I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I will start by saying that I didn't read the first book in this series. But it didn't seem to matter, because I didn't feel like I missed anything. This was a fun cozy mystery when I needed it. The characters were great and the story moved at a great pace.

Famous fashion designer Omar DeVane hires Kate McKay, who has just opened her new ice cream shop in the Hudson Valley, Lickety Splits, to cater an upcoming party with glamorous guests. Kate and her employees are excited. While the catering aspect goes well, Omar is found dead, and Kate, who is a bit nosey as well as pushy, and worried because business has slowed down since the murder, starts to investigate. This is the second installment of the Lickety Splits Mystery Series, by Cynthia Baxter. The characters are likeable and there are luscious recipes included. This is a fun novel that is also a fast, light read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this novel.

I have found a new must read cozy series in “A Lickety Splits Mystery series. I really enjoyed book one and book two was completely charming! I love the premise of this series, the characters are likable and relatable and the mysteries have been thoroughly fantastic! This latest installment kept me guessing through out the book and had several surprises all night the way. I am thrilled to have found a new cozy series to love! Can wait for the next one.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own

Hot Fudge Murder is a great cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it with a bowl of ice cream. Great u and we'll written.

Cynthia Baxter
Hot fudge murder
I enjoyed this second book as much as the first .
Not sure if I like the love triangle that seams to be forming between the men for Kate interest.

The story has plenty of twist a good plot ,never guessing who could be the killer until towards the end and then I was surprised.
Love Kate’s family and friends especially grams humour.
It makes my mouth water just reading about all the flavours of ice cream that Kate’s mixing up.
Can’t wait for book 3 to come out.

Kate opened Lickety Splits 6 weeks ago and she is now catering a high brow sundae bar at Omar DeeVane's huge mansion in the Hudson Valley. When he is murdered the reporters descend on Wolfert's Roost in hordes. She decides to solve the fashion designers murder before the crowds ruin their small town life forever. This is book 2 in the Lickety Splits series and can be read as a stand alone. I like the multi generation sets of friends and family as Kate cares for her grandmother. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a great series but I'm always craving ice cream while reading! The mystery was well-written and very enjoyable to read. I always enjoying reading about the 'rich and famous' lifestyles of celebrities. I loved all of the twists and it kept me turning the pages. I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

This narrative is written in the first person. The characters are described directly as the story is told from Kate McKay’s point of view, the main conflict is characters verus themselves and others. The theme includes popular ones such as good vs evil, power and corruption, love, death and survival.

Kate McKay has opened her dream shop and is now being turned into an amateur sleuth as she must figure who has murdered her first client, all while dealing with the goings on in Wolfert’s Roost. She is the protagonist and is a round character who goes through a dynamic change both during and before the story happens. Her main confidants are her best friend Willow and niece Emma. The main villain or antagonist is the murder of Oman DeVane a fashion designer who was murdered at his own party, that Kate was catering for. The exposition brings us to date of what Kate is doing to prep for the party and the opening of the party at the DeVane Mansion. The rising action brings forth a killer, some cops and unlikely but possibly likely suspects. The climax brings forth drama in the way of men and a possible new victim. The falling action shows us where the characters are now and how the mystery is coming along, also with new ice cream ideas. The resolution closes off the mystery and lets us see where the characters could be going from here.

The author has a unique flow and word choice. She gives us interesting facts about ice cream and sundaes before diving into a new chapter and wondering what twist are we going to see next. Yes, I would recommend this story to anyone who is just getting into the mystery genre, anyone who likes to play along with mysterie or anyone who is a diehard ice cream fan. This book would not be for those who enjoy more procedural tales, more gory deaths, or anyone who is looking for details about the death itself.

This was a fun cozy mystery! I loved all the characters and the ice cream shop setting was perfect, (Just be aware you are going to have a strong craving for ice cream as you read this.). The plot was involved enough that it kept me guessing “who done it” until close to the reveal. I had not read the first book in this series, but it did not affect my enjoyment of this book. I enjoyed this one enough that I’ll be watching for others in the series. This is a clean, sweet book with no foul language.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Hot Fudge Murder by Cynthia Baxter is the second book in The Lickety Splits series. You dont have to read the first book to read and like the second installment, but you are going to want to read book 1. I like the writing and the setting of the story. I love the characters and who doesnt love ice cream. This is a good cozy mystery.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Kate McKay is thrilled that after only being in business a short time people are booking her to cater ice cream desserts for their parties. She can’t believe she has been asked to serve sundaes at Omar DeVane’s gala. The prominent fashion designer will have many celebrities at his event and she hopes they will love the sweet treats she will be serving. She has been told Mr. DeVane loves hot fudge sundae’s, she hopes his guests will too.

When she arrives at the mansion with her best friend, Willow, her niece Emma, and Emma’s boyfriend Ethan, they are awed by the place but set up their Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe station and get ready to serve the guests. Things get really sticky when the housekeeper screams and Omar Devane’s body is found. Murdered by one of his guests? That has to be the answer, but who?

Sadly, the public draws the line between the murder and Kate’s shop. The press has camped out in front of her shop and isn’t there for the ice cream. Could this murder thaw her right out of business? Leaving her shop in Emma’s care she embarks down the path to find the killer herself, making Wolfert’s Roost’s Detective Stoltz very unhappy.

Cindy Baxter delivers another delicious mystery for her readers to enjoy.

Our protagonist Kate McKay is one busy woman. Running her shop, developing new and unique flavors, and tracking down a murderer. Her old high-school boyfriend Jake seems to be quite jealous when Hudson Valley Adventure Tours opens across the street from Lickety Splits and its owner seems to be interested in Kate. A good old fashioned romantic triangle in the making. Kate’s grandmother is getting a little restless at home and has started visiting the Senior Center and having some grand ideas. I really enjoy the way Kate and her Grams evolved from the first story and throughout this one. It is a natural progression and not forced.

The murderer has to be someone at the party which could mean a lot of suspects but the focus quickly narrows down to just a few. There were some wonderful twists but I made my decision of whodunit early on, I just needed the motivation to fall better into place. I did enjoy all the work Kate put in to investigate and had fun following along.

As in the first book in this series, Ms. Baxter’s descriptive writing style drew me in. Not only the people and the places but the ice cream. Being allergic to nuts I was sad to see all the recipes with almonds but love the direction she is going with Lickety Lite. If you don’t have ice cream in the freezer when you start reading this book, put the book down and go get some. You will be wanting a scoop or two before you get through the first couple of chapters.

I really enjoyed this story. I am excited about the next story with both Kate and Grams having some bright ideas.

As a child I enjoyed our local ice cream parlor, it was a treat to go there with my family and struggle to pick out a wondrous creation from the menu. I'm still a lover of ice cream. Oh, the flavors - sigh. If I lived near Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe, I would be there so often I would have me own seat. This series is a classic cozy set in a small town with a young woman who has left her job to return home due to family matters and decides to start a new chapter of her life. When I need an escape, this is what I need. While this is the second entry in the series, it hasn't suffered from the slump some books hit.
Kate has started her ice cream shoppe and has become so popular that she is hired to serve her ice cream at a very swank party. That's great for her business. That is, until murder joins the party and the resulting bad press threatens to melt her business into nothing. Kate dives into her investigating knowing that her future is on the line. Along the way she has to juggle her love life and her family life. A love triangle wasn't in her plans.
The setting and the characters along with a well crafted and satisfying mystery made for a nice escape. My only problem? I kept wanting to raid my freezer for more ice cream, none of it, alas, as good as the ice cream sold at the Lickety Split Ice Cream Shoppe.

Hot Fudge Murder

by Cynthia Baxter

The first chapter of Cynthia Baxter’s Hot Fudge Murder efficiently brings readers up to speed on the characters while beginning the action of the new plot. Kate McKay, owner of Lickety Splits, is hired by fashion designer Omar DeVane to cater an affair at his vacation home, throwing her into the world of the rich and famous. His favorite treat is hot fudge sundaes which Kate is glad to provide.

There is a murder at the event, and the important tourist trade in Wolfert’s Roost plummets, threatening the business interests of Kate and other locals. Kate begins an informal investigation in an effort to save her town financially.

Hot Fudge Murder has two potential love interests for Kate; they are in and out of the plot as Kate interviews suspects. Another character is Emma, Kate’s niece who lives with Kate and works for her in the ice cream shop. Also on the Cream Team are Willow, a yoga instructor and Katie’s best friend, and Ethan, Emma’s current crush.

The fashion world setting is interesting with some humorous elements such as when a fashion model appears clueless as to where she should look in a kitchen to find ice. In her world it was always provided in a bucket. Character-suspects include Omar’s personal assistant, his financial manager, an elegant magazine editor, and his favorite model.

Kate does most of her investigating through interviews—with a little deception thrown in. Consistently, as she is talking to other people, Kate’s mind is tossing around ideas for innovative ice cream flavors. A few sound like winners, but many sound disgusting (e.g. Pear with Blue Cheese). I think they are included to be outrageous and showcase Kate’s creativity Occasionally, however, that aspect of the story seems overdone.

Hot Fudge Murder is fun. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #2 in the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone
2. Each chapter starts with interesting historical notes about ice cream.
3. The book includes a recipe for hot fudge sauce and also for a peach and basil sorbet.

Publication: January 29, 2019—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

…by making and selling ice cream, I was doing much more than living out a longtime fantasy. I was providing people with the ultimate comfort food, one that was unique in its ability to serve as a treat, a reward, a celebration, a way to feel better on a bad day—or a way to simply enjoy life.

Chloe was curled up in a chair, just watching us. Sometimes I felt that cats were actually creatures from another planet, sent here to spy on us earthlings.

The problem was that with men, as with ice cream, no matter how many delectable possibilities there were, in the end you had to make a choice.

In Cynthia Baxter's Hot Fudge Murder, the 2nd installment in the Lickety Splits culinary cozy mystery series, this delightful story had whipped out all the ingredients for a good mystery: drama, suspense, a hint of romance, and a compelling story line. For Kate McKay, she runs the Lickety Splits ice cream shop in the Hudson Valley area in New York. When her shop was asked to be invited to cater an event from Omar DeVane, a well-known fashion designer, she was more than happy to oblige. But behind the scenes, she overheard heated voices in Omar's fashion and had gotten to know more about his inner circle of friends and co-workers. When he was later found strangled by a necktie, Kate was in the neck of things to discover who murdered him and why. Meanwhile, she had to deal with things at home like with her Grandmother's secret activities, her niece's love life, and to figure out her own between her former boyfriend Jake and Brody, the new guy in town who ran an adventure tour shop next door. Talk about a twisted love triangle. As Kate gets closer to learn the truth about who killed Omar, it brought her closer to danger when she had to fend for herself to solve the puzzle.

I love a good cozy mystery series. Not reading the first book in the Lickety Splits series, I was still able to read this second book in the series without feeling like I was missing out on previous events. I did enjoy the story with the characters and settings. I’m going to read the first book to get a little more of the backstory and I look forward to the next one.

Hot Fudge Murder by Cynthia Baxter has readers visiting Wolfert’s Roost, New York. Kate McKay owns Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe, and she has been hired to cater an event at fashion designer, Omar Devane’s estate, Greenway. Two of the guests include fashion model, Gretchen Gruen and Pippa Somers, editor of Flair. The evening is rousing success until they hear the housekeeper screaming and stating that Omar is dead. Detective Stoltz quickly arrives on the scene to take charge and question the attendees while Kate’s handmade ice cream melts. The next day, journalists descend upon the town and send the tourists fleeing. If Kate is to save her fledgling business, she needs to solve Omar’s murder. In between creating new ice cream flavors and a delicious, light sorbet, Kate talks with various people from Omar’s life to learn the true story about his rise to fame. Can Kate solve the crime, or will the killer put her on ice?

Hot Fudge Murder is a breezy and humorous cozy mystery. It is the second book in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series, but it can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know is included in Hot Fudge Murder. Kate McKay opened Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe six weeks earlier and the shop has been doing well so far (fingers crossed). Catering a high end event for Omar Devane (loves ice cream) will introduce Kate’s shop to a higher end clientele and, hopefully, provide her with more catering opportunities. She did not anticipate the host being murdered during the event nor the vast number of journalists who would overtake the town. Kate is worried if the murder does not get solved quickly, her ice cream shop will go under from the lack of customers. Cynthia Baxter is a descriptive writer which provides readers with details they need to visualize the story. Kate questions various suspects and looks around Omar’s home in the hopes of identifying the killer. There are a limited number of suspects which makes it simple to solve this whodunit. I did find that Hot Fudge Murder slowed down in the middle with the pace picking up towards the end along with the action. Romance is in the air as Kate has two men interested in dating her. I sincerely hope the author will quickly nip the love triangle in the bud. Kate’s niece, Emma is having romance troubles of her own and we get to hear about every single detail. I would have preferred less romance and a more complex mystery. I did like the change in Grams and her idea involving the seniors from the local senior center. Hot Fudge Murder is filled with delectable and some unusual ice cream descriptions. Kate is always coming up with new flavor combinations which has caused her pants to become uncomfortably tight. I like the historical tidbits on ice cream at the beginning of each chapter. There are recipes for ice cream, sorbet and hot fudge sauce at the end. Hot Fudge Murder is a lighthearted cozy mystery that will leave readers craving a frozen sweet treat.

A sweet mystery with a little romance makes this a wonderful read.
Kate was hired to cater at a celebrity event, Omar’s favorite was a “Hot Fudge Sundae”. He ended up murdered at his event. Ice Cream helped catch the killers and “Hot Fudge” had them burning at the wake..

Hot Fudge Murder is the second book in the Lickety Splits Mystery series! We meet up again with Kate McKay as she’s getting ready to cater a huge, glamorous event, which is hosted by fashion designer Omar DeVane. But the party soon turns sour when Omar’s dead body is found.

After reading the first book in the series, I instantly fell in love with the characters and the tiny town of Wolfert's Roost, so I couldn’t wait to read the second book, which was slightly better than the first!

I felt like I really got to know the characters better this time around. I really got to connect with them. Everyone seemed to have a bit more depth, and I loved that.

The mystery itself was very thought-provoking and well-plotted. It really captured my attention and kept me entertained. The pacing was excellent, and I never once felt bored.

Overall, I really enjoyed the latest installment, and I look forward to reading future installments in the series.

This was such a cute and funny book that had murder, mystery, and attraction. I thought that the author did a phenomenal job keeping me interested and invested in the lives and story of the characters. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this book.