Iced Over (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – West Virginia
Publisher: WoodHaven Press (July 9, 2020)
Paperback: 212 pages
ISBN-10: 0997827998
ISBN-13: 978-0997827996
Kindle ASIN: B08651VYB3
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
Black Friday turns fatal when an armored security truck hits an icy patch and runs over an embankment near the cafe. With one driver dead and the other in a coma, police are baffled by the discovery that $500,000 is missing from the truck’s cache.
When strangers show up at Barks & Beans asking nosy questions about a young cafe employee, Macy’s mama bear instincts kick in. She can’t ignore what her gut is telling her—that things aren’t all they seem on the surface—and with a little help from her brother, Bo, and her Great Dane, Coal, Macy follows up on a few leads of her own. But if the ruthless thief beats her to the stash, the thin ice she’s been skating on might just crack.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade
Book 4: Spilled Milk
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Macy and Bo Hatfield are back and the Barks and Beans Cafe has a new employee, Bristol Goddard. She fits in really well with the rest of the staff and the owners. She loves dogs and is willing to work as many hours as needed. Macy didn’t know much about her new employee until a freak accident leaves Bristol’s uncle in a coma. Working as a security guard for an armored car company, the truck he is riding in hits a patch of black ice. The driver loses control and the truck goes over the embankment. The driver doesn’t survive. With Bristol’s uncle in a coma, there are more questions than answers but when they learn $500,000 has vanished from the truck things get crazy. Could Bristol’s uncle be in on the heist?
Macy with an assist from brother Bo and his friend Titan McCoy digs into the case. Her Great Dane Coal also makes a fine cohort while tracking the truth but her sleuthing could turn dangerous and get her iced!
I love the whole theme of the Barks and Brews Cafe. We recently lost our two border collie/blue heeler mixes to old age after they lit up our lives for over 17 years. If there was a Barks and Brews near here I would probably visit every day to play with the dogs and enjoy a hot beverage or two. Then maybe after some time had passed give a lovable canine a “furever” home.
After giving readers a delightful setting Heather Day Gilbert gives us an awesome mystery. Twists, turns, red herrings, this story has them all. I found it so easy to escape right into the mystery and I was kept guessing right up to the big reveal. Ms. Gilbert has a great writing style, brewing real-life happenings right alongside the mystery.
I fell hard for Macy and Bo quickly when reading Book 1, No Filter
Readers are also treated to a wonderful supporting cast and are introduced to some interesting new characters. They are cleverly written and develop nicely throughout the story. I really like the personalities she creates for the non-human characters too.
Iced Over
The next book in the series, Fair Trade
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries set in her home state of West Virginia. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect what they love.
Author Links – Website – Facebook Author Page – Bookbub – Goodreads
Twitter: @heatherdgilbert Instagram: @heatherdaygilbert
*This book is part of my private collection.
