MRC RECOMMENDS: The Chocolatier’s Curse
by Christopher Han-Fai Seto
“A marvelous puzzle…it was chaotic and charming, with a lovely, atmospheric humor.“
-Mystery Review Crew
The Chocolatier’s Curse
By Christopher Han-Fai Seto
Series: Notes On A Murder Book 1
Genre: Ghosts, Private Investigators, Cozy
If you laughed with The Thursday Murder Club, you’ll instantly love the folks at Clumindell’s chocolate factory …
Criminologists, on the whole, do not solve crimes. So Ph.D. student Theo Chan is out of his comfort zone when a pair of enigmatic private investigators hire him for what sounds like a sweet summer gig. Soon, he’s thrust into the puzzle-box world of a classic small-town whodunnit, with few sleuthing skills to rely on.
“A clown climbs up the skeleton tree; A curse on you, a plague on me.” The cryptic prophesy was discovered in Antonia Pruskain’s pocket after her mysterious death at the Clumindell Chocolate and Confectionary headquarters four years ago. Ever since, a ghostly clown has haunted the grounds, always accompanied by inexplicable deaths and disasters. Now one of Clumindell’s founders is murdered inside a locked building, and the clown is the prime suspect.
To survive his first case, Theo must reckon with an unusual murder weapon, endangered tree frogs, paranormal YouTubers, and the shadowy motives of his own employers—who may be the biggest mystery of all.
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Review of The Chocolatier’s Curse by Christopher Han-Fai Seto
“If I were to sum up this book in a few words, I’d say it’s a whodunity with a sweet ghostly twist.”
A locked room. A ghostly clown. A dead founder. And one criminology PhD student who was absolutely not equipped for any of this.
Seto started by dropping us into the world of Clumindell Chocolate and Confectionery, in the town of Blue Frog Springs, Pennsylvania. A town that feels like the kind of fictional hamlet that has always existed just off the map. Quite whimsical, full of secrets, and a cast of characters that pull you in.
In this town, we’re thrown into a whirlwind of detective work alongside Theo (the aforementioned PhD student) and his employers, Primrose and Teebin, who are both eccentric. They are at the beginning of a case involving a four-year-old curse, discovered in a dead woman’s pocket, mind you, that has begun to claim new victims.
The setup of this book was a marvelous puzzle, with a very interesting nod to the nostalgia of the golden age of mysteries, bringing many fond memories to mind; think Christie-era works of fiction on a warm summer day that you didn’t want to end. Seto’s use of unusual murder weapons, endangered tree frogs, and paranormal YouTubers round out a plot that is eccentric without ever losing its footing.
It was chaotic and charming, with a lovely, atmospheric humor. Seto did a great job weaving threads, dropping clues, and describing the characters. I was enchanted and hard-pressed to put this mystery down. It was a relaxing read, getting to see the mystery unfold.
The Chocolatier’s Curse was a true nod to the golden age. It’s a bit slower paced than many books today, so some readers may need to grab their chocolate, tea, and sit a while with this cozy sweet confection—and it is well worth the time.
About Christopher Han-Fai Seto
Chris earned his Ph.D. in criminology from Penn State and is presently an assistant professor at Purdue University. When not writing about fictional or non-fictional crimes, he enjoys reading, origami, and performing sleight of hand-based magic tricks. Chris lives in Indiana with his wife, daughter, and three cats.
Find him at: https://chseto.com/
