Death by Chocolate

By Author / Illustrator

Anna Brooke

Genre

Mystery & Detective

Age range(s)

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781917171304

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

12-03-2026

Synopsis

Packed full of humour and chocolate, this mystery is the perfect gift for middle-grade readers this Easter! Coco's parents have poured everything into a struggling French hotel. But the hotel is haunted by a bitter old ghost, Monsieur Framboise, a chocolatier who met a sticky end. He agrees to share his legendary skills with Coco and her new friend Louis in exchange for their help in uncovering the truth behind his murder. Can Coco and Louis save the family hotel and solve the mystery by Easter?

The Great Chocoplot meets Chocolat, with a dash of Murder Most Unladylike. Humour, mystery and chocolate - the perfect Easter egg alternative! An older middle-grade debut from the hilarious author Anna Brooke.

Reviews

Jacqueline

Coco Bean has been forced to move to a little village in France, where her parents have bought an old hotel. The hotel is haunted by the ghost of the previous owner, who most definitely does not want anyone else living there. Coco is, however, a very determined girl and she decides to investigate the ghost and the past history of the hotel. In doing so, she begins to unravel the secret that is keeping the ghost trapped there.

Murder and chocolate abound in this amusing chapter book. Aimed at Lower KS2 (ages 7+) and full of illustrations, this is a romp of a read, the first in a series for Coco. The font is large and clear, and whilst it is quite predictable in some ways, it is still an enjoyable read due to the humour. The chocolate is mouth-watering and the murder not so graphic - this is cosy crime for primary schools!

Coco is a defiant heroine and her parents very entertaining - trying to do an "Escape to the Chateau," with the rundown hotel. Her mother is trying to be an influencer, too. Coco starts off not speaking French and not wanting to be there, but even she is bound to fall for the charms of a quaint French village surrounded by lavender fields.

The illustrations by Emily Jones are at the beginning of each chapter and the front cover and the ghost is really very non scary - unless you happen to be living in his hotel of course! I'm interested to see what Coco will be investigating next and I am planning to try out the chocolate recipe at the end - what a lovely addition that is!

224 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Alice

Death by Chocolate, a mysterious murder-mystery set in a little French village, is an exciting story. We follow Coco Bean as she navigates her new life in a crumbly French hotel in a slow-moving village, the complete opposite to her life in England. Her parents who love all things French, choose an abandoned hotel, once the home of a chocolatier, as their new home.

Coco misses her old life but is quickly distracted by a ghost haunting the hotel and trying to scare away its new owners. With the help of her dog Belle and new friend Louis, Coco tries to rid the hotel of the ghost of Monsieur Framboise but in the process, they discover they must solve his murder! With the help of his chocolate recipes, the tale of the ghost reaches a dramatic ending.

This is an intriguing story, a mix of mystery, adventure and above all chocolate! The recipe at the end is a good addition to the story and may inspire a generation of chocolate makers. I also enjoyed the small illustrations at the start of each chapter, giving small clues to what may happen next. This story is a great read for ages 7+ and anyone who loves chocolate.

224 pages / Reviewed by Alice Drury