Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory
About Buried on a Sundae
Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Long Island, NY
Publisher : Gemma Halliday Publishing (August 27, 2024)
Digital: Number of Pages 225
ASIN : B0CW1B4V2Y
From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new mystery…
Things have been looking up for Danika Delany’s business—her uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island. But for her love life? Not so much. After a disastrous date with Detective Jake Barlow, Danika lets her best friends, Gwen and Eli, talk her into a night out at the hottest new nightclub in town. Only, while there, Dani finds her sort-of boyfriend secreted in the shadows on the beach behind the club with crime boss Patrick Johansen’s wife, Angelique! An upset Dani leaves without giving Jake a chance to explain, but when he doesn’t get in touch the next day, she takes a long walk along the beach to reevaluate her love life. That’s where she suddenly stumbles across Angelique’s body buried in the dunes near where she last saw her with Jake. Sure that Jake is innocent—of murder at least—Danika and her friends set out to prove Jake had nothing to do with her murder and stop a killer…before they strike again!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Danika Delany’s Coffee & Cream Café continues to thrive but the same can’t be said for her romantic relationship with Detective Jake Barlow. They can’t seem to make it through a date. Duty always calls. The last date had Dani the “queen of dating mishaps” having a mishap at the town’s new restaurant and ending way too soon when Jake receives a phone call and tells her “something’s come up” as he headed out the door. Her besties were not going to let her night end early. They talked into going dancing at the hottest new nightclub in town. Seems that Jake’s something that came up also brought him to the nightclub. She notices him in a secluded spot on the beach with another woman! Angelique Johansen, the nightclub owner’s wife and crime boss, Patrick Johansen. She walks out before he can explain, that is if he wants to.
Jake doesn’t contact her the next day either. She is angry and hurt and decides a long walk on the beach may help bring her some clarity. The only clear thing is the dead body she finds partially buried in the sand. A body she thinks is Angelique, very close to where she saw her with Jake.
Knowing Jake may be a cad but he is no killer Danika and her friends try to find the real person who murdered Angelique before another body is found buried in the dunes or the killer comes after them.
I love everything about klutzy clumsy Danika Delaney. She is a genuine individual with a huge heart who just keeps finding herself in the middle of murder investigations. Her sleuthing skills improve each time. Her love interest, Detective Jake Barlow really had his hands full this time with all the shady dealings happening around town and a murderer on the loose. Danika’s friends, Eli and Gwen are on board to help her any way they can even when her ideas are fully thought through or end badly usually with a ton of laughter but sometimes in peril. Danika’s family is hilarious especially when when Dani finds a body and is trying to find a killer. They come to the weekly dinners her mother hosts for the food but also for gossip and information. Ms. Gregory has created unique characters and has given them snappy dialogue. They all continue to develop so believably.
The mystery was complicated with twists, turns, and red herrings. Ms. Gregory has plotted everything out so well but I fell for more than one of her misdirections. It was a lot of fun trying to untangle the clues and follow along with Dani, Eli, and Gwen. There were so many funny moments but one truly had me laughing out loud so much I had tears in my eyes. I love the way the author blends all the cozy elements together to totally entertain me while still making me think while trying to put all the clues together which I failed at this time. I was surprised when the killer was revealed. The showdown was scary and exhilarating.
Warning – You need to have the makings for your favorite ice cream sundae in the house because you will be craving one or more while reading this book. The Coffee & Cream Café serves up several within these pages.
Buried on a Sundae is a delightful cozy mystery that I recommend to all cozy lovers. Engaging characters, a fun theme, small-town happenings, a well-written mystery with tons of humor, and a little bit of romance keep those pages flipping. It’s a Perfect Escape!
The entire series is wonderful, so I recommend for maximum enjoyment you read the series from the start. Consider them a 4 scoop sundae, you will love every spoonful!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Lena Gregory
Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
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Also written by Lena Gregory
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Great Escapes Praise for Buried on a Sundae (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory
I absolutely love Lena Gregory’s writing! I highly recommend Buried on a Sundae for its plethora of enjoyable characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and well-plotted mystery!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
Buried on a Sundae by Lena Gregory serves up a delicious mix of engaging characters, a compelling mystery, hilarious situations, and even a dash of romance!
~Reading Is My SuperPower
I loved every single page of this book from the characters, the setting, the mystery, and the author’s writing style. The pacing was perfect and once I started the book I just couldn’t put it down.
~Sapphyria’s Books
Excellent writing, a wonderful blend of mystery, humor and romance, and mouth-watering descriptions of ice cream and waffles make this a wonderful cozy mystery. I am a fan!
~Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books
I am giving five stars to Buried on a Sundae by Lena Gregory, and I recommend it. I love this series and coming back to Danika’s life. Owning an ice cream parlor is so cool. Ms. Gregory did a great job setting up this mystery with the clues and everything else.
~Baroness Book Trove
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
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