DEATH BY CHOCOLATE LADYFINGERS

Death disrupts a high school reunion.

Delivering four dozen chocolate éclairs to the local high school should be a snap for Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White, owners of the Chocolate Moose bakery in Eastport, Maine. But when they arrive with the goodies, they find crime scene tape and evidence markers surrounding the venue. Cindy Munson, a member of the class of 1997, had been found dead in the parking lot the night before, and police are looking hard at her ex-husband, Terry Lawson, as a suspect. Police Chief Lizzie Snow’s decision to take Lawson in for questioning leaves his and Cindy’s daughter, Ivy, without adult supervision. So Lizzie talks Jake into bringing the éclairs to the school cafeteria and taking the 6-year-old home in their place. Jake’s journey in learning how to care for a traumatized child while negotiating the rules of a complicated child welfare system makes for a compelling read. The arrival of Jake’s dad, stepmother, son, and daughter-in-law add some welcome family drama. But when Jake decides she needs to uncover the killer as well as care for Ivy, the narrative quickly overheats. Midnight break-ins, car chases, foot chases, a gas leak, and threats from gun-wielding villains clog up the narrative and undermine Jake’s credibility as a competent caregiver. Allowing Jake to solve the crime without Jack Reacher–style theatrics might have been a better choice.

An unfortunate case of cozies gone wild.