Spoon to be Dead, the third book in Dana Mentink’s Shake Shop mystery series serves up another winning combination of hometown charm and intriguing mystery. Like its predecessors, it is a delicious cozy mystery that will leave you wanting more.

Trinidad Jones, the proprietress of the Shimmy and Shake ice cream shop in Upper Sprocket, Oregon is worried about how well her Freakshakes, which were highly popular in the summer, would sell in the cold winter months. But with her new winter-themed offerings, she is slightly optimistic about landing a catering gig on the Sprocket Steamboat to supplement her income. Unfortunately, before she can audition for the position, her recently-paroled ex-husband, Gabe Bigley, arrives and delivers a bombshell before passing out – he thinks he has killed someone. And when birder Oscar Fuentes is found dead on the pavement following a presumed car accident, suspicion naturally falls on Gabe. With the police chief entangled in a conflict of interest (Gabe is her brother), it is up to Trinidad, with some help from her friends (and Gabe’s other ex-wives), to clear his name.

I have enjoyed all three books in this series, but this one seems special to me. The relationships between Gabe’s ex-wives (Trinidad, Juliette, and Bonnie) are explored in detail in the course of the investigation. Theirs is a sincere friendship with a bond that strengthens as the story progresses. The surrounding characters, too, have a charm of their own, especially Noodles, the “service dog failure” whom Trinidad has adopted. And although he didn’t play a large role in the story, Papa Luis always brings a large dose of charm.

Not to be left out, the mystery is exceptionally good. What possible motive could anyone have for harming the beloved Oscar? And with a wide variety of suspects and clues and numerous twists and turns, you (along with Trinidad) will be guessing (and guessing wrong) throughout.

I believe Spoon to be Dead is supposed to be the final book in a trilogy, and, if so, I am sad to see this series come to an end. That said, if it is the final book, Ms. Mentink did an admirable job in tying up the loose ends. I just wish we could come back and visit these characters again.

Note: I received an ARC of Spoon to be Dead from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The above is my honest review.

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

I’ve really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and was excited to return to Upper Sprocket, Oregon to see Trinidad Jones, the Shimmy and Shake Shop, and the quirky crew that makes up her social circle of friends and family. It’s even more of a fun setting because the strange chain of events that brought her to Upper Sprocket led to her making friends with the other two ex-wives of her former husband, and developing a sisterly bond with them. Found family is done so wonderfully in this series.

First and foremost, I was heartbroken to discover that this is the last book in the series. It’s become one of my favorite cozy series to seek out, so naturally I’m going to miss the characters, the quirky town, and the stories that have entertained me each year. However, I did notice some changes in this story, compared to the first two, while other things that made this series stand out stayed the same.

For the first time, we get to see what the small, unique town of Upper Sprocket is like during the winter. Trinidad is freaking out about how she’s going to keep the shop afloat through the cold months, and it leads to some creative solutions on the part of Trina and the people around her—her sisters, employees, Papa Luis, and some unexpected sources as well. But just in case she didn’t have enough stress on her plate, Bonnie (one of her ‘sisters’) seems to be keeping a secret, and their ex, Gabe, shows up in town talking about being charged with a murder. Trinidad promises herself that she’ll stay out of it, but she winds up getting pulled into being an unwilling amateur investigator once again.

Gabe’s presence and Trinidad’s assistance to him causes some friction in her relationship with Quinn, and Bonnie’s secret leads to some distance between she and both Trinidad and Juliette. And Juliette is a whole other story—she’s smart, beautiful, and independent, but I think that she really deserved better in this book than throwing herself at the first handsome guy who shows up in town, and basically becoming arm candy. I was disappointed in how the characters seem to move backwards in their character arcs during the story, although they do end up growing from their experiences.

The mystery in the story actually winds up encompassing more than one mini-mystery, and it kept me engaged from early on right up until the end. Mentink does a fantastic job of building a great mystery with plenty of suspects with strong motivation, and multiple red herrings. I thought I had the murderer nailed more than once, and by my third guess, I got it right. But knowing that I knew who the murderer was didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed this story.

Overall, this was a great story. I really loved how it all panned out, even though things wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end—not in respect to the murder, but with respect to the people involved in the story. My favorite character in the story was definitely Noodles, the aging service dog that flunked out of training, yet somehow manages to do the perfect thing when its needed. He always plays such a big role in the books since he spends most of his time with Trinidad, rather than just being a side note in the story, and he even gets a feathered (*somewhat feathered) new friend to love. It was the most wholesome thing in the world. And while I’m super sad there won’t be any more Shake Shop Mysteries (or shake shop recipes either), I am curious to see what else Mentink has in store for her readers.

Spoon to be Dead is the third Shake Shop storefront cozy mystery by Dana Mentink. Released 31st Oct 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Readers love cozy mysteries, whatever form they take, library, bookmobile, shopfront small town amateur sleuths, professors turned investigators, we're not very picky. Animals are a plus. This one ticks a lot of boxes. Heading into the winter season (not a big earner for an ice cream shop in Oregon), owner Trinidad is planning a catered event on a riverboat to help the shop stay afloat when her loathsome ex begs her to help clear him of murder.

Despite being the third book in the series, the plot works perfectly well as a standalone and introduction to the ensemble cast of fun and eccentric characters. There are a number of appealing facets. The author is adept at plotting and the dialogue never felt overly clunky or convoluted; it's engaging, light, and readable. The story moved along at a good pace and despite the longer-than-average page count for a shopfront cozy, it never dragged or felt overwritten. Main character Trinidad is intelligent, driven, honest, and kind. She's also a small business owner and apparently a woman of color (but the author doesn't overemphasize the fact. Still subtle representation is welcome and important).

The language is squeaky clean, nary a damn to be seen. There is no NSFW content and the denouement and resolution are well crafted and satisfying. It's a safe, comfort read - light but satisfying. The author has even included a few recipes in the back of the book which look intriguing.

Four stars. Definitely one for the fans of small-town shopfront cozies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to the publisher for sending this my way!

I was so happy with this book and INCREDIBLY grateful to be able to continue the story. As an avid cozy mystery reader, this series is high on my list!

Let me start with that I am sad I will not be reading about Noodles (the dog) anymore. This is the last book of the series (only 3 books) and I want to thank net galley for introducing me to the Dana Mentink and to Trinidad and her "sisters". For those that have read the first two books, this does offer closure for the series and it is definitely cozy.

I found the story to be suspenseful and surprising. Letting us meet the ex-husband, the reason they all know each other, was perfect for this final chapter. As much as we want to not like the guy that broke all the hearts, we come to learn how the 3 women fell for the "hooligan" who is definitely not good at being bad. I highly recommend the series.

I had not read the previous books, but I enjoyed this one. The characters worked well together, and the mystery kept me guessing.

I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but glad it wrapped nicely in this final volume. I loved seeing Trinidad grow as a character and enjoyed getting to know all the side-characters in her life. I was close to knowing some of the secrets in this one, but I was just off enough that I liked the not knowing parts. Good ending to a fun mystery series.

After reading Pint of No Return and A Sprinkle in Time from the Shake Shop Mystery series by Dana Mentink, I was eagerly awaiting the third installment, Spoon to be Dead. Oh my goodness, this one is by far my favorite of the series. I found this one a fun and delightful little mystery that gave me a few giggles. I loved every single page of it and had no issue reading the whole book in one sitting.

I am giving Spoon to be Dead five stars. I highly recommend it for readers and lovers of clean cozy mysteries. I am hoping there will be more books to come from the Shake Shop Mystery series to see what other adventures happen to the characters.

I received a paperback copy of Dana Mentink’s Spoon to be Dead from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

I am very surprised this is the last book in the series I missed the second book. Will go back and read it. It was a very enjoyable read. Trinidad and her dog Noodles is her service dog is amazing together. How on the pages the book comes to life, and you get a feel for this caring dog it's amazing. Will miss these characters? It is a cozy mystery. Thank You Net galley.

Spoon to be Dead was just as cute as the first two books in the series. I love Trinidad and the cast of characters that surround her in each story. Her family and friends are loving and helpful in solving the murders she really doesn't want to get involved with. Plus, all the ice cream!! I'm hoping there are more books to come in this series!

I love the Shake Shack mysteries by Dana Metink! This is the third book in the series and I’d recommend reading them in order as that will make the most sense.

This story is funny and had me laughing out loud at times. Noodles, the support animal who failed his training, cracks me up. The story is about Trinidad Jones and her Shake Shop, the Shimmy and Shake. Trinidad has not yet been in business a year and is worried about how her business will do selling ice cream in the winter. She has the opportunity to do some catering for special events, which seems to be an answered prayer. But then, Trinidad is pulled into a murder investigation by her ex-husband Gabe who is the primary suspect.

I highly recommend this series because it is fun to read.

A great addition to the shake Shop Mystery Series .

The characters are likable and the plot had me guessing until the very end .

Beware you may want to hand a pint of ice cream on hand when reading this novel .

I just reviewed Spoon to be Dead by Dana Mentink. #NetGalley

Okay, so this one really had me guessing. There’s definitely no shortage of suspects and possible motives and I really wasn’t sure how everything was going to play out. This has been a fun and enjoyable cozy series for me and I’m sorry to see it end. Fun reads!

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Spoon to be Dead is the 3rd book in The Shake Shop Mystery series by Dana Mentink, BUT it can be read as a stand-alone. I have not read the others in this series and had no issues following along with this book. (Now I plan to read the others!) 🍦

Trinidad and her two “sisters” may not share blood, but they DO share an ex-husband. The three women seem extremely close and I loved seeing how their relationship worked throughout this book. They each had fairly different personalities and it was easy to keep track of who was who! This book had plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep me guessing.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a cozy mystery—Mentink’s writing is phenomenal! In addition, I don’t recall anything that would make this book inappropriate for a young adult, it was pretty tame! 🤗

Thank you so much for a copy of this ARC to review!!

I enjoyed this next installment in the Shake Shop Mysteries. There were a lot of things that happened that I really didn't expect at all, which made it a lot of fun. Looking forward to the next one!

Huge fan of the series (and all the creations Trinidad comes up with) and hate to see it end. I love the characters, especially Trinidad’s grandfather, Papa Luis. The setting itself is also idyllic and the shake shop just adds to the mystique of the town. The mystery is well-paced and kept me guessing until the end. There were none of my pet peeves – love triangles, TSTL moments, MC who doesn’t go to work - an all-around good read. This is perfect for a rainy day or any time you can read uninterrupted; you won’t want to put it down.

I think these are such fun! They certainly will have you drooling over the sweet treats for sure and certain.
I loved guessing in who done it. So many suspects and lots of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.
Trinidad is a delightful sleuth and I'm glad she's back with another mystery! Yay!
I finished this book in an hour and loved every minute of it.
The parrot and the service dog was an added treat too. I loved them both.
I highly recommend these delightful mysteries! They're such fun.
My favorite part was the setting. I love the idea of having a party on a steamboat!
Poor Gabe. His entrance in this fun novel was definitely interesting.
5 stars for keeping me entertained and turning the pages.
Mentik is certainly a gifted storyteller.
I.want more of these please. I hated tonsay goodbye to Trinidad it's always a pleasure to come back to her world once more and I hope to return.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you’re new to the series, it does take a while to get used to the unique relationships that our main character, Trinidad, and her friends have. Three ex-wives – Trinidad, Juliette, and Bonnie – who have formed a “sisterhood” and are as close as family, not to mention their real families and friends. For that reason, it makes it a lot easier to read this series in order, rather as standalones.

I felt that this book zoomed along at a fairly quick pace. The death happens quite quickly and almost immediately EVERYONE is pulled into the mystery because there is a lot at stake. There are a lot of people to keep track of, both old and new characters, so you do have to pay attention to the details when reading this one.

I felt that the mystery angle was really well done because, while at first it seemed a fairly straightforward case, there were a lot of red herrings and suspects to keep the mystery going without being too confusing. Honestly, this one really didn’t turn out the way that I thought it would!

Gabe (Trinidad, Juliette, and Bonnie’s ex-husband) is back in town and his return stirs up A LOT of feelings – both good and bad (mostly bad). He has obviously hurt a lot of people and there is a lot of mistrust from all sides. Trinidad is really feeling torn because while the evidence points to Gabe being a killer, and even though she knows she can’t trust him, deep down she doesn’t really believe that he could be a murderer. It makes for an interesting balance of doing what’s right for Trinidad.

I felt that there was A LOT of character development in this story – so many of the characters found new relationships, both platonic and romantic. I did feel that it was a bit odd that so much happened over the course of this book, but then a reader’s note from the author at the end of the book sounded like this was the final book in the series, so that may be why so many loose ends were tied up neatly. If this is the end, I’m sad to see the series go, but it has been a real sweet ride while it lasted.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.