Pint of No Return, the first book in Dana Mentink’s Shake Shop Mystery series is as sweet and spectacular as the milkshakes Trinidad Jones concocts at her Shimmy and Shake Shop. It is a delight to read.

Trinidad Jones moves to Upper Sprocket, Oregon to convert the building her ex-husband Gabe deeded her just before he was incarcerated into an over-the-top shake shop. It turns out that this quaint little town also is home to Gabe’s two other ex-wives (Juliette and Bonnie) and a plethora of colorful characters and cleverly-named stores. While preparing for her shake shop’s grand opening, Trinidad visits the Popcorn Palace next door and discovers the body of its owner. The police investigation quickly focuses on Juliette, the victim’s girlfriend, and Trinidad feels compelled to help exonerate the one person who has befriended her in the town.

I have read and reviewed a number of cozy mysteries in the last couple of years, and Pint of No Return is among the best. The language is so precise and the description so vivid that you instantly feel a part of the town of Upper Sprocket. The mystery is top-notch, with an abundance of suspects, clues, and nimble misdirection that will keep you guessing until the end. And for once, an actual lawyer (who doubles as a coffee shop owner) is consulted to help clear the accused. But the best part about the book are the characters. From nut farmer Quinn Logan and his brother Doug, to theater manager Cora Fieri, to the chief of police (who also happens to be Gabe’s sister), the inhabitants of Upper Sprocket are friendly, quirky, and engaging. And Trinidad’s dog Noodles, a senior rescue dog, is an adorable – and favorite -- addition to the cast.

In my book, Pint of No Return is a winner. Combining small-town charm with eclectic characters and an intriguing mystery, author Dana Mentink seems to have found the perfect recipe for success.

Note: I received an ARC of Pint of No Return from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The above is my honest review.

This was a really fun start to a new series. I really liked the main character and the side characters. The setting was cute though the name Sprocket was really distracting for me (It kept making me think of the Jetsons movie oddly enough.) I thought the book was well written and the mystery was well done. I also really wanted one her monster milkshakes a couple times! I will certainly be checking out the next book in the series!

Pint of No Return by Dana Mentink is the first in the A Shake Shop Mystery. What a great intro to this new series.
Mentink gives a great introduction of Trinidad and her dog, Noodles.
Being a newcomer to Upper Sprocket, Oregon Trinidad already knows she has her work cut out for her and her new ice cream shop. When she finds the body of the towns popcorn king in a vat of caramel, she becomes known to the town.
There are plenty of plot twists and suspects that have you guessing to the end. The main characters are so likeable and relatable. There is humor, family, friendship, and the hint of a possible romance. The only problem is you will be craving a milkshake.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I was given an ARC by Poison Pen Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Pint of No Return is the first book in the Ice Cream Shop Mystery series.
I love how the author incorporates her enthusiasm for writing into books.
Her characters are somewhat quirky and it makes for a great fast read as you really want to see who will do what as the story evolves.
A mystery revolving around an ice cream shop,a scheming ex-husband who is now jailed,the ex-wives and a smart as a whip former rescue dog.
Kept me guessing and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I just know it's going to be delicious!

Pub Date: 25 May 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

New author for me. I suggest reading this book. I highly recommend her books. Looking forward to the next book in the series

Trinidad Jones moves to the tiny town of Upper Sprocket, Oregon when her embezzling ex-husband Gabe leaves her one of his buildings. Trinidad is getting the building ready to open her Shimmy and Shake ice cream shop, home of her monster Freakshakes. Oddly. Gabe's other ex-wives also live here. Trinidad is making good progress until she finds Popcorn King Kevin Hartley dead in his giant popcorn kettle. Juliette, one of Trinidad's fellow ex-wives, is accused of Kevin's murder. Trinidad gets support from nut farmer Quinn and his brother Doug, her service dog flunk-out Noodles, and her Cuban grandfather Papa Luis as she tries to help Juliette. The trail leads from Kevin's storage unit at Juliette's business and a former hoarder's collection of useless junk.

The story moved a bit too slowly for my tastes but it is a debut mystery with good potential and a great cast of quirky supporting characters.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I really enjoyed this visit to Upper Sprocket, OR. The mystery was well laid out with just the right amount of clues but not too many to give it away too soon. I loved the main character and her dog, Noodles, as well as the secondary characters, who add just the right amount of community into the story. I was craving mango ice cream as soon as she mentioned it. Looking forward to the next one!

Dana Mentink's Pint of No Return is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in the cute, patriotic town of Sprocket, Oregon. Our heroine Trinidad is new to town thanks to a messy divorce in which her ex-husband (who has two other ex-wives in town) ended up in jail and Trinidad ended up owning her ex's old storefront. Picking herself up after a rough time, Trinidad and her dog Noodles, who flunked out of service dog school before being adopted by Trinidad, are preparing to open the Shimmy and Shake Shop.

Surrounded by adorable places like the Popcorn Palace and Store Some More storage, Trinidad quickly learns that everyone knows everyone in a small town like Sprocket, but everyone seems to have a secret. This becomes even more apparent when Trinidad discovers a dead body, and then finds out that the police chief is none other than Trinidad's ex-husband's sister.

Pint of No Return has romance, family ties, new friendships, mystery, July 4th celebrations, and of course ice cream! If you're a milkshake lover, you will love reading the yummy descriptions of cream and sugar and delectable flavors Trinidad puts together. If you're a dog lover, you'll love following Noodles, who gives comfort and love to friends and strangers at just the perfect time.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Dana Mentink, and publisher Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:

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. (Goodreads) GET A COPY

Review:
Pint Of No Return is the first book in the Ice Cream Shop Mystery series and it was a great debut. It has a lot of what I look for in a cozy mystery--great characters, an inviting setting, intriguing mystery and an adorable puppy.

Trinidad Jones has decided to make her dream of opening a shake shop after getting divorced from her cheating husband. When she finds out that her ex-husbands two other exes also live there, she is not thrilled but she plans on making the most of it. When someone is killed and one of the other exes is accused of the murder, Trinidad will have to find the killer because she likes the ex.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The characters are well developed and I found myself caring about them and wanting to learn more about them. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved, which is a plus in my opinion.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I cannot wait to see what Trinidad’s next adventure is.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate

This is a wonderful beginning to what promises to be a delightful new series. I look forward to more adventures of Trinidad and her dog, Noodles.

Trinidad has just moved to the small town of Upper Sprocket, Oregon to start her life over in a shop she inherited from her cheating, embezzling ex-husband who is now in prison. She plans to open the Shimmy and Shake Shop on July 4 and is busily prepping for the opening. Julia, another of her husband's trio of exes, becomes a quick new friend and then is arrested for murder of the local popcorn king. Trinidad knows her new friend is innocent and sets out to prove it.

The cast of characters in this book was great fun to get to know. I love Noodles' former service dog training background and the zany things he does for Trinidad. I think the reader should get the details themselves as they are such fun to meet and greet. I did figure out whodunit but the goosechase in this book is wild enough it is difficult to guess prior to the big reveal.

I look forward to another book in this series.

Enjoyable debut cozy set in Upper Sprocket, Oregon where Trinidad Jones is focused on opening her ice cream shop. Deeded the building by her louse of an ex- husband far from her native Miami, she relocated into a town where two other ex-wives live. Amazingly enough when she encounters one of the other wives, she really likes her. So much so that when Juliet is suspected for murder, Trinidad comes to the rescue to investigate. The other characters are interesting and the plot intriguing. Best of all is her dog, Noodles, who she rescued after he flunked out of being a service dog. All this bodes well for further adventures featuring Trinidad and crew.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Newly divorced Trinidad Jones is getting a new start in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, by opening the Shimmy and Shake Shop in a building that used to house one of her embezzling ex-husband’s businesses. Opening a shop and serving monster “freak” milkshakes is a dream come true but Upper Spocket is a small town and it just happens to be where ex-wives 1 and 2 also reside. That is not really a problem for Trinidad until one of them is accused of murdering The Popcorn King. His shop is near the Shimmy and Shake and he and Trinidad were splitting an order of nuts. When she went to deliver his half she found him dead in his huge popcorn kettle. She doesn’t really know anything about Juliette but can’t imagine her being a murderer. So she is going to shake things up and do a little investigating with some of the other business owners to find who really popped The Popcorn King.

I was struck right away by the delightful characters the author brings us in this first Shake Shop Mystery. Trinidad is an interesting character with an interesting background. She is smart and does well on her first adventure as an amateur sleuth. She also has a wonderful sidekick, her dog Noodles. Noodles failed military training school but he still acquired some awesome skills.

Trinidad is also surrounded by some intriguing human characters. I loved that Trinidad had a young set of twins helping her get the shop ready to open and to be her taste testers. We also meet nut farmer Quinn and his brother Doug, and Stan who owns the local coffee shop and is a reluctant lawyer. Oh, and the local police chief, who just happens to be her ex’s sister.

Several other residents of Upper Spocket drop into the story as necessary and truly depict life in a small town. Gossip runs rampant and secrets are hard to keep when everyone is in each other’s business. All the characters felt very realistic and unique making them easy to keep straight.

The mystery was extremely well-plotted with different suspects and their motives coming to light. Twists on top of turns kept misdirecting my thinking. The author really scooped me this time. The actual criminal was not even on my personal suspect list. I was totally surprised and had to take a few moments to try to think of what clues I had missed. What I really liked was that when Trinidad had a solid theory the police chief actually listened to her and didn’t just brush her off. She had a plan and the reveal tied all the clues together nicely.

Ms. Mentink has given this series an excellent start in Pint of No Return. We have only met one of the two ex-wives and I am excited to meet the other one when she gets back from her trip. The shake/ice cream theme is fun and had my mouth watering for a freak shake all my own. Doesn’t the one on the cover look yummy? I can’t wait to visit these characters again.

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.
I think it was an okay mystery. It had a lot of filler I think.
#pintofnoreturn#netgalley

I honestly would have DNF'd this book if I hadn't gotten a review copy. I just really didn't like it. I found the characters frustrating, some of the characterizations questionable, the mystery wasn't particularly compelling, and the Freakshake context weird. I had to slog through it and won't be reading any more in this series.

Loved it. Eager for the next one in this charming new series. Many wonderful characters, along with a few not so charming ones. Small town neighborliness. Wonderful dog. Lots of potential for romance, Cuban influence, yummy ice cream, and PTSD. Fireworks are a challenge for many. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

It is difficult for a first in series mystery to earn full five stars. The author has to introduce the setting and new characters and make the reader care about the crime committed or the suspects.
This series had me hooked from the beginning. A very unusual concept.
Three women who, in succession, had married the same man. And divorced him. And had to testify against him in a criminal trial.
Circumstances place all 3 ex-wives in the same small community for financial and survival reasons.
Trinidad is the newest arrival. She has to make a go of her new ice cream shop or return home to her family, shamed in her failure. Her grandfather knew there was something wrong about her marriage.
When a rare murder occurs and one of the 3 ex wives is arrested, Trinidad can not turn her back on a new friend. She can not possibly solve a murder mystery alone to prove Juliette innocent.
The friendships begun in this initial offering are wonderful. I think we will become as attached to secondary characters as we do to Trinidad and perhaps her "sister" ex-wives. Noodles naturally is a crowd pleaser.
As the story unfolds at a comfortable pace, more secrets and mysteries are intertwined with the murder investigation. Was it due to love or greed or??? There are suspects and motives for all possibilities.
Another aspect I enjoy in cozy mysteries are town festivals, events that draw tourists and celebrate local heritage. When you think ice cream a natural holiday event is July 4th. I like that this book addresses the issues some animals and veterans have with noise, crowds, fireworks.
This book really has something for everyone and is a crowd pleaser.

This is a very cute cozy. It is light hearted and easy to read. The story is very engaging. I loved the mc and of course her loyal companion noodles. I spent a lovely time reading this book. I cannot wait for the next one to come out. This one was fantastic and left me wanting more. I definitely recommend this book.

Pint of No Return by Dana Mentink is the 1st book in the Ice Cream Shop Mystery, and my first book by this author. Trinidad Jones was recently divorces from her embezzler husband, and she relocates to Upper Sprocket, Oregon to open Shimmy and Shake Shop with her settlement. Her ex husband's other two ex wives also live in Sprocket. Everything seems to be going well until Trinidad finds the Popcorn King's owner, next door dead. When a fellow ex wife, who has been very nice to her, becomes the prime suspect, she is determined to find the real killer. I really enjoyed this book, and am excited to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book is you enjoy cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Pint of No Return introduces us to Trinidad Jones, a divorced woman who finds herself opening an ice cream shop using the building that her ex-husband, Gabe, deeded to her before he went to prison. Unfortunately, the building is in a new town that is also the home to her ex's two other ex-wives and far away from her beloved grandfather, Papa Luis. Trinidad soon meets and cautiously befriends one of the other ex-wives, Juliette, who is running the local storage facility that was deeded to her by Gabe, however that friendship is quickly interrupted when Trinidad finds the body of a local businessman and Juliette is arrested for his murder. The local police chief- who happens to be her ex's sister- remains firm that all evidence points Juliette, Trinidad isn't so sure of her guilt. Convinced of her new friend's innocence, Trinidad suddenly finds herself befriending two other local business owners, Stan and Quinn, that also believe in Juliette's innocence and together, they scramble to uncover the true murderer before Juliette gets locked up for good.
The small town setting of this book provided a fun location for this new cozy mystery series. The characters are introduced quickly, and I found myself having to go back sometimes to sort out who was who, but they are interesting and quirky enough to fuel interest in reading more about them. I had a feeling early on as to who the killer was, but the story was well-written, slipping in possible suspects and clues that kept me second guessing myself. I am definitely be looking forward reading book two, whenever it may come out!

I requested and received this e-book as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy). I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read and give an honest review this title.

So funny and quaint and appealing. The characters make this great and the twists and turns of exes and how they somehow have to fit into the lead character’s life are hilarious. This publisher is a special one - they have raised the bar in the cosy mystery category and have selected a great author to join their talent pool.