Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Murder with a Cherry on Top is the debut of the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe mystery series set in the small town of Wolfert's Roost, NY and featuring ice cream shop owner, Kate McKay. Having left her Manhattan PR job to come back home and take care of her ailing Grandmother, Kate follows a dream and opens Lickety Splits, an ice cream shop featuring Kate's new and inventive flavors.
The shop is off to a great start thanks to the help of best friend Willow Baines, until Kate realizes that her high school nemesis, Ashley Winthrop, owner of the bakery, Sweet Things, located across the main street has put a sign up in her window proclaiming the new addition of ice cream to the menu. Ashley has been a thorn in Kate's side since kindergarten and determined not to let her ruin her new business, Kate engages Ashley in a loud verbal altercation out on the sidewalk. When Ashley is discovered dead the next morning, all spoons point to Kate.
A fun, easy read with ice cream descriptions that will have your mouth watering and your freezer door open. Interesting characters and relationships that hopefully will continue to develop in future installments.
The shop is off to a great start thanks to the help of best friend Willow Baines, until Kate realizes that her high school nemesis, Ashley Winthrop, owner of the bakery, Sweet Things, located across the main street has put a sign up in her window proclaiming the new addition of ice cream to the menu. Ashley has been a thorn in Kate's side since kindergarten and determined not to let her ruin her new business, Kate engages Ashley in a loud verbal altercation out on the sidewalk. When Ashley is discovered dead the next morning, all spoons point to Kate.
A fun, easy read with ice cream descriptions that will have your mouth watering and your freezer door open. Interesting characters and relationships that hopefully will continue to develop in future installments.
Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first installment in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Katherine âKateâ McKay has opened Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe in Wolfert's Roost, New York. It is a dream come true for Kate and the start of a new chapter in her life. Then she notices Ashley Winthrop of Sweet Things Pastry Palace posting a sign in her window stating that they are now selling homemade ice cream. It seems Ashley is continuing the rivalry that began in kindergarten. After having a public argument with Ashley in front of the store, Kate heads out to Juniper Hill Organic Dairy where she encounters her old high school boyfriend, Jake Pratt. The sight of him still makes her heart skip a beat. The next day Kate is awakened to pounding on her door and Officer Pete Bonano on her doorstep. Ashley was killed in her bakery the night before, and Kate is at the top of the suspect list courtesy of her vocal disagreement with the victim. With gossip causing a decline in business, Kate sets out to find Ashley's killer before her dream melts away.
I liked the premise for A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Ice cream and mystery in one book (I love ice cream and have a bowl every day). The author created an adorable shop for Kate McKay to sell her homemade ice cream treats as well as a charming small town. Readers are entertained with delectable descriptions of ice cream throughout the book (the Tahitian Vanilla sounds scrumptious). Every ice cream that Kate sells to a customer is described in detail. The book is nicely written and has a steady pace. The author has an easy, breezy writing style. There are some quirky characters like Willow Baines, Kate's best friend. I liked Grams and Kate's niece, Emma. I fell in love with Gram's beautiful Victorian home (I want it). The mystery, though, was lacking and it was not the primary focus of the book. The investigation consists of Kate asking questions and speculating on the identity of the guilty party (no action or suspense). Instead of Kate identifying the killer, she stumbles upon the solution. I wish the author had put as much effort into the mystery as she did into coming up with the ice cream flavors. Of course, there is are requisite cliché nasty detective (thankfully we do not see much of him). My rating for Murder with a Cherry on Top is 3 out of 5 stars. Murder with a Cherry on Top is a cute and entertaining cozy mystery that will have readers pulling their favorite frozen treat from their freezers.
I liked the premise for A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Ice cream and mystery in one book (I love ice cream and have a bowl every day). The author created an adorable shop for Kate McKay to sell her homemade ice cream treats as well as a charming small town. Readers are entertained with delectable descriptions of ice cream throughout the book (the Tahitian Vanilla sounds scrumptious). Every ice cream that Kate sells to a customer is described in detail. The book is nicely written and has a steady pace. The author has an easy, breezy writing style. There are some quirky characters like Willow Baines, Kate's best friend. I liked Grams and Kate's niece, Emma. I fell in love with Gram's beautiful Victorian home (I want it). The mystery, though, was lacking and it was not the primary focus of the book. The investigation consists of Kate asking questions and speculating on the identity of the guilty party (no action or suspense). Instead of Kate identifying the killer, she stumbles upon the solution. I wish the author had put as much effort into the mystery as she did into coming up with the ice cream flavors. Of course, there is are requisite cliché nasty detective (thankfully we do not see much of him). My rating for Murder with a Cherry on Top is 3 out of 5 stars. Murder with a Cherry on Top is a cute and entertaining cozy mystery that will have readers pulling their favorite frozen treat from their freezers.
