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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 445: A Chat with Michelle Griep
byChautona Havig

If archaeology and second chance romance in 19th-century  England are your jam (and if not, shouldn’t they be?), you won’t want to miss Michelle Griep’s Of Silver and Secrets. Listen in to learn about the new archaeological site, the new university, and a new couple working together despite themselves…

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

Chatting about different sites in England, the different sorts of Roman artifacts, and even learning about the ongoing dig of Vindolanda made me suddenly want to hop a plane and see what other archaeological wonders England has to offer!

And boy do her upcoming releases sound awesome. Stay tuned for more about those closer to release dates!

Of Silver and Secrets by Michelle Griep

Buried underneath are truths bent on keeping them apart. . . . In 1889 Victorian England, Eva Inman is haunted by guilt over her parents’ deaths while struggling to care for her blind sister and manage her family’s crumbling estate. With the tax deadline looming, Eva’s situation looks dire until an ancient silver ring is unearthed on the property. Despite superstitions warning against disturbing the supposedly cursed acres, Eva’s need for funds ignites her curiosity about the potential of finding more buried relics. Cambridge professor Bram Webb must prove a legendary Christian Roman settlement exists, or he’ll risk exposing his uncle’s deteriorating memory and they’ll both lose their positions. Then Eva steps into his office with the prospect of an archaeological dig that might lead to the very evidence Bram requires–provided he and Eva can set aside painful memories of a time they would rather forget. As the dig forces the two to confront their pasts, the work becomes fraught with challenges that threaten Eva’s and Bram’s hopes, as well as the growing attraction between them. “Sure to delight fans of archaeological adventure and historical romance.”–JULIE KLASSEN, bestselling author Dive into the past in this clean historical romance as Michelle Griep transports you to Victorian England with an appealing mix of mystery, Roman archaeology, and charming banter. This enthralling tale will appeal to fans of Mimi Matthews, Andrea Penrose, Anna Lee Huber, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

Learn more about Michelle on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

And don’t miss her cool Etsy shop!  You can find that HERE.

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

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Episode 445:  A Chat with Michelle Griep
Episode 445: A Chat with Michelle Griep
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