A Shot in the 80% Dark

I love cozy mysteries and requested this one without realizing it was part of a series. I downloaded the first 3 and whipped through them in under 3 days!! This one was just as good as those. I love the author’s writing style!

A Shot in the 80% Dark is the fourth book about Felicity, a widow, chocolate maker, and a mature sleuth. Along with her first love, business partner, friends, and local artists in Galveston she investigates a string of murders relating to an upcoming art exhibit(one she’s been hired to create a chocolate sculpture for). This book had me guessing until the end and found me rooting for the cast of characters.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from BooksGoSocial and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A fun sequel, quick read, lovely story, I look forward to more in the series.

Felicity Koerber doesn't enjoy being thought of as a murder magnet but, dang, she does have a way of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the process, we're learning quite a bit about the various types of chocolate, its potential uses, and how it can be processed. Who knew chocolate could be an art form, too?

Although I have a low tolerance for love triangles, which plays a role in the book, I liked that Felicity is showing a real growth arc since I first "met" her in the previous book set on a cruise ship. She's making a conscious effort to not just be more aware of what is going on with her friends and be supportive but to try new things, too. That's what puts her in scuba gear and, once again, in the wrong place to discover another body....and that's after being on site when the first death occurs. Contracted to create a large chocolate replica of a ship for the local museum, she was there when a tragic accident occurred.

Or, was it an accident? Could it be a coincidence that Felicity's phone is stolen? What could possibly be on the phone? Further investigation uncovers an elaborate murder weapon and ties to the other artists. She can't help herself. She tells herself initially that she isn't investigating but, well, she's asking lots of questions. She even finds herself bird-sitting the museum's cockatoo, Renoir, who keeps spouting interesting comments. Clues? Why does the museum have a cockatoo in the first place? Murder aside, it was interesting to see the various forms of art showcased, not to mention the importance of a cat to one of the artists as a support animal. Don't worry. Felicity's bunny makes an appearance, too.

Besides Felicity's growth, I liked that she's opening up and even making peace with some she's been at odds with in the past. The background on ship wrecks and who has jurisdiction/claims to anything found in them was interesting, too. So, all-in-all, and interesting mystery with art, history, and chocolate involved.

Thanks #NetGalley and #BooksGoSocial for taking me not just to a museum and diving but for all that tasty chocolate.

I've been enjoying Ms. Royer's work since Free Chocolate and its sequel, so when I heard that Ms. Royer was going to do a mystery series I was really excited. So I read the first three then this book and I really enjoyed going through the series. The characters were great and I enjoyed the story on each entry.

"There’s a scuffle, and then the gun comes skittering across the pier, straight towards me. I set down the bell and the phone, as both Marissa and Jonah fight each other to get to the gun. My legs feel like jelly, but I dash out from behind the pod and pick up the cold metal. Marissa freezes, and Jonah gets his arms around her. I hate guns, and this one feels heavy and dark in my hands as my heartbeat pounds in my ears."

The combination of chocolate and murder is a winner for me!
Felicity is back with Logan and Arlo hanging on her every word. Felicity needs to make a decision on her love life , instead of being in the middle of a love triangle .
Of course where Felicity is murder isn’t far away. Felicity is asked by a local museum to create a large ship out of chocolate , this in turn leads to two dead artists.
Felicity , Logan and Arlo are all on the case and lead the hunt to find the murderer.
I love Amber Royer’ s writing style but I’m afraid this story isnt’ up to the usual standard , for me it lacks something but I can’t explain what .
I did enjoy the story but I look forward to the next in the series and I hope it’s back to the calibre of the previous books.
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial.

Hired to make a chocolate sculpture for an event at a local museum, Felicity is game for getting her art on. But soon she finds herself also putting her sleuthing hat on as not one, but two bodies turn up. Can she handle sleuthing and sculpting without finding herself being out in the dark for good?

This is the first book I have read in this four book series and it was just fine as a stand alone. It was a quick a quick read I’m read to read the first three in the series as well! I’ll be back for more in this series, because what’s better than a good cozy and chocolate?

The further adventures of Felicity, who is a chocolate maker in Galveston. A good collection of suspects that will keep you guessing. A fun quick read. Thanks #netgalley and #BooksGoSocial for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Mysteries and chocolate...a winning combination in my book!

This is the fourth book in the Bean to Bar mystery series, and each book has been a delight to read. It has also made me drool all over my eReader, imaging what it would be like to take a bite of the various chocolates, pastries, and so much more.

Felicity is not a willing sleuth, but she knows that if things need to progress on schedule for this museum exhibit, she will have to roll up her sleeves and help Arlo and the police force discover the true killer behind it all. There is no shortage of suspects, and while many seem unlikely, the killer does lurk among them. I wasn't sure who to pin as the killer, and I don't think I got this one right despite my best efforts!

One of the key characters in solving this mystery is a cockatoo named Renoir. He loves to chat and spots off all sorts of phrases that he could only have heard in a heated moment between the killer and the deceased. He is also, apparently, quite an artist, and I would be quite interested to see what he can "paint."

There is still a love triangle going on between Felicity, Logan, and Arlo. In the first few books, Arlo has a girlfriend but realizes that his past with Felicity is still there, bringing them together. Logan has quite the skill set that complements Felicity and even Arlo. He has a somewhat secretive past, and I wonder if that will ever become a problem. I don't blame her for moving slowly to figure out what she wants since she is sometimes still reeling from the loss of her husband. Thankfully, both of these men understand that and are giving her time to decide where she wants her life to go. But how much time will they give her? This book has a few surprises regarding her love life, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

I have really enjoyed this series thus far and learned many new things about chocolate. While I'm not about to try 3-D printing a giant chocolate statue, the process is intriguing.

I was glad to see a few familiar faces return to this book. I wonder which of the next books will contain Autumn's wedding and what could possibly happen if Felicity gets tied up in investigating another murder.

Great series, and we give this book 5 paws up.

Another fantastic cozy mystery read by Amber Royer. I always read her books so far! This one was another excellent read. Loved the mystery!

This book takes place in a chocolate shop. There were two murders at the chocolate shop. They were trying to find out who did it and also explaining how there going to build this ship made out of chocolate. It was a interesting book of how descriptive they are about thr chocolate ship.
If you like a good book about chocolate and candy just a good mystery with some great characters then you will love this book.
This book was approved for me to read by netgalley and the publisher.

chocolatier, family, family-dynamics, friendship, ex-cop, artist, Galveston, amateur-sleuth, small-business, series, cozy-mystery, widow, business-partners, secrets, wedding-madness, asthmatic, law-enforcement, verbal-humor, author, relationships, theft, fauna, suspense*****

Come for the chocolate, stay for the murder investigation.
The chocolate art sculptures, and the Vietnamese coffee had me drooling and the use of a 3-D printer had me amazed.
There is a fairly large cast and suspect pool in this extremely interesting addition to an engrossing series (plus a retired K-9, lop eared bunny, cockatoo, and others). Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from BooksGoSocial and Golden Tip Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

A local art museum director heard that Felicity and her team created an impressive and large sculpture of a rabbit (Knightley, her pet, and the company mascot on their chocolate bars). Inspiration struck, and Mrs. Cook envisioned a gigantic chocolate duplicate of the museum's metal salvage pirate ship sculpture.

It would be a Herculean effort on a very short timetable, with bonbons and desserts included. Plus a computer slide show of Felicity's trips to cacao source farms; on spec.

The money would be good, and nobody would be eating the sculpture, so cheap chocolate would work. But something feels odd. The quirky artists arguing or coming and going? Mrs. Cook, as she introduced herself? Maybe the Cockatoo that yells "I love you!" and "I'll kill you!" (Where and when did he learn those phrases?)

And Felicity still has two problems--other than occasional deaths around her--former police officers Arlo and Logan. Both are very interested in dating her exclusively (or more), but Felicity doesn't feel ready (after her husband's death). Unfortunately, kissing them may not be helping her decide....

This was a fun book; a nice evening read. Not a lot of character development (some insight but just glimpses), a little too much repeating of facts, but the mystery was more complex than most cozies achieve, and took time.

3.8/5 Stars

Thanks to BooksGoSocial, Golden Press, and NetGalley for the ecopy preview of this book; the review is voluntary

#AShotinthe80Dark #NetGalley
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#AmberRoyer #AmberRoyerAuth
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A Shot in the 80% Dark is the 4th entry in the Bean to Bar series and it does not disappoint. The only disappointment is that book 5 is not yet available! Felicity Koerber has returned to her home town of Galveston TX and has opened a Bean to Bar chocolate shop. In this book Felicity has been contracted by a local museum to replicate in chocolate a rather large ship sculpture for an exhibit that celebrates Galveston's history. Unfortunately, Felicity and business partner Logan are at the museum when the lights go out and when they come back on, two of the local artists are dead., one of whom was murdered. In order to keep the contract from being a bust and losing a lot of money, Felicity puts on her detecting cap to help Logan and Arlo, Felicity's ex and cop, solve the crime.

Much like the other books in the series there is something to learn and this time the process of using 3D printing to help build the chocolate sculpture is described, as well as some of Galveston's history including pirates and lost ships.

The author adeptly integrates the other character's lives into the story - Felicity's best friend Autumn's wedding, the cookbook being written by employee Carmen, bloggers Tam and her podcast, and help from former 'enemies' Ash and Kaylee -- all add to the depth of the story. The surprise character in this book is Renoir the gallery's resident artist cockatoo. Renoir very much plays a role in solving the crime with his spouting of phrases he's obviously overheard at some point in his long life. Of course the love triangle between Felicity, Logan and Arlo continues and one is hopeful that she will choose one of the guys by the end of the book, but alas, it is an important part of the story that has yet to be resolved.

This book is engaging from the start and very easy to get lost in. Learning more about the chocolate process is interesting, getting involved with not just Felicity, Logan and Arlo but all of the other characters, and puzzling through the solving of the murder makes this a book not to miss. The crime is very unique with the way the murders/deaths happened, discerning how the crime was committed and who could have possibly committed the crime in the manner hypothesized is very creative. There are many paths that lead to the wrong answer and it is difficult to identify the real culprit until almost the end of the book. Great series and I hope there are many more visits to the Bean to Bar shop!

Felicity Koerber is endlessly lucky. Despite having a track record for bodies turning up where ever she goes, including a cruise ship, her bean to bar shop in Galveston, TX is thriving. She is offered the chance to recreate a ship in chocolate for a Galveston museum and it's an opportunity she cannot pass up. Until not one, but 2 dead bodies surface surrounding the exhibit.

I am growing a bit tired of the dancing around the romance between Felicity and her business partner, Logan. Adding to the triangle is Arlo, Felicity's ex-boyfriend. I hate love triangles in cozies and am not sure why they keep showing up. No one likes them,

However, the delicious descriptions of chocolate bar making keep me coming back for more. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

The latest in the Galveston chocolatier cozy series finds Felicity working on a big project--a chocolate sculpture replica of a museum sculpture. When two artists are killed while assisting her with assembly, she must find the killer if they are to be paid for their work on this project. So, she and her two paramours, Arlo (police detective and former boyfriend) and Logan (her business partner and current love interest), set out to find the killer. In addition, Felicity is feeling the pressure to choose one of them, not wanting to string both along for much longer. So, mystery, romance, and a maritime setting make for an interesting combination. Since I lived in Galveston for six years, the book brings to life many places I knew and that makes it even more interesting for me. Another fun part of the book was the appearance of blogger Tan Binh and her family. They are world travelers who have only been virtual in previous books, so it was nice to see her actually appear in this episode, along with her three very unique children and husband. Another great addition was the addition of a tropical bird named Renoir who lives at the museum (really?)

The plot of this book has lots of angles, which keep your attention throughout. I'm also seeing a little more depth to Felicity in this book. She seems to be more aware of the feelings and motivations of others, more thoughtful about her interpersonal interactions. I think that adds some interest to the story. Can't wait for the next book in the series, but please let Felicity make up her mind about the men in her life! It's gone on long enough!

A Bean to Bar Mystery
Making a replica of a pirate ship sculpture out of chocolate for a local Galveston museum sounds like a job right up Felicity 's alley even if it is a rush job. That meaning that the ship as well as thousands of bonbons and chocolate desserts are needed in barely two weeks. Felicity, her new partner Logan ,and the team at her Greetings and Felicitations chocolate shop rise to the challenge. Then an artist helping out at the museum is murdered. Can the team now work together to solve the crime in time to allow the gallery to reopen and Felicity to not lose out all she has invested?

4th in the bean to bar cozy series by Amber Royer we once again return to Galveston Island where jump right back into the lives of all the characters from the previous entries. Kind of like visiting old friends. As a current Galveston resident I like her take on the island vibe and community.
I am invested in this series and hope for many more stories to come.
4stars on goodreads
I received this book free from netgalley and am providing a fair and honest review.

A Shot in the 80% Dark is book #4 in the Bean to Bar Mystery series by Amber Royer.

Felicity Koerber’s business is growing and she is asked to create a chocolate replica of a sailing ship sculpture for a gala celebrating Galveston’s history. She enjoys the challenge, until there are two dead artists.

If you like your chocolate with a side of murder, this is the book for you. Felicity gets pulled into an investigation that also involves Logan and Arlo which complicates things! I enjoy seeing how the characters have developed throughout the series. I always feel like I learn something when reading these books. I look forward to seeing what is in store for Felicity in the next book.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Loved reading this book. Took me awhile to read it. But truly enjoyed it. Will be reading the next book in the series. Happy reading

A Shot in the 80 Percent Dark is the fourth book in Amber Royer's Bean To Bar Mysteries. In this installment, Protagonist Felicity Koerber has been contracted by a local museum to provide chocolate desserts for a special exhibit celebrating the history of Galveston, specifically oriented toward the events and activities related to seafaring. In addition to the desserts, the museum has asked her to create a chocolate sculpture based on one of the items contained in the exhibit. While working on the construction of the chocolate sculpture, there is a power outage during which two of the artists end up dead.

Throughout this series, the author has done a good job of maintaining consistency for her main cast while bringing in additional characters to interact with and open up possible additional stories down the road. Within this particular book, there are additional interactions between returning characters that allow them to better understand their individual histories and build better relationships for the future as well. The additional tension of the protagonist being torn between two romantic interests allows the reader to develop a much deeper connections to all of the characters. The author also keeps the reader guessing throughout by throwing multiple plot twists, motives and changing suspects and ultimately creates an unexpected final revelation as to the actual parties involved but with a motive as old as time.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Books Go Social and am leaving this review voluntarily.