Pint of No Return

by Dana Mentink

Overview

"The first shake shop mystery delivers all the delectable ingredients cozy mystery fans crave. This terrific series debut is certain to tempt the reading palates of fans of Cleo Coyle, Sarah Graves, and the much-missed Diane Mott Davidson."

—Library Journal, STARRED Review

The first in new dessert cozy mystery series! A murder in town is bound to shake things up...

After her divorce from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So when she's left one of ex's businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad's life seems to be churning along smoothly.

That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad's fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it's going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.

Praise for Pint of No Return, Book 1 of the Shake Shop Mysteries:

"Murder offers the heroine a surprisingly fresh start in this charming series kickoff"—Kirkus Reviews

"A delicious charmer featuring a triple scoop of murder"—Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728231556
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	Shake Shop Mystery , #1
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	367,390
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 4.70(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press. Her new Shake Shop mystery series features Trinidad Jones and her funky freakshakes! You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, TikTok (danamentinkauthor) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

Editorial Reviews

"Dana Mentink's series starter, Pint of No Return, takes palce in a neighborhood common to cozies: a nice town full of good people, if you don't count all the lying theft, and murder. Noodles, Trinidad's service-dog dropout knows he should help but does so in adorably wrong ways, is likely to become a fan favorite." — BookPage

"Murder offers the heroine a surprisingly fresh start in this charming series kickoff." — Kirkus Reviews

“A delicious charmer featuring a triple scoop of murder ” — Library Journal

"The first “Shake Shop Mystery” delivers all the delectable ingredients cozy mystery fans crave, including an engagingly resourceful protagonist, her too-cute-for-words canine companion Noodles, and a charming small-town setting worthy of the Hallmark Channel. This terrific series debut is certain to tempt the reading palates of fans of Cleo Coyle, Sarah Graves, and the much-missed Diane Mott Davidson." — Library Journal Starred Review

From the Publisher

★ 05/21/2021

Given the dire state of her bank account, Trinidad Jones has no choice but to accept her lying, cheating, now-incarcerated ex-husband Gabe Bigley's gift to her: his old hot dog shop. Trinidad plans to bring ice cream and her killer milkshakes to the residents of Upper Sprocket, OR, in the shop, which she's renamed Shimmy and Shake Shop; her plan hits an icy patch when she stumbles across the body of Kevin Heartly, owner of the nearby Popcorn Palace. When Juliette Carpenter, another of Gabe's ex-wives, is charged with Kevin's murder, Trinidad is one of the few people in town who believes Juliette is innocent, so she puts down her ice cream scoop and puts on her detective cap in order to find the real killer. VERDICT The first "Shake Shop Mystery" from Mentink ("Desert Justice" series) delivers all the delectable ingredients cozy mystery fans crave, including an engagingly resourceful protagonist, her too-cute-for-words canine companion Noodles, and a charming small-town setting worthy of the Hallmark Channel. This terrific series debut is certain to tempt the reading palates of fans of Cleo Coyle, Sarah Graves, and the much-missed Diane Mott Davidson.—John Charles, formerly of Scottsdale P.L., AZ

Library Journal

2021-03-17
Murder offers the heroine a surprisingly fresh start in this charming series kickoff from the prolific Mentink.

Trinidad Jones, one of three ex-wives of serial cheater and crook Gabe Bigley, has been second-guessing her decision to move to Upper Sprocket, Oregon, where Gabe’s other ex-wives live. She’s used every last penny to change the hot dog shop Gabe deeded her to the Shimmy and Shake Shop in hopes of making a living selling her unique treats. With her dog, Noodles, in tow, she rents a tiny home and prepares the shop for a Fourth of July opening. She’s put most of her possessions in storage at a unit run by Juliette, another of Gabe’s exes. When Trinidad travels to pick up an order of fresh nuts she’s splitting with Kevin Heartly, who has a popcorn shop, she meets farmer Quinn Logan and his brother Doug, both of whom she finds congenial. Delivering the nuts, she finds Kevin dead in his popcorn machine. Soon enough, Gabe’s sister, Police Chief Cynthia Bigley, arrests Juliette, who had a nasty breakup with Kevin. Determined to help Juliette, Trinidad learns that there are rumors about a hidden treasure among the effects of a rabid collector and that more than one local is searching for it. With help from some of her new friends, she snoops around enough to become a target herself and is glad when her Cuban grandfather arrives from Florida to help out, boost her spirits, matchmake, and keep her alive.

Plenty of suspicious-looking new neighbors give spunky Trinidad a chance to add detective to her resume.

Kirkus Reviews

Narrator Stephanie Nemeth-Parker uses her versatile talent to populate the town of Upper Sprocket, Oregon, where Gabe Bigley’s three-ex-wives now live and work. Florida native and third ex-wife Trinidad Jones is opening her Shimmy and Shake Shop, an outsized ice cream parlor next door to the Popcorn King, where she finds Kevin, the owner, dead. She joins forces with the other youthful-sounding scorned ex-wives, grave-toned Police Chief Bigley, and serious-sounding nut-farm owner Quinn to identify Kevin’s killer. Parker imbues Trinidad with a sparkly voice that reflects her enthusiasm for ice cream and justice. Laughs and smiles abound in Parker’s voice as Trinidad and Quinn follow the clues in this cozy mystery. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile