Allie is the lead character and amateur sleuth in Here Comes the Fudge.
Allie has two pets: Mal and Mella.
Allie puts a leash on her little dog, then proceeds to put the leash in her dog’s mouth so it can take itself for walkies; she is then horrified & stunned when it runs off without her.
Allie is being courted by a single, incredibly handsome, charming and wealthy dreamboat. Instead of pursuing a relationship with the aforementioned Adonis-like eligible dreamboat, Allie chooses to hook up with the loser lawman who has been twice divorced and treats Allie as his personal property after one date.
Allie is repeatedly told to stay out of a murder investigation because it is too dangerous; she is then shocked when she finds herself in danger.
Allie goes to the murderer to ask for help with identifying the murderer; she is then stunned when the murderer reveals, “Yo, cupcake, I am the murderer.”
When it becomes clear the murderer plans to murder her, instead of escaping when she has the chance, Allie chooses to pretend to be drugged so the killer can imprison her in the basement. She is then shocked when she can’t figure out how to escape from the basement.
Allie proceeds to break several fingers while unsuccessfully trying to text the phrase, “We’re trapped in a coal SHOOT” to the police.
With the murderer still on the loose & her hand in a splint, Allie insists on going out alone for a walk. She is then stunned when the murderer shows up, breaks her arm, and attempts to kill her…again.
Nancy Coco is clearly committed to making Allie look like the biggest imbecile on planet Earth.
The biggest mystery is how in the world such a lousy character and series could keep chugging along through so many installments. ( )

Allie McMurphy is happy the renovations are finished on the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Her best friend, Jenn is getting married in two weeks and Allie is the maid of honor. When Shane, Jenn’s fiancé misses his dinner date with Jenn and fails to text or call, she becomes worried. Allie, Jenn, and Allie’s bichenpoo, Mal head out to look for him. They find Shane in an alley with a bloody knife in his hand standing over an obviously deceased gentleman. Shane refuses to tell Jenn or Allie any information, and neither will Rex. If there is going to be a wedding, it looks like it is up to Allie to prove Shane’s innocence. Here Comes the Fudge by Nancy Coco is the 9th A Candy-Coated Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Allie McMurphy is hotel owner and fudge maker extraordinaire. Allie makes fudge fresh every morning and the descriptions will have your mouth watering. Allie along with the secondary characters are developed and realistic. The story is well-written, and it moved along at a steady pace. In addition to the mystery, there is wedding planning, fudge making, taking care of the hotel, spending time with friends and her furbabies. Rex and Allie’s relationship is currently at a standstill. Harry Winston is in town and Allie spends some time getting to know the handsome bachelor. I love the beautiful word imagery of Mackinac Island. I felt transported to the island and could smell the yummy fudge. The mystery was well thought out. There is misdirection to keep you off the path of the guilty party. I identified the guilty party early on, but I was curious as to why. I think many people, though, will be surprised by the killer’s identity. I like how Allie employed the residents of the senior center to help her with the investigation. I was frustrated with Shane and Rex. Both men should know by now that they cannot keep Allie from investigating or Jenn helping her. Here Comes the Fudge is an enjoyable cozy mystery. I love visiting Mackinac Island and I am eager to return in A Midsummer’s Night Fudge next May. Here Comes the Fudge is a fudgetastic tale with a body locator bichenpoo, a frustrating fiancé, prenuptial plans, fantastic fudge, sleuthing seniors, and a confusing case. ( )

Here Comes The Fudge is the ninth book in the Candy-Coated Mysteries series by Nancy Coco.

Spring is coming to Mackinac Island, and soon the visitors will be arriving. Allie McMurphy couldn’t be happier; the renovations at the McMurphy Hotel have been completed, and she is looking forward to using the roof-top dining area.

Allie’s best friend, Jenn’s, who runs an event planning business from the hotel, marriage to Shane, a Crime Scene Investigator, is just around the corner. They are busy putting the final touches together for the event. Days away from the wedding, Allie gets a frantic phone call from Jenn telling her that Shane has failed to show up for dinner as planned, and he doesn’t answer his cell phone or texts. Jenn and Allie meet up to search for Shane. As they enter an alley, they find Shane standing over a body and holding a bloody knife. Shane asks them to call 911. There is also an injured young lady seated and leaning against a building. Shane refuses to tell Jenn why he never made it to their dinner date or why he was in the alley. Once the police arrive, Rex, the chief of police, takes Shane into custody as the prime suspect, as he is also not willing to say why he was in the alley or why he was holding the murder weapon.

Allie and Jenn have their work cut out for them, with Shane unwilling to share any information and the young lady in the hospital unable to remember anything that happened in the alley. They will soon learn that the victim is Christopher Harris, a local pharmacist, and everyone they talk to believes that he was well-liked and had no known enemies.

Allie and Jenn have to start their sleuthing by learning about Shane’s and Christopher’s activities that day. They will begin to wonder about Shane’s innocence when Allie discovered that the girl in the alley used to be his girlfriend. Hopefully, the murderer will be in custody before the wedding.

This book is a wonderful addition to this informative series. This story is well-written and plotted. There were enough red herrings in the story that I was kept guessing until the end as to who the killer was. I love the characters in the series. They are developed and believable.

There are recipes included throughout the book.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. ( )

law-enforcement, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, Mackinac Island, cozy-mystery, dogs, island-life, series*****

The Good: Beautiful car-less island in the historic district, friends sleuthing together
The Bad: wickedly delicious fudge recipes throughout the book
The Ugly: Murder of the pharmacist, the Prime Suspect is the pending groom and island CSI
Good read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )