Drop Dead Chocolate by Jessica Beck is the 7th book in the “Donut Shop” mystery series. Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks, April 2012

The whole town of April Springs is stirring over the upcoming mayoral election. Suzanne Hart’s mother, for one, is dead-set on replacing the current mayor…and what better way for Momma to drum up support than by luring in voters with Suzanne’s drop-dead-delicious donuts? Just add chocolate, and they’re sure to kill the competition.

With Momma’s half-baked campaign heating up faster than a donut shop deep fryer, Suzanne wonders if they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. But when Momma’s opponent is brutally murdered, the odds of winning are suddenly, and suspiciously, in their favor. Sure, they’d been planning to beat the mayor—but with speeches and donuts, not a blunt instrument. If Suzanne hopes to reveal the killer’s recipe for revenge, she’ll have to uncover a plot that’s darker than any chocolate.

The mayor has done it again and this time Suzanne’s mother decides to throw her hat in the ring in the hopes of unseating him. That becomes moot when Suzanne finds the mayor’s dead body. When her mother becomes a prime suspect, Suzanne searches for clues to clear her mother’s name and reputation and bring a killer to justice.

This was a great read with a good plot that kept me guessing throughout most of the story. Suzanne is at her best as she collects the clues and when she is threatened, she knows she is close to exposing a killer. The familiar people are back to lend a hand such as Jake, Grace, George, and Emma. Changes are afoot for some of the residents that left me pleasantly surprised. We got a sneak peek at the next book in this entertaining series and I can’t wait to read it.