FUDGE BITES

Off-season for Mackinac Island tourists is not off-season for murder.

Though many residents flee to warmer climes and plane service can be sparse, Allie McMurphy, who’s proud to have taken over her grandparents’ hotel and fudge shop, is looking forward to her first winter on the island. In fact, she plans some major renovations while business is slow. Of the two eligible men courting her, wealthy Trent Jessop wants her to move to Chicago for the winter, and police officer Rex Manning worries about her penchant for finding bodies (Forever Fudge, 2018, etc.). Allie’s already in costume for the Zombie Walk when her friend Liz McElroy, a reporter, suggests that she costume Mal, the Bichon poo puppy who’s nosed out several corpses. But this time it’s Mella, a stray cat she’s adopted, who leads them to a body in a back alley. When the victim is identified as Maggs Vanderbilt’s son, Anthony, Maggs begs Allie to find the killer even though Rex Manning is on the job. Supervising the renovation, keeping up with fudge orders, and looking for a killer keeps Allie busy. Things get even more hectic when she brings fudge to the senior center where someone's left a suspicious wooden box outside. Fearful, Allie calls for an evacuation, and everyone escapes with only minor injuries when the building blows up. Anthony seemed to have no enemies, but he did have a near look-alike on the Zombie Walk, so maybe his murder was a case of mistaken identity. When Mella vanishes, Allie redoubles her efforts to solve the thorny problem.

An easy romantic read complete with fudge recipes that make it even sweeter.