Fudge Bites
Page 1
Mouthwatering Praise for NANCY COCO’s Candy-Coated Mysteries
FOREVER FUDGE
“Nancy Coco paints us a pretty picture of this charming island setting where the main mode of transportation is a horse-drawn vehicle.
She also gives us a delicious mystery, complete with doses of her homemade fudge . . . a perfect read to wrap up your summer!”
—Wonder Women Sixty
OH, FUDGE!
“Oh, Fudge is a charming cozy, the sixth in the Candy-Coated Mystery series. But be warned: There’s a candy recipe at the end of each chapter, so don’t read this one when you’re hungry!”
—Suspense Magazine
OH SAY CAN YOU FUDGE
“Beautiful Mackinac Island provides the setting for a puzzling series of crimes. Now that Allie McMurphy has taken over her grandparents’ hotel and fudge shop, life on Mackinac is good, although her little dog, Mal, does tend to nose out trouble . . . Allie’s third mystery offers plenty of plausible suspects and mouthwatering fudge recipes.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“WOW. This is a great book. I have loved the series from the beginning, and this book just makes me love it even more. No one can make me feel like I am in Mackinac Island better than Nancy Coco. She draws the reader in and makes you feel like you are part of the story. I cannot wait to read more. ‘Fantastic’ is the only other thing I can say about this book.”
—Bookschellves.blogspot.com
TO FUDGE OR NOT TO FUDGE
“To Fudge or Not to Fudge is a superbly crafted, classic, culinary cozy mystery. If you enjoy this category as much as I do, you are in for a real treat. The setting of Mackinac Island immediately drew me to the book, as it is an amazing location. The only problem I had was that reading about all the mouthwatering fudge made me hungry.”
—Examiner.com (5 stars)
“We LOVED it! This mystery is a vacation between the pages of a book. If you’ve never been to Mackinac Island, you will long to visit, and if you have, the story will help you to recall all of your wonderful memories.”
—Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and Meows
“A five-star, delicious mystery that has great characters, a good plot, and a surprise ending. If you like a good mystery with more than one suspect, then rush out to get this book, but be sure you have the time since once you start, you won’t want to put it down. I give this five stars and a ‘Wow Factor’ of 5+. The fudge recipes included in the book all sound wonderful. A gift basket filled with the fudge from the recipes in this book, a copy of the book, some hot chocolate mix and/or coffee, and a nice mug would be a great Christmas gift.”
—Mystery Reading Nook
“A charming and funny culinary mystery that parodies reality show competitions and is led by a sweet heroine, eccentric but likable characters, and a skillfully crafted plot that speeds toward an unpredictable conclusion. Allie stands out as a likable and engaging character. Delectable fudge recipes are interspersed throughout the novel.”
—Kings River Life Magazine
ALL FUDGED UP
“A sweet treat with memorable characters, a charming locale, and a satisfying mystery.”
—Barbara Allan, author of the Trash ’n’ Treasures mysteries
“A fun book with a lively plot, set in one of America’s most interesting resorts. All this, plus fudge!”
—JoAnna Carl, author of the
Chocoholic mysteries
“A sweet confection of a book. Charming setting, clever protagonist, and creamy fudge—a yummy recipe for a great read.”
—Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the
Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mysteries and The Jane Eyre Chronicles
“Nancy Coco’s All Fudged Up is a delightful mystery delivering suspense and surprise in equal measure. Her heroine, Alice McMurphy, owner of the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop (as much of a mouthful as her delicious fudge), has a wry narrative voice that never falters. Add that to the charm of the setting, Michigan’s famed Mackinac Island, and you have a recipe for enjoyment.
As an added bonus, mouthwatering fudge recipes are included. A must-read for all lovers of amateur sleuth classic mysteries.”
—Carole Bugge, author of
Who Killed Blanche Dubois? and other Claire Rawlings mysteries “You won’t have to ‘fudge’ your enthusiasm for Nancy Parra’s first Mackinac Island Fudge Shop Mystery. Indulge your sweet tooth as you settle in and meet Allie McMurphy, Mal the bichon/poodle mix, and the rest of the motley crew in this entertaining series debut.”
—Miranda James, author of the
Cat in the Stacks mysteries
“The characters are fun and well-developed, the setting is quaint and beautiful, and there are several mouthwatering fudge recipes.”
—RT Book Reviews (3 stars)
“Enjoyable . . . All Fudged Up is littered with delicious fudge recipes, including alcohol-infused ones. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.”
—FreshFiction
“Cozy mystery lovers who enjoy quirky characters, a great setting, and fantastic recipes will love this debut.”
—The Lima News
“The first Candy-Coated mystery is a fun cozy with a wonderful location and eccentric characters.”
—Midwest Book Review
KENSINGTON BOOKS by NANCY COCO
The Candy-Coated Mystery Series
ALL FUDGED UP
TO FUDGE OR NOT TO FUDGE
OH SAY CAN YOU FUDGE
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS FUDGE*
ALL YOU NEED IS FUDGE
OH, FUDGE!
DECK THE HALLS WITH FUDGE*
FOREVER FUDGE
FUDGE BITES
HAVE YOURSELF A FUDGY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
The Oregon Honeycomb Mystery Series
DEATH BEE COMES HER
*e-novella
FUDGE BITES
A Candy-Coated Mystery with Recipes
Nancy Coco
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Mouthwatering Praise for NANCY COCO’s Candy-Coated Mysteries
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Teaser chapter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2019 Nancy J. Parra
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
KENSINGTON BOOKS a
nd the K logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4967-1608-8
Electronic edition:
ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1609-5 (e-book)
ISBN-10: 1-4967-1609-4 (e-book)
This book is for the readers.
Thank you for helping to make my stories come alive.
Chapter 1
“You look amazing, Allie,” Frances said to me. “Like the scariest of the walking dead.”
I laughed. I could feel the makeup cracking, and so I tried really hard to get it together. “At least I don’t look like a real dead person. I’ve got skin flapping off my cheek.” I pushed on the latex flap that concealed the gory makeup underneath. “Thankfully, zombies aren’t real.”
“I love the idea of the zombie walk,” Frances said. “The fact that the profits all go to the Red Dress Foundation is fantastic.”
“I like the idea that all the bars and restaurants pitched in to supply food for the hungry masses,” I said.
“Fudge isn’t exactly food,” she pointed out.
“I bet there are a lot of people who would argue with you on that,” I teased.
Frances was my hotel manager. She’d worked at the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop since before she retired from teaching. Thankfully, she had stayed as an employee after my papa Liam McMurphy died and I inherited the family business.
At this very moment, I was putting the finishing touches on my zombie pinup girl costume. I didn’t usually participate in late night events because I was a fudge maker, and I had to get up very early in the morning to make said fudge. But October was off-season, and I sold most of the fudge online. That meant I didn’t have to have fudge ready for when the tourists came in the morning. Yes, sometimes I even got to sleep in as late as 8 A.M. if I wanted.
This event was extra special and benefited a charity close to my heart, the American Heart Association. It was to remind everyone that heart disease is the number one killer of women. The senior center put together the event, called the “Night of the Walking Red.” Mrs. Tunisian—one of my favorite seniors—was the head of the committee, and she’d insisted I come to the event and enter the costume contest.
I had made pumpkin chocolate chip fudge for the occasion. “You and Mr. Devaney should come out for the walk,” I said to Frances. “You would make great zombies. I know you like to play with makeup.”
“Well,” she stood in front of me and adjusted the collar on my cardigan. “I did sell Mary Kay for twenty years, so I am trained in makeup application.”
“I have a lot of leftover stage makeup upstairs. You can use it. You and Mr. Devaney would look great as a married couple of zombies.”
“I don’t think Douglas is into that kind of silliness,” she said.
“What kind of silliness?” I turned to see Mr. Devaney walking through the door from the basement. He paused when he saw me. “Have you been in a car accident?”
“There are no cars on Mackinac Island,” I said. Mackinac Island, Michigan, was known as the fudge capital of the world. We were a small island in the straits between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. The entire island had been combustion engine-free for over a hundred years. That meant the only way to get around was walk, bike, or take a horse-drawn carriage. I loved the traditions of the island. Things were slower here, and the sights and sounds of modern life were left behind.
Huge Victorian cottages with their turrets and gingerbread trim lined the streets. For centuries, the wealthy from Chicago and Detroit would escape the hustle and bustle of the big city to spend the summer season on the island. They usually came by ferries, although some came by private jet these days. My friend Sophie was a private pilot. She worked for the Grander Hotel during the season, but she also had regulars who asked her to fly them on and off the island when the ferries quit running.
Sophie Allison was meeting me for the Walking Red event. My best friend, Jenn Christensen, had left the island for an important job in Chicago. Sophie and Liz McElroy, the editor and lead reporter for the Mackinac Island Town Crier newspaper, had stepped in to keep me from moping too much about the loss. Jenn was an excellent event planner, and when she had come to Mackinac to help me through my first season, she’d connected with the islanders like a pro. Me, on the other hand? Not so much. Even though my family had owned the McMurphy for over one hundred years, I had grown up in Detroit and gone to school in Chicago. I kept trying to fit in, but I knew I still wasn’t quite accepted as a true local. I was slowly getting there, but there had been a few bumps in the road.
Things had been going smoothly since Jenn left several weeks ago. But it was the off-season, it hadn’t been that long, and Jenn had left me with strict instructions on how to make friends. I followed them as closely as possible, but I didn’t have the same knack with people that Jenn had. Even with Sophie and Liz, I missed Jenn.
I got a bump on my leg and looked down to see my bichon poo puppy, Marshmallow—Mal for short—nudging me with her nose. She jumped up, and I scratched her behind the ears. “What do you think of my zombie look?” I asked the dog.
She seemed unfazed by the red and white makeup.
“I think I’ll skip the zombie look,” Mr. Devaney said, pouring himself a cup of coffee from the coffee bar at the far side of the lobby. “But you go ahead and do it if you want to, Frances,” he said with a warm look in his eye. “I’d love to see you have some fun.”
“Oh, pooh,” she said. “I’ve got to watch the front desk. We have a couple of families coming in for the weekend.”
I glanced at my watch. It was getting dark already at 5 P.M. “Did they say if they expected to arrive late?”
“Sophie is bringing them in the next few minutes,” Frances said. “I know it’s close to Halloween, but I don’t want to give them the impression that we aren’t a warm and welcoming place.”
“What’s not warm and welcoming about zombies?” I asked with a laugh, raising my hands like claws. “We only want to eat your brains.”
The door to the McMurphy opened and Liz walked in. She was dressed like a ballerina with zombie makeup. Her dark, curly hair was pulled up in a tight bun, and she had fake bite marks created with makeup on her neck. Her leotard was dirty and torn, and her tutu was a bit ragged.
“Oh, my goodness, what happened to you?” Frances asked her.
“Nothing,” Liz said with a smile. “I’m a zombie and a prima ballerina. Two things I always wanted to grow up to be. Thanks for sponsoring us.”
“It was my pleasure,” Frances said. “Douglas pitched in half.”
“Thanks, Mr. Devaney,” I said. Mr. Devaney was a retired schoolteacher who I had brought on as the new handyman for the McMurphy. It hadn’t taken long before Mr. Devaney and Frances had started secretly dating. In a whirlwind courtship, the two seventy-year-olds had gotten engaged, and last month they’d gotten married. You could see the joy on their faces every time they were in the room together. It made my heart fill with hope that someday I, too, might find the love of my life.
Right now, I was sort of single. My ex-boyfriend, Trent Jessop, was in Chicago for the next few months. And my attraction to Mackinac Island’s top investigator, Officer Rex Manning, was progressing slowly. The problem with having two handsome men competing for your attention was sometimes they both backed off. I think they were giving me room to decide. Maybe I needed the room.
“Mal can go,” Liz said, her eyes lighting up. “They have zombie dog costumes.”
“That’s creative,” Frances said.
“I don’t have any doggy costumes,” I said with a frown. I could feel the latex on my face crinkle again, so I smoothed out my expression.
“We can give her a black tee shirt with white bones panted on it.”
“A black tee shirt?” I said. “We’d need a very small one. Mal only weighs twelve pounds.”
“Oh, a onesie will do,” Liz said with glee. “I’m going to run over to Doud’s and see if they have anything on the shelf
.”
“I’ll go with you,” I said. We headed out the door. The McMurphy was on Main Street and only a block or so from Doud’s Market, the oldest market on the island. It was almost fully dark outside now, and the air smelled of falling leaves, horses, and the lingering scents of fudge and popcorn. People were beginning to gather. The costumes were equal parts terrifying and funny.
We pushed into Doud’s with the doorbells ringing behind us. Mary Emry stood at the cash register dressed as a zombified Minnie Mouse. She was waiting on a burly trucker guy with a cleaver buried in his skull. It almost looked realistic.
“This way,” Liz said, drawing me toward the back where they kept a few items of clothing.
“Maybe we should have checked out one of the tee shirt places,” I said as I eyed the sparse selection.
“No, this is perfect.” Liz pulled a tiny black sundress out of the racks. “Now we need a little blood . . .”
“I have extra makeup.” I followed Liz through the store.
“This will do,” she said, grabbing some red decorator frosting. “Come on.” We approached Mary.
Mary was a regular cashier at Doud’s. She wasn’t much for talking, at least not to me. “What’s this for?”