"Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School's reunion weekend. Neighbors will connect with old friends and perhaps try to avoid old foes. One person no one can avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna, even threatening her if she doesn't play nice. At the reunion, Alex glimpses more drama than nostalgia as insults are flung around like a football at a Friday night game. The ...
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"Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School's reunion weekend. Neighbors will connect with old friends and perhaps try to avoid old foes. One person no one can avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna, even threatening her if she doesn't play nice. At the reunion, Alex glimpses more drama than nostalgia as insults are flung around like a football at a Friday night game. The party is put on hold when Alex finds the dead body of none other than Kyle himself, bludgeoned to death by a nutcracker that the sisters admired earlier in the night. Hanna quickly becomes the prime suspect--someone saw her slap Kyle in the face at the reunion dance. She'll need her sister, their sleuthing canine, Watson, and their old friends and colleagues to help break this case wide open. While looking through old yearbooks and taking a stroll down memory lane, Alex uncovers a few secrets about Kyle, now, it seems like everyone had a motive to kill him. But when the suspects start becoming the victims, Alex and Hanna know that they can't melt under the pressure--they must find the killer before they become just another yearbook memory."--
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Add this copy of A Nutcracker Nightmare to cart. $25.89, like new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
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Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. A Killer Chocolate Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of A Nutcracker Nightmare to cart. $30.62, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
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New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. A Killer Chocolate Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of A Nutcracker Nightmare to cart. $30.85, new condition, Sold by Books2anywhere rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fairford, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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Add this copy of A Nutcracker Nightmare (a Killer Chocolate Mystery) to cart. $8.39, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
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Add this copy of A Nutcracker Nightmare (a Killer Chocolate Mystery) to cart. $11.99, very good condition, Sold by Reliant Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from El Dorado, KS, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
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A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril transports readers to Harriston, Montana where twin sisters Alex and Hanna own Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookstore that also sells handcrafted themed chocolates. Each chocolate is named after a poison (an example is strawberry strychnine). The story is told from Alex�s point of view. It looks like both sisters will have a chance at romance, but the path forward will be a rocky one. The murder takes place at a Harriston High School reunion where Alex and Hanna are providing chocolates. It was obvious who would die early on because the victim was an unlikeable fellow. Hanna finds herself at the top of the suspect list, so Alex dons her sleuthing cap and dives into the case. There are plenty of suspects since Kyle, the victim, was a bully, a groper, and so much more. Alex�s investigative skills need work. When she questions people, it sounds like she is accusing them. Alex can be blunt to the point of being rude. The clues and suspects are repeated frequently. The whodunit is neatly tied up at the end. There are a number of characters in this story, and it can be challenging to keep them all straight (it made me want to set up a murder board). The contest in which Hanna is entering her chocolates and Kyle was to judge seemed to be an afterthought. The chocolate descriptions will have you craving bonbons and truffles (there are recipes for a couple of Hanna�s creations at the end). While chilly temperatures were mentioned, Christmas not so much. A Nutcracker Nightmare is the second book in A Killer Chocolate Mysteries. I believe it would be beneficial to read A Christmas Candy Killing first which would allow readers to get to know the main characters. A Nutcracker Nightmare is a killer cozy with delectable chocolates, a slayed sleaze, a sister as a suspect, romance troubles, an excess of suspects, and a hopeful heart.
Lori
Oct 28, 2023
Fun Characters and a Perplexing Mystery
Dollycas's Thoughts
It's Harriston High School's reunion weekend and Hanna and Alex are going to be serving some of their special chocolates. It should be a good time for everyone to reconnect with their classmates and share news about their lives.
There is one person though that could ruin the whole event. Kyle Allerton, a former star quarterback, is a real piece of work and almost everyone is doing their best to avoid him. Hanna isn't so lucky though, he just won't back off and even threatens her. Alex notices it isn't just Hanna who is getting annoyed.
When Alex later finds the quarterback's dead body the party comes to an abrupt halt. The murder weapon appears to be a nutcracker Alex and Hanna had moved earlier. The entire place is filled with viable suspects but the police are focused on Hanna because someone saw her confrontation with Kyle that left him with a bloody nose. Alex knows Hanna had no part in the bully's death and she, her friends, and her dog Miss Watson are going to help Hanna prove it. When her suspects start becoming victims she knows she needs to turn up the heat and crack the killer before the killer cracks her.
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I really enjoy the premise of the Murder and Mayhem Book and Chocolate Shop. Hannah creates the chocolates with puny poison names and Alex takes care of the books, but they both help each other out as needed. They are a great team in everything they do. They are genuine and realistic and the relationship is comfortable.
Pastor Tom Kennedy lives next door to twins Alex and Hanna. After a shaky start he and Alex are trying to date but things like Penelope Shaw, a divorcee who wants Tom for herself, keeps getting in the way. It doesn't help that she has another man interested in her either. Maggie Fletcher works with Alex and Hanna and is a true friend to them both. Miss T writes a gossip blog and while no one knows who the blogger is, they sure know things no one else should and "spills the tea" daily. All of Ms. Romeril's core characters continue to grow and are very entertaining.
Miss Watson is one smart canine too. Hanna had dragged Alex to a rescue to "look" at the dogs. Miss Watson immediately melted Alex's heart and now she rarely leaves her side. I love it when cozy characters have lovable pets that get involved in the story and sometimes save the day by calling the cavalry.
The mystery was very complicated due to the victim's lifelong behavior. With a large number of suspects and many not being truthful or holding on to secrets, it was a hard one to solve. Alex did have a few moments where her investigative techniques needed to be reeled back a bit, and her internal dialogue needed to relax, but she was shuffling a lot of clues. Her A-ha moment did come at an inopportune time but I had gotten so caught up in the story I was right there with her. I was surprised and then delighted about how the whodunit was wrapped up.
Chocolates. Oh, my dear chocolates. The descriptions will have you salivating. The author includes wonderful directions for making molded chocolates and two recipes but we have a wonderful candy shop here in town that I visited after reading the first book in this series, A Christmas Candy Killing, and visited again after finishing this one. The candy there does not have the poisonish names like the ones in the books but it sure cures my cravings. I do wish there had been more emphasis on the chocolate competition Hanna had entered. I can never get enough chocolate and would have loved to hear about what everyone entered.
The Nutcracker Nightmare was a very enjoyable read filled with fun characters and a perplexing mystery. I can't wait to return to Harriston, Montana, and the Murder and Mayhem Book and Chocolate Shop. Who knows what Hanna and Alex will get into next? I do know there will be "killer" chocolates involved.
