Step into Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe, where ice cream is the delight of the day. Kate is absolutely ecstatic about opening her dream business, until she comes face-to-face with an old enemy. What puts the sprinkles on top is that her enemy, Ashley, is selling frozen treats right across the street from Kate's newly minted business.

Before Kate can figure out how to eliminate the competition, someone beats her to the punch. Ashley is brutally stabbed inside the bakery. The timing is unfortunate because the two rivals were seen arguing so badly that it drew crowds. Kate immediately becomes a prime suspect. So, solving the case and the mystery is number one priority. If not, then the business and the ice cream will melt away.

I loved Ms. Baxter's first series (Reigning Cats and Dogs) and I wasn't disappointed in the first book of the "Lickety Splits' series.

I found that this was a very easy to read and engaging book. The characters were interesting and seemed to be real people. Plus, I loved reading all of the little tidbits about ice cream and the recipes. The descriptions were well done without bogging down the story line.

I'm already ready for the next book!

I loved this author’s Reigning Cat’s & Dogs vet series as well as her travel series, so I was excited to see that she had a new book out! This series revolves around a young woman who returns to her hometown to help her grandmother and open an ice cream shop. When her old rival is found murdered she is a suspect, and must juggle her new business, an old flame and a murder investigation. This was a great cozy read and it made me hungry for ice cream! Looking forward to the next!

Thank you to the publisher for the free advance copy, all opinions are my own.

This was an interesting mystery. I really enjoy the premise of the protagonist owning an ice cream shop. That's rather different than other cozy mystery series. All of the characters were realistic and seemed to jump off the page, which isn't necessarily something all cozy mystery authors can manage to do. I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be, which isn't something that happens to me often as I do read a lot of mysteries and can usually guess who the killer is fairly early on. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

It was fun to meet Kate and her ice cream shop. I enjoyed the mystery it wasn't too easy to solve and kept me guessing. It was a light, quick read. I enjoy this genre so much and its due to books like this. I look forward to more in this series.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream and Cynthia Baxter has scooped up a tasty mystery for us readers to enjoy!!

Kate McKay has returned to Wolfert’s Roost to take care of her grandmother and to follow her dream of opening an ice cream shoppe. Lickety Splits has a prime location but it is directly across the street from a bakery owned by Ashley Winthrop, a woman Kate knew in school and wishes she could just avoid. When Ashley becomes her competition by selling ice cream Kate has no choice but to confront her. Their argument was loud and very public with no clear resolution until Ashley is found stabbed to death in her bakery. Katy wishes she could have frozen time, back before the war of words. Things really start to melt she becomes the prime suspect. To make things even chillier, her old high school boyfriend comes to her rescue. Maybe together they can clear her name before her dream is crushed and her ice cream shoppe is just a memory.

This series is off to a delicious start!

Kate McKay is so dedicated to getting her business up and running. She has created unique ice cream combinations that will keep her customers coming back for more. I wish the book came with free samples. Her friend Willow has been helping out but she really needs a full-time person. Her niece, Emma, arrives looking for a job at the perfect time. Plus she can move in to help with grams. We also meet others from Kate’s past including her high school boyfriend, Jake Pratt. They haven’t seen each other since he failed to pick her up on prom night. Their reunion is pretty icy. These characters are all very interesting and we are just getting to know them.

The author’s descriptive writing style really drew me into the store. Descriptions of Grams Victorian home and Kate shop made me feel like I was right on the scene. The descriptions of the ice cream flavors, sundaes, and other treats had me practically drooling. It also lent well as Kate went around asking questions, trying to find the real killer. It was very easy to visualize everyone she talked to and where they were. The mystery portion of the story wrapped up in a way I was not expecting and was surprised by who the real criminal turned out to be.

I love ice cream so this theme is one I am excited about. Cynthia Baxter has peaked my curiosity with this first installment. I can’t wait for the next Lickety Splits Mystery!

Cynthia Baxter's first book in the Lickety Splits Mystery series is Murder with a Cherry on Top. Kate has returned home to help her aunt and also open an ice cream shop. Unfortunately her new shop is across the street from her childhood enemy, Ashley. Ashley owns a bakery and is now selling ice cream. Soon after Kate and Ashley have a very public argument, Ashley is found dead. To save her reputation and her business, Kate must find the real killer. I enjoyed the characters and the ice cream theme including the recipes at the end. I do wish that Kate would spend a bit of time in the ice cream shop to make her role as a business owner more believable. Otherwise this was a compelling start to a new series!

When I saw this mystery offered the subject wasn't what got my attention. While I like ice cream, that wasn't what made me decide to request it. It was the fact that the author was Cynthia Baxter, an author I had enjoyed in the past but I thought she was no longer writing. So glad she is back with a new series. The story line isn't new with the female protagonist giving up her career for various reasons and returning home to family and friends, starting on a new path. The writing, the characters and the mystery balance perfectly. Kate opens her ice cream shop only to find a rocky road having to deal with an old nemesis across the street. Too bad it turns into the police seeing it as her motive for murder. Add a possible rekindled romance to tease the reader for the next entry and you have a nice, relaxing mystery getaway. It gave me an enjoyable time out.

This is a delightful mystery with a fun sleuth . What could be better then a ice cream shop with divine recipes! Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first book in the cozy series A Lickety Splits Mystery series. Kate McKay had left her hometown after high school for a career in Manhattan but grandmother needs someone to care for her so Kate quickly returns to Wolfert’s Roost giving up her career.

Kate decides an ice cream shop is just what her small town needs and all the creative ideas she’s had can finally be brought to life. However her high school rival has a bakery across the street and decides to also start selling ice cream, is found dead after arguing with Kate and she becomes the main suspect. She must investigate to save her business and her life. Soon the clues abound and add to the suspect list as she cleverly finds out who killed her rival.
This is a fun mystery with a well plotted sleuth and great characters. They author has a talent for fast paced well crafted stories and this is a enjoyable fast pace. The ice cream recipes are divine. I like the protagonist Kate as a independent, compassionate person who is hard working and creative. I look forward to the next in series. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my personal opinion.

A scoop full of murder that keeps you on the edge of your seat! The characters were well written and delightful. You either love them or really love to hate them. The mystery was thought out well and executed to perfection. I loved everything about this book!

Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first installment in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Katherine “Kate” McKay has opened Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe in Wolfert’s Roost, New York. It is a dream come true for Kate and the start of a new chapter in her life. Then she notices Ashley Winthrop of Sweet Things Pastry Palace posting a sign in her window stating that they are now selling homemade ice cream. It seems Ashley is continuing the rivalry that began in kindergarten. After having a public argument with Ashley in front of the store, Kate heads out to Juniper Hill Organic Dairy where she encounters her old high school boyfriend, Jake Pratt. The sight of him still makes her heart skip a beat. The next day Kate is awakened to pounding on her door and Officer Pete Bonano on her doorstep. Ashley was killed in her bakery the night before, and Kate is at the top of the suspect list courtesy of her vocal disagreement with the victim. With gossip causing a decline in business, Kate sets out to find Ashley’s killer before her dream melts away.

I liked the premise for A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series. Ice cream and mystery in one book (I love ice cream and have a bowl every day). The author created an adorable shop for Kate McKay to sell her homemade ice cream treats as well as a charming small town. Readers are entertained with delectable descriptions of ice cream throughout the book (the Tahitian Vanilla sounds scrumptious). Every ice cream that Kate sells to a customer is described in detail. The book is nicely written and has a steady pace. The author has an easy, breezy writing style. There are some quirky characters like Willow Baines, Kate’s best friend. I liked Grams and Kate’s niece, Emma. I fell in love with Gram’s beautiful Victorian home (I want it). The mystery, though, was lacking and it was not the primary focus of the book. The investigation consists of Kate asking questions and speculating on the identity of the guilty party (no action or suspense). Instead of Kate identifying the killer, she stumbles upon the solution. I wish the author had put as much effort into the mystery as she did into coming up with the ice cream flavors. Of course, there is are requisite cliché nasty detective (thankfully we do not see much of him). My rating for Murder with a Cherry on Top is 3 out of 5 stars. Murder with a Cherry on Top is a cute and entertaining cozy mystery that will have readers pulling their favorite frozen treat from their freezers.

Murder with a Cherry on Top

by Cynthia Baxter

Kate’s lifelong love affair with ice cream began as a preschooler, but that devotion was not transformed into a business until fifteen years after her high school graduation. She attended college and had a successful career as a New York City public relations consultant. She returned to Wolfert’s Roost when her “Grams” was injured, decided to stay, and opened her own business, Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. She finds her bullying childhood rival has not changed any, and there is a murder in quiet Wolfert’s Roost. Kate also has a big personal surprise when she visits Juniper Hill Organic Dairy to purchase milk and cream for her shop.

Murder with a Cherry on Top is a fun, fast-paced cozy mystery by Cynthia Baxter. While many cozies fall flat with descriptions, Baxter’s are right on target. They are precise enough to give the reader a good picture and concise enough to not be boring. Her dialogue is also good. Kate’s investigative style is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s sleuths: she focuses on interviewing, some research, and thinking. This was a fast read and a book I didn’t want to put down.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #1 in the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery Series
2. Ice cream recipes included at the end of the book

Publication: March 27, 2018—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

“But of course I can do anything you can do, and so much better!” Ashley replied. “I already know that.” She sighed. “It’s just that it’s so much fun seeing you squirm. It always has been. And I guess some things never change.”

Aside from the euphoric experience of something creamy and sweet and icy cold dissolving on my tongue, filling my mouth with a burst of flavor that seemed almost too good to be real, at least as meaningful to me was my father’s love of ice cream.

Who wouldn’t instantly fall in love with such a grand, three-story Victorian? At least it used to be grand. It was built in the late 1880’s, a time when the brand new inventions of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison were starting to seep into day-to-day life, playing croquet was all the rage, and the Wild West was still pretty darned wild. Coca-Cola, elevators, and ballpoint pens were all brand new phenomena…

Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first book in A Lickety Splits Mystery series, and it is off to a great start. Kate McKay has left her high powered job in New York to return home to care for her grandmother. Kate open up her dream shop, which sells ice cream, but trouble finds her right away in the form of an old nemesis.
I really love this book, and can't wait to continue Kate's adventures in the next book. Not only is this book fun, it has a great mystery also. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love fun cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Murder with a Cherry on Top by Cynthia Baxter is the first book in the cozy A Lickety Splits Mystery series. Kate McKay had left her hometown after high school and gone onto college and then a career in Manhattan but when she gets news that her grandmother needs someone to come care for her Kate quickly returns to Wolfert’s Roost giving up her career.

Growing up Kate has fond memories of her family and their love for ice cream from birthdays to times of sorrow the frozen treat was always right there. So now that Kate needs a new path to follow in her life she decides an ice cream shop is just what her small town needs and all the creative ideas she’s had can finally be brought to life.

Opening up her shop in a prime space in Wolfert’s Roost Kate unfortunately finds that the bakery across the street belongs to none other than her old school rival Ashley Winthrop. Ashley always had a habit of wanting to one up Kate and it seems times haven’t changed when she posts a sign in the bakery that she now plans one selling ice cream too. Of course this leads to a very public argument between Kate and Ashley but Kate never expected her next visitor to be the police informing her of Ashley’s murder and the fact that Kate is now a suspect.

Murder with a Cherry on Top was an enjoyable cozy mystery right from the very start. Kate had an endearing quality to me when it was told she immediately volunteered to care for her grandmother. Putting family first certainly won me over but the delicious treats described in the new shop was also right up there at the top of my likes too.

Then we move onto the murder in the small town and it really was a fun one to follow. There were plenty of people on Kate’s list of possibilities but it was also a nice surprise to find the creative motive I wasn’t expecting at all. And there is also a potential to have a nice romance for the character with an old flame being in the picture. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from this fun series in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

In this book we meet Kate who has decided to make a huge change in her life and open an ice cream shop. She was working a very stressed filled job but took time away to help care for her ailing grandmother in the town where she grew up. Things are going well until Kate's rival from school, who owns a bakery across from her shop, decides she is going to sell ice cream too. When her rival, Ashley, is murdered Kate decides she must find out who the culprit is before she herself ends up behind bars. During a trip to a local dairy farm Kate runs into her ex from high school and is shocked to find him living back in their home town. Follow along as she stealthy investigates while also drumming up new business and selling her awesome flavored sweets. Find out what happened between her ex and herself and will they be able to move forward as friends or forever be stuck in the past. This new book was an amusing treat, it had me craving ice cream the whole way through, and I'm not much of an ice cream person. The author really knows how to tantalize the taste buds with a variety of tasty delightful treats. I can't wait to find some of the flavors mentioned and try them for myself!!!

A delightful cozy mystery based at an ice cream shop. The protagonist makes some of the strangest ice cream. I love ice cream, but not most of her flavors. The tale has a charmingly schmaltzy ending suitable for a Hallmark movie. This could be a fun series.

This was a fun and quick mystery to read. I liked the main character, Kate. She had a great personality and I loved her ice cream creations. She was adventurous and had a great way of trying to figure out the mystery.

Great characters with some twists and turns in the plot. I have to admit that I was surprised when the real killer was discovered. I didn't see it coming. I felt like the story had enough of a plot that it kept you interested. I would definitely read another book by this author.

What a good start to a new series.kate open a ice cream shop in her home town and comes home to help with her grandmother.
The delicious flavoured ice cream that Kate creates makes my mouth water.
As Kate's reputation is on the line she has to find out who killed her old school enemy.
I never expected the big twist towards the end and who killer was .as all wasn't what it seems.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this new series .looking forward for the 2nd book by this author.

This is a cute cozy, With a great setting. Who doesn't love an ice cream shop. The rivalry between friend is a little old but it didn't over take the mystery. Which was good. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it