The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss

PRAISE FOR THE
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING SERIES

The Diva Wraps It Up

“Raucous humor, affectionate characters, and delectable recipes highlight this unpredictable mystery that entertains during any season.”

—
Kings River Life Magazine

“[A] whodunit that will have readers peering through the holiday tinsel and several twisted family histories. Consider it an early holiday gift from a talented mysterian.”

—
Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Loaded with atmosphere and charm.”

—
Library Journal

“This is a complex mystery that kept me guessing until the very end, with an extremely clever twist . . . I love a good Christmas mystery any time of the year, especially when it’s the latest in one of my favorite long-running series!”

—
Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries & Meows

“Fast-paced . . . wonderful characters . . . This cozy has so many suspects and so many twists and turns that it keeps the reader guessing till the end. This neighborhood is a hoot and filled with fun people, great Christmas ideas, and so much intrigue.”

—
Open Book Society

The Diva Frosts a Cupcake

“Reader alert: Tasty descriptions may spark intense cupcake cravings.”

—
The Washington Post

“Davis . . . again combines food and felonies in this tasty whodunit, which keeps the reader fascinated until the killer is iced.”

—
Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Diva Digs up the Dirt

“Perfectly enjoyable.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A satisfying, complex story . . . An enjoyable mystery . . . Poignant, but also funny at times.”

—
Vibrant Nation

The Diva Haunts the House

“The quirky characters are well developed, the story line is as crisp as a fall apple, and the twists and turns are as tight as a corkscrew.”

—AnnArbor.com

“Davis finely blends mystery and comedy, keeping
The Diva Haunts the House
entertaining and alluring.”

—SeattlePI.com

The Diva Cooks a Goose

“For fans of Donna Andrews and Diane Mott Davidson . . . [A] real winner.”

—
The Season

“This is not your run-of-the-mill cozy; the characters are real to life, interesting, and keep you wondering what will happen next. Krista Davis writes one enjoyable read.”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

The Diva Paints the Town

“[Davis] handles this tricky tale with aplomb and fills it with a cast of eccentrics . . . And the three animals are endlessly amusing.”

—
Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Davis plates up another delectable whodunit, complete with recipes. Indeed, her novels are every bit as good as Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Schulz mysteries.”

—
Shine

The Diva Takes the Cake

“
The Diva Takes the Cake
does just that—takes the cake.”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

“Davis has devised a delightful romp, with engaging characters and a nicely crafted setting in which to place them.”

—
Shine

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

“[A] tricky whodunit laced with delectable food . . . [A] fine mystery that’s stuffed with suspects—and a reminder that nobody’s Thanksgiving is perfect.”

—
Richmond Times-Dispatch

“A mouthwatering mix of murder, mirth, and mayhem, nicely spiced by new author Krista Davis.”

—Mary Jane Maffini, author of
The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder

“
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
is as much comedy as mystery . . . [A] really good book . . . [A] series worth watching.”

—
Mysterious Reviews

“An entertaining mystery novel with charming characters. The plot of the mystery is well drawn out.”

—MyShelf.com

“The beginning of a good culinary cozy series with some interesting and different characters.”

—
Gumshoe Review

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Krista Davis

Domestic Diva Mysteries

THE DIVA RUNS OUT OF THYME

THE DIVA TAKES THE CAKE

THE DIVA PAINTS THE TOWN

THE DIVA COOKS A GOOSE

THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE

THE DIVA DIGS UP THE DIRT

THE DIVA FROSTS A CUPCAKE

THE DIVA WRAPS IT UP

THE DIVA STEALS A CHOCOLATE KISS

Paws & Claws Mysteries

MURDER, SHE BARKED

THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

THE DIVA STEALS A CHOCOLATE KISS

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright © 2015 by Cristina Ryplansky.

Excerpt from
Murder Most Howl
by Krista Davis copyright © 2015 by Cristina Ryplansky.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

For more information, visit penguin.com.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-18708-5

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / June 2015

Cover illustration by Teresa Fasolino.

Cover design by Diana Kolsky.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

To Elizabeth Nina Strickland

As always, there are many people to thank for their assistance in writing this book. Cheryl Maiorca and Lori Speer were most generous and such great sports about having their names used for characters. Naturally, the characters, their behavior, and their relationships to others in the story are pure fiction. The characters do not reflect in any way on their true personalities, but I can say that they were both lovely to work with and very daring to allow me to make them suspects—and perhaps the killer!

My good friends, Susan Smith Erba and Betsy Strickland, were kind enough to suffer through a weekend of nonstop taste testing for this book. I have a feeling neither of them wants to see chocolate anytime soon. Thanks also to Janet Bolin, Daryl Wood Gerber, Peg Cochran, Kaye George, Marilyn Levinson, and Laurie Cass, for their suggestions and for always being at the water cooler when I need to talk. I cannot omit my thanks to my mother, Marianne, and my dear friend Amy Wheeler for being so supportive and encouraging.

Huge thanks are due my editor, Sandra Harding, who has the remarkable ability to make every book better. And I would be lost without my agent, Jessica Faust, who makes me laugh (often at myself) and keeps me straight about this crazy business.

Accents and English learned on the fly vary considerably and can be tricky. Some readers may feel I have erred with Nonni’s English. I hope you’ll indulge me because this darling little character showed up in my head and this is how I heard her speak.

Most of all, I thank my readers. I hope you’ll enjoy this book and have fun visiting with Sophie and her friends again. May you always have plenty of chocolate.

Sophie’s Friends and Old Town Residents

Nina Reid Norwood–Sophie’s best friend.

Natasha Earlene Smith–Desperate domestic diva.

Mars Winston–Sophie’s ex-husband.

Bernie Frei–Best man at Sophie’s wedding.

Humphrey Brown–Sophie’s childhood friend.

Alex German–Sophie’s new beau.

Francie Vanderhoosen–Sophie’s next-door neighbor.

Wolf Fleishman–Homicide investigator whom Sophie once dated.

Arnaud Turnèbe–Chocolatier, new to town.

The Amore Chocolates Family and Employees

Joe Merano–CEO of Amore Chocolates.

Nonni Merano–Joe’s mom. Co-founder of Amore.

Coco Ross–Joe’s daughter. Vice President of Marketing at Amore.

Mitch Ross–Coco’s husband. Vice president at Amore.

Dan Merano–Joe’s son. Head chocolatier at Amore.

Stella Simpson–Dan’s girlfriend. Manages an Amore store.

Vince Wilson–Amore employee.

Randy Hicks–Amore employee.

Marla Eldridge–Joe’s assistant.

Recipe Winners

Cheryl Maiorca–Queen of the chocolate cake.

Lori Speer–Queen of the chocolate truffle.