A Christmas Candy Killing
Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show but instead discovers Jane’s body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby.
The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two suspects: Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects, townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane.
When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year, and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.
The Details
Series: A Killer Chocolate Mystery – Book #1
Author: Christina Romeril
Genre/Category: Cozy – Bookshop /Culinary
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 1639101667
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
The Review
A Christmas Candy Killing is the excellent first book in the new “A Killer Chocolate Mystery” series by Christina Romeril. I love the original theme behind this book. Killer Chocolates, created by twin sisters, with the names of poisons, many of which are used in murder mysteries, are delightful. Add in the Christmas holiday and the murder of a real murder television show devotee, and you have everything you need for a fun-filled day of reading.
Alex and Hannah are twins, but they are not completely identical. One twin is definitely more outgoing, while the other is happy to have a small social circle. Both are hard-working, and their killer chocolates are to die for, literally. When a friend is murdered, and Alex becomes a prime suspect, it is up to her to clear her name and find the actual killer before it’s too late. There are more suspects than Alex would have thought. After all, she thought everyone loved Jane. Why would anyone want to kill an old lady who was so well-loved? But it doesn’t take long for Alex to figure out that not everybody loved Jane, and some had an excellent motive to commit murder.
I loved the way the author unveils the clues and points fingers at the suspects. Using a twin as the prime suspect isn’t overly common in cozy mysteries and lent a feeling of newness to the genre. I especially enjoyed the poison theme killer chocolates. It isn’t that poisoned chocolates haven’t been used in a cozy before, but I don’t recall one that built the main characters’ business around something so commonplace. The chocolates aren’t really poisoned, but the names suggest they could be, and that makes them attractive to Alex and Hannah’s customers. The main characters are enchantingly complex and simple at the same time. The setting is compelling, with just the right amount of small-town politics mixed with life in a tourist town and beautiful surroundings.
The victim is the girl who cried wolf; she loved real crime shows and was always accusing people of being a killer if they even slightly resembled someone she had seen in a show. This time, however, it may have gotten her killed. Killer chocolates and being a twin won’t help Alex figure out who the murderer is, but it doesn’t stop her from going all out to track the person down. Was Jane right this time? Did she find a killer among the townspeople? Is Alex the next victim? When the murderer is found, readers won’t be totally stunned, but many will find that they guessed incorrectly. And this makes A Christmas Candy Killing not only a fun holiday read but a captivating mystery that keeps readers flipping the page.
The Author
Christina Romeril loves to plot murders, especially by poisoning. When she’s not plotting how to kill one of her characters, she’s coming up with ways to dispose of the body. Since writing her debut novel, her husband’s friends have been regularly checking on his well-being.
Christina loves to read, eat chocolates, and travel when she’s not in her “she” shed writing. She grew up in Southern Ontario and spent most of her summers in Muskoka swimming, boating, and generally getting into mischief. She’s lived on both coasts of Canada and has a love of being near the water and close to a forest. Thus, it makes perfect sense that she moved to the prairies of Southern Alberta over twenty years ago.
During the warmer months, you’ll find her escaping to nearby Waterton Lakes National Park with her cooler stocked full of chocolate and pastries. Occasionally, she will even set out on one of the many hiking trails and hope she doesn’t run into a hungry bear. Chris also loves to spend time with her grandchildren.
Similar books readers will enjoy are Amanda Flowers’ Peanut Butter Panic from the “An Amish Candy Shop Mystery” series or Peppermint Barked from Leslie Budewitz’s “Spice Shop Mysteries” series.
Represented by: Blue Ridge Literary Agency
Contact Chris: 
Find Chris on Social Media:
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply