Sarah Graves

Life just got a little sweeter in the island fishing village of Eastport, Maine. Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie are opening a waterfront bake shop, The Chocolate Moose, where their tasty treats pair perfectly with the salty ocean breeze—and the scent of murder . . . When Jake and Ellie, who’ve been through a lot together, decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it’ll be a piece of cake. With Ellie’s old family recipes luring in customers, they expect to make plenty of dough this Fourth of July weekend. Having family home for the holiday only sweetens the deal for Jake—until an early-season hurricane scuttles her plans. Worse, with her family scattered and stranded, health inspector Matt Muldoon is found murdered in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose. Ellie never made a secret of her distaste for Matt, who had been raining on their parade with bogus talk of health code violations. Now, with no alibi for the night of the murder, she’s in a sticky situation—and it’s up to Jake to catch the real killer and keep Ellie living in the land of the free. Includes a Recipe! Praise for Sarah Graves and her Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries! “Graves blends charming, evocative digressions about life in Eastport with an intricate plot, well-drawn characters and a wry sense of humor.”—Publishers Weekly on Dead Cat Bounce "For fans who enjoy nooks, crannies, subplots, and carpentry tips."—Kirkus Reviews on Nail Biter

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Wreck the Halls

Eastport, Maine, has plenty of salty local character. It also has a sweet side, thanks to Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, her best friend Ellie, and their waterfront bake shop, The Chocolate Moose. But when island life is disrupted by the occasional killer, Jake and Ellie put their chocolate treats aside to make sure justice is served. This summer, Eastport's favorite lovebirds, kindergarten teacher Sharon Sweetwater and Coast Guard Captain Andy Devine, are getting married. The gala reception is sure to be the fête of the season, especially with a wedding-cake-sized whoopie pie courtesy of The Chocolate Moose. For Jake and Ellie, the custom-ordered confection will finally reel in some much-needed profits. But the celebratory air, and sweet smell of success, are ruined when Sharon's bitter ex-boyfriend Toby is murdered with a poisoned milkshake. With Andy jailed as the prime suspect and the wedding cancelled, it's up to Jake and Ellie to catch a poisonous predator before someone else sips their last dessert. Includes a Recipe! "Graves' second case of chocolate murder offers fans of the genre a trifecta of coziness: plucky heroines, sweet treats, and just enough puzzlement to keep you on your toes." --Kirkus Reviews "Lively characters, an intricate plot, and enticing descriptions of Down East Maine make this cozy a winner." --Publishers Weekly

Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake

Jake finds the corpse of a world-famous corporate trader who used to be a local boy, and when her friend Ellie confesses to the murder, Jake smells a cover-up and investigates as cops and journalists swarm into snowbound Eastport.

The Dead Cat Bounce

Six years after the alleged death of murderer Randy Dodd, true-crime writer Jake Tiptree and her assistant journey to the city of Eastport to investigate suspicions that Dodd faked his death, an effort that is challenged by sinister threats and the abduction of Jake's son. By the author of A Face in the Window.

Crawlspace

Already hobbled by a nasty tumble off a ladder, Jacobia Tiptree finds her life further complicated by the disappearance of a foul-minded curmudgeon, whose corpse turns up sadwiched between the walls of her cellar. By the author of Wreck the Halls and Repair to Her Grave. Reprint.

Unhinged

Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie

The island village of Eastport, Maine, is full of delights—including the delicious treats sold at The Chocolate Moose, the waterfront bakery run by Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White. But a new bakery in town is proving that you can have too much of a good thing . . . Summer in Eastport means lobsters and blueberries, though tourists and locals alike always leave a little room for baked goods from the Chocolate Moose. This year’s arts fair means even more sweet-toothed customers. But it’s also bringing competition from a new rival, Choco’s, trying to slice into the action. Choco’s owner, Brad Fairway, is pulling sneaky stunts to divert Moose patrons to his own shop, and Ellie finally confronts him about his tactics. But when Brad is found dead the next day—and the weapon is a gun that belongs to Ellie—it’s only a matter of time before she is charged with the crime. Sifting through the victim’s connections, Jake and Ellie sense they’re getting close to the real culprit—a little too close. Can they serve up the solution before the killer dishes up another helping of murder?

Summer guests are eager to sink their teeth into the tantalizing desserts Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and Ellie White serve at their bakeshop in the island village of Eastport, Maine. But attracting the wrong kind of attention can be deadly . . . With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate's treasure--and a dead body. Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast, and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It's unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn't the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own. As Jake and Ellie's island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there's blood in the water--or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer's trap?

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone

While Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree has moved on from fixing up houses, she still can't resist the urge to snoop into the occasional murder. Something sinister is brewing in the kitchen of The Chocolate Moose - retired health inspector Alan Blake is found murdered. Jake's best friend Ellie never made a secret of her distaste for Alan. Now, with no alibi for the night of the murder, she's in a sticky situation with the police - and it's up to Jake to catch the real killer and keep Ellie living in the land of the free.

Death by chocolate cherry cheesecake

In the quaint island village of Eastport, Maine, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White run the Chocolate Moose bakery, where delicious treats take the spotlight—but murder sometimes gets a walk-on role . . . Jake and Ellie are taking a break from perfecting their chocolate pizza recipe to cater a housewarming party hosted by movie icon Ingrid Merryfield. Miss Merryfield is famous for her old-Hollywood glamour. Her new home, Cliff House, has a reputation too—for being haunted. But she isn’t concerned, and some of her guests even try to summon a spirit during the party, using a Ouija board. What arrives instead is a freak autumn storm that downs an ancient tree, trapping everyone on the property and setting the stage for a killer’s planned spree. Though Jake and Ellie don’t intend to get stirred into the mix, there’s no avoiding it—especially when they witness one of the guests being shoved over the very precipice that gave Cliff House its forbidding name. Jake and Ellie begin sifting through suspects and motives, a search that takes them from a long-lost family graveyard to a wise old herbalist’s deceptively-sweet cottage and finally to Cliff House’s overgrown gardens. Is there some ghostly presence involved—or a flesh-and-blood villain? And either way, can they ensure that they avoid meeting their very own, very permanent Hollywood ending?

Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake

"After ten years as a captive of kidnapper Henry Gemmerle, Joan Crimmins eludes the media and spurns the family who failed to search for her. Instead, she settles in the remote Maine town of Bearkill. But when Gemmerle flees a prison clinic and a 16-year-old Bearkill girl vanishes, Aroostook County Sheriff's deputy Lizzie Snow knows that Joan's painful past has just become another young woman's horrifying future"--

"For Lizzie Snow, the ice and snow of her first punishing North Woods winter are dreadful enough. But near the small town of Bearkill a stubborn forest fire now rages out of control, and as embers swirl dangerously in the smoke-filled air, a teenage girl with a history of running away has dropped out of sight again. The locals and the law both think Tara Wylie is up to her old tricks--until her mother receives a terrifying text message. Equally disturbing: Henry Gemerle--a kidnapper and rapist who once held three girls prisoner for fifteen years--has escaped, and may be lurking in Bearkill. As the fire closes in, Lizzie teams up with her boss Sheriff Cody Chevrier and state cop Dylan Hudson to search for the missing girl and the wily fugitive. But they're blocked by Tara's mother, a frustrating teller of needless lies and keeper of dark, incomprehensible secrets. Following a trail of grisly clues--a bloodstained motel room, a makeshift coffin in a shallow grave--Lizzie is drawn ever closer to the flames in her race to save an innocent and corner a monster. Someone else also wants to find Tara Wylie and Henry Gemerle, though, for reasons that have nothing to do with mercy or justice. And when they all meet, the inferno threatening Bearkill will pale in comparison to the hell that's about to break loose" --

a Lizzie Snow novel

The girls she left behind

When murder interrupts a Maine island wedding, two local confectioners go sifting through suspects in this mystery by the author of Dead Cat Bounce. With their waterfront bakeshop, The Chocolate Moose, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie offer sweets to the salty locals of Eastport, Maine. Now they’ve been asked to bake a wedding whoopie pie for Eastport’s favorite lovebirds, Sharon Sweetwater and Andy Devine. The custom-ordered confection is about to reel in some much-needed dough for Jake and Ellie. But the celebratory air, and sweet smell of success, are ruined by foul murder. When Sharon’s bitter ex-boyfriend Toby is poisoned with an arsenic-laced milkshake, Andy is arrested and the wedding is cancelled, whoopie pie and all. Then Sharon makes a shocking confession—one that sounds like a fishy attempt to get Andy off the hook. Now both the bride and groom are behind bars. And with the fate of The Chocolate Moose at stake, it’s up to Jake and Ellie to clear their names and make sure justice is served. Includes an irresistible recipe!

Jake Tiptree and Ellie White are fired up for Eastport, Maine’s Maine’s annual cookie-baking contest, but when a cunning killer and a devastating fire threaten to ravage the quaint island town, Jake and Ellie must dip into another homemade homicide investigation before all they love goes up in smoke . . . As co-owners of Eastport’s beloved waterfront bakery, the Chocolate Moose, Jake and Ellie know their customers expect them to cream the competition. But they’re really just in it for fun, hoping to get Jake’s daughter-in-law baking again. Those plans collapse when fearsome local curmudgeon Alvin Carter is murdered, and every crumb of evidence points to Tiptree family friend—and all-around sweet guy—Billy Breyer. Billy’s sisters beg Jake and Ellie to prove his innocence. After all, lots of folks had gone sour on Alvin, whose popularity ranked somewhere between a toothache and the plague. But just as the ladies begin sifting through the suspects, a series of grass fires blaze across the island, threatening catastrophe. Could someone be trying to hide the truth about Alvin’s murder? Now, Jake and Ellie will need all their courage—and an extra dash of that downeast Maine stubbornness—to sniff out the real killer before anyone else gets burned . . . Includes a Recipe!

Death by Chocolate Snickerdoodle

Bakeshop owners Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie White expect they’ll be busy baking up a storm when a pirate festival blows into town—not marooned in a new investigation . . . Everything is shipshape at Jake and Ellie’s new waterfront bakery, The Chocolate Moose, especially now that the annual Pirate Festival is dropping anchor in their quaint island village of Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are ready for the bounty of tourists sure to flood their shop. But their plans quickly sink when the body of celebrity foodie, Henry Hadlyme, is discovered in the Moose’s basement. Jake and Ellie are horrified, but their shock turns to dismay when Jake is pegged for the murder. Now, to clear Jake’s name and save the shop, Jake and Ellie must swashbuckle down and figure out who among Henry’s numerous enemies scuttled him in the cellar. Alas, dead men tell no tales, so Jake and Ellie will have to get to the bottom of the case on their own and find the real killer before anyone else is forced to walk the plank . . . Includes a Recipe! "A treat for aficionados of shopkeeper-sleuth cozies." —Kirkus Reviews “Entertaining. . . . Cozy fans are sure to have fun.” —Publishers Weekly

Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut

The bestselling Sarah Graves continues the spin-off series from her popular Home Repair is Homicide series with the third Death by Chocolate Mystery! In the quirky town of Eastport, Maine, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and her best friend, candy chef Ellie White, are busy running The Chocolate Moose, their waterfront shop specializing in all things chocolate. But when a pirate festival blows into their small town and a well-known food writer and TV personality turns up dead, Jake and Ellie find themselves marooned in a new murder investigation. Everything is shipshape at Jake and Ellie's new waterfront bakery, The Chocolate Moose, especially now that the annual Pirate Festival is dropping anchor in their quaint island village of Eastport, Maine. Jake and Ellie are ready for the bounty of tourists sure to flood their shop. But their plans quickly sink when the body of celebrity foodie, Henry Hadlyme, is discovered in the Moose's basement. Jake and Ellie are horrified, but their shock turns to dismay when Jake is pegged for the murder. Now, to clear Jake's name and save the shop, Jake and Ellie must swashbuckle down and figure out who among Henry's numerous enemies scuttled him in the cellar. Was it a long-ago jilted sweetheart's vengeful relative? His long-suffering personal assistant? Or perhaps some bitter-as-dark-chocolate unknown enemy, now aboard the mysterious ship lurking in Eastport's harbor? Alas, dead men tell no tales, so Jake and Ellie will have to get to the bottom of the case on their own and find the real killer before anyone else is forced to walk the plank...

Renovating her husband's long-neglected woodland cabin in Maine, Jake and her friend, Ellie, are vengefully targeted by an escaped prisoner who takes advantage of flooded road conditions. By the author of Knockdown. 10,000 first printing.

Dead Level

Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree undertakes a new investigation into the murder of antiquarian book expert Horace Robotham during a random mugging, after his death is linked to an enigmatic old volume discovered in the cellar of her 1823 fixer-upper, taking on a UFO-chasing book specialist, a reclusive conspiracy theorist, and a frustrated novelist to find the killer. 25,000 first printing.

The Book of Old Houses

After more than three decades eluding justice, the man who murdered Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree's mother is finally about to stand trial--until he vanishes into thin air. Jake has a terrible foreboding of where Ozzie Campbell will turn up next. And while the l

A Face at the Window

In a mystery novel that includes home-repair tips, Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree finds her life in danger when a man from her past as a financial manager relentlessly stalks her. By the author of Crawlspace.

Sarah Graves

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