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A Sprinkle in Time: A Dessert Cozy Mystery
A Sprinkle in Time: A Dessert Cozy Mystery
A Sprinkle in Time: A Dessert Cozy Mystery
Ebook345 pages5 hours

A Sprinkle in Time: A Dessert Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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"The first shake shop mystery delivers all the delectable ingredients cozy mystery fans crave. This terrific series debut is certain to tempt the reading palates of fans of Cleo Coyle, Sarah Graves, and the much-missed Diane Mott Davidson."

Library Journal, STARRED Review for Pint of No Return

The second book in the Shake Shop Mysteries—a new murder in town has Trinidad Jones thrown for a scoop!

It's Alpenfest in Upper Sprocket! Yodelers are congregating in the square, tourists flocking to the town, and Trinidad Jones is scooping up some fall flavors at her Shimmy and Shake Shop.

The cherry on the sundae is her upcoming feature in The Scoop magazine. She's determined to serve up the perfect interview, but it won't be easy, thanks in part to her meddling Cuban grandfather Papa Luis who has decided to make Sprocket his home for the foreseeable future. Papa Luis has set himself up as a taxi driver in his classic 1951 Buick.

But things take a turn when Papa Luis tells her he's found a corpse in his trunk. Upon closer investigation, they realize the body has disappeared. With the assistance of Juliette and Bonnie (her sisterhood of exes) and the way too handsome nut farmer Quinn Logan, Trinidad must solve the mystery of the disappearing corpse, before her father is up to his neck in a murderous mess.

Praise for Pint of No Return, Book 1 of the Shake Shop Mysteries:

"Murder offers the heroine a surprisingly fresh start in this charming series kickoff"—Kirkus Reviews

"A delicious charmer featuring a triple scoop of murder"—Library Journal

LanguageEnglish
PublisherSourcebooks
Release dateMay 24, 2022
ISBN9781728231594
A Sprinkle in Time: A Dessert Cozy Mystery
Author

Dana Mentink

Dana Mentink is a Publisher's Weekly and national bestselling author. She has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion and a Reviewer's Choice award. She's authored more than thirty five novels to date for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at www.danamentink.com

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Reviews for A Sprinkle in Time

Rating: 4.391304456521739 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

23 ratings8 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Sprinkle in Time is a great follow-up to A Pint of No Return, book one in the series. I just love Trinidad because she is shake shop owner by day coming up with some yummy concoctions and a sleuth by night. What makes the story is the whole menagerie of quirky characters in Sprocket. Readers met most of them in book one, but they were all still new to each other as Trinidad had just arrived. In this story, there was much more of a sisterhood among the ex wives. I also just totally adored Papa Luis and I am always a sucker for a canine sidekick like Noodles. This was a fun cozy mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I am looking forward to more adventures with Trinidad and the rest of the crew of Sprocket.Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink is the second book in her Shake Shop Mystery series. Welcome back to the quaint little town of Upper Sprocket, Oregon, where Trinidad Jones is whipping up a delicious ice cream surprise. When her grandfather discovers a dead body in the trunk of his beloved classic car, Trinidad must help find the murderer before the new life she has come to love melts around her. Trinidad’s sleuthing abilities are a work in progress. I loved the way she protected those she loved. Another cozy mystery from a wonderful author.I received this book from Celebrate-Lit for my honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the second book in this cozy mystery series and I recommend reading the first book in the series so you know who a lot of the characters are. This one will make you laugh a lot. There are many twists and turns. Eat before reading or you will want to indulge in lots of ice cream. I love Trinidad and her grandpa and the boys that work for her. This is a great town also. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink is 2022 Poisoned Pen Press publication. Trinidad is trying to re-group after a series of business setbacks at her Shimmy and Shake ice cream shop. Unfortunately, the shop is hit with more unwelcome notoriety when her Papa Luis discovers a body in the truck of his car. But before law enforcement could arrive the body disappeared… Eventually the body is found, but Trinidad’s new love interest, Quinn, could be a suspect, along with the judge and the mayor of the town. To thicken the plot, it would seem all three possible suspects were acquainted with a young woman who went missing many years ago… Could the two cases be connected somehow?This second installment in this series is a good, solid follow up to "Pint of No Return" I love small communities harboring buried secrets and cold cases is one of my favorite mystery tropes. This story has all that, plus the character relationships developed a little more, firming up Trinidad's friendships between the ‘ex’s’- and added more tension with Quinn. I did have a few small critiques- Trinidad made some rather miraculous observations that pushed the plausibility envelope just little too far.SPOLER ALERT: I also had mixed feelings about the big clue that flipped the switch for Trinidad. While part of this story involves a cold case, I wondered if perhaps the scenario was a little too dated for readers younger than myself who most likely has very little first hand experience with this particular set of circumstances. Shoot, even I had access to different and much easier options as a teenager, but it’s not rocket science- so I’m probably overthinking it a little. -END OF SPOILER-That said, the story was absorbing, quick, light and entertaining, overall. I will be back for the next installment to see how things are going at the Shimmy and Shake shop. 4 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the second installment of the author’s new series we once again get to hang out with Trinidad and her dog Noodles. I love that she owns Shimmy and Shake Shop which is the perfect setting for this story. I would love to be there sipping on one of her famous Freakshakes. The shop is going strong and Trinidad hopes to drum up more business with her mobile shop at an upcoming event. Everything gets off to a good start until rumors start spreading through the town about a body in a trunk. Poor Trinidad is going to have her hands full when her papa is the one who discovered the body in his trunk. The shenanigans kick into high gear when the body disappears from the trunk. Did it get up and walk away? Where it is found is suspicious and who it is is going to cause trouble for the town. As the festival starts up in town rumors start flying about the body that was found. Poor Trinidad is trying to enjoy herself but something happens to her that causes suspicion to travel to several people. A name from thirty years ago keeps coming up, and somehow I knew it would be significant. It is never good when secrets are exposed and boy does this story have its share. If you love lighthearted cozy mysteries with a small town setting, a character that is smart, funny and seems to have a knack for solving crimes, then I recommend you grab a copy of this book. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Life can be hard. Enter cozies like A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink. Clean, with a sweet romance, whose amateur sleuth runs a delectable shake shop. A dog, a child, precocious twins who work for the shake shop, and lovable Papa Luis. Plus, of course, plenty of suspects. “Murder, mayhem, and milkshakes. Who’d a thunk it?”Trinidad Jones becomes someone I truly care about in this book. I am amazed at how she and Gabe’s two other former wives forgive each other and actually become friends. Not just friends, but family, as thick as blood. Now there is a small cluster of characters to follow and enjoy in this town of Upper Sprocket. Fun!I enjoy the inclusion of dogs, children, and special-needs people, and Dana Mentink brings them all to our Shimmy and Shake Shop story. Noodles is old, but what a loyal companion, and, wow, does he have an amazing ability or two! Little Felice adds warmth and vulnerability to the tale. Doug, the special-needs brother of Trinity’s love interest, Quinn, adds reality and complexity to the novel.Mentink has a good sense of humor and I laughed out loud several times. Just what I want out of a cozy. Mystery, romance, great characters, laughter. A fun occupation that the sleuth actually works at. I am happy to report I made it through the book without indulging in ice cream! But, can you?I am looking forward to more murder and mayhem in Upper Sprocket! Plus more Freakshakes!—————————————————————————I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. (I also bought my own copy.) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.————————————————————————-Notable Quotables:“He was merely a friend the way a Ming vase was just an old pot.”“There’s your plan and God’s plan, and your plan…” “Doesn’t count,”“Maybe it’s one of those weird small-town happenings.” “A body in your trunk isn’t a happening, it’s a horror movie,”“It wasn’t an easy thing to command the heart to feel what the brain ordered.”“Rumors carry so much more weight than the truth, sometimes.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Welcome back to Upper Sprocket, home of the Shimmy and Shake Shop and the Sisterhood of Exes. Trinidad Jones is in fine form with her latest creations just in time for the Alpenfest. A body found, bones unearthed and suddenly there are secrets, both old and new.There’s your plan and God’s plan, and your plan doesn’t count. Somehow that seems to be about the sum of it. The ice cream is fabulous, the yodeling something Noodles greatly enjoys and the mystery of sin in Sprocket that will not stay buried. You don’t want to miss the incredible concoctions or the chance to try to figure out the conundrum facing this small town.An ARC of this second book in the Shake Shop Mystery series was received through Poisoned Pen Press. These thoughts and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I received an advance copy via NetGalley.A Sprinkle in Time is the second book in the Shake Shop Mystery series; I didn't read the first, but had no difficulty getting into the groove of this mystery set in a fictional eastern Washington small-town with a quirky cast of characters. Trinidad Jones runs a new shake shop, and is ready for a busy week as Little Sprocket's fall Alpenfest kicks off. Then things take a nasty turn--a body is found in the trunk of her father's car. Then the body vanishes. Then clues emerge that hint (without subtlety) that this crime may be connected to a woman who vanished decades ago. With her father a suspect and her kinda-almost-boyfriend keeping some secrets related to the incidents, Trinidad can't help but start snooping.This book is a cute, breezy read. I enjoyed the characters and the charming setting of eastern Washington. The mystery, however, relied on a LOT of convenient reveals that took away from the agency of the characters, and one of the major red herrings in the book resolved with an unsatisfying explanation. I would still give other books in the series a chance, though, as there is a lot to enjoy here.

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A Sprinkle in Time - Dana Mentink

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