The chocolate covered body looks like the creation of a giant Easter bunny. Peering into the bakery window, Monica Walters sees a woman slathered with chocolate sprawled on the floor in front of the glass cases filled with pastries. Since Monica doesn't see oozing blood or fragments of brain tissue, she remains calm and calls the police. This bizarre murder sparks a new, moneymaking idea for the bakery's owner. He sells cakes topped with tiny dolls covered in chocolate frosting for potlucks, showers, and hostess gifts. Monica discovers the victim entertained male guests in the wee hours while she baked. The boss says sex never interfered with her professional duties. She never burned a cake. When Monica investigates the boyfriends, none has the earmarks of a murderous loony. Unless, of course, he's a good actor.
Barbara Langner lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico in an old house with a gnarled cottonwood tree frequented by a flock of vultures. The birds entertain her dog, aggravate her husband, and inspire the writer's macabre interest in murder.