have the baby on the island. When Hannah Riversbend, the doula doesn't answer Jenn's texts, Allie and Jenn along with Allie's furry companion Mal, make their way to Hannah's house. There they find the woman sitting on the steps, holding a gun and the body of her finance dead just feet away.
Convinced that Hannah wouldn't hurt a fly, Jenn asks Allie to please find the real killer and clear Hannah's name in time for the birth of her son. Allie teams up with boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning to solve the murder and along the way has to deal with her overbearing mother and an ex-boyfriend.
A great addition to the series with a surprising twist at the end. Featuring returning characters, furry companions and delicious recipes, this installment proved to be another fun filled romp on Mackinac Island.
Allie's best friend Jenn Carpenter is expecting her first baby with husband Shane. Jenn has hired a midwife and doula so that she can have the baby on the island. When Hannah Riversbend, the doula doesn't answer Jenn's texts, Allie and Jenn along with Allie's furry companion Mal, make their way to Hannah's house. There they find the woman sitting on the steps, holding a gun and the body of her finance dead just feet away.
Convinced that Hannah wouldn't hurt a fly, Jenn asks Allie to please find the real killer and clear Hannah's name in time for the birth of her son. Allie teams up with boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning to solve the murder and along the way has to deal with her overbearing mother and an ex-boyfriend.
A great addition to the series with a surprising twist at the end. Featuring returning characters, furry companions and delicious recipes, this installment proved to be another fun filled romp on Mackinac Island.
