A GAME OF CONES
SERIES: An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #2
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Berkley
RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2021
PAGES: 352
In this charming mystery series set in an ice cream shop, no case is too cold to crack!
Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.
After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win’s closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win’s aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it’ll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.
Other Books In This Series
I have been looking forward to this next book by Abby Collette ever since I finished A Deadly Inside Scoop! I love the diverse characters, spanning a variety of ethnicities and cultures, and the combination of several different, strong (and quirky) personalities. I also love that it’s set in a Black owned business in a charming small town – and the yummy ice cream Win creates doesn’t hurt either! (Except maybe my waistline lol)
Bronwyn Crewse is a great cozy mystery heroine, and her best friends are a study in opposites. From feisty, kick-butt Riya to impetuous, free spirit Maisie to fashion-obsessed coffee addict Rory – each friend has a distinct personality, and each represents a side of Win’s own character as well. Add in her endearing Pop-Pop, her close-knit family, her newly returned Aunt Jack, Maisie’s perceptive grandmother, and a whole host of quirky village residents/shop owners with their fair share of secrets … and you’ve got yourself a delightful mix of characters who keep you invested in the story from beginning to end. (side note: Maisie & Win remind me of Lucy & Ethel, respectively)
I did miss seeing more of Detective Beverly this go-around (because his character intrigued me in book 1) and I felt as though Win’s potential love interest got sorta swept to the side in this book, with only a couple of token appearances – I would have loved the romance factor to be a little stronger, given how much time was focused on him in the first book. But that’s just minor preferences, and I’m sure they’ll show back up again in future books.
The mystery in A Game of Cones is complex with plenty of suspects and red herrings throughout. I kept changing my mind about whodunit and whydunit until the very last few pages before the mystery was solved. There’s still a little bit of mystery left around a couple of the town’s residents, and I’m curious to see how that plays out (or doesn’t) in the rest of the series.
Bottom Line: A Game of Cones is engaging and entertaining, and I grinned most of the way through it. The plot is well-crafted and easily holds your interest, and even though I had an inkling of who the murderer was I was going down a totally different road until just before the reveal when everything clicked into place for me. I love Bronwyn’s family (the one she was born into and the one she’s gathered around her), and I can’t wait to spend more time with these characters in the future.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!
Reviewer’s note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some casual usage of “God” in this book. It is otherwise a clean book & free from curse words.
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Abby L. Vandiver, also writing as Abby Collette, is a hybrid author who has penned more than twenty-five books and short stories. She has hit both the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller list. Books one and two, A Deadly Inside Scoop and A Game of Cones, from her latest cozy series, An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery, published by Penguin Berkley, is out now.
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What about you? What makes you want to read A Game of Cones by Abby Collette?
Thank you for your review on “A Game of Cones” by Abby Collette. It confirms to me that this sounds like a fun book and one I would definitely enjoy having the opportunity to read.
yay!
What a fun giveaway. This book is on the top of my TBR pile
yay!
This book looks so good! I enjoy a good cozy mystery, plus that cover is so cute!
isn’t it?
Good luck to the author for the book and tour!