A SCOOP OF DECEIT by Lena Gregory

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Publication date: March 26, 2026

5*****

Blurb: Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck. As if that weren’t enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani she sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim’s stormy past. Can Dani clear her mother’s name and find the truth behind Krane’s murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?

THOUGHTS: This is number 7 (I think!) in the “Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries” and we’re back with Dani, Gwen, Eli, and all the other wonderful characters in this cozy mystery. Dani runs a cafe that specializes in unique ice creams, drinks, and pastries. On Sundays, the entire Delaney clan get together at Dani’s mother’s house for Italian family dinners. And family includes a lot of extras (and I would love to be one of them!). In this one, Dani goes to the garden shop with her mother to help load plants for her mother. As they are leaving, a car backs into their truck and the man driving gets out and accuses them of causing the accident, then sues them. Then ends up dead, and Dani’s mother is one of the suspects. Dani, Gwen, Eli, and Meghan put their heads together and come up with way too many suspects, but when Eli takes off to prove he knows the perp, things go from bad to worse.

I love the characters in these stories. They draw me in and entice me to be one of them. And I would love some of the ice cream concoctions they come up with–blueberry cheesecake ice cream in this one. Yum. There are lots of twists and turns through the story and, while setting isn’t prominent, you know you’re in a small town near the ocean in springtime. And sometimes, that’s all you need. Just a taste. Like the banana split Uncle Jimmie made. And while all of the books are stand-alone, you get so much more from the stories if you start with the first one. Then you really get to know the people well. And all have a satisfying ending.

Definitely recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Gemma Halliday publishing for providing this ARC.