A Midsummer Night's Fudge by Nancy Coco takes us back to Mackinac Island, Michigan in time for the first Midsummer Night's Festival which celebrates the beginning of the summer season. The fireworks are scaring Mal, Allie McMurphy's bichenpoo so she takes take him back to the McMurphy. On her way back to the festivities, Allie sees someone floating in the water. Allie dives into the water to bring the person back to shore. It turns out to be Winona Higer who had just crowned the Queen of the festival before the fireworks began. Winona has crowned her last queen. The next day as the parade is beginning, Allie is recruited to take Winona's place on the festival committee. It has Allie in the right place to hear all the juicy gossip about the victim. Allie with help from Mal begins digging into the case when the killer strikes again. Allie works to sift through the clues, but she will need to be careful so that she does not get burned. A Midsummer Night's Fudge is the tenth A Candy-Coated Mystery. It can be read as a standalone. I like reading the series in order because it allows me to get to know the characters and the setting. I thought A Midsummer Night's Fudge was well-written with developed characters. Allie, Rex, Jenn, Frances, and, of course, Mal are back for another adventure. I just love Mal who has a nose for crime. He is good at sniffing at bodies and clues. I enjoy the vivid descriptions of Mackinac Island with its charming shops, lovely hotels, and delectable fudge. Allie is busy at the hotel since she lost her assistant. She must get up early to make the various flavors of fudge and take care of the hotel guests. Plus, she does fudge demonstrations during the day with free samples (yum). Of course, no matter how busy Allie is, she cannot resist a mystery. The whodunit was fun to follow. There are various suspects along with a red herring or two. The clues are there if you pay close attention. I enjoyed the dramatic reveal. The only thing that I did not like was Rex constantly discouraging Allie from investigating. One or two mentions I could live with, but it seemed like every time Rex saw Allie, he gave her a warning. I was sorry to see my visit to Mackinac Island come to end. There are recipes included for the fudge Allie made for the McMurphy Fudge Shop. A Midsummer Night's Fudge is a tasty tale with a contentious contest, fabulous fudge, fatal fireworks, a clever killer, a fun festival, and an inquisitive fudge maker.
