Sweet Revenge

by Glenn J. Hill

When chocolate turns lethal, ghosts—and secrets—refuse to stay buried.
A week of chocolate tastings. A charming Oregon town. And absolutely no plans to solve another murder. William Mills and real estate dynamo Carol Lindsey arrive at the Ashland Chocolate Festival hoping for indulgence, relaxation, and perhaps a little romance.

Between wine pairings, theatrical events, and far too much chocolate, this is supposed to be a peaceful getaway. But when a famously competitive chocolatier falls ill—and is later found dead in a most unfortunate chocolate-related accident—the festival takes a troubling turn.

With Detective Dana Argent already on edge, William’s unusual ability to sense the restless spirits of Ashland once again proves impossible to ignore. The Blue Lady of Lithia Park stirs, an antique chocolate mold vanishes, and long-simmering rivalries bubble to the surface. Assisted by a mischievous ghost cat and Carol’s sharp instincts, William soon realizes that someone at the festival was hiding a dangerous secret.

As clues emerge through whispered hints from the past, cozy kitchens, and Shakespearean misadventures, William and Carol must uncover the truth before the festival—and Ashland itself—are left with a bitter aftertaste.

Sweet Revenge is a charming paranormal cozy mystery filled with small-town charm, delicious recipes and meals, gentle romance, theatrical flair, and just a dash of ghostly mischief—perfect for readers who like their mysteries clever, comforting, culinary, and lightly supernatural.Between warm cocoa and cold revenge, the duo finds themselves navigating rivalries, blackmail, and the lingering whispers of the past. And as Ashland's most decadent festival turns deadly, William learns that even in a town of theater and ghosts, the sweetest things in life can be the most dangerous.

Sweet Revenge blends cozy cooking, Shakespearean wit, and supernatural intrigue into a heartwarming yet chilling mystery that proves—when murder meets chocolate, revenge is best served bittersweet.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2026

About the author

I started writing some years ago, when I was studying to become a certified Jewish Storyteller. At the time I began writing my own original stories to tell to live audiences, along with my own versions of traditional tales.

I had not known my Mother was Jewish when I was younger. I only found out in the last twenty years that she was from a hidden Jewish family who at pain of death, had to flee from persecution and the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal in the 1400`s,1500`s and 1600`s.

Some of my ancestral Jewish family in Venice claimed to be descended from King David, though there is no sure proof of this. In the 1500`s and later they were court musicians and instrument builders in the Courts of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth,where the family continued to play music for the Royal Court and the Globe Theater in London. Eventually their descendants settled in the American colonies, as early as 1609.

I draw upon this once hidden ancestry and my stringed instrument building experiences in my writing. I am a trained classical Italian violin builder, and harp builder,designing, building and carving custom one-of-a-kind harps for forty-one years now.
My creative endeavors over the years include having danced ballet and modern dance with local dance companies, as well as acting, dancing and singing in semi-professional musical and dramatic theater productions.

I live and write in Southwest Oregon, with my beautiful wife Laurie, and our two sweet girl dogs, Princess Jasmine, a Shih-tzu, and Bella, a Lhasa Apso.

In my Book Two, "The Violin Maker: In The Fires of Time", (to be released in the summer of 2020),of this series, "The Music of Time", the story in this novel will be continued back in time in the 1500`s and beyond.

This novel was partially inspired by past life recalls I have had, as well as a near-death experience I experienced on Yom Kippur, before I found out I was Jewish by birth.

Follow your Bliss and Live your Life in Joy.

Glenn J. Hill

Reviews

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ashland Chocolate Festival was in full swing when chocolatier Maxine Vaughn was discovered dead in a huge vat of molten chocolate. Immediately suspecting foul play, William Mills and Carol Lindsay jump into investigative mode, not realising that another tie binds them to this case.

Sweet Revenge is an impressively complex read with vivid detail and rich description. The main characters have settled into their roles nicely and set about their investigation with the ease of seasoned professionals.

This series is a food lover's dream. William and Carol are juggling several cases at once, but they take time to enjoy good meals which are lovingly prepared (and described) in the story. As a bonus, these recipes are detailed at the back of the book for readers who like to taste the treats they read about.

For those who love a paranormal cosy, the ghosts are plentiful in this story. And, excitingly, they assist the detectives in their endeavours. Expect to enjoy many hauntings (of the good kind!), as the case evolves.


Thank you to Glenn J. Hill and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. As always, my opinions are my own, honest and true.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Revenge is the third book in the Ghostly Ashland Shakespeare Mystery series by Glenn J. Hill. The death of a famous chocolatier becomes connected to the Blue Lady ghost mystery that has appeared in the previous two books in the series.

While this installment is a slightly slower read than the first two, it moves the Blue Lady storyline forward with an unexpected twist. To be honest, the Blue Lady mystery is my favorite part of the series, and I’m eager to see how it continues to unfold. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sharon Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Revenge
This is a big and complex mystery with something for everyone.
Set in Oregon, one of my favorite places, with gluten-free recipes and chocolate wonders wrapped around a Shakespearean town, what could be missing? Well, of course, there is a ghost-cat and a dramatic, wispy female apparition haunting the pages as ‘man of the world ‘, William, and friend Carol come to town for a fun getaway. So, if paranormal is your style, you’ll find a bit, but not too much, of this here as well.
They do not expect intrigue about a missing historic chocolate mold, nor to be caught up in the chocolate vendor wars in town. They certainly did not expect to find a body in a vat of chocolate. Beneath these events, there runs an undercurrent of mystery about the town's founders from a century earlier. What happened to Ophelia and her love? Were they killed by her angry father? Did they have a secret child? Did it survive? Is there an imposter in town?
Aided by police detective Argent, they follow cryptic clues that appear around town, and sometimes glimpse the mysterious woman. The ghost cat leads them to important documents. Are there unidentified heirs to great fortunes nearby? Does the mystery span continents and eras? What secrets are buried in hidden vaults or kept with distant relatives' memories? How do roses suddenly appear? Read on to find the answers to these questions and more in this carefully crafted tale. Enjoy the gourmet dishes William creates as they discuss the cases.
Do settle down with this interesting book next to a fireplace, a box of chocolates, and a glass of your favorite beverage; you’ll be reading all evening, and then some, as the story pulls you in. My only critique is that there are multiple scenes where actions take place, and the switches are sometimes confusing.
I received an advance review copy of this book and have reviewed it freely.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

William, Carol, Detective Argent and the Ghosts of Beckworth Mansion [Ophelia Beckworth aka The Blue Lady, and Dante, the spectral cat] are back for the third installment of Ghostly Ashland Shakespeare Mysteries.

Carol convinces a reluctant William to attend the week-long Ashland Chocolate Festival with her, promising relaxation, lots of chocolate and wine to go with it. But as always, their plans go awry when one of the chocolatiers is found deceased. Was it a tragic, unfortunate accident, or something more sinister? With the help of the ghosts, William and Carol are determined to help the Detective find the answers. In the process they'll uncover twists and long-hidden secrets about what might have happened to Olivia Beckworth so long ago.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like an archeological dig where secrets and pieces of secrets are slowly unearthed piece by piece. The rich wanted to cover up details and people that didn't match the ideal upstanding entitled wealth these people wanted to portray to the public. This book helped reinforce details from the previous book, and made clear some fuzzy details. The real story didn't portray the accepted story. Cracks started to appear in the accepted story until the truth broke free. Unbelievable, shocking and gobsmacking truths within!!!! Check it out. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review. The final book is a showstopper!!!

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Revenge is Book 3 in A Ghostly Ashland Shakespeare Mystery by Glen J Hill. I found book 3 took an interesting twist. The murder at the Chocolate Festival led to unexpected twists. Ghost Ophelia Beckworth wants her story to be explored and the author masterfully mixes murder and surprises in A story that kept me reading long into the night. I can't reveal the ending, but it was so satisfying. Sweet Revenge is not to be missed. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Geraldine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a superb read. It was much more than just a murder mystery.
There were buried secrets from the past, ghosts, Shakespeare plays and quotes, wonderful food complete with recipes given at the back of the book and of course, chocolate, as the happenings started at the Chocolate Festival dinner.
All in all, this was a sumptuous treat for the senses.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was amazed by this book as I read through it. I had not read the other 2 books, and I want to. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The story was long, but it read easily and I did not feel like it dragged on at all. It was well written and the mystery definitely caught my attention. I will certainly want to read any future books with William and Carol as the MC. I strongly recommend this story.

[Barbara Behning · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Mills has a wonderful condo on the 3rd floor of an old Victorian which his realter friend Carol found for him. He acquired a ghost cat named Dante. Carol books them for a Chocolate Festival which has many twists and turns including a dead body in a large vat of cooking chocolate - riveted to the pages book.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of Ophelia’s mystery is solved. Not what happened to her, but more of a side mystery. It is amazing how one ghost can leave so many bread crumbs for William and Carol to find and put together. Granted they have the ghost cat Dante to help them. This was a fun mystery to read!

[Julie Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

two mystery story lines intersect, it can be somewhat confusing as some of the names are similar.