Hotelier and fudge-maker Allie McMurphy is really excited about showing her fudge at the Mackinac County Fair, held for the first time in a long while on Mackinac Island itself. Winning Best in Show would not only provide excellent publicity for her historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop but would also be her ticket to entering the even more prominent, and prominence-boosting, state fair. She’s got some stiff competition, though, in 20-time winner Christine Keller—who has no intention of going down without a fight.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other fun fair attractions to distract Allie from overly competitive senior citizens. Her pregnant best friend, Jenn Carpenter, really wants to check out the new haunted house at the fair, and Allie goes along to humor her. The last thing either woman expects is to stumble across an actual dead body while navigating the supposedly harmless chills and thrills of the fairground staple.

Allie’s boyfriend, Police Officer Rex Manning, would really love it if Allie wouldn’t risk her neck investigating the dead bodies that keep throwing themselves into her path. For once, perhaps surprisingly, Allie agrees. She has no personal connection or interest in the dead man, and she’s happy to leave the investigation to the professionals. Alas, her resolve only lasts until another, perhaps connected, death puts her very livelihood in jeopardy. As she strives to clear her hotel from the cloud of suspicion it’s now under, some of those closest to her go missing. Will she be the next to disappear under suspicious circumstances, and possibly even for good?

This was another terrific installment of the long-running series, with very realistic 21st-century conversations and complications. I loved the appearance of the influencer duo and really appreciated the very sensible opinions of Allie’s right-hand woman, Frances, on topics as seemingly diverse as trust between partners and letting kids make their own decisions, among others. The exploration of Mackinac Island was also really well done, spurring me to learn more about the beautiful tourist destination’s fascinating geography and history.

There were eight recipes included here, all for sweet treats. The easy take on Allie’s prize-winning “Deep Chocolate Mint Fudge” recipe was very tempting, but I ultimately settled for making this mint-free variation instead, lightly edited here for format:

Dark Chocolate Coffee Fudge

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons finely ground freeze-dried coffee

Pinch salt

3 cups chopped dark baking chocolate or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Pour sweetened condensed milk into medium-sized, microwavable glass bowl. Add freeze-dried coffee and salt. Stir. Let set for 20 minutes to allow coffee to dissolve. Stir again.

Then add chopped chocolate and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate just melts.

Grease an 8x8x2-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Pour fudge into pan and chill.

Cut into squares to make 48. Enjoy!

I’m usually pretty indifferent to both the making and consumption of fudge, but the results of this recipe were truly out of this world! This dark chocolate coffee fudge has no business being as delicious as it is, especially given how little effort it takes to make.

I was actually surprised by how rich the fudge was as it cooled. I chose to let it cool at room temperature for several hours before chilling in the fridge in order to avoid any of the crystallization that detracts from the fudge’s ideal smoothness, and I found that the texture as it cooled was delightfully brownie-like. Once the fudge completely hardened, it became the smooth coffee-flavored chocolate of my dreams. I’m not the biggest fan of dark chocolate, but the rich flavor was really nicely balanced against the instant espresso I used for this recipe.

Next week, we stay in the Midwest to try a different but equally delicious kind of fudge, while solving the murder of a cranky contractor. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: The Diva Delivers on a Promise by Krista Davis