A review by revel_in_reading
The Chocolate Raccoon Rigmarole by Joanna Carl

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

2.0

I am fairly new to the cozy mystery genre and HAD to give this one a go. Anyone who knows me knows if there is a raccoon, I am sold. 

Unfortunately I have to say this one fell short for me. At first I was excited seeing the character cast had some younger characters (30s which seemed perfect for me) but I couldn't help but feel like everyone was much older. Maybe it was the way they spoke? Or the phrases? (Golly) I sadly struggled to make a connection with any of the characters. Throughout the story the characters seemed disjointed, I didn't really feel or believe any of the relationships which made it difficult to care about them or their problems. 

The next portion of the review is specific to the story and may contain spoilers 

The mystery surounds a small town in which break-ins are running rampant. The strange part? Nothing goes missing. All that is taken is a few snacks! The criminals also seem to easily let themselves in and out of all of the businesses they rob. After numerous break-ins the robbers for the first time have a run in with a business owner, tying him up and locking him in a store room. The cops come to investigate and one female cop in particular seems a bit strange, fast forward and she is found dead, and it seems to be a suicide. Later the robbers try and kill another one of the small town neighbors. I was incredibly bored throughout and left wanting more story that actually pertained to anything going on. You never get a solid reason for why the robbers were only eatting a few snacks, just that they were "practicing" breaking in just incase anything worth stealing ever came around. You get almost nothing on the person who actually died, it's almost as if she's forgotten untill the end when you learn she was dating one of the robbers and got cold feet so they kill her. And you get the most complicated pointless story as to why the robbers are attacking two other guys in town. Apparently they all served in the military in the past together and had been friends? Some very strange lose story about how one friend was a bit of a trouble maker and now suddenly is I guess a murderer which I don't know how we are expecte to buy the story.