It’s autumn in the Hudson Valley, and Kate McKay has some tricks up her sleeve for a deliciously spooky Halloween at Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. But with a cold-blooded murderer thrown into the mix, the scares are about to become a little too real . . . Kate receives the shock of a lifetime when she’s blindsided by an offer she can’t refuse. An assistant movie director desperately wants … assistant movie director desperately wants to shoot a key scene at Lickety Splits and she’s willing to pay big bucks to sweeten the last-minute deal. All Kate has to do is tolerate a bustling film crew for a few hours and provide one important prop—a scoop of handmade ice cream . . .
But when up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after spooning down some chocolate almond fudge, Kate’s first taste of Hollywood might be her last. Someone poisoned the leading lady, and with Lickety Splits draped in yellow crime scene tape, detectives are ready to cast Kate as the leading suspect . . .
Determined to clear her name, Kate finds herself churning through a long list of unsavory characters to catch the real killer lurking around town. As she uncovers the truth about the jealous rivals and obsessive stalkers who haunted Savannah’s life, Kate soon realizes that tangling with the late starlet’s “fans” could make this her most terrifying Halloween yet . . .
Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe!
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Last Licks
A Lickety Splits Mystery, Book #3
Cynthia Baxter
5 Stars
Synopsis:
It’s autumn in the Hudson Valley, and Kate McKay has some tricks up her sleeve for a deliciously spooky season at her Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. But with a cold-blooded murderer thrown into the mix, the scares are about to become a little too real . . .
Kate receives the shock of a lifetime when she’s blindsided by an offer she can’t refuse. An assistant movie director desperately wants to shoot a key scene at Lickety Splits and she’s willing to pay big bucks to sweeten the last-minute deal. All Kate has to do is tolerate a bustling film crew for a few hours and provide one important prop–a scoop of handmade ice cream . . .
But when up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after spooning down some chocolate almond fudge, Kate’s first taste of Hollywood might be her last. Someone poisoned the leading lady, and with Lickety Splits draped in yellow crime scene tape, detectives are ready to cast Kate as the leading suspect . . .
Determined to clear her name, Kate finds herself churning through a long list of unsavory characters to catch the real killer lurking around town. As she uncovers the truth about the jealous rivals and obsessive stalkers who haunted Savannah’s life, Kate soon realizes that tangling with the late starlet’s “fans” could make this her most terrifying fall yet . . .
Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe! (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoy getting to spend time with Kate and her family, friends and coworkers. They all get along great and care about each other. The relationship between Kate and her Grams is heartfelt, you can feel the love between them.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. I enjoyed the Halloween setting and all of the decorations that were described as part of Lickety Split’s Halloween theme. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read.
The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a steady pace. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. Throw in some red herrings and it was not easily solved. I was surprised at who the killer was,which is great.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This book is a sweet treat, just like all of the ice cream that Kate serves.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Ice cream and Halloween make a fun combination! I love Kate’s Lickety Splits ice cream shop with original flavors and more creative flavors. The Halloween Bag of Tricks and Treats was a great-sounding ice cream flavor in this book. I also enjoy Kate’s close relationship with her grandmother and niece. A movie crew is shooting a scene in Kate’s shop and the day of the shoot, the lead actress is poisoned when she eats the ice cream. The police suspect Kate, except she really had no motive since she hadn’t even met the actress until that day. Now Kate sets out to clear her name and her shop’s reputation. So many of the suspects seem to have secrets or different stories. Grams also has a new gentleman friend, who I felt was suspicious from the beginning, though for no particular reason. An intriguing story and I loved the Halloween party Grams created. I hope there will be more books because I love ice cream and I’d love to see more of Kate and Jake’s relationship!!
Halloween Horror Cozy Mystery
This book is part of a series and can stand alone. It has a beautiful setting, lots of moving pieces and a very surprising ending. Like the rest of the series, there is a bit of romance, a bit of country charm and a bit of delicious ice cream. The author includes a few recipes at the back of the book. This is a fun story that I enjoyed. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Reading this series makes me head for the freezer and pull out a pint of really good ice cream. With that in mind, I planned which flavor I wanted beforehand. (mint chocolate chip) Once that was settled I dove into this, the third in the series after Murder with a Cherry on Top and Hot Fudge Murder. I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s almost Halloween and Kate and her niece are trying to come up with some themed flavors to serve at Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe which she owns. Located in the Hudson Valley of Wolfert’s Roost, it fits in with the small town appeal. That is until a murder intrudes on their Halloween plans. For a small business owner, money is always a concern. When Gram and Emma put their talents to work they created awesome decorations including a full size Frankenstein seated out front at one of the tables enjoying a triple scoop cone. A real attention getter. Too bad the other attention getter involved a homicide with Kate as the prime suspect. With money always an issue, Kate says yes, a bit reluctantly, when Chelsea Atkins shows up and wants to rent the whole shop for a movie scene. The eatery that was supposed to be available was shut down due to a fire in the kitchen and the filming is set for the next day. Her hesitation goes out the front door when she sees how much they will pay her for a couple of hours filming. Too bad Kate couldn’t see what was lurking around the corner. The next day the filming starts, the young female star, Savannah Crane eats some ice cream and CUT! She’s been murdered, the ice cream shoppe is a crime scene complete with yellow tape and Kate is top of the list of suspects.
This was a very satisfying mystery complete with a charming setting, great characters, a touch of romance and enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me from spotting the killer – just the way I like my mysteries.
Series: A Lickety Split Mystery – Book 3
Author: Cynthia Baxter
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 256
Publishing Date: December 31, 2019
A new addition to the “A Lickety Split Mystery” series by Cynthia Baxter published by Kensington Books comes the delicious (Halloween) holiday cozy, Last Licks.
Kate’s ice cream shop is a beautiful place to spend a few hours. Visiting with the characters from this series is time well spent. Kate and Emma, as well as Grams, are fun, exciting characters that will tickle readers funny bone, and make them worry as well as they get involved in a murder. This holiday cozy has a yummy setting, who wouldn’t enjoy spending time at an ice cream shop that specializes in exotic flavors. Chapter headings with informative ice cream history and tidbits make each one a joy to start.
The murder itself is well-plotted, with believable suspects, clues, and a conclusion that will leave readers reeling. The ending will have readers gasping, filled with the need to jump in and help the characters catch the bad guy. A holiday cozy should incorporate the holiday as the central theme, and this one hits the mark. There are plenty of ghouls, ghosts, and zombies, as well as suspense and intrigue throughout the pages. Even though we are coming up to the Christmas holiday, a Halloween theme is still a great read for the festive season. I am happy to recommend Last Licks and the entire series.