Just six weeks after the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe, owner Kate McKay has been enlisted to whip up sundaes at the most decadent soiree in the Hudson Valley. If only Kate knew how deadly sticky her sweet deal will turn out . . . Once Kate arrives at a glamorous gala hosted by world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane, she’s instantly intimidated by the mogul’s luxurious … intimidated by the mogul’s luxurious mansion and the frosty personalities of his handlers. But the party completely loses its flavor when guests follow screams to a room that’s eerily empty—except for Omar’s freshly murdered body . . .
While the headline-grabbing crime brings a steady stream of journalists to the sleepy village of Wolfert’s Roost, Kate knows things won’t return to normal until Omar’s killer is brought to justice. And with the scandalous case driving customers away from Lickety Splits, she has no choice but to put down the ice cream scooper and expose the culprit on her own . . .
As Kate crashes high-profile photo shoots and mingles with fashion’s biggest influencers in search of clues, the puzzling truth about Omar’s fame and fortune rises to the surface—and with it, the key to his killer’s twisted motive. Kate will have to navigate the celebrity lifestyle to save her fledgling business, but her attempts to freeze cold-hearted criminals in their tracks could lead to a double scoop of deadly trouble . . .
Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe!
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Synopsis:
Just six weeks after the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe, owner Kate McKay has been enlisted to whip up sundaes at the most decadent soiree in the Hudson Valley. If only Kate knew how deadly sticky her sweet deal will turn out . . .
Once Kate arrives at a glamorous gala hosted by world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane, she’s instantly intimidated by the mogul’s luxurious mansion and the frosty personalities of his handlers. But the party completely loses its flavor when guests follow screams to a room that’s eerily empty–except for Omar’s freshly murdered body . . .
While the headline-grabbing crime brings a steady stream of journalists to the sleepy village of Wolfert’s Roost, Kate knows things won’t return to normal until Omar’s killer is brought to justice. And with the scandalous case driving customers away from Lickety Splits, she has no choice but to put down the ice cream scooper and expose the culprit on her own . . .
As Kate crashes high-profile photo shoots and mingles with fashion’s biggest influencers in search of clues, the puzzling truth about Omar’s fame and fortune rises to the surface–and with it, the key to his killer’s twisted motive. Kate will have to navigate the celebrity lifestyle to save her fledgling business, but her attempts to freeze cold-hearted criminals in their tracks could lead to a double scoop of deadly trouble . . .
Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe! (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Kate is a strong kind woman and she loves her ice cream shop. There is nothing that she would not do to make it successful. So when someone dies at a party that Lickety Splits is catering, she takes it personally and vows to find the culprit. I really enjoy spending time with Kate’s core group of family and friends. I have to say that a love triangle is not my favorite thing and I hope Kate makes a decision soon. Who will she pick?
The setting is homey and the ice cream shop seems like someplace I would like to visit often. Some of the ice cream flavors sounded yummy, others not so much. I have to say that reading about all of the flavors that Kate makes and is thinking of making got a little tedious and a little tiresome, and I love ice cream. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy ready. The author is very talented in creating suspense and I thought that the mystery was well plotted and well paced. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery and I am looking forward to reading the next book when it is released.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Kate McKay is thrilled that after only being in business a short time people are booking her to cater ice cream desserts for their parties. She can’t believe she has been asked to serve sundaes at Omar DeVane’s gala. The prominent fashion designer will have many celebrities at his event and she hopes they will love the sweet treats she will be serving. She has been told Mr. DeVane loves hot fudge sundae’s, she hopes his guests will too.
When she arrives at the mansion with her best friend, Willow, her niece Emma, and Emma’s boyfriend Ethan, they are awed by the place but set up their Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe station and get ready to serve the guests. Things get really sticky when the housekeeper screams and Omar Devane’s body is found. Murdered by one of his guests? That has to be the answer, but who?
Sadly, the public draws the line between the murder and Kate’s shop. The press has camped out in front of her shop and isn’t there for the ice cream. Could this murder thaw her right out of business? Leaving her shop in Emma’s care she embarks down the path to find the killer herself, making Wolfert’s Roost’s Detective Stoltz very unhappy.
Cindy Baxter delivers another delicious mystery for her readers to enjoy.
Our protagonist Kate McKay is one busy woman. Running her shop, developing new and unique flavors, and tracking down a murderer. Her old high-school boyfriend Jake seems to be quite jealous when Hudson Valley Adventure Tours opens across the street from Lickety Splits and its owner seems to be interested in Kate. A good old fashioned romantic triangle in the making. Kate’s grandmother is getting a little restless at home and has started visiting the Senior Center and having some grand ideas. I really enjoy the way Kate and her Grams evolved from the first story and throughout this one. It is a natural progression and not forced.
The murderer has to be someone at the party which could mean a lot of suspects but the focus quickly narrows down to just a few. There were some wonderful twists but I made my decision of whodunit early on, I just needed the motivation to fall better into place. I did enjoy all the work Kate put in to investigate and had fun following along.
As in the first book in this series, Ms. Baxter’s descriptive writing style drew me in. Not only the people and the places but the ice cream. Being allergic to nuts I was sad to see all the recipes with almonds but love the direction she is going with Lickety Lite. If you don’t have ice cream in the freezer when you start reading this book, put the book down and go get some. You will be wanting a scoop or two before you get through the first couple of chapters.
I really enjoyed this story. I am excited about the next story with both Kate and Grams having some bright ideas.
Hot Fudge Murder is a breezy and humorous cozy mystery. It is the second book in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series, but it can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know is included in Hot Fudge Murder. Kate McKay opened Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe six weeks earlier and the shop has been doing well so far (fingers crossed). Catering a high end event for Omar Devane (loves ice cream) will introduce Kate’s shop to a higher end clientele and, hopefully, provide her with more catering opportunities. She did not anticipate the host being murdered during the event nor the vast number of journalists who would overtake the town. Kate is worried if the murder does not get solved quickly, her ice cream shop will go under from the lack of customers. Cynthia Baxter is a descriptive writer which provides readers with details they need to visualize the story. Kate questions various suspects and looks around Omar’s home in the hopes of identifying the killer. There are a limited number of suspects which makes it simple to solve this whodunit. I did find that Hot Fudge Murder slowed down in the middle with the pace picking up towards the end along with the action. Romance is in the air as Kate has two men interested in dating her. I sincerely hope the author will quickly nip the love triangle in the bud. Kate’s niece, Emma is having romance troubles of her own and we get to hear about every single detail. I would have preferred less romance and a more complex mystery. I did like the change in Grams and her idea involving the seniors from the local senior center. Hot Fudge Murder is filled with delectable and some unusual ice cream descriptions. Kate is always coming up with new flavor combinations which has caused her pants to become uncomfortably tight. I like the historical tidbits on ice cream at the beginning of each chapter. There are recipes for ice cream, sorbet and hot fudge sauce at the end. Hot Fudge Murder is a lighthearted cozy mystery that will leave readers craving a frozen sweet treat.
The first book I’ve read by this author, though I believe the second in this series. Even not having read the previous book, I was not lost and could follow the storyline perfectly well without. It helps that the mystery was self-contained as well. Kate is still in the fledgling days of opening her ice cream shoppe, Lickety Splits, when she is asked to cater the desserts for a fashion show by Omar DeVane. but the event is brought to a halt when Omar is discovered murdered. Can Kate solve the case and get the tourists to come back to Wolfert’s Roost, and Lickety Splits, before the reputation of their hometown in upstate NY is forever tarnished.
I liked this book, though the amount of narration, as opposed to dialogue, felt a little too heavy to me and the books dragged in parts for me because of it. But I enjoyed the characters and setting(s) enough to make a return visit to Lickety Splits in future installments.
I enjoyed it
As a child I enjoyed our local ice cream parlor, it was a treat to go there with my family and struggle to pick out a wondrous creation from the menu. I’m still a lover of ice cream. Oh, the flavors – sigh. If I lived near Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe, I would be there so often I would have me own seat. This series is a classic cozy set in a small town with a young woman who has left her job to return home due to family matters and decides to start a new chapter of her life. When I need an escape, this is what I need. While this is the second entry in the series, it hasn’t suffered from the slump some books hit.
Kate has started her ice cream shoppe and has become so popular that she is hired to serve her ice cream at a very swank party. That’s great for her business. That is, until murder joins the party and the resulting bad press threatens to melt her business into nothing. Kate dives into her investigating knowing that her future is on the line. Along the way she has to juggle her love life and her family life. A love triangle wasn’t in her plans.
The setting and the characters along with a well crafted and satisfying mystery made for a nice escape. My only problem? I kept wanting to raid my freezer for more ice cream, none of it, alas, as good as the ice cream sold at the Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe.
This was a fun, enjoyable cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I even learned some fun facts! I recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy Mysteries.
Great book! Kate McKay runs an ice cream shop with both regular and unique flavors. When she caters an event for a famous fashion designer, the evening doesn’t end well with the designer being murdered. With tourists staying away from town, Kate sets out to find the killer. Another potential love interest is introduced with new shop owner, Brody. I love the town and characters as well as the ice cream flavors Kate is always thinking up. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for her and if she chooses a relationship with Jake, Brody, or someone new. My vote is for Jake. I feel the two of them are better suited for each other. Can’t wait to find out what ice cream flavors Kate will create next, too! They all sound intriguing!!
In this second book of the series Kate has been asked to cater a gala at a famous fashion designers home. She is so excited about the opportunity and looking forward to meeting some famous people. When Omar, the designer, is found dead by his maid the party comes to a halt. The police are called in and start asking questions as well as looking for clues. Suddenly the quiet town of Wolfert’s Roost becomes invaded with journalist’s even the tabloid kind. Kate hates seeing all the camera’s every where and decides that something must be done. Kate starts diving into her own investigation by going to fashion shoots and meeting with those in the fashion world. Can she find the answers she seeks or is she digging herself I to a hole. Her business has only been up and running for about six weeks, could this investigation ruin her business? Follow along as Kate tries to come to some definitive answers and bring her life back normal. This is a fun series, I love how the author gives wonderful ice cream and ice cream related facts at the beginning of each chapter, it’s always to learn new things when you read!
Murder and an Ice Cream Shoppe
This is the second in a cute and cozy mystery series. The plot line is very good and keeps the reader’s interest. The characters are believable and are not the ‘super beings’ usually found in fictional mysteries. I plan on reading the entire series. This reader found the setting quite refreshing and fun. I received this ARC for free and this is my honest review.