A Deadly Inside Scoop
An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Book 1
by Abby Collette
Genre: Cozy Mystery
This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.
Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family’s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she’s going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.
To make matters worse, that evening, Win finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Win’s father is implicated in his death. It’s not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Win is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she’ll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown…
My Review
Bronwyn (Win) Crewse has her work cut out for her. She’s determined to re-open her family ice cream shop in the small town of Chagrin Falls in Ohio. Win intends to make the shop as big a success as her grandmother before her did. It’s not an easy feat, however, to sell ice cream during a snow storm. In fact, she doesn’t get one customer on her opening day, but she does manage to find a dead body in the snow.
To add to her troubles, Win learns that the dead guy was an old enemy of her family. The police narrow in on one suspect - Win’s father. Win isn’t going to take this without a fight. Along with her best friend, Maisie, she vows to find a killer. At the same time, she’s determined to make the ice cream shop a success. She’s just not sure she can do both at the same time.
What a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series. The author gives us a charming set of characters starting with our amateur sleuth, Win. Her determination to save her father, as well as the family business, is both realistic and strong. Her sidekick Maisie is so sweet and quirky. Her P.I. “skills” come directly from reading and watching amateur sleuths in books and on TV. She adds the perfect amount of fun to this story. Win's family from her grandfather to her mother to her father are the perfect characters to support Win.
The setting is perfect for a cozy mystery. The author created a compelling mystery that kept me guessing. The storyline is fast-paced and I was surprised at the ending. The killer wasn’t on my radar so that was an extra added bonus for me. This is a solid start to this new series.
I’m looking forward to getting to know these characters even better in future books. The only problem - it left me with a huge craving for ice cream. LOL
For reading challenges:
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2020
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2020 (Ohio)
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2020
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I write as Abby L. Vandiver and Abby Collette but you can just call me Abby . . .
I love mysteries! Whatever I write, I put a little mystery into it.
Now I've got a new cozy mystery coming out May 12, 2020. A Deadly Inside Scoop, is part of my new series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery from Penguin Berkley. I'm so excited for its release.
Stay tuned as I gear up for Release Day with giveaways, interviews and of course. ice cream. (Okay, I won't actually have ice cream on my page, but I'll talk about it. A lot.) Pre-Order here!
An ice cream maker and one-time ice cream delivery and scooper
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
That looks like a great book. Cool giveaway too. My favorite is orange pineapple And I love the book cover.
ReplyDeleteThis looks good. I like that the killer's identity surprised you.
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds so fun. And that cover cracks me up:)
ReplyDelete