Six Sweets Under
Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.
While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.
Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.
The Details
Series: True Confections Mystery – Book #1
Author: Sarah Fox
Genre/Category: Cozy – Business/Culinary
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 059354661X
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
The Review
From Sarah Fox, the “True Confections Mystery” series and book one, Six Sweets Under, gives readers a new series to devour. Former actress Becca came home to start life anew. The town of Larch Haven is picturesque, with canals and gondolas instead of roads and cars. The cottages made visitors feel as if they are in a fairy tale instead of a real town in Vermont. That is until murder interrupts the fantasy and real life comes back with a vengeance.
The characters are well-written, and most will grab readers’ attention from the very beginning. You will fall in love with Pops and Lolly, the grandparents we would all love to have. Becca takes some getting used to; I found her slightly hard to warm up to, and as an actress, you would expect her to be a bit more verbose. The town, the gondolas, and the general atmosphere give readers a feel of Venice, Italy, and all of the romance that goes with it.
The murder itself isn’t anything grand, drowning in a canal, but the victim, a man that everyone considered a nuisance and who always complained about anything new or progressive. He hated the tourists and the gondolas, at least the races that drew hundreds of tourists to the town. Many people had a motive to kill him, including Becca’s grandfather. The evidence is crafted in a way to make it almost unnoticeable to the reader until they come to the point in the story that shows where the piece fits in. Becca runs down every clue and, using her actress skills when needed, finds the killer before it’s too late. Readers will not be overly surprised by the identity of the killer but will cheer to see justice done.
This new series will be a hit with readers. The writing is top-notch, exactly what you would expect from a seasoned author like Sarah Fox. The characters hold your attention, actress Becca is finding her path, and her family and friends are showing her the way. The town is a living fantasy, the gondolas going up and down the canals ferrying tourists and residents from one place to another, and the community gives readers the perfect setting. The story keeps you engaged with breathless anticipation.
The Author
Sarah Fox, a writer of cozy mysteries, was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer, she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel. Contact Sarah via social media or on her website.
Other books by Sarah readers will enjoy include Claret and Present Danger from the “A Literary Pub” series or the “A Pancake House” mystery series A Wrinkle in Thyme.
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