THE CHOCOLATE BRIDAL BASH by Joanna Carl (Signet)

This great chocoholic series is always on my "must read" list. I've followed former Texas beauty queen Lee McKinney since her debut in THE CHOCOLATE CAT CAPER, and I've always found the books well written and well plotted. The only drawback to the series is the mouth-watering descriptions of chocolate delights made in the TenHuis Chocolade which often require copious intake of lesser treats! In this outing Lee is getting ready for her wedding—and trying her best to keep it small. While dealing with Aunt Nettie's plan for redecorating the house (it's to be a home wedding) and Joe's mom's determination for a blow-out reception, Lee is completely blindsided when she learns of an earlier family wedding. Her mother ran away on the night before she was to be married—and the groom was found dead—an apparent suicide. Once again, the crimes of the past lead to the present, and Lee is right in the middle of murder.