The owner of a Hudson Valley ice cream shop is out to get the scoop on a hometown homicide in this “decadent, deadly, and delightful” series debut (Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author). After leaving her high-powered Manhattan life behind, Kate McKay is indulging her dream of opening an ice cream shop in her Upstate New York hometown of Wolfert’s Roost. But her spirits melt when she … Roost. But her spirits melt when she learns that her childhood frenemy, Ashley Winthrop, has started selling frozen treats in the bakery across the street. Full of sour high school memories, Ashley is more than game for some unfriendly competition.
But before Ashley can kill Kate’s new business, someone kills Ashley. And now half the town thinks sweet Kate is hiding a sinister secret. To clear her name, she’ll do whatever it takes to put the real killer on ice—even join forces with an old flame. But she’ll need to exercise more than restraint if she wants to expose the killer and live to see another sundae.
“[A] charmer of a cozy mystery. A delicious read that left me hungry for more.”
—Jenn McKinlay
Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe!
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Kate McKay has returned to her hometown of Wolfet’s Roost in the Hudson River Valley of New York, and she has opened her own ice cream shop. Her only possibly concern is that it is across the street from the bakery owned by Ashley Winthrop. The two have known each other all their lives, and they have never gotten along. Sadly, Kate hasn’t even been opened a week before she gets proof that Ashley intends to continue their feud. But when Ashley is murdered the day after the two have a very public fight, Kate finds herself questioned by the police. Can she figure out what really happened before she is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit?
First books in series walk a fine line between introducing us to characters and giving us a good mystery. This one errs on the side of character backstory, which makes the first quarter very slow plot wise. Things do pick up as we go along, and by the second half the mystery is in full swing. Once it got going, I found the mystery good with an ending I didn’t suspect yet one that made sense. Kate, her Gran, and her niece are all solid characters and I enjoyed spending time with them. I am curious where Kate’s love life will go after what we learned and the characters we met here. The suspects don’t get much page time, but they seem real from the little bit of time we did get to spend with them. And there is plenty of talk about ice cream, which made me crave one of my favorite desserts. There are four delicious sounding recipes at the end, so you can bring a bit of Kate’s shop home with you. If you are looking for a new series to help you cool off as the summer heats up, this debut is for you.
In this book we meet Kate who has decided to make a huge change in her life and open an ice cream shop. She was working a very stressed filled job but took time away to help care for her ailing grandmother in the town where she grew up. Things are going well until Kate’s rival from school, who owns a bakery across from her shop, decides she is going to sell ice cream too. When her rival, Ashley, is murdered Kate decides she must find out who the culprit is before she herself ends up behind bars. During a trip to a local dairy farm Kate runs into her ex from high school and is shocked to find him living back in their home town. Follow along as she stealthy investigates while also drumming up new business and selling her awesome flavored sweets. Find out what happened between her ex and herself and will they be able to move forward as friends or forever be stuck in the past. This new book was an amusing treat, it had me craving ice cream the whole way through, and I’m not much of an ice cream person. The author really knows how to tantalize the taste buds with a variety of tasty delightful treats. I can’t wait to find some of the flavors mentioned and try them for myself!!!
Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is a cozy mystery that will keep you in suspense until the very end. Kate opens an ice cream shop in her old hometown across the street from a bakery shop run by Ashley, who has taunted Kate every since Kindergarten. Ashley is murdered after an argument with Kate and Kate becomes a suspect. Kate is determined to find out who killed Ashley and in doing so, finds out that there is more than meets the eye with Ashley.
This is an entertaining mystery with some romance on the side. The plot and characters are well developed and the story will keep you trying to solve the murder along with Kate. In addition, there are recipes for ice cream!
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and I always review every book that I read. I highly recommend this book especially if you like cozy mysteries.
Really enjoyed this book. Will definitely read more in series
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream and Cynthia Baxter has scooped up a tasty mystery for us readers to enjoy!!
Kate McKay has returned to Wolfert’s Roost to take care of her grandmother and to follow her dream of opening an ice cream shoppe. Lickety Splits has a prime location but it is directly across the street from a bakery owned by Ashley Winthrop, a woman Kate knew in school and wishes she could just avoid. When Ashley becomes her competition by selling ice cream Kate has no choice but to confront her. Their argument was loud and very public with no clear resolution until Ashley is found stabbed to death in her bakery. Katy wishes she could have frozen time, back before the war of words. Things really start to melt she becomes the prime suspect. To make things even chillier, her old high school boyfriend comes to her rescue. Maybe together they can clear her name before her dream is crushed and her ice cream shoppe is just a memory.
This series is off to a delicious start!
Kate McKay is so dedicated to getting her business up and running. She has created unique ice cream combinations that will keep her customers coming back for more. I wish the book came with free samples. Her friend Willow has been helping out but she really needs a full-time person. Her niece, Emma, arrives looking for a job at the perfect time. Plus she can move in to help with grams. We also meet others from Kate’s past including her high school boyfriend, Jake Pratt. They haven’t seen each other since he failed to pick her up on prom night. Their reunion is pretty icy. These characters are all very interesting and we are just getting to know them.
The author’s descriptive writing style really drew me into the store. Descriptions of Grams Victorian home and Kate shop made me feel like I was right on the scene. The descriptions of the ice cream flavors, sundaes, and other treats had me practically drooling. It also lent well as Kate went around asking questions, trying to find the real killer. It was very easy to visualize everyone she talked to and where they were. The mystery portion of the story wrapped up in a way I was not expecting and was surprised by who the real criminal turned out to be.
I love ice cream so this theme is one I am excited about. Cynthia Baxter has peaked my curiosity with this first installment. I can’t wait for the next Lickety Splits Mystery!
Much enjoyment! Didn’t see what was going to happen.
Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first installment in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Katherine “Kate” 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.