Hot Fudge Murder

At the start of Baxter’s frothy second Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe mystery (after 2018’s Murder with a Cherry on Top), Kate McKay, the owner of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe in Wolfert’s Roost, N.Y., is thrilled when famous fashion designer Omar DeVane asks her to provide hot fudge sundaes for 75 at a weekend retreat that he’s hosting for the glitterati at his mansion. Kate’s joy is as short-lived as the party itself after Omar is found strangled with his own necktie. Kate fears that such a high-profile unsolved murder will kill business in her little tourist town, a frightening prospect for a first-time entrepreneur, so she vows to try to track down Omar’s killer. The perfect opportunity to investigate arises when she’s hired to cater the memorial service, and between scooping ice cream and snooping, Kate uncovers the perfect motive for murder. A picturesque Hudson Valley town, a couple of requisite hunks who vie for the heroine’s affections, plus gallons of ice cream trivia add up to a sweet treat for cozy lovers. [em]Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Feb.) [/em]