A cozy mystery taking place at a chocolate company's meeting where chocolate rivals mingle among chocolate spa treatments and all-chocolate brunches. A solid mystery with plenty to satisfy the most ardent chocophile.

[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.] ( )

Criminal Confections is an excellent start to a new mystery series. London introduces Hayden who definitely knows all about chocolate, and the reader gets to join Hayden at a chocolate convention. When a colleague dies mysteriously, Hayden takes it upon herself to find out what happened. A sort of semi triangle is formed when Hayden's friend Danny agrees to help her and her financial adviser, Travis, who she has never met but talks to a lot also provides assistance. I did really find myself intrigued by the dynamics that these two characters had with Hayden, but this book really didn't delve into them to deeply. Hopefully the next book will do that. The book is full of enough twists and turns to keep the reader's attention, and overall it was a great read. I look forward to reading Hayden's next adventure.

Received a copy of Criminal Confections through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed getting to know Hayden Mundy Moore, a chocolate savant! Her life is spent traveling the globe, learning more and more about chocolate, and assisting various corporations with their chocolate confections. In this story, Hayden is a guest at a spa retreat for Lemaitre Chocolates, doing a report for their new leader Christian as he takes over from his uncle Bernard. Soon, a very important staffer winds up dead, possibly poisoned by a new concoction they are making for a chocolate nutraceutical line. Hayden's plus one, reformed bad guy Danny, acts as bodyguard as Hayden sifts through information she learns both by accident and on purpose in her quest to figure out the killer. There is a lot of attention to detail here, and many times, I kind of skimmed over some of the more informational paragraphs detailing cocoa regions and the intricacies of various beans. My only complaint is Hayden's strange, parenthetical style of narration. It was very distracting at times and it says a lot that the mystery still rose above that distraction. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next story in the series, but I hope the author will tone down that part of Hayden's style. ( )

4 stars

This is a yummy cozy murder mystery. Wish I could taste, smell all the wonderful chocolates in this story. I like the suspense, lots of suspects, love the recipes at the end of the story. The setting about chocolate spa treatments, chocolate companies. Chocolate foods. It is yummy book.

Hayden Mundy Moore is the main character. Hayden is a expert with chocolate of all kinds. Hayden helps companies that are having problem with chocolate somehow. She is always on the move. Hayden likes her financial advisor Travis's voice on the phone. Danny is her good friend who is their as her date.

Danny is a ex-con security expert. He decides to be Hayden's bodyguard after the murder. He does not like Travis. Travis does not trust Danny either.

Hayden's work is top secret. No company wants to admit to needing help. Everyone keeps wondering about her report. Her friend Adrienne Dowling’s dies from a overdose. Adrienne has been hiding things.

The mystery was good. I did not figure out who the murder was till revealed. It made you not trust a lot of the characters in the story.

This story keeps my interest with all the different chocolate information, mixed in with the mystery and all the different drama. romances and work conflicts. I would read more of this series.

I was given this ebook to read from Net Galley and Kensington. In return I agreed to give a honest review of Criminal Confections. ( )