Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers

I bit into this audiobook expecting a lighthearted sugar rush, but Graves and Althens served up something closer to a bitter-sweet slice of small-town malice. Althens’ narration is a double-edged scone—her knack for dry humor and sharp character distinctions elevates the story, making the townsfolk feel like neighbors you’d both love and dread running into at the post office. The pacing is brisk enough to keep you turning digital pages, though a few side plots about property disputes and local scandals drag like over-kneaded dough. My biggest gripe? Graves’ protagonist, Beth Moffet, sometimes feels less like a detective and more like a woman who stumbles into crime scenes while chasing her next macaron. Still, the culinary details are scrumptious, and the twist involving a sabotaged wedding cake nearly made me drop my coffee. If you’re here for a mystery where the body count is low but the metaphorical bloodstains are everywhere, this is your book—just don’t expect every revelation to feel fully baked.