Chocolatier Hervey Bay

[Rafael Nowning]

Four Leaf Cleaver," a mystery novel, has just come out, and its author, Edith Maxwell, writes it under the pen name Maddie Day. Maxwell has not only won the prestigious Agatha Award for another work but is a descendant of a cast of Indiana University alumni, including IU's founder David Hervey Maxwell.

Been to IU's Maxwell Hall lately? Yes, she's related to that Maxwell. David Hervey Maxwell (1786-1854) was known as the "Father of Indiana University" because of his success in getting the State Seminary located here. Edith Maxwell earned a bachelor of arts in linguistics from University of California, Irvine and a Ph.D. from IU.

"I'm linked to generations of Maxwell IU alums," she said over the phone,"including founder David Hervey Maxwell and my father, who was drafted into the Army as an undergrad after World Ward II began, and my grandfather, captain of the IU basketball team in 1916."

Set in the fictional town of South Lick, Indiana, "Four Leaf Cleaver," part of the Country Store Mysteries series, not only tells a curdling story but talks about a place called Hoosier Hollow, Beer and Bible nights and Hoosier Brewing Company, with its brewpub.

You'll visit a drag club on Indianapolis's Circle and catch a mention of the Monroe County NAACP chapter. She even mentions good old Gnaw Bone, the Irish Lion restaurant and a fancy downtown truffle-touting chocolatier. IU Health is there, too; so is the UU (Universalist Unitarian church).

Get your pancake recipes ready. My friend used to complain when novelists included details about food. "Who cares that someone's eating broiled cod on a burgundy tablecloth?" Irving Lesnick would say, surprisingly truly perturbed.

Certainly, the book is a mystery; it deluded me till the end. But the author's dedication to food descriptives sucked me in like a mango milkshake through a straw. Those attributes, which Irving might have eschewed, folded me right into the scenes. And baked me in. I was there long after I closed the book for the night.

Almost literally smelling bacon and onions sauting, I learned new food facts such as these: Some people prefer a "double" IPA, a drink stronger than a regular India pale ale. I now fold my strawberries into scone batter, instead of poking them into the chilling dough. She teaches, too, how to roll out biscuit dough to yield flaky layers. Also, I didn't realize that certain baked goods such as scones and muffins keep quite well overnight, but do not wrap them till they've really, really cooled. Fresh raspberries, though, don't last long. Use them quickly.

We combed through Yelp reviews and local publications to see which chocolate shops people across the country can't stop talking about. Of course, we also took into account our own travels, which are incomplete without a little something sweet.

Family-owned and operated, Chocolate Corner in Gulf Shores, Alabama, may be small, but it's definitely packed to the brim with chocolatey goodness and dreamy ice cream flavors. The shop is especially known for its homemade pralines and chocolate turtles.

Anchorage, Alaska, is known for its stunning views of the aurora borealis, and Sweet Chalet is known for its similarly remarkable aurora bonbons. Each bonbon is hand-painted in bright colors and has a glossy finish. The bonbons come in all kinds of flavors ranging from caramelized pear with saffron to raspberry rosewater to floral Earl Grey.

Zak's Chocolate is a small-batch chocolate shop located in Scottsdale, Arizona, that ethically sources its cocoa beans and roasts them itself. The beans are then turned into elegantly flavored bonbons and bars. The dark chocolate bars are all vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

If you think chocolate all tastes the same no matter where you go, Kyya Chocolate in Springdale, Arkansas, will prove you wrong. This bean-to-bar chocolate shop makes a variety of single-origin dark chocolate treats, allowing customers to taste the subtle differences between offerings from Uganda, Ecuador and Madagascar. Springdale is the location of Kyya's manufacturing and retail show, but it has other storefronts throughout the state. Kyya also makes artisanal chocolate syrup, which is used in top coffee shops across the country.

If you want the bright flavors of California in a box of chocolates, look no further than Sacramento's Ginger Elizabeth. Ginger Elizabeth Hahn has been crafting molded and unconventionally flavored chocolates since 2005 and she opened a brick-and-mortar shop in 2008. Her shop specializes in bonbons like eureka lemon, raspberry rose geranium, buttermilk lime and olive oil sea salt. Ginger Elizabeth also releases special cakes seasonally and has some of the best hot chocolate and macarons. There is a second location of Ginger Elizabeth in San Francisco.

Connecticut is so well known for its chocolate shops that it has a bona fide tour route for people with sweet tooths called the Connecticut Chocolate Trail. So how does Bridgewater Chocolate in West Hartford stand apart from the crowd? Its elegant packaging, for one. And the chocolate turtles, coconut igloos and dark chocolate-covered cherries on a milk chocolate heart, for another.

The Govatos family has been making chocolate since 1894, so you know they have the art of the confection down. The service at Govatos Candies in Wilmington, Delaware, is as impeccable as the chocolates, which include Champagne and butter pecan truffles, nonpareils and novelty chocolates in the shape of cameras, cowboys and giant Easter eggs.

Stuart, Florida, located about 80 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, is already one charming small town to visit. Its highlight, though, is Castronovo Chocolate. This bean-to-bar small-batch chocolate shop has won several gold medals at the International Chocolate Awards for its lemon oil and lemon salt-infused white chocolate, Sierra Nevada 63 percent dark chocolate and Colombia mocha milk chocolate. The service here is attentive and as world-class as the bars themselves.

In Hawaiian, "manoa" means deep and solid, and those are the flavors you'll find in the chocolate at bean-to-bar factory Manoa Chocolate Hawaii. All of the beans are grown in Hawaii, making this Kailua shop a true local spot. That commitment to local farm-to-chocolate production continues in their bars' flavors, which are infused with local coffee, sea salt and lavender.

Since 2004, Boise, Idaho's The Chocolat Bar has been using local and organic products and filling its cases with truffles, drops, turtles and more. Some exciting truffle flavors include huckleberry, peanut butter and jelly, and creme brulee; and in turtles, there's coconut caramel peanut and cinnamon twist. A staff favorite is the Theobroma Bar, made with layers of signature dark chocolate, milk chocolate, handmade caramel and topped with chocolate cookie crumbles.

Chicago's Chocolat Uzma is really a journey around the world, one truffle at a time. The handcrafted chocolates are made with high-quality cacao beans sourced from places like Ghana, Venezuela and Mexico. Uzma Sharif, owner and chocolatier at the Pilsen neighborhood spot, showcases her South Asian heritage in flavors like Indian chili caramel, Kashmiri chai and the rose-flavored Pashtun truffle, which is an ode to her Pakistani heritage. Her house-made halal marshmallows are another welcome treat for the many Muslims in Chicago who adhere to halal dietary standards, or anyone who simply loves a fluffy hot chocolate topping.

One of the oldest family-owned candy businesses in the country, Schimpff's Confectionery in Jeffersonville, Indiana, is half chocolate shop, half museum. Beyond the collection of candy-making history, the chocolates are old-fashioned favorites like cordial cherries and cinnamon red hot creams. Don't leave without picking up some caramel-covered marshmallows, which are called "Modjeskas," a term unique to this part of the country.

With traditions and recipes based in the Netherlands, Chocolaterie Stam makes some of the most exquisite chocolates in the country, let alone Des Moines, Iowa. The European-style bonbons, truffles and stroopwafels are packaged in luxurious boxes, and there's even the option to drop $93 on a chocolate case of 54 bonbons.

Locals and tourists alike know there's only one spot to go to in Wichita, Kansas, for a chocolate fix: Cocoa Dolce. The chocolates have beautiful hand-painted designs and are made with premium Belgian chocolate, rich butter and fresh cream. A popular buy is the booze-infused box of classic cocktail-flavored chocolates. Cocoa Dolce also has a line of French macarons with flavors like Tahitian vanilla, salted caramel, pistachio, strawberry balsamic and more.

Art Eatables in Louisville, Kentucky, is dedicated to making bourbon-infused and bourbon-themed candies and chocolates. The art aspect really comes through as each and every confection is beautifully decorated, including hand-painted marshmallows and exquisitely drizzled chocolate-covered Oreos, which are one of the alcohol-free options.

Laura's Candies is the oldest candy shop in New Orleans, having been open since 1913. The French Quarter shop has been producing homemade New Orleans-style goodies, like the chocolate voodoo doll, as well as other gourmet chocolates. Its truffle selection is also impressive with flavors like black forest and Grand Marnier. Laura even has chocolate-dipped Twinkies, so definitely leave any diet you're on at the door.

Black Dinah Chocolatiers in Westbrook, Maine, is tiny, homey and one of those hidden gems you just can't stop talking about. Among its gorgeous creations is the Maine Farm Market Truffle collection, with each truffle featuring an ingredient grown on a Maine farm. The Cassis de Resistance truffle, for example, was made using black currants grown right down the road from this cute shop. The chocolate almond and Maine sea salt bark, and the rich and creamy sipping chocolate are also must-haves.

This Gaithersburg, Maryland, shop's signature bonbons are impeccably decorated and boast a variety of classic and innovative flavors. SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier's ginger-plum and rosemary olive oil chocolates sit next to fun fusions of caramels. All of the cocoa beans used in the shop's confections are from a single family estate in the Dominican Republic, ensuring only the highest quality for the handmade bars, bonbons and truffles.

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