Asking For Truffle is a scrumptious cozy mystery

Asking For Truffle A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James is a scrumptious cozy mystery that delivers an exceptional fun read.

Penn gets a strange letter saying she has won chocolate making lessons at a beach town on South Carolina. She never entered a contest so she asks her friend to check it out but when Skinny is murdered Penn's guilt for asking him for help propels her to go and find out who killed him? Will she find the answers she seeks or will she become a victim too? Who is trying to scam her and why and did it lead to Skinny's death?

This is a very fun, engaging read. Penn is a very cautious, inquisitive woman who doesn't trust easily. She has had her share of rejection and people trying to scam her out of an inheritance that she can't or doesn't want to touch. She isn't always a good judge of character so she tends to suspect everyone of trying to deceive her and want something from her. When she meets the women, Bertie and Mabel who have the Chocolate Box where the letter came from she seems to let her guard down some. Mabel who owns the shop is a person you just can't help loving. She finds a chip in Penn's wall and starts wheedling her way in. There are some characters that just make you dislike and distrust them like Jody and Mabel's children. Then there is the good looking smooth talking Cal that seems to be just a little to chummy and slick if you ask me. Harley seems to be a straight shooter but still you just aren't sure of him either.  The author makes the characters so complex that one minute you love them and the next you are suspecting them and not liking them at all. I always love a mystery that you have to keep reading and guessing to the end which is exactly what this one does. Penn is strong yet vulnerable, a woman who wants a family since her father didn't want her and her Mother abandoned her when she was born. She is likeable and you find yourself connecting easily with her and hoping she will find her happy ending when all is said and done. The ending is a little predictable but still the journey getting to the end has some twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book.

All in all this is a delightful, interesting fun mystery with complex interesting characters and a good plot. The chocolate recipes included sound delectable too.

I received this book for my honest opinion and review.

UNTIL NEXT TIME:

GRAB A  CUP OF COFFEE  OR TEA, SOME CHOCOLATE, A GOOD BOOK AND KEEP ON READING!