Monday, June 3, 2024

Three Fudges and a Baby

Title: Three Fudges and a Baby
Author: Nancy Coco
Published: March 26, 2024 by Kensington
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 336 Pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Candy-Coated Mysteries #12

First Sentence: Don't tell my boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning, but Mackinac Island might just be the love of my life.

Blurb: April is not only the start of “fudgie” season on picturesque Mackinac Island, it’s when Allie’s BFF Jenn Carpenter is due. Jenn wants to have her baby on the island, so she’s lined up a midwife and a doula. But she’s two weeks overdue—and if one more person tells her she looks ready to pop, she’s going to go bananas.

If there was a list of what not to expect when you’re expecting, right at the top would be coming upon your doula holding a gun over the body of her fiance. Clearly in shock, Hannah Riversbend claims not to have shot him. Jenn asks Ally to prove the doula’s innocence before her special delivery arrives. The clock is ticking as Ally races to solve the murder in time for Jenn’s bun to come out of the oven.

My Opinion: This cozy mystery left me feeling lukewarm. While the premise promised intrigue and fudge-filled escapades, the execution fell short of my expectations.

Allie’s knack for stumbling into murder investigations on Mackinac Island has become the centering focus of this series. This time, Jen’s doula, Hannah Riversbend, is accused of killing her boyfriend, park ranger Matthew Jones. Compounding the situation, Allie’s mother arrives, hoping to rekindle an old romance between Allie and high school sweetheart Brett Summers. With Jenn in labor and Hannah in jail, the clock is running out for Allie to prove Hannah’s innocence. When she is not sleuthing, Allie must decide if she wants to marry Rex Manning since he is becoming bossy and only mentions marriage when another man shows interest in her.

This series depends on amateur sleuthing and fudge recipes. Unfortunately, this outing felt off and is missing twists and turns. Twelve books in, and the characters read tired. Anyone coming into the series would feel a lack of interest to continue with the character’s lives. “Three Fudges and a Baby” left me wanting more complexity, surprises, and depth.

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