Book Review: A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril (Killer Chocolates #2)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Decent mystery, characters we like

Cons: Takes some work to get into the book

The Bottom Line:

Christmas reunion

Who finally took out bully?

Overcomes slow start

Class Bully Gets Murdered

Between chocolate and Christmas, I found the Killer Chocolate Mysteries hard to resist. I felt the first had some room to grow, so I went into A Nutcracker Nightmare, the second in the series, hoping things would have improved. Sadly, it was about the same. 

It’s been almost a year since we last checked in on twin sisters Hanna and Alex, co-owners of Mystery and Mayhem, a mystery bookstore and chocolate shop. That means December has rolled around again, and this year, Harrison High School is planning a reunion weekend for all of their alumni. While Hanna and Alex just moved to town a couple of years ago, they are still involved in helping with the activities. 

That means they have the displeasure of meeting Kyle, the star quarterback of his class and the class bully. Kyle takes an interest in Hanna and will not take no for an answer. The first night’s dinner dance ends when Alex find Kyle’s body. Unfortunately, the only fingerprint found on the nutcracker that was the murder weapon was Hanna’s. Surely, someone who knew Kyle longer had a better motive to kill him, right?

A big part of the problem for me was that the writing style keeps us at arm’s length from the events. The book is written in third person, and I do find those books a little harder to get into because I’m used to first person. So that much is on me.

It also made it hard to get to know the characters, especially the suspects. They are introduced fairly early, and then we don’t get much context for who they are again. I could have used some reminders on their connections, especially early on. By the end, I did have all of that straight in my mind.

There is a good mystery here, and the further I got into the book, the more I was hooked. There are some good twists and surprises on the way to the logical and suspenseful climax. 

And, as I got to know the main characters again, I remember how much I enjoyed their relationships. 

Hanna makes fancy chocolates for their store. That means we get a couple of recipes at the end of the book. The process is definitely more than I want to get involved with, but they sound delicious. 

When you pick up A Nutcracker Nightmare, be patient with it. It takes some work to get into the book, but the end result is worth it. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.