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Wine & Dine Mysteries #2

Chocolate Covered Death

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From New York Times bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes a deliciously deadly decadence in wine country in this USA TODAY bestselling series...


In order to boost her struggling family winery's reputation, Emmy Oak throws a Wine and Chocolate party for the Sonoma Valley elite—featuring her delicious drinks alongside her friend Leah's decadently chocolaty desserts. But when Leah's ex-husband's new trophy wife turns up dead after the party, the police paint Leah in the role of main suspect and the only thing anyone in town can talk about is the murder at the Chocolate Bar.


To save face and her friend, Emmy finds herself infiltrating high society and sorting among the catty and cantankerous for her killer. Did the victim's rare-wine brokering business have anything to do with it? Or was it the hot new golf pro at the club or the frenemy with a jealous streak? Or maybe her husband found a less messy way than divorce to end their short and unhappy marriage? Emmy isn't sure, but she knows a mysterious man in a cowboy had has something to do with it, and the deeper she digs, the more trouble seems to follow her. Between crashing the country club, dodging danger, and trying to stay one step ahead of the sexy Detective Christopher Grant, Emmy has her work cut out for her to catch a killer...before hers is the next death by chocolate!


**Simple and delicious recipes included!**


"Ms. Halliday is the undisputed queen of the she knows how to blend fashion, suspense, laughter, and romance in all the right doses."
~ Fresh Fiction


"Gemma has a natural flow to her writing, a vibrant, witty voice that makes you want to keep reading. 5 stars!"
~ Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine


"Halliday is on top of her game!"
~ Booklist


Wine Dine
A Sip Before Dying – book #1
Chocolate Covered Death – book #2
Victim in the Vineyard – book #3, COMING in September!
Marriage, Merlot Murder – book #4, COMING in January 2020!

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2019

238 people are currently reading
255 people want to read

About the author

Gemma Halliday

95 books1,893 followers
Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.

Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.

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5 stars
153 (42%)
4 stars
134 (37%)
3 stars
54 (15%)
2 stars
14 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Gloria.
1,150 reviews143 followers
June 10, 2019
Chocolate Covered Death is the second in the Wine & Dine series and a great addition as Emma Oak continues to work toward getting her family's winery in the black. Emma, her BFF, Ava Barnett, and friend and Chocolate Bar owner, Leah Holcomb, throw a Wine and Chocolate Tasting to try to drum up business. Things go badly when Leah's ex-husband's new wife, Heather, shows up and then really bad when Leah's cake knife including chocolate cake wind up in Heather's back. It doesn't look good for Leah, for sure. Hunky detective Christopher Grant has to investigate even if Emma assures him that Leah couldn't have killed Heather. Leah has a young son and would not do anything to jeopardize losing him. So, of course, Emmy and Ava set out to prove Leah's innocence even if it means doing a little breaking and entering-whatever it takes.
This is another fun read that gets scary at times. Emmy has a hard noggin that hit a time or two but she and Ava persevere.
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are mine only.
Profile Image for Missi Martin (Stockwell).
1,142 reviews35 followers
September 11, 2019

The Wine & Dine Mystery series by Gemma Halliday could definitely be a movie on the Hallmark channel like it states in the book summary on Goodreads. At the end of Chocolate Covered Death, the second book in this series, the main character Emmy Oak is recovering from a near death evening by lounging on the couch with Meg Ryan movies...... I could see Meg Ryan playing Emmy if it were a movie !! (I wonder if Halliday was thinking the same thing when she was writing it......)

In Chocolate Covered Death Emmy and her friend, Leah, are working together on a chocolate and wine pairing event. Emmy runs her family's winery and Leah owns a bakery, The Chocolate Bar, and they are combining Emmy's family wines with Leah's chocolate creations and they have an exclusive group of guests that they have invited to the event. Unfortunately Leah's ex-husband's new trophy wife is there and by the end of the evening she is found by Emmy....dead in the alleyway. Of course Leah is considered the main suspect. Emmy and their other friend Ava know that there is no way that Leah would committ murder....she has her son Spence to think about.

Even though Emmy should be focused on running and showing a profit at the winery, she cannot let the police arrest her innocent friend....so with the help of Ava she does her own investigating. This, of course, gets the attention of the detective on the case as well as the real killer. Can she prove her theories to Detective Grant before the killer shuts her up for good ????

I love the Wine & Dine Mystery series by Gemma Halliday !! The reader gets so captivated by the story that before you know it, you are at the end of the book and trying to catch your breath !!! Even if you try to read slow and savor everything, you will find it hard to do.....you will savor everything there is to savor and you will be left with a satisfying feeling at the end and you will LOVE where Halliday leaves the reader with Emmy and Detective Grant........ You will be looking forward to book three for sure !!!!
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,209 reviews61 followers
August 5, 2019
“Chocolate Covered Death” earns 5/5 Glasses of Zin...Clever & Entertaining!

Emmy has teamed up with Leah Holcomb, owner of the Chocolate Bar bakery, for a Wine and Chocolate Tasting event. However, as the VIPs begin to arrive, Leah is shocked to see in attendance her ex-husband’s new wife. Emmy apologizes for the uncomfortable situation; she only knew Mrs. Atherton as a wine broker, and getting her attention could be very fortuitous for her own bottom line. Emmy had a hard time not sympathizing with Leah. Heather’s elitist attitude along with her “snooty” posse making veiled negative comments about the wine and the event was insulting...enter Karma! Emmy goes looking for Leah to coordinate the clean up, but instead finds a dead body. It’s the snooty wife, dead, and Leah with the perfect motive. This doesn’t look good!

Cheers! Gemma Halliday has a very enjoyable writing style laced with descriptive language and humor making this book two a Top Ten favorite! Following a traditional cozy formula she begins by revisiting basic background and with an effective introduction to new characters. She immediately sets up conflicts, potential suspects, and a few motives to put any Sherlock on the right path. I greatly appreciate that she avoids extraneous falderal and gets right to the mystery. I’m not saying there aren’t delightful strays into the ins and outs of the winery, interesting conflicts with law enforcement, and interactions with good friends; those make this book an entertaining read. She continues to revisit background and character connections to keep newbies engaged, but it’s the twists, turns, and dead ends that make this story intriguing: jealousies, reputations, and secrets! I highly recommend this book and the series...clever, wonderful characters (good and murderous), satisfying end perpetrated by karma, and wine! What else do you need...recipes, of course! Included is Leah’s Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, two other chocolate delicacies, and a delicious Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee for those who profess starting with dessert. But also included is an appetizing charcuterie suggestions and two entrees to make any gathering a hit! Ok, now my experience is totally satiated!

Disclosure: I received an ARC. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Profile Image for Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review).
882 reviews
March 20, 2022
Emmy Oak is still trying to save the family vineyard, this time she and a new friend Leah have come up with the idea of a dessert and wine evening, held at Leah's bakery/cafe, it all seems to be going well until Leah spots her ex-husband's new trophy wife, Leah ducks into the kitchen leaving Emmy and her best friend Eva to hold down the fort in the front.  Other than that it seems to have been a successful evening, until Emmy stumbles across the trophy wife dead by a dumpster.  Now with everything pointing towards Leah as the killer Emmy and Eva need to channel their inner Cagney and Lacey and find the true killer before Leah's next cooking gig is in prison!
Profile Image for Patrizia.
1,958 reviews42 followers
August 27, 2025
4 stelle scarse
La storia mi è piaciuta, la protagonista un po' meno con la sua propensione a entrare dove non potrebbe. In più, scopre subito una cosa importante e non lo dice al detective, che è chiaramente innamorato di lei e la sta a sentire. Detto questo, avevo capito ben presto cosa c'era dietro le bottiglie di vino, ma l'assassino è stato una vera sorpresa. E questo mi fa alzare un pochino il mio voto.
Profile Image for Sandy Bartles.
1,395 reviews37 followers
June 12, 2019
A wonderful cozy featuring a murder at a chocolate and wine tasting event. Emmy is hot on the trail to prove her friend’s innocence. The author caught my interest from the very beginning and kept me wondering about who the murderer was until the end. I highly recommend this book!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Marcia-Lee Finocchio.
604 reviews6 followers
August 26, 2019
Death with chocolate and wine,

Emmy finds a body near a dumpster, her friends ex-husbands new trophy wife! Who killed her, fingers are pointing to her friend! Another murder she must solve, and free her friend.
Profile Image for Leah.
1,978 reviews
April 1, 2020
This was more enjoyable than the previous book in the series. It also takes place in California. The story involves golf, a country club, wine, chocolate, jewelry, and fraud. There is also a small amount of romance.
Profile Image for Julesy.
543 reviews53 followers
July 14, 2019
In this sophomoric work in the author's new Wine & Wine series, Emmy Oak is attempting to endorse her Oak Valley Vineyard's fine wines and venue to A-list clientele. She co-hosts a Wine and Chocolate Tasting event at her friend's Leah's bakery, Chocolate Bar. Unknowingly, among the invited guests to the tasting event are Leah's ex-husband James and his new young wife Heather. Leah and James had an acrimonious divorce. His presence with his trophy wife riddled with various plastic surgeries causes Leah to become frenzied. By the end of the tasting event, Heather is found stabbed to death with the same knife that Leah used to cut her famous 7-tier raspberry chocolate layer cake.

Heather was a wine broker and something went sour with the vintage wines she was selling to prospective buyers. Emmy, along with her sidekick and BFF Ava, must do whatever she can to investigate and prove Leah's innocence in her murder.

The culprit revealed at the end will surprise you! I had a lot of fun with this book and enjoyed it tremendously. It has some similarities with her wonderful Maddie Springer/High Heels series without the cutesy/chick-lit factor. But the absence of cutesy/chick-lit works perfectly for this series. It is not overwhelmed with wine details. It did have some chocolate-themed foods and recipes. I am one of the rare people who do not really care for chocolate (yes, I can sense you rolling your eyes) as I am allergic, so I did get a bit queasy when reading some of the chocolate passages. But that is me as I experience the same when reading books with foods I do not like, i.e., beer, pickles, pumpkin, etc. That aside, there were a couple of non-chocolate recipes that I am planning to try.

I really love this series. It has a great main character, supporting characters, potential love interest, and solid plot and story. This book is as well written as the first. I am so looking forward to reading the third book coming out in a couple of months.
508 reviews
May 30, 2019
Excellent venture back into wine country with Emmy Oak! The first book in this series "A Sip Before Dying" is an outstanding cozy mystery, and this book hits it out of the park! The book can easily be read as a stand alone, but don't miss the great mystery in book 1. The wonderful characters of Emmy, Ava, and Detective Grant are back to solve another murder. I also love the warm cozy characters of Conchita her house manager and Jean Luc the sommelier. Emmy finds the victim and can't help but get involved when her friend Leah is implicated in the crime. Much to the dismay of Detective Grant who continues to advise Emmy to stay out of it. I loved the reappearance of David Allen who keeps Emmy and Ava in the know about what is happening at the Links country club. The action is well paced, the writing is exceptional, the characters are perfectly described and the adventure is so entertaining. I simply can't wait for more Emmy Oak!

I received an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
Profile Image for Judy Johnson.
840 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2019
This is the second book in the series and just as good if not better than the first does not disappoint. Twists and turns keep you guessing until the end as to who the murderer is and you will certainly be surprised! Emma Oak is working hard at her winery while looking for ways to make the vineyard profitable. In the meantime, as you can well guess, things go terribly wrong at the latest even and chocolate and wine tasting. No spoilers here, grab a copy of this book and immerse yourself in a great story with an excellent plot, laugh out loud moments and a host of suspects that will completely keep you entertained. Recipes at the end are icing on the cake (no pun intended) so you need to read this to find out exactly what I mean. Gemma's books are always entertaining, this is no exception! I received an ARC from the publisher and am offering my unsolicited, unbiased review of this book.
111 reviews
July 21, 2019
I liked this one better than the first. However my only annoyance is that Emmy and Ava are supposed to be 29 I believe. 29 means you’re a millennial. 29 means you don’t really know about Charlie’s Angels...the remake movie with Cameron Diaz came out when you were a child. Meg Ryan is yes an actress you recognize but only because your mom dragged you to watch you’ve got mail as a child. Other than that you may have watched When Harry Met Sally because it’s one of those movies everyone’s seen, but realistically if you’re going to watch rom coms to make yourself feel better as a millennial then you’re going to be watching more so Reese Witherspoon/Kate Hudson. I love Gemma Halliday books but she needs to realize late 20s-mid 30 year olds are millennials these days and drastically different to the 30 year olds she was writing about during her High Heels mystery books.
Profile Image for Mariko Tsubaki.
413 reviews4 followers
July 16, 2019
When a guest of the wine and chocolate tasting event hosted by Emmy Oaks and her friend Leah Holcomb is found dead, all fingers point to Leah, the ex-wife. Emmy just knows Leah cannot be guilty and so begins the mission to solve the case. Her snooping puts her at odds with the hunky Det. Christopher Grant. Emmy and her friends are in a race to catch the killer before Leah is placed on trial.
Wine, desserts, and a hot detective make this a series not to miss. This mystery kept me guessing until the end. Cannot wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from the publisher for my honest and unbiased review.
540 reviews6 followers
July 17, 2019
Emmy Oak, is still trying to boost sales at her family winery. She cohosts an event with Leah to feature both wine and chocolate. But when Leah’s ex-husband’s trophy wife is discovered dead behind the chocolate shop, things get quite interesting. To save both Leah and her winery’s reputation, Emmy gets involved with the investigation, much to the chagrin of Detective Christopher Grant. Infiltrating the country club and it’s fascinating cast of characters is very humorous! Loved the story and read it straight through!
4,554 reviews38 followers
June 12, 2019
Chocolate Covered Death is another amazing mystery from Gemma Halliday. I love the recurring characters of Emmy, Ava, Conchita, Jean Luc and Detective Grant. I hope we see more of Eddie. Ms. Halliday knows just how to structure her mysteries to keep them entertaining. I can never put them down. She stumped me again. There are many suspects and several possible motives, but I did not see this one coming! You will not want to miss this exciting adventure.
72 reviews
July 13, 2019
Very cute who done it. I totally guessed wrong, hope you have better insight. The villain was a shock to me! This is the second book in this series. Loved how the characters are evolving and growing. I love the humor and detective hottie. I like Emmy and her dedication to her friends. It was suspenseful and held my interest. It can be read as a stand alone, and there are no cliff hangers. Small references are made to the first book, but they are not distracting.
Profile Image for Debi Paglia .
621 reviews17 followers
July 18, 2019
This series only gets better with this second book! The characters are people that you would like to know better; the setting is beautiful California wine country; and the plot is amazing! What a surprise ending! I thought I had it several times, but never guessed the ending! If you enjoy cozy mysteries with independent women protagonists, beautiful settings, interesting storylines and a little romance, then you need to read this great series!
Profile Image for Jan L.
1,003 reviews21 followers
July 29, 2019
Friends don't let friends get arrested...

Written with style, great characters, atmosphere and fun! I enjoyed this second in the series as much as the first and have pre-ordered number three. This book gave me chuckles, tears, warmth, and led me into dangerous suspense. There are lots of characters to choose from for the murderer but only one great detective keeps showing up.
12 reviews
December 11, 2021
Great Book!

I really like this book series and are getting ready to start book 3. They are fun, clean, light reads with good plots. I don’t drink but I find the information about wine in these books so interesting. I enjoy the recipes at the end and wine pairing suggestions for the recipes, which is helpful to me when I entertain as most of my family members and other guests are wine drinkers. Wonderful series!
Profile Image for Bonnie J..
224 reviews9 followers
July 17, 2019
I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.
This is the second book in this new series and it doesn't disappoint. Emmy is back and involved in another murder. I found this to be a quick and fun read. It is a great series to start reading. It's one of those books that you just can't put down.
Profile Image for Karen Ditsch.
78 reviews
February 29, 2020
I wanted to like this. I liked the high heels series. The characters did dumb things and were way full of themselves. The reactions to each other and the situation were dumb. I didn't actually care about any of them. The underlying mystery was unbelievable. The final straw was repeated fragmented sentences and the word alright. I will skip any other books in the series.
850 reviews4 followers
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January 20, 2022
Chocolate Covered Death is wonderful 4.8 stars

I enjoyed this story so much: especially the ending. Emmy and Ava have a great friendship and with their buddy Leah they cover lots of favorites: chocolates in candy and pastries, winery in Sonoma and a silver jewelry designer. Sounds like a perfect group for lots of fun and solving lots of mysteries. Don't miss this story!
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
2,839 reviews19 followers
July 16, 2019
Totally loved it

I am really loving this new series. I enjoy the characters best much. I had thought the killer was someone else entirely. Boy was I surprised when the killer was revealed.
Profile Image for E.
1,885 reviews
July 16, 2019
Wish I could give this more than 5 stars. I am really enjoying this new series. I love the setting & the characters a lot. I would even like to see a spin off series about Leah and her chocolate shop. Pick up both books today!
1,728 reviews12 followers
July 23, 2019
A mysterious death with several suspects needs to be solved. Running a winery, taking care of family and friends and solving a murder are all in a day's work. Gemma Halliday works her magic in A Chocolate Covered Death
Profile Image for Carolyn.
466 reviews
August 12, 2019
Murder, Wine and Chocolate

A wine and chocolate party ends in murder. Emma and Ava’s friend is accused of the murder so they have to solve the murder. Fake wine and fake friendship leads to murder. Some great recipes and wine pairings. Fun mystery and romance. Recommend.
43 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2019
Since I love Gemma, I pre-ordered this book before I read the first one. It's okay, but as with the first book it's a way too close to the High Heels Mysteries. Same characters, different names - heroine, best friend, hot detective, second love interest on the horizon.
Profile Image for Avalon.
618 reviews3 followers
April 4, 2020
With a struggling vineyard Emma has a wine and chocolate evening to raise money but it ends with a dead body and her friend has been arrested so Emma does her own sleuthing but is she looking at the right person and Detective Grant is an ally who she is attracted to. Enjoyable read
485 reviews3 followers
August 2, 2020
This was another fun cozy mystery. Fun plot, fun characters and character interactions. The mystery was good but not too complex, I knew what was going on early one, but the details were a bit elusive.

This series is doing a good job of staying clean with language and adult situations.
Profile Image for Suzan.
1,659 reviews18 followers
August 12, 2024
I really am enjoying this series by Gemma Halliday. This is book 2 in the series and could easily be read as a stand-alone book if you have not read book one yet. Emmy, Ava, and Detective Grant are the main characters and I love how the interact with each other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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