Book 6, 2022

[chez_jae]

All Fudged Up by Nancy CoCo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I brought my office book home with me yesterday and finished it this morning. The book was All Fudged Up by Nancy Coco. This is the first part of the author's "Candy-Coated" mystery series. Story is told in first-person pov by the main character, Allie McMurphy.

Following the unexpected death of her beloved grandfather, Allie has returned to Mackinac Island to take over the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop. Allie expected to be inundated with renovations before the tourist season kicks off, but she did not expect to find a dead man in her utility closet. Allie calls the authorities, only to learn that she's a primary suspect in Joe Jessop's death, thanks to a long-standing feud the man had with her grandfather. Now the locals are taking sides, Allie is getting rebuffed when reaching out for help with renovations, and reservations are being cancelled. If she wants to return the McMurphy to its former glory and success, she'll need to find the real culprit before her dream turns into even more of a nightmare.

The setting was charming, the plot was interesting, and the characters were portrayed well, even the ones (and there were many) who needed a good bitch-slap. Those were the positives. The negatives?

- Why on earth were the locals "choosing sides" between the Jessops and the McMurphys any way? Even to the point of wearing different colored ribbons to indicate whose side they were on? It was beyond ridiculous. Is this a community of grown-ass adults or a junior high, wherein everyone takes sides when Timmy and Becky broke up? Good lord.
- Why is there "competition" among hotels? It's a tourist destination. I would expect that any vacancy would be filled, so why would various owners try to undermine one another?
- It's one thing to have a derogatory term for tourists (Fudgies), but why would you call someone that to their face?
- Why would a tourist need to visit the local power company?
- I know that nosy old busy-bodies are meant to come across as comic relief, but personally, I just think they're nosy old busy-bodies. And, being old doesn't absolve them of needing a bitch-slap when they're nosy and rude.
- TWO romantic interests? At least one of them wasn't in law enforcement. Please please please let Allie decide on Option 'Not In Law Enforcement'.

Favorite line: Mr EMT had me flat on my back with my feet higher than my head before I knew what was going on. Shoot, he hadn't even bought me a drink first.

The story was likable enough that I may seek out others in the series. However, I'm vacillating between a score of 3 or 4. Trope test time!


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique? Yes, she owns a fudge shop.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? Yes, she has an apartment at the hotel.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) One of them is, so I'm calling this one a wash.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has a puppy.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No, Jenn is a rational adult.
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes, she did.
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes, she did.
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, her mother is absent.
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Waffling here. There's Frances, but I don't think that Allie saw her as a mother figure.
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes, she has no children.

That's 1 'no', 2 'undecided' and 7 'yes' answers. That many yeses bumps the score down to a three.

Comments

[felaine]

Colored ribbons for taking sides?
Gee whiz, what did they get on that icky algebra midterm?
Not one I'll pursue.

Subject change: have you been hit by the fierce weather we're hearing about?

[chez_jae]

So stoopid

I can see gossiping about it and taking sides in that sense, but to actually, publicly wear ribbons? Mind boggling.

No yucky weather here. It's more to the East, methinks.