Friday, February 7, 2020

Book Review and Giveaway - Bonbon with the Wind (Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery) by Dorothy St. James

My Review
Bonbon With the Wind is the latest book in Dorothy St. James' Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series.  Chocolate shop owner Penn (Charity Penn) is at the center of this story. After evacuating for a hurricane with her boyfriend, surfing lawyer Harley, and her friends Althea and Bertie, she returns home.  Penn and her Papillon dog Stella discover a body while walking on the beach.  It turns out the man who was killed is Joe Davies, a local who was interested in treasure hunting, and who believed in some local folklore about a mysterious figure called the Grey Lady.  Penn gets involved in helping to solve the case.

I wanted to read this book because I really enjoyed the previous mystery I read in this series.  I love southern settings, love cozy mysteries featuring dogs, and enjoyed the chocolate shop setting.

Bonbon with the Wind is a delightful mystery.  It is set at Camellia Beach near Charleston just before and in the aftermath of an early October hurricane.  Camellia Beach is a quaint little town.  I loved the details of the chocolate shop and candy making, and also liked the glimpses of other shops.

I really like Penn, her work, her relationship with Harley, and her friendships and sense of community.  She makes a good amateur detective, too, and it was fun watching her solve this mystery.

The Grey Lady folklore at the heart of this novel added an extra element of southern folklore that was particularly intriguing.

I find this series has more substance than many other cozy mysteries.  It works well on several levels, and the story is a bit more complex.  I like Dorothy St. James' writing style and her gift of description and sense of place.

I highly recommend Bonbon With the Wind and the Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series to fans of cozy mysteries, and especially to anyone who loves southern settings, dog mysteries, and elements of food (candy) and folklore.  This is a very enjoyable read!

Book Synopsis

Join Penn and Stella on their latest adventure!

There’s a legend in the Sea Islands that before a hurricane hits the Gray Lady can be seen walking down the beach warning of doom. Penn doesn’t believe in such silly stories, but she does believe weather forecasters. A powerful hurricane is heading their way. Everyone on the island of Camellia Beach is busy boarding up windows and securing valuables to upper levels of buildings. Joe Davies, a local treasure hunter with an unquenchable sweet tooth, claims to have seen the Gray Lady walking toward him just that morning and is terrified for his life.

After the storm passes everyone returns to survey the damage. As Penn walks her little dog Stella on the beach, she finds Joe Davies’ body washed up onshore. Not only that, it looks as if an exploding transformer caused Joe’s seaside shack to burn to the ground. Did the Gray Lady claim another victim? Many on the island believe that is exactly what happened.

Penn is sure there’s another explanation. She follows the clues and hints of lost gold to discover that the truth behind the treasure hunter’s death is as much of a maze as the boating channels winding their way through the local marshes.


Author Bio
Dorothy St. James is the author of the White House Gardener mysteries. For the past twenty years she made her home on Folly Beach, an artsy island community in South Carolina with her sculptor husband. Dorothy is a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Sisters in Crime (SiNC), and the International Thriller Writers (ITW). This is her fourth Southern Chocolate Shop mystery.

Author Links
Website – http://www.dorothystjames.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/dorothystjames
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/dorothywrites
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dorothy-st-james

Purchase Link – Amazon 

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

2 comments:

Gkathgoldin@yahoo.com said...

Thanks for the review. Looks like a wonderful READ.
Can't get into the giveaway tried both ways to enter
:-(

irene said...

What a great way to begin a story! There's a hurricane brewing & a legend about a mysterious lady. Throw in a dead body... You've pulled me in!