Book Review: Spoon to be Dead by Dana Mentink (Shake Shop Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great plot and characters we love

Cons: Pace little uneven in the middle, but minor overall

The Bottom Line:

Ex-husband is back

Will business survive winter?

A good mystery

Is Trinidad’s Ex a Killer?

I’ve found Dana Mentink’s Shake Shop Mysteries to be lots of fun, so I was looking forward to seeing what was next for the characters in Spoon to be Dead, the third in the series.  It didn’t disappoint.

Winter has fallen, and Trinidad Jones is worried about how her Shimmy and Shake Shop will survive her first winter.  There aren’t as many tourists in eastern Oregon, and the cold weather doesn’t drive as much foot traffic from the locals.  One way she is hoping to maintain business is by catering, and her first potential job is on a steamboat that operates on the local lake for a mystery person who is planning a massive party there.

However, Trinidad’s preparation plans are derailed when her ex-husband walks into the shop.  Gabe went to jail for stealing from his clients, and she didn’t even know that he was out of jail.  The first words out of his mouth are that he thinks he killed a man before he collapses on the floor of Trinidad’s shop.  What is going on?

I had saved this book until December since the book was advertised as a Christmas entry in the series.  There were a few references to the season early on, but the book wasn’t leaning heavily into the timing.  That changed in the second half of the book, however, and I enjoyed it when it kicked in.

My teaser just covers the first chapter of the book.  That’s how quickly the story starts.  I did find the pace a little uneven in the middle, but it was minor overall.  There were some interesting twists along the way to a fantastic climax.

And it was great to see the characters again.  I love Trinidad and the rest of the regulars, and I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow in this book.  Gabe had been talked about in the first two books but hadn’t appeared (something about being in jail), so getting to meet him and see how the rest of the regulars reacted to him being around was very interesting and showed different sides of them.

Sadly, this is the final book in the series.  We do get a nice wrap up in the epilogue, and I think fans will be happy with where things stand even if one or two things seemed a little abrupt.

If you are looking for some seasonal ice cream and shake recipes, you’ll be happy with the four recipes we get at the end.

All told, Spoon to be Dead is an enjoyable finish to this series.  While I would have kept reading if the series had been continued, I’m happy with how things ended.  Fans will be glad they read these books, and if you haven’t started the series yet, I recommend you pick it up today.