Dangerously Dark

A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery #2

by Colette London

Chocolate-whisperer Hayden Mundy Moore has just arrived in Portland, Oregon, where she's about to scarf souffles and sip cacao-based cocktails at her friend's engagement party. Fresh from nabbing her first candy-covered killer, the last thing Hayden wants to do is mix her love of chocolate with criminal mischief again. But then the groom-to-be turns up dead before beginning his renowned Chocolate-After-Dark tour. . . Hayden's friends insist that Declan's death was a freak accident, but she knows there's no mistaking the bitter aftertaste of homicide. In the midst of habanero hot chocolate and mocha-chunk gelato, a choco-crazed killer waits to strike again. Hayden will need to use more than her extraordinarily gifted taste buds to bring this murderer to justice, but she just might have bitten off more than she can chew in the process. . .

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Food, Culinary, Adult Fiction

343 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Colette London is the pseudonym of a best-selling novelist who’s published more than three dozen books worldwide. Her Chocolate Whisperer series from Kensington Books features Criminal Confections, Dangerously Dark, and The Semi-Sweet Hereafter, and will continue with Dead and Ganache in October 2017.

Visit Colette on the web at colettelondon.com, friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/colette.london.books, follow her on Twitter @ twitter.com/Colette__London, or circle her on Google+ at google.com/+Colettelondonbooks today.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hayden Mundy Moore is in Portland, Oregon to attend her college friend Carissa's engagement party. Sure it was a whirlwind romance but Hayden Mundy Moore will do anything for her old friend. Hayden Mundy Moore (her name ALWAYS has three parts) is impressed by her ditzy friend's new ice cream business. Carissa's ice cream cart, featuring chocolate ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen, is sure to be a success. Then Carissa's fiance, Declan Murphy, is found dead in her trailer. The police are certain his death was an accident, caused by a malfunctioning of the nitrogen canisters. Hayden Mundy Moore is not so sure. She is still rattled from her brush with death in San Francisco. Danny and Travis think she needs to get out of Portland and take a break. Hayden Mundy Moore is not going anywhere. She promised to help Carissa in any way she could and that means leading Declan's Chocolate After Dark tour and secretly finding out which one of the Cartorama vendors wanted Declan dead. It's not an easy task, especially when she finds many of the vendors are very nice but all had a motive to want Declan dead. She refuses to believe Carissa is guilty and aims to prove her friend's innocence.

This story is not quite as good as the first story. It doesn't feature enough chocolate! The mystery is engaging enough so I stayed up late wanting to see how it ended. I didn't know for sure who the murderer was. I wasn't even positive at the end but I was suspicious enough so I would not have done what Hayden Mundy Moore did. She didn't have a clue. She's too trusting.

The Cartorama people are a mixed bag. None of them really appealed to me. I suspected any or all of them of murder and Declan didn't deserve to be murdered but he was a tool. Declan was a con-artist for sure and a total jerk. Carissa isn't a whole lot better. I found her annoying and didn't see how she and Hayden Mundy Moore could be friends. They have nothing in common. Then there's Janel, the vegan activist who loves Cartorama but isn't exactly one of the family. She's intense in her emotions and hangs on to what might have been. While I felt kind of bad for her, especially towards the end, she entered into a relationship as a responsible adult and should have known it wouldn't work out. She had every motive for murdering Declan. Then there's Lauren, a va-va-va-boom burlesque performer and another one with strong motive for murder. She seems nice at times but other times she comes on too strong with her sexy persona. Austin was Declan's best friend before Declan met Carissa. A self-proclaimed nerd, Austin is kind but moody. I wondered whether he loved Carissa or Declan? He had a good motive to kill either or both of them. Finally there's Tomas "Tommy" Berk, a bartender. He looks out for his Cartorama family and is into Hayden but he is difficult to get to know. He doesn't have a good motive for murder.

Recurring characters are Hayden, who can be a bit clueless. She wants to believe the best of everybody and sometimes she made decisions I didn't agree with. Her flirty banter with Danny drives me crazy at times. She flirts with Travis too and is determined to see him in person one day. Danny is the strong, silent type. Though he tells Hayden what to do and how he feels about her money, he doesn't open up about his true feelings. I think the pair are dancing around the truth and he's afraid of getting his heart broken. It's just a hunch and I'm not sure that's where the series is going. Travis is fun for an uptight financial wizard. He cares for Hayden though they've never met. He must be a saint to put up with her banter.

The recipes in the back sound to die for (no pun intended) and I hope to make some of them.

I recommend this series to chocoholic cozy mystery lovers. If you're not familiar with the genre or into the clueless heroine act, don't bother despite the chocolate.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hayden Mundy Moore has traveled to Portland to visit her old college friend for her engagement party. Unfortunately right after arriving the fiance in question turns up dead. The death is ruled an accident but Hayden is determined that Declan's death is suspicious and she's stumbled on another murder to solve.

Dangerously Dark is the sequel to Criminal Confections which first introduced Hayden as a world famous chocolate whisperer. She travels the world helping companies with their problems involving all things chocolate. In her last job she came across a murder and helped solve it so when finding a death while visiting her friend she's determined to do the same.

There are a lot of different reasons I ended up not really enjoying this story, I can see that some will love it though but it just wasn't for me. First, Hayden is a rather frantic character. She admits at one point that her mind will go to a thousand places at once but for a story this gets sometimes confusing and sometimes just plain boring as she thinks this and this and this but takes forever to get back to the original point. I had a really hard time making any kind of connection to her because of this.

Another thing with the story was that the "murder" in question to everyone else was an accident. Hayden is the only one thinking there is even anything to investigate and with the frantic nature I've already mentioned I was questioning whether this really was even a mystery. You get 35-40% into the book before even one person agrees to help her investigate and that's a friend that just wants to prove Hayden is wrong and seeing things that aren't there. This is way too slow a pace for me to get caught up solving something that as I said I was starting to think I was tricked into believing there was something even to solve at that point.

There is also a repetitive nature to some of Hayden's ramblings. I lost count of the times it was mentioned she had lost her beloved crossbody bag and had an inferior purse. Some other aspects also seemed to get repetitive too, descriptions of her "suspects", describing her chocolate expertise etc.

In the end it just wasn't for me. Found it too slow going and prefer a more fast paced whodunnit.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Colette London's Dangerously Dark, the second installment in the Chocolate Whisperer Culinary Cozy mystery series, this one would hook you and tempt you on the first page. When Hayden Mundy-Moore first arrived in Portland, she was there to help her best friend Carissa with her wedding details as her matron of honor. But right before Carissa could say "I Do", her fiancé is found dead in the trailer for the Chocolate After Dark tour. While Carissa grievedthe loss for Declan Murphy, it was up to Hayden to do some snoop and check out the CAD tour from Cartaroma. But as Hayden and her bodyguard Danny observe the people of the tour, they took a real good look into Declan's life. Hayden came across a poisoning of sort in her own drink, an accidental shelving incident, and multiple scare tactics to throw her off the tracks of the culprit. She suspected the people who knew Declan best, even Carissa, since it seemed that everyone had a motive to do him in by liquid nitrogen. And when one of her prime suspects had figured it out, she ended up in a car accident that almost claimed her life. While Hayden and Danny had bet their money on whodunit, Hayden had later suspected the one who had harmed her in a toxic face-off.

[Mary Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:

“Chocoholics and food cozy fans rejoice! With prose as smooth and delicious as its theme, this quality debut cozy introduces a smart protagonist with an unusual and tasty profession.”—Library Journal (starred) on Criminal Confections

Chocolate-whisperer Hayden Mundy Moore has just arrived in Portland, Oregon, where she's about to scarf soufflés and sip cacao-based cocktails at her friend's engagement party. Fresh from nabbing her first candy-covered killer, the last thing Hayden wants to do is mix her love of chocolate with criminal mischief again. But then the groom-to-be turns up dead before beginning his renowned Chocolate-After-Dark tour. . .

Hayden's friends insist that Declan's death was a freak accident, but she knows there's no mistaking the bitter aftertaste of homicide. In the midst of habañero hot chocolate and mocha-chunk gelato, a choco-crazed killer waits to strike again. Hayden will need to use more than her extraordinarily gifted taste buds to bring this murderer to justice, but she just might have bitten off more than she can chew in the process. . . (Goodreads)


Review:

Dangerously Dark is the second book in the Chocolate Whisperer Mystery series and it is a good read. You can tell that the author has a vast knowledge of the subject of chocolate (what a great subject to be an expert in). I enjoy the chocolate tidbits and the recipes that are included.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The book is written in the first person and I am not a big fan of this perspective. I usually have a harder time keeping track of the storyline when a book is written like this and this book was no exception. That is only my opinion and other readers may enjoy that perspective.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. The author is very talented in descriptive writing and the setting drew me in right from the very beginning. The mystery had enough twists and turns to make it difficult to solve. I always enjoy that when I am reading a cozy mystery.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. And if you love chocolate (and let’s be honest, most people do), then you will definitely want to read this book and series.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Icy-Cobwebs-In-Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: DANGEROUSLY DARK by Colette London
[A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery]

Acclaimed "chocolate whisperer" Hayden Mundy Moore, she of the exquisitely sensitive taste buds, is fresh from her recent discovery of a murder victim in the San Francisco Bay area, and anticipating leisure and fun visiting college friend Carissa in hip, bohemian Portland, Oregon. She's not expecting to be Jenny-on-the-spot with yet another corpse, nor to be pressed into service to fulfill the deceased' s "Chocolate After Dark" Tour. At least it's chocolate, after all.

This second in the series which debuted with CRIMINAL CONFECTIONS will definitely appeal to foodies, chocaholics, aficionados of smart, feisty, heroines, and armchair travelers such as this reviewer who enjoy learning local color.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. I liked the flirty play between Hayden and her bodyguard friend Danny and between her and her "keeper" Travis. Travis is in charge of administering her inheritance and making her travel plans. She hasn't met Travis in person and fantasizes about what he would look like and be like based on the interactions and his voice over the phone. This doesn't stop her from pursuing romantic fun with other men she meets. I also enjoyed the chocolate lore and information. I had never heard of some of the types of products that she encounters from sipping chocolate to flash frozen ice cream.

The mystery has a good supply of suspects thanks to the food wagon community that Carissa and her fiance belong to. It's interesting to watch how the different characters react to his death. And it's even more interesting to watch Hayden try and figure out which one would be most likely to have committed the murder. The action moves along at a more or less steady pace. It picks up a little towards the end of the book.

If you like your mysteries with just a touch of romance, plenty of suspects, and chocolate this is a good cozy for you. Recipes are included at the end of the book. I didn't try and make any of them, but they look delicious.

This is the second book in the Chocolate Whisperer series. It can be read as a stand alone. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It kept me guessing until the end.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yummy book! It is full of Chocolate, murder and mystery. This is the second book in the A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery series. It kept me guessing about who the murder was and why.

I like the characters. Hayden Mundy Moore is the main character. She goes to different places to help trouble shoot different chocolate problems. She is single loves to travel and has the money to do it. She has a financial advisor that she has to check in with Travis Turner. She is curious about him. I want to know more about him.

Danny is Hayden's friend and bodyguard at times. He has met Travis and doesn't like him. Danny is hot a excon.

Hayden is in Portland, OR to attend a bridal weekend with a old college friend Carissa Jenkins. Carissa owns a food truck.

Cartorama is a group of food trucks that only sale food with chocolate in it. Carissa sells only chocolate ice cream flavors. When Hayden meets Carissa and goes into her cart she finds her fiance Declan dead and they almost die too.

Declan the more you know about him the more you don't like him. Lots of people have issue with him.

I did not realize how many different foods have chocolate in them. I would love to go on Dangerously Dark tour but not in that van.

You might get hungry for chocolate reading this book. There are some recipes in the back of the book for you to try.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Kensington. In return I agreed to give a honest review and be part of Dangerously Dark book tour.

[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerously Dark is the second book in Colette London's Chocolate Whisperer mystery series. I haven’t read the first book, but plan on doing so because I want to learn more background information on the characters. This book combines mystery and chocolate facts. It was interesting to learn about the skills and equipment needed when working with chocolate to achieve fame in the chocolatier community; however, some of the details and descriptions seemed to drag on too long. The characters are colorful and entertaining and I was kept guessing “whodunit” until the reveal. I recommend this book but suggest you start with Criminal Confections, the first book in this series, because if you don’t, you’ll feel somewhat lost.

The main character is Hayden Mundy Moore a/k/a the Chocolate Whisperer and she travels to Portland, Oregon to attend her friend’s engagement party. The groom-to-be, Declan, turns up dead before the party begins and the police determine it was an accidental death. Hayden believes Declan was murdered. She begins snooping so she can find out who murdered Declan and why. She has no reason to get involved, she's never met Declan, her friend, Carissa, doesn’t even seem too broken up over Declan's death and there is no obvious evidence; but Hayden can’t help herself … she seems to see murder everywhere and can’t stop herself from sleuthing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like my chocolate dark – dangerously dark. The darker the better. – Hayden Mundy Moore

I read the above line and felt like Hayden and I were kindred spirits when it comes to chocolate! I love dark chocolate the best and think that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate.

I thought it was interesting by the author to have this story begin just days after Criminal Confections ended. Hayden is still a newbie “investigator” and when her BFF Carissa’s fiance, Declan, is found dead in her food truck, Hayden believes it is not an accident and there is a killer on the loose. And of course there is Travis – Hayden’s financial advisor that we have no idea what he looks like but she does like to flirt with him, in fact each call begins with “what are you wearing”. There was a funny dialogue between the two talking about his fish and what he was feeding them – fish meal and other things. Hayden is devastated to learn that they are cannibals and of course referenced Finding Nemo. Without getting into the whole conversation, my favorite line here was – “Hey, eat lunch or be lunch”.

I enjoyed this book (for more than just the chocolate!) and of didn’t figure out the killer ahead of time. I did get annoyed with Hayden because it seems like she is ADD and all over the place. Or maybe it was just too much description? We give this 4 paws up and look forward to the next book in this series

[Edel Waugh Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of chocolate and mysteries then this book combines both of these perfectly. The main character of the book is chocolate goddess Hayden Mundy Moore . Hayden is well known as an expert in fine chocolate circles and she has to travel a lot with her work so when her dear friend gets engaged , Haydon comes to Portland Oregon to the party where something dreadful happens! Her friends fiancé is found dead and it brings up many questions about who could have done it and why. Now her friend needs someone to stand in for her recently deceased fiancé and do his work and Hayden is the first person that comes to mind .. Of course a little snooping is also in order if she is going to find out why someone would go to the big risk of a skilled murder .

I loved the foodie community and setting in this second book in this series as well as learning all about how chocolate is harvested and made into the chocolate we all enjoy . It really was fascinating and a lot of skill is needed when working with chocolate to get it to top class standards.
It was impossible to read this without a mug of hot chocolate in my hand and
at the very end of the book it contains delicious ,mouthwatering recipes that I can't wait to try out . They were a great little added extra! This was a very enjoyable read .

I received my review copy through Kensington books on Netgalley .

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoping to recover from the events of the first book in this series, Hayley heads to Portland for the engagement party of one of her college friends. Little does she know, but the weekend in Oregon won't be as calm and relaxing as she'd hoped.

This book sounded right up my alley and I couldn't wait to read it, even though I've not read the first book in the series. A few chapters in, though, I couldn't wait to work my way through it so I could be done with it and cross it off my list. The characters were ok, as was the setting, but the writing style drove me batty.

The story is told in the first person POV, which usually doesn't bother me, but in this case, it did. The constant references to the "the incident in San Francisco," from the first book in the series, were annoying. But what really pushed me over the edge were the numerous parenthetical comments (yes, really! Just like this!) and the constant wandering trains of thought. The combination of these two "gadgets" made it difficult to keep up with -- and to care about! -- where the story was going. I'm sorry to say that I will not be looking for any more books by Ms. London.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Criminal Confections, which I just recently read and enjoyed. Once again, there is a lot of discussion about chocolate, which was the hook that got me started on this series. However, there were a few issues I found with this story.

Hayden is a bit flighty and impulsive, and I do hope that she will begin to grow and mature as the series continues. I spent basically the first third of the book wondering if there even was a murder, as everyone else seemed content to believe Declan's death was a tragic accident.

The story did pick up a bit after that point, however. We learn that Declan might not have been who he seemed, and that several people had reasons to want him dead. Once again, Hayden finds herself in danger while she tries to get to the truth.

So far, my favorite character in this series is the mysterious Travis Turner, Hayden's financial advisor. She's never met him, only talked to him on the phone, and he stays aloof and mysterious in his interactions with her. I hope we get to know him better as the series goes on.

Looking forward to book 3, to see where Hayden goes next, and whether or not the character begins to evolve.

[Conny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to have gotten this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review, which I am happy to provide. This was the second book in the series and I could not wait to get started, since I loved the first book very much. It would have been perfect if it had a little bit of romance for our heroine, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. And just like the last time, I craved chocolate while reading it. The characters were colorful and entertaining and it had me guessing until the end, and I hope that there will be many more books in the series. As with the last book, you will find some scrumptious recipes in the back of the book, that I am dying to try out. Pun intended. Overall a very enjoyable read.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hayden is off to Portland for a college friend's engagement party. Almost as soon as she arrives, the fiancee is found dead. Hayden has still not recovered from her first encounter with murder, but she has a feeling that this was not an accident. Her friend was part of a food pod community focused on Chocolate. As Hayden gets to know the members of the pod, she becomes more and more certain that Declan was murdered.
This mystery kept me guessing who the culprit was. The small community kept the suspect list short, though. I learned a lot about fancy chocolate methods, which made it fun. I'm still not sure I understand Hayden's lifestyle, but this is only the second book, so hopefully things will become clearer. I will continue reading this series.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that one of the things that drew me to this book was the fantastic cover, and it was the same for the first book of the series. It's rewarding to open the book and find that the inside is as good as the outside.

Hayden Mundy Moore, the "chocolate whisperer," is in Portland, Oregon for her friend's wedding, when the groom is murdered. Hayden soon gets drawn in to the investigation and tries to solve the murder.

I really like Hayden, and I thought the story was nicely paced and interesting. There were a multitude of fairly nasty characters that made good suspects. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series of chocolate-themed mysteries. It is a yummy escape into a good story with good characters, a good setting, and good recipes!

[Badass Bloggettes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars
Dangerously Dark

Hayden Moore is my kind of woman. She isn’t a morning person; she is a freelance chocolate whisperer (I love chocolate) and has a knack for stumbling on murder mysteries. What’s not to like?

Dangerously Dark is a fun read. The suspense and intrigue holds the reader’s attention for the most part and surprised me at the end. There is a lot to like about the story and only a few things that didn’t feel right for me.

What I like:

A murder mystery, an interesting cast of potential murderers, an amateur sleuth who fumbles around a lot before solving the mystery and chocolate, lots of chocolate.

The general premise of the story—that fact that Hayden travels the world to help chocolatiers gives her a number of opportunities to happen upon a murder. It will be interesting to see where she is headed in the next book and who is going to be murdered.

The characters.

I like Hayden even if she is a little ditzy. She has major skills with chocolate and is in demand. The sexual tension between Hayden and her longtime friend and current body guard, Danny. They have a history and it is obvious that Danny wants more. He is one of those characters that pull the reader into the story I want to know more about him. (I haven’t read the first book in the series so I’m headed back there to see what I can glean about Danny.) The mysterious Travis, who manages Hayden’s inheritance, is a secretive character that makes the reader wonder what he is hiding. (Again there may be hints in the first book.)

The suspects are very colorful and developed in such a way that it takes the reader most of the book to figure out who the killer is. I found myself going back and forth between not liking then liking some of them.

What I didn’t like:

The beginning of the story is a little slow. There is a lot of repetition from the first book that doesn’t seem to fit. I think this is supposed to fill in the blanks for those of us who missed book one but, for me, it is confusing. At one point I said to myself I get it your friends don’t want you looking for a murderer because you did that before. Now let’s move on to this story.

The triangle and unrequited love between Hayden and Danny, while ok right now, I can see it getting old after a few more books. I notice that some authors get their characters stuck in that state and there isn’t any growth or relationship development. I hope that doesn’t happen here; there is potential to make these two into a fun crime solving team. I get that Danny is a little jealous or envious of Travis but I hope it doesn’t continue for a long time.

In general this is a good story, a great mystery with fun and unusual characters and ends with some chocolate recipes. (I tried the (Almost) Instand House-Made Double-Chocolate Pudding. It was a hit.) The story is developed in a way that the reader wants more. If you are a mystery lover give Dangerously Dark a try. I recommend the book.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this uncorrected e-book copy from Kensington Books via Net Galley for an honest review.

Dangerously Dark is my first Colette London book, but it will not be my last.

This book has a unique protagonist, Hayden Mundy Moore who is an expert on all things Chocolate - she is a Chocolate Whisperer. In her thirties she is a woman who may never settle down in one place or with one companion. She is not skilled in martial arts or an expert at crime detection, but she does get caught up in the drama of murder and mayhem trying to help out an old college friend.

This story has all of the elements that make a novel fun; it takes place in Portland, Oregon, centers on food artists who do Chocolate treats which surpass my chocolate loving imagination.

There is suspense and many twists that keep the reader from guessing "who-done-it" and/or if there was truly a murder in the first place.

"Dangerously Dark" makes me want to visit Portland, and I will ever be on the lookout for the chocolate beverages, beers, smoothies, and other amazing ways to stack and manipulate chocolate. I think I dreamed about chocolate treats one night before finishing the book.

The final goody is that Haley Mundy Moore finishes off this tale with a few AWESOME recipes for chocolate perfection; like "Chocolate Sugar Toast." I will treasure what I learned about chocolate and definitely be on the lookout for future books by Colette London

Content: Violence - Inferred and subtly done.
Sexual - Inferred.

[Mave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago I have read Criminal Confection, the first book in this series, and I could not wait to read a new adventure of Hayden. The protagonists of this story are the chocolate and an intriguing mystery to solve. Can we be able to finally meet Travis, the financial adviser to Hayden with a really sexy voice?
Hayden is a Chocolate-whisperer and travels around the world giving advice to her clients on how to improve their chocolate recipes. She goes to Portland to meet her friend Carissa to celebrate her engagement party. But the day she arrives, the future husband is found dead. It seems it was an accident and he is died asphyxiated. But Hayden doesn't think so and begins to investigate. The boy was supposed to start Chocolate-After-Dark tour and Carissa asks Hayden to do it for him. Hayden is also wondering why her friend doesn't seem to suffer much for her boyfriend's death.
The story is told by Hayen in first person and it's really funny the way in which she tells her own story and what happens to her. Especially when she talking about Travis, her thoughts of him are a hoot.
Although it is the second book in the series can be read as a stand alone without problems, the author is very good at providing the information needed to understand the life of Hayden and what happened in the first episode without spoiler and without remove the fun to reading the first one.
It 's a mystery well written, the plot is engaging, full of twists, easy to read with compelling mystery, funny, lovable and colorful characters. This was a very enjoyable read.
I recommend it to those who love chocolate and cozy mystery, it is a must read

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author. Hayden is a chocolate connoisseur who really knows her stuff. When she attends an engagement party for a friend, she stumbles upon the would be groom, who is dead. The almost fiance Carissa doesn't seem to broken up about his death, she seems more interested in showing off her ice cream cart. Hayden steps right in, insisting the would be groom, Declan was murdered. After a bad experience with a finding a dead body the week before, it seems she is determined to figure out what happened.
Normally I love any type of cozy mystery, but this one was hard for me to finish. I felt the story line was good, but some parts seemed a little off. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Keep Calm Novel On · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of the eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Colette London’s novel Dangerously Dark is the second book in the series but can certainly be read as a stand-alone. The author has combined chocolate and mystery—what a creative combination. Hayden Mundy Moore, a chocolate whisperer cannot help be drawn into solving an unexplained death. Hayden thought she was simply visiting Portland for her friend’s engagement party. Life’s journey is never boring for Hayden. This character driven story has many unexpected twists and turns. The many interesting layers add depth to this well written read. Readers will look forward to reading the sequel. The bonus recipes at the end—what a delicious treat.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really had me craving chocolate. A cute cozy mystery with enjoyable characters. Hayden is a very likable amateur sleuth who is better known as a chocolate whisperer. With Hayden traveling to different cities for her job, it should make for interesting adventures in future stories. This is a light and breezy second book in the series. There is plenty of back story to enjoy this one on it's own.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hayden Mundy Moore, aka the Chocolate-whisperer, intends to travel to Seattle but must first make a stop in Portland. Her best friend from college is celebrating her engagement and Hayden has been invited to attend. Hayden’s mind is still reeling with her recent involvement in solving a murder. Those closest to her, Danny and Travis, believe she should spend some time away in order to clear her mind.
Soon after arriving in Portland Hayden meets Carissa, the bride-to-be, at her new business. Carissa has opened a food cart featuring ice cream in a variety of chocolate flavors. While preparing a taste for Hayden the equipment malfunctions. This leads to the unfortunate discovery of Declan, Carissa’s now deceased fiance.
Hayden soon finds herself struggling with this seemingly horrible accident and the unsettling feeling that Declan was murdered. She is greeted with a cozy bunch of suspects on the food truck lot. Hayden and her part-time bodyguard, full-time friend Danny begin to investigate and learn more about the suspects than they bargain for.

This is the second book in the Chocolate Whisperer Mystery series. If you haven’t read book one you are not missing anything. The characters are fully developed in this book and the storyline from book one really doesn’t add to this plot. The main character, Hayden, refers to what happened in book one but gives enough details to make sense of that experience. This story has a much better storyline and the actions moves steadily throughout. The author also creates enough tension in the plot that the ending is dramatic. Although I didn’t like the first book in this series I feel that Dangerously Dark was very good and I recommend reading it. I will also consider reading the next book in the series.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second book in this series was not a hit for me. I finished it, but I didn't love it.

The problem for me with this one was two-fold. First off, all the people in this book were not very nice. It felt like being back in high school with the cliques, and the drama, and the back-stabbing. I didn't enjoy it when I was in high school, and I liked it even less now.

Also, Hayden got on my nerves this time around. She was beyond clueless and stubborn, even for a cozy heroine. The number of times she did bone-headed, foolish things got old really fast for me, and rolled my eyes at her decisions a lot.

The chocolate theme of this series is fun, and I did enjoy learning more about all the kinds of chocolate and how it can be used in various food and drink items, but overall this was a miss for me. I don't think I'll be continuing with this series.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever liked Charlie's Angels then you will love this as much as I did

Simply wonderful read. Think Charlie's Angels meet Inspector Clouseau. Humorous and quirky but with a plot that will have you guessing right until the end. A simply wonderful bit of writing that has you forming bonds with the characters especially the heroine. Okay she does end up in some sticky situations but like a cat she lands on her feet. Going to see her old college friend for the engagement do is not really her cup of chocolate but a promise is a promise. However this takes on a sombre note when the bridegroom to be is found dead. Was it an accident or something more? Loved the shadowy figure of her trustee and the more solid bodyguard. A must read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerously Dark by author Colette London is the second installment in the Chocolate Whisper mystery series. First of all, I love the title and cover - mysteries and chocolate are two of my favorite things, and Ms. London combined them both! The mystery was well-written (Hayden Mundy Moore is a very likeable character which makes a book much more enjoyable in my opinion), and did keep me guessing as to the identity of the murderer until the end. I liked the addition of a little bit of romance to the story....everything I want in a cozy! A+

[Lizz Axnick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I didn't like any of the characters or the protagonist. I only finished it because it takes place in Portland. I thought the author completely gave away the plot of her first book if you haven't read it and if you had read it than a lot of the story was redundant. Most of these series' characters move on from the previous book but this protagonist just harps on it over and over. I am not interested on pursuing any more books by this author.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read several of these Chocolate Whisperer Mystery books and this is the first one that was truly good. Plot lines were followed through, had a real mystery and and wrap up. Because it had so many possible murderers, it kept me interested to the end. I do wish the author would curtail her repeated theme of repeating herself with small subthemes and the constant barrage of eating NOTHING but chocolate.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this; this has chocolate and mystery in it...but some of the dialogue between the characters I felt was rather silly, out of place and that threw me off. Not sure I will continue with this series or not, but at least it was a library book.

[Nancy Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard to get into. Mom read it in 1 day and really enjoyed it.