Book Review: The Chocolate Raccoon Rigmarole by JoAnna Carl (Chocoholic Mysteries #18)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun, light story

Cons: Two characters with the same first name (although never confusing)

The Bottom Line:

Tracking some weird thieves

Another light mystery

That’s sure to please fans

Thieves on Main Street

Over the years of reading series, I’ve found many characters and series that I enjoy returning to.  One of those is Warner Pier, Michigan, the setting for the Chocoholic Mysteries.  Naturally, that meant that I was thrilled to see The Chocolate Raccoon Rigmarole, the eighteenth in the series, come out.

It’s the beginning of tourist season, so Lee Woodyard is trying to prepare for the busyness that brings to the shop of TenHuis Chocolade.  However, that’s hard to do with the series of burglaries that have been happening on the town’s main street.  Someone is breaking into the shops in Warner Pier’s downtown.  However, all they are taking is snack food.  Still, when your business is a gourmet chocolate maker, that is worrisome.  The stakes are raised when someone Lee knows is held at gunpoint as a suspect on the night the thieves hit the jewelry store next door, but again, they didn’t steal anything of value.  Will Lee figure out what is going on?

Since this is book eighteen in the series, the series has many fans, and they pretty much know what to expect.  They won’t be disappointed here.  There is a core group of main characters, and they are all present and accounted for.  The circle of supporting characters is rather large, but I feel like more of them popped into the book than usual, which I enjoyed.

I do have to point out the one odd thing I noticed as I was reading.  There are two characters named Mike here.  One is a main player in the events of the book, but the other is a recurring character who is mostly in the background.  Now, before you start to panic, know that I never had an issue keeping the two of them separate as I was reading.

The plot is good.  It seems a little light, even for this series, but it entertained me and engaged me as I read.

And make no mistake, this is definitely a light series.  But, considering the resort town setting, that is just fine.  This is a book and series to pick up when you just want to escape from everything going on around you.  If that’s what you need, this book is perfect.

Instead of having recipes, this series has always featured chocolate trivia with the occasional recipe.   Instead of presenting anything new, this book includes the recipes we’ve gotten in previous books.  Considering how rare they are, those who enjoy trying recipes will enjoy having them all in one place.

I’ve always enjoyed the Chocoholic Mysteries, and The Chocolate Raccoon Rigmarole is no exception.  If you are looking for a light, relaxing mystery, pick up this book.

 You can't have just one, so here are the rest of the Chocoholic Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.