Spoon to Be Dead - (Shake Shop Mystery) by Dana Mentink (Paperback)

As winter sets in, Trinidad Jones is concentrating on figuring out how to keep her shake shop going through the cold months. But that takes a back seat when her ex-husband walks through the door of her shop one morning. No one had informed her that Gabe had been let out of prison. Even more surprising, he announces that he thinks he just killed someone before collapsing on the floor. What could be going on? The book starts that quickly, and I got caught up in the action. The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but things pick up for a fantastic climax. Since this is (sadly) the final book in the series, we get a wrap up for the characters. Some of that was a little abrupt, but overall, I liked it. Gabe being in town provided a great way to see different sides of several of the characters and watch their relationships grow. Considering how much I love the characters, that was nice. The Christmas setting didn’t really kick in until the second half of the book, but it was strong then. We also get some festive recipes to enjoy later. Fans of the series will be satisfied with this book, and if you haven’t started this series yet, you’ll want to do so today.

Was the triple timing ex-husband finally going to get his comeuppance? Christmas is coming and Trinidad, owner of the Shimmy & Shake Shop, is very concerned about keeping ahead of the bill collectors. Not everyone eats ice cream in winter - or do they? Time to find out. Gabe, the ex-husband, returns to Sprocket only to be charged with hit and run. Begging her to get him out of this jam, Trinidad promises only to keep her ears and eyes open. One coincidence is just a coincidence, two coincidences are a clue, three coincidences are proof. But did this mean he really did it? You will love this twisted mystery that will end up with more excitement than Sprocket has seen in awhile. An ARC of The Shake Shop Mysteries #3 was received through Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.