GIVEAWAY: Hot Chocolate by Dawn Ireland (Closed)

This giveaway is closed and the lucky winner is....Margaret at singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Chocolate, mystery, and murder…what else could a reader want from a book? Well, Dawn Ireland delivers that and more in her most recent book, “Hot Chocolate.” Centering on the Alcott daughters, heirs to the Alcott Chocolate fortune, “Hot Chocolate” begins as the sisters agree to move their 92-year-old father to a senior assisted living facility. They also agree to fire his nurse, Bambi, who resembles a hooker more than a caregiver. While Bambi departs without a fuss and graciously accepts her severance package, her husband, Jimmy Ray, does not go so quietly.

Demanding they sue the Alcott family, Jimmy Ray believes they have a slam-dunk case. However, the judge sees through their greed and quickly dismisses the frivolous suit. While the Alcotts celebrate their good fortune, some mysterious individual murders Jimmy Ray at his bowling alley. Bambi deals with her grief, and the Alcott sisters try to digest the latest discovery in Jimmy Ray’s murder: the murder weapon was a prized fork belonging to Dorothea Alcott.

As the murderer’s identity comes closer to being revealed, the reader is kept guessing along with the Alcotts at what will happen next. All the while, delicious dishes, such as Lila Mae’s famous café mocha and Amelia’s (Lila Mae’s housekeeper) chicken and corn gumbo, make appearances at pivotal moments in the plot. Ireland cleverly places all of these yummy recipes at the end of “Hot Chocolate” so that the reader can fully immerse themselves in the interesting world of the Alcotts. Certain to not disappoint, the Alcott sisters act as any siblings would: fighting, joking, and working together, with unique personalities and quirks. The mystery of Jimmy Rae’s murder will keep the reader guessing until the very end and certainly will provide laughs and gasps along the way.

Want to delve into the book and discover the murderer as well as try the scrumptious recipes? Reply to this post by midnight EST on Thursday, February 16 to win a free eBook copy of “Hot Chocolate.”

4.5 stars