The multitude of characters presented in Chagrin Falls created a large pool of suspects when a body was discovered. It will take large scoops of clues sprinkled with motives for Win with the help of overeager BFF Maisie, to solve this murder. The author did a great job of bringing everything together, a solid plot, a nicely done mystery, a few hints here and there, and plenty of intrigue that kept me immersed in all that was happening. The narrative was visually descriptive with engaging dialogue, and a small town setting and the camaraderie between the various cast created a place where I wanted to watch how this all played out. When I thought I had a clue as to the killer’s identity, the author inserted a plot twist that pointed in another direction and boy did it enhance how well this story was being told. It was fun following along with what the author intended as one by one, the only person left standing was the killer. Overall, a good read and I look forward to more snippets of ice-cream making and exploits with Win and her friends.

There's talk about a new mall going in their small town and a night meeting was held to discuss it. Almost everyone there was against it.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on March 2nd.

Bronwyn wasn't excited about it either but she certainly didn't expect to find the presenter dead in the alley...

The detective tells her to keep her nose out of it, he'll handle this himself. But he doesn't know all the business owners like she does. She is running the local ice cream shop and most of the business come in for a treat.

Her friends have the same bug she does and soon they are asking questions, checking alibis, and trying to decide who would have shot him down.

Even after all that, they are still heading in the wrong direction. They figure that out when they are threatened with a gun in the back of the shops. Will they live or die?

I admit it took me a little bit to get into this one but about a third of the way in I found myself keeping the pages turning and not wanting to put it down. I looked forward to being able to pick it up at the end of the day. That is the sign of a good book.

Bronwyn Crewser is running her family's ice cream shop in the small town of Chagrin Falls, OH. A man who represents a business developer comes to the small town with presentations of a new mini mall on their town "triangle" (they don't have the typical square). When he winds up dead, Win, as she is called, finds herself immersed in the investigation to save one of her friends.

I liked the characters okay in this book, although Maisie was a bit too hyper for my taste. However, I really appreciated the mix of cultures in this small town and the ice cream shop sounds amazing. I confess I have the first book in this series but had not read it before I got this one. I look forward to reading it now!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

A GAME OF CONES, the second book in the Ice Cream Parlor Mysteries by Abby Collette, is a sweet addition to a delightful series. From scrumptious frozen concoctions to a close-knit family to a charming town, Ms. Collette brings visual appeal to the book with her descriptive voice. The protagonist, Bronwyn “Win” Crewse, has revived her family’s ice cream shop, Crewse Creamery, and business is booming. The shops around town are thriving which makes a tempting target for a developer to swoop in and build a mall. When the developer’s representative is discovered murdered by one of Win’s friends visiting from New York, Win and her close circle of friends come together to provide support. The author builds on the theme of friendship, whether it’s from a friendship developed over a few decades from childhood on, or based on a shared interest and trust developed through a mutual employer. I also greatly admire the close family bond the author has developed for Win. Her Pop-Pop is a wonderful source of wisdom and advice while her parents support her every step of the way.

While most cozy mystery protagonists are eager, or at least compelled, to investigate murders, Win is quite the reluctant sleuth… which makes her seem more relatable. Her best friend, Maisie, on the other hand, is a wildcard and goes off on tangents based on watching mystery shows on Acorn TV. While Win provides a calming influence, Maisie still manages to drag her into all sorts of situations in her quest for finding the killer and despite her lack of focus, the two women manage to collect clues. As they investigate, there are a large number of town characters introduced, and all are potential suspects. I didn’t have the time to sit and read the book all at once, so I sometimes got a bit confused on who the minor characters were when I had a chance to pick up the book for a short while. Perhaps a list of characters at the front of the book might be helpful to those who find themselves unable to keep track. Other than that, this was an enjoyable read and once the surprising reveal came, the collected clues fell into place with a satisfactory conclusion.

Win’s family’s ice cream shop serves all sorts of mouthwatering creamy treats and Ms. Collette kept my tastebuds tempted with her tantalizing descriptions. I was so happy to see that she includes a few recipes at the back of the book… and they all sound fantastic!

Although this book has all the hallmarks of a solid cozy, it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Too many characters and I’m tired of having real estate developers coming to a small town as a theme.
I did enjoy the theme of a family run business.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

It was so much fun to dive back into this fun world again with this series. It can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the quirky small town and cast of characters. I look forward to more from this series.

This one was hard for me to sit down and read because there are so many people standing in the way of Win's success. I was so worried for her and so convinced that there was a wide ranging conspiracy. I won't feel you how the conspiracy turns out, but the Crewes Creamery and Win's vision are safe.
With that out of the way, there is a murder and a company that is trying to build a mall in the middle of Chagrin Falls. There are multiple people from Win's past that show up to make everything more complicated. And Maisie is determined to solve this crime, except she comes on a like strong. Thankfully Win is there to settle her down and do some real investigating.
The solution was obvious to me, so I was glad that I was right. How they discovered the murder and brought them to justice was really clever and memorable. The recipes at the end sound delicious! I can't wait until summer to make one of two of these!
I have two small complaints. One is that Win hardly ever seemed to be working at her restaurant. But some mysteries just call for that. Two is that I wanted to see the shady businessmen get their comeuppance, but may e we will see that in future books. And those are two tiny complaints.
Overall, this is a fun twisty mystery and we get to meet a few new wonderful characters!
I received a copy of the book. This is my review.

This was good! I don't usually read modern cozies but i picked up the first one last year and enjoyed it. This one was good, if a tiny bit confusing, but i really liked it. Tbh i don't love the MC she just rubs me a bit the wring way but i liek everyone else! Savta for the win tbh.

This delightful cozy mystery series is set in an ice cream shop where new flavors abound. And a nice perk is that recipes you can use your own ice cream freezer to create are at the end of the book.
Bronwyn Crewse and her family own Crewse Creamery in the little town of Chagrin Falls. Bronwyn, better known as Win, has recently returned to the family business after a successful career in New York City.
Happy to be back in town (except for a couple of dead bodies), Win is delighted to have a visit from her friend and former co-worker Rory — until she finds out that Rory has been sent by her former boss to convince her to return to her old job.
Win, along with her friends Maisie and Riva, pull out all the stops when a man is found murdered in an alley, and Rory becomes a suspect. There were several people who had a motive to get rid of the man, but which means lots of suspects.
This was the first of Collette’s books I’ve come across. I enjoyed it.

An excellent addition to the charming Ice Cream Parlor mystery series. A recommended series for collections where cozy mysteries are popular.

When I first saw this book, I really thought it would be a fun story. Unfortunately, I was really wrong. The characters were childish and the writing seemed all over the place. I can usually get through a book, but I had to stop with this one. Definitely not a winner in my book.

I didn't fully realize that this was the second book in a series as I was reading the story, but that didn't really seem to impact the overall thread of understanding. Overall, I felt a little confused by the age of the characters compared to their behaviors and a little overwhelmed/bored by how many characters there were. The mystery was okay but wasn't the most well executed. Overall, this was a decent book but not my favorite cozy mystery.

A Game of Cones is the second book in the Ice Cream Parlor series. In this follow-up, Bronwyn's revamped family ice cream shop has taken off - customers love her ice cream, her dreams of a food truck are nearing fruition, and life has calmed down after the city's first murder. All of that changes when plans emerge for a new mall in the downtown area and the developer ends up dead. When Bronwyn's friends begin to be accused of the murder, she reluctantly, begins her own investigation to clear them.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to this follow-up. Unfortunately, this book just didn't quite deliver. There were a few threads in the story line that never really developed or just dropped entirely. It felt a little rushed and not quite as well developed as the first book. Overall, I still very much enjoy the characters, especially Bronwyn's family.

It was overwhelming with the amount of characters. I feel like the mystery was going in the right direction however did not make it. It was in a cute setting and who doesn’t like ice cream. I tried really hard to get into the story or make a connection with the characters and that didn’t happen. I got through half and then had to skip to the end.
#AGameofCones #NetGalley

I love sweet mysteries like this one. I love the setting of the ice cream shop and also the fun small town characters. Win has to solve a mystery to clear her friend as well as stop her aunt from trying to take over the family business Crewse Creamery. It’s a lovely mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are interesting and the ice cream making was fascinating to read about too. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Win and her friends and family in future books.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, in return for an honest review. I really wanted to leave a positive review on this book but it’s one of the few where I jumped from the 8th chapter to the end. There are so many characters and the writing is more stream of consciousness than a clear plotline. That was my biggest challenge; it was simply too hard to keep track of everyone and everything. In several cases, things that appeared to be storyline plots were just abandoned and left unexplained, except in passing. Additionally, other than the main character, most of the others were just annoying people that I didn’t feel invested in exploring. The basic premise is good. The book opens with a developer’s representative pitching a new ‘vertical mall’ to the small town of Chagrin Falls. Obviously, that doesn’t go down well with most of the small business owners. When he’s found dead in an alley the next morning, suspicion runs rampant around the town. Bronwyn Crewse, owner of the local ice creamery, finds herself dragged into investigating the murder. One thing I did appreciate is her unwillingness to investigate as she felt it better left to the professionals, until her friends get involved. That’s a really good change for an amateur sleuth. I encourage Berkley’s editorial team to work with Ms. Collette as she brings a new voice and perspective to the cozy genre that should be encouraged and developed.

This book had a great premise for a cozy mystery. It just really didn't deliver. All too often I felt as if I were reading about a bunch of teenagers not 30-somethings. The characters were shallow and often silly. There were so many characters that it was hard to figure out who fit where or remember who they were later. By halfway through the book I just didn't care any more.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. It had such a cute cover and concept and punny title, and there aren't enough cozies featuring women of color. But I just couldn't get into this book. It was a little to predictable and a little too all over the place at the same time. I get that in a mystery you need lots of characters so you can't easily figure out whodunnit, but new ones kept popping up all the time, making it hard to keep track. And by popping up, I really do mean popping up. All of a sudden a person would just appear, like a dog getting pulled on a leash in a new direction. I also couldn't get past our main heroine's best friend Maisie asking every intrusive probing question in the world, seemingly unaware of how rude (and unhelpful) she was being in the name of a murder investigation. I had hoped this modern take on a cozy mystery would bring something new to the table, but it was really just a rehash of the same formula without the effortlessness of some other cozies. I liked hearing about our main character's family and the process of making ice cream almost more than the mystery. I would love to see the author try women's fiction or romance, because there's good bones--especially on the character front--there, I just don't think it came together as a romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3 stars - 5/10