In SIX SWEETS UNDER, Sarah Fox begins her new True Confections Mystery series with chocolatier Becca Ransom working to clear her Pops of murder. Becca, formerly a TV actress, moves home to Larch Haven, where she pursues her passion for creating chocolates. She joins her grandparents, Pops and Lolly, in operating their chocolate shop, True Confections. Her days consist of creating new flavors and catching up with old friends.

Becca’s hometown is labeled the "Venice of North America" because canals replaced roads to facilitate transportation. And the town is preparing for the annual and famous Gondola Races.  However, one local curmudgeon, Archie Smith, wants to create problems for this year’s event. Archie and Pops get into a significant disagreement, and later Archie is discovered drowned, in a canal. As a result, Pops becomes a person of interest.

Becca begins investigating, which becomes somewhat challenging because almost everyone dislikes Archie. Becca is also dealing with a visit from her L.A. boyfriend and lawyer.  She wants him to move to Larch Haven, but his law practice – whose clients are primarily celebrities – is successfully anchored in L.A.

Becca starts a list of suspects but stumbles on a real clue when she reviews a group of photos she took when visiting Archie’s home. He had a stash of items from a string of robberies that she compared to the picture of the missing teenager, Lexi Derendorf, and found the pendant she wore on the day she disappeared is the same as the one in Archie’s hidey-hole. Becca wonders how Archie obtained the missing teen’s necklace. Was he involved in her disappearance?

Becca reconnects with her best friend, Dizzy Bautista, the local librarian, and police officer Sawyer Maguire, both friends she's known since kindergarten. Ms. Fox also gives Becca two felines, Binx, a black cat, and Truffles, a gray tabby, to keep her company in her two-story stone cottage overlooking the network of canals in town.  Becca also keeps a whisper boat on hand for transporting groceries and a kayak for recreation.

SIX SWEETS UNDER is a solid introduction to this new cozy series from Sarah Fox.  The mystery is well conceived, the characters are engaging, the dialogue snappy, and the suspense is just right.

Book Summary