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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Grab a Spoon and Magnifying Glass & Dig Into This Delicious Mystery

by Chautona Havig · 5 Comments

Pint of No Return provides a delicious, satisfying mystery that also leaves you wanting more. A great story with great characters. via @chautonahavig

Okay, confession. I love ice cream.  So much so that I actually make it.  Often.  The day I bought my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, is the day that my life changed. Then I chatted with Dana Mentink about her book on the Because Fiction Podcast and the freakshake contest she had for her release, and I had every intention of entering.  Then it hit me.  I couldn’t.  It could look like I was trying to get an in on the contest or something, so my brilliant “Lavender Blue, Berry Berry” freakshake idea never saw anything but the inside of my very happy stomach (it took three days to eat that thing, folks!).

But what about the book?

pint of no return

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Grab a Spoon and Magnifying Glass & Dig Into This Delicious Mystery

Few authors are what I would call “wordsmiths,” but Dana Mentink definitely is.  She doesn’t just write a good story or even pen beautiful or brilliant prose, she goes one step further. She’s clever with her word choice.  Sometimes I think she writes her books and then goes in and rewrites every sentence to have some burst of surprise in the middle of it. It’s genius! I find myself grinning on every page, not just because of a great story but also because of how that story is written.

Pint of No Return doesn’t disappoint in this area or any other. It’s a great mystery with a cast of quirky and delightful characters.  I wasn’t a quarter into the book before I was already anxious for the next.  I had to stop, take a breath, and remind myself to enjoy the book I had before me.

It was kind of when you go into an ice cream shop, taste a few tester spoons, and go… “I WANT THEM ALL NOW” but you know you can only eat one.  This book is that one.  But never fear, there’s more murder, mayhem, and merriment coming to the Shimmy and Shake Shop.

I’m so grateful for the free review copy of Pint of No Return. I loved it so much that I bought a paperback for myself. Recommended for lovers of words, clever writing, and clean, cozy mysteries.  Not recommended for folks who take themselves or life too seriously.

Pint of No returnAbout the Book

Book:  Pint of No Return

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release date: May 25, 2021

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.

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Comments

  1. Roxanne C. says

    June 28, 2021 at 9:03 am

    Dana Mentink automatically had my attention with the ice cream theme, but after reading Chautona’s fun review, I really want to read this book and probably the entire series.

    Reply
  2. Dianne Casey says

    June 27, 2021 at 11:38 am

    Love the cover! Sounds like a great summer read. Looking forward to reading the book.

    Reply
  3. Lynn Brown says

    June 26, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    This sounds like a fun mystery. Love the cover. Very appropriate. Thanks for the chance.

    Reply
  4. Amelia says

    June 26, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Linda Palmer says

    June 26, 2021 at 6:50 am

    Pint of No Return sounds like a great book. And I do like Dana Mentink’s writing!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 204: A Chat with Sarah Sundin about The Sound of Light
byChautona Havig

A chat with Sarah Sundin is always fun, so when I learned we’d be discussing her upcoming release, The Sound of Light, last October, I was excited. Well… we chatted, and it’s finally time to share that interview. Listen in to what the title means, where Sarah came up with it, and the delightful story that she’s got waiting for us. I’m glad this episode came out in time for me to get the 40% off and free shipping deal from Baker because I apparently didn’t order it back when we chatted!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

How I Fell in Love With This Haunting Title

I didn’t know much about Denmark and WWII, so chatting with Sarah about The Sound of Light shed definite light (no pun intended) on the history of the Danes and how they stood up to Hitler… and got away with it (for the most part).

The Sound of Light tells the story of a physicist who meets a “slow, dull” guy who intrigues her in spite of herself. Come on… if that doesn’t grab you… Maybe the fact that this slow dude is really an Olympic rower in disguise who uses his father’s company as a front for who he is and how he helps Jews escape?  Yeah. That.

As always, Sarah Sundin has done her research and the result is a gripping story of resistance, protection, and ultimately love for God, our fellow man, and maybe… each other.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for my copy of The Sound of Light to arrive.

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research–her life’s dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement’s legendary Havmand–the merman–and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

You can also grab this book from Baker Book House at 40% off with free shipping! (which is cheaper than the Kindle version!)

And you can learn more about Sarah Sundin on her WEBSITE.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 204: A Chat with Sarah Sundin about The Sound of Light
Episode 204: A Chat with Sarah Sundin about The Sound of Light
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