The world being what it currently is, sometimes we need a sweet escape that will give our hearts and souls time to recharge. Filled with mouthwatering ice cream recipes and amateur sleuthing, A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette aims to be that escape.
Bronwyn “Win” Crewse is re-opening her family’s ice cream shop in the small town Chagrin Falls, Ohio. At the end of October. Just as the first snowstorm of the season hits town. But Win refuses to be defeated, even when she stumbles upon a dead body while out trying to gather snow for her grandmother’s snow ice cream recipe. When the deceased turns out to be someone with a history with Win’s family, her father is suspected of murder. With the help of her friends and family, Win sets out to clear her father’s name and keep her ice cream shop afloat.
Cosy mysteries are a special niche genre that can’t help but make you smile. There is always a quirky cast of characters, at least one animal roaming around where it shouldn’t be, and an undeniable small town charm that makes you feel welcome. A Deadly Inside Scoop hits all the good parts of a cosy mystery and brings the diversity that then genre tends to lack. Oh, and ice cream recipes!
The real star of this novel is the setting. Collette brings to life the small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio with delightful results. The small town feel and bitter cold of Ohio snow radiates from the book as you read. In particular, any scene involving ice cream is sure to make you glance longingly at your freezer, wishing you had access to a few scoops of Win’s creations. Collette’s addition of ice cream recipes at the end of the story is a nice touch that reinforces the genial aspect of cosy mysteries.
Win, as a character, is where things get a little hard. Her determination and attitude are great, but she feels a bit juvenile sometimes. Win constantly refers to her mother and father as “Mommy” and “Daddy”, which just felt off. This could boil down to a personality thing from me, but it’s rare that we hear an adult refer to their parents as such. The rest of the characters felt familiar in the way that they are the types of characters you’d come to expect in a cosy mystery, but Collette made them all her own.
Collette’s writing style is a blend of simple, yet complex enough to support the mystery. There was a lot going on in the story and it was easy to keep hold of the plot. But, just as Win felt a bit juvenile, the writing did too at times. For example there are seven times in the story when a character, mostly Win, flaps their arms or hands. There is also a lot of giggling. It feels like there could have been different action words used to make the characters seem a little less childlike.
All told, A Deadly Inside Scoop is a solid start to an intriguing new mystery series. Collette handles the crafting of mysteries well and I look forward to checking out future instalments in the series. And trying some new ice cream recipes!
A Deadly Inside Scoop is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore!
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Synopsis | Goodreads
This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop–with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.
Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family’s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she’s going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.
To make matters worse, that evening, Win finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Win’s father is implicated in his death. It’s not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Win is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she’ll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown…
