On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
A Sprinkle in Time (Shake Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Oregon
Poisoned Pen Press (May 24, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback : 360 pages
ISBN-10 : 1728231582
ISBN-13 : 978-1728231587
Kindle ASIN : B09CLLJSKD
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.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The yodelers have come to Upper Sprocket for Alpenfest along with the tourists and Trinidad Jones is ready to scoop up some new autumn flavors at her Shimmy and Shake Shop. She is also excited about her upcoming feature in The Scoop magazine.
Papa Luis had decided to stick around and has become a taxi driver using his Classic 1951 Buick. He was enjoying himself until he found a dead body in his trunk. Then by the time the police arrived the body had disappeared leaving everyone pretty confused. Trinidad, Bonnie, and Juliette (the sisterhood of exes) team up with a certain hunky nut farmer to try to find the body and the killer before Papa Luis is scooped up and tossed in jail.
Trinidad has an interesting life in Upper Sprocket. She and her friends Juliette and Bonnie all managed to marry and divorce the same man and then became best friends, a sisterhood of exes. Trinidad is trying to build a new life for herself with her Shimmy and Shake Shop and serving her special “freak shakes”. Her Papa Luis has moved to town and moved in to keep an eye on her. She also has a lovable dog named Noodles with some extraordinary skills. Yodeling is not really one of those skills but he gives it a good shot. She is not sure if she is ready to open her heart to another romance but local nut farmer Quinn is definitely interested. I can’t forget Chief of Police Cynthia Bigley, who just happens to be the sister of Trinidad, Juliette, and Bonnie’s ex. All the characters Ms. Mentick has created feel very true to life but the connections they have are very unique.
There are all kinds of events going on with Alpenfest but finding a dead body and then losing it definitely was on the calendar. The mystery to solve is very complicated. When the body is found and identified it is clear the person had made their share of enemies. It doesn’t take long for people to think the death is tied to an old cold case and some new proposed changes to the Upper Sprocket area. The author serves up some nice twists and turns but I did hone in on the culprit before all the clues fell into place for Trinidad. I did really like the way the reveal and the showdown played out.
There was a mini-mystery involving Quinn and his brother Doug that really caught me by surprise. The subplot was very important and I appreciated the way the author handled it. I am interested to see how and if it continues in future books.
I do love the whole ice cream theme and the freak shakes sound huge and amazing. There are two recipes that follow the story. Trinidad’s Browned Butter Apple Bar Recipe and Cheery Cherry “Do It Yourself” Pickle Jar Ice Cream. The first I have already copied to try as soon as possible and the second sounds like fun to try with my grandchildren.
A Sprinkle in Time
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Dana Mentink is a bestselling author who has received two Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion, and a Reviewer’s Choice Award. The author of more than thirty titles, she specializes in inspirational and suspenseful novels.
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Sounds like a great read.