Despite the chills that are still lingering in the air, spring is definitely here and all too soon, we'll have ice cream craving weather which makes my latest Series-ous Reading choice all the more seasonable.
This second book in Abby Collette's new cozy mystery series, A Game of Cones, has our leading lady Bronwyn "Win" Crewse, now in charge of the family ice cream parlor, attending a contentious town hall meeting where sparks and footwear flies at the head of a man bringing unwelcome news.
The local business owners of Chagrin Falls are not too happy to hear that a mini-mall is about to be set up in the downtown area, with a few stores shutting up shop to make way for Rhys Enterprises to start construction. Win is not thrilled about it either but not to the point of throwing a shoe at company rep Zeke Reyolds like her good friend Riya does to "show support!"
Zeke is found dead in an alley the next day, with Win now concerned that Riya might be considered a suspect in his untimely demise. Teaming up once again with Maisie-who has more of a motive due to her community garden being destroyed by the incoming mall,if you ask me-Win decides to look into the matter. I know Maisie is innocent, of course, but her eagerness to emulate her favorite British mystery shows like Agatha Raisin and The Queens of Mystery do tend to lead her down the wrong detective path at times:
The infamous Aunt Jack(short for Jacqueline) returns with the express intent to take back the reins of Crewse Creamery, which she ran into the ground with mismanagement and an overabundance of inedible side lines such as lottery tickets and T-shirts for tourists.
While Win's grandfather reassures her that he has the final word on who runs the family business, Aunt Jack seems to be making plans to stay. Can Win keep her aunt at bay without causing a rift among her relatives?
Meanwhile, an old friend from New York arrives to encourage Win to go back with her. Rory Hunter worked with her at the NYC ad agency that Win left and now, supposedly authorized by the higher ups, Rory is here with an offer from the company to take Win back with better pay and status.
Win is not too sure about this sudden offer,especially when Rory appears to be hiding something regarding her arrival to Chagrin Falls. Nevertheless, she does recruit her assistance in looking into the other business owners in town to see if any of them had means or opportunity to eliminate Zeke.
Despite not being fond of the local coffee/tea shop(owned by a pair of twin sisters who have target shooting experience!), Rory is willing to help out and becomes keenly interested in one of the closing down businesses, an art galley that promises to sell her an authentic painting by a member of the legendary Florida Highwaymen, an object worth more than what they're pricing it at or so it seems:
As Win looks into the behind the scenes deals involved with the mall and the mayor's office, more troubling circumstances pop up that cause her to wonder just how messy this particular can of political worms might be. Can she find the killer before the killer finds her and is more than prepared to deal with any trouble at hand?
This follow-up to An Inside Deadly Scoop is a real sweet treat, giving us more of Bronwyn and friends/family in a most delightful way. Collette does create an inviting environment for her characters to thrive in and you would be pleased to join them on any escapade, murder related or not. Also, there seemed to be set-ups for future story lines put in place-the mayor, for one-and that should be good to watch out for in the next couple of books.
My only wish is that we had more time with Aunt Jack(who-semi spoiler- seemed to give up far too soon). However, she may very well come back and she did inspire a new ice cream flavor with candy mixed in for the shop, so job well done there! All in all, The Ice Cream Parlor series is a great new addition to the cozy culinary mystery genre and one worth devouring on a hot or cold day indeed:
For this month's Series-ous Reading, I've chosen a debut cozy culinary mystery with plenty of fun and flavor.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Masansala is the first in this author's Tita Rosie's Kitchen series, where Lila is now working after needing a reset to her life. Her aunt is warm and welcoming but the constant presence of former high school sweetheart Derek Winters is making the restaurant less than appetizing.
Derek is now a local food critic/blogger who persistently gives the place bad reviews and during his latest dining experience, drops dead during dessert! Lila finds herself blamed for his death and has no choice but to clear her name and save her aunt's business to boot.
So far, this book is a charming read that makes it hard for me to put it down at times. Like a judge at a culinary competition, I am tempted to clean my page turning plate yet want to savor the story telling goodness for as long as possible. New reads, like new dishes, are wonderful surprises that make your appreciation for such imaginative creations rise up even higher than before:
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