Lee McKinney can't believe her ears when she overhears a confrontation in the grocery story. She comes to the aid of the woman, only to then get into a fender bender with her later in the parking lot. When they exchange information, Lee realises that the woman seems familiar to her, and no wonder! Sissy Smith has long been rumoured to have killed her husband, Buzz. Last winter, Buzz was found shot to death, and the town's top suspect was Sissy. However, lacking enough evidence to make an arrest, the case remains open and gossip abounds despite Sissy's alibi being airtight.

Lee finds herself sympathising with Sissy, especially after hearing Buzz's father (a tough retired Army colonel) threatening to sue Sissy for custody of her son. Sissy has been unemployed for awhile, and Lee happens to need a bookkeeper for her chocolate store, TenHuis Chocolade. Sissy comes to work, which attracts quite a few rubberneckers, as well as a number of people who tell Lee that she shouldn't hire someone who can't be trusted.

Soon after Sissy starts working for Lee, the town's self-appointed chief gossip, Helen Ferguson, is found dead. Once again, everyone points the finger at Sissy. However, this time, Sissy doesn't have a solid alibi. In fact, she says Helen had called a meeting, promising to give Sissy information about the impending custody case. Is this true? or is Sissy just covering her hide?

When Lee finds out that the house Sissy shares with her grandmother has been broken into, she decides that Sissy is (once again) an innocent victim and she sets out to prove Sissy innocent. As she begins investigating, she finds out that Buzz had started a novel before he died - a draft of which mysteriously disappeared when he died. Was what he wrote worth killing him? More evidence is slowly revealed, which uncovers an unlikely ally - or could this person be pretending to help only to get closer to Lee to stop the investigation before she reveals the truth?

THE CHOCOLATE MOOSE MOTIVE is a fun read that grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. It was suspenseful and fast-paced, yet filled with wit and humour. The characters are all unique and fun, and I enjoyed that I could jump right into the book although I hadn't read any other books in this series. I enjoyed learning little tidbits about chocolate, as well as hearing the descriptions of the chocolates sold in TenHuis when Lee interacted with customers.

This was a great mystery that unfolded at just the right pace. All of the clues were there, but I didn't put it all together until I was intended to. The red herring character wasn't over-played, and there weren't so many suspects and motives that I tired of sorting through them. This struck a perfect balance between stimulating and relaxing. Well done!

Book Summary

When Lee hires a free-spirited employee with a tie-dyed, troubled past, she discovers that even the counter-culture can conceal a killer...

As much as the chocolate concoctions at TenHuis can tantalize people's tongues, Lee's newest hire is more likely to make them wag. Forsythia "Sissy" Smith is the granddaughter of Warner Pier's only remaining resident hippie, and lives out at the Moose Lodge-once an informal commune in the forest east of town. But the fact that Sissy is a third-generation flower child is the least of Lee's concerns.

The previous winter, Sissy's husband, Buzz, was found shot to death, and local talk named Sissy the number one suspect. Even though her alibi was airtight, the gossips are still pointing their fingers at her. Lee sympathizes with the young woman-even more so when Buzz's dad, a tough retired Army colonel, threatens to sue Sissy for custody of her son.

Then the chief gossip is found dead, with Sissy on the scene. Was she lured there? Or is she the killer? Lee has a sneaking suspicion that there is someone even more sinister to blame. Someone out to keep a dark secret from coming to light. And they would have no problem killing a certain clever chocolatier who might uncover the truth...