Fatal Fudge Swirl

The fall vibes are strong with this one! I was transported to fall in small town Connecticut. It was fabulous!
Then Riley goes to help out at the Inn and gets in the middle of the investigation. There are so many secrets! I like the pacing with how they were resolved. It was not rushed. We found out little by little what the secrets were. The bad guys were caught and then we got a wrap up of how things worked out after that.
I think this is my favorite of the series. So good!

This is book 3 in a series but I didn't feel like I missed anything by jumping in at this point.

This is a fun cozy mystery read for the Halloween or fall/winter seasons. It takes place during Halloween in a small town in Connecticut. The main character, Riley, used to work for the CIA as a librarian but now runs an ice-cream shop and mysteries fall on her lap. Even that background is so random and fun, just like the rest of the book.

This book could be the exact definition of cozy mystery, it's a bit slow, all about the vibes, and fun to read. This book brings the small town vibes, even with a Hollywood crew in their midst. With the small town Connecticut setting, and working at an inn, it was also hard not to imagine this place like the Gilmore Girls town.

There are many quirky suspects, almost everyone seems to have a motive to kill the deceased. What I didn't love was how each character was either too good or too bad, without much nuance or depth. All the villains were villainous through and through.

I wasn't able to guess the actual culprit, which I always appreciate, the book managed to keep me guessing.

I loved Riley's friendships and how protective of them she is, and how much she cares for them. She's the kind of friend we all deserve.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.