It has only been six weeks since the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe and owner Kate McKay is ecstatic that she has been enlisted to cater a gala at world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane's home. But things go sour pretty quickly when Omar's body is found. The murder is keeping customer's away from Lickety Splits, so Kate decides to crash high-profile photo shoots and mingle with fashion's biggest stars to find clues that will lead her to the killer.

This is the second book in the series but it was the first one I read. I had no problem following along. I loved the idea of an ice cream shoppe with creative flavours - some of them sounded really good! I felt like I was included in the story. Great characters, great setting, great mystery, great cover. I will definitely read that first book and look for the others in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for an ARC. ( )

Hot Fudge Murder is a breezy and humorous cozy mystery. It is the second book in A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery series, but it can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know is included in Hot Fudge Murder. Kate McKay opened Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe six weeks earlier and the shop has been doing well so far (fingers crossed). Catering a high end event for Omar Devane (loves ice cream) will introduce Kate’s shop to a higher end clientele and, hopefully, provide her with more catering opportunities. She did not anticipate the host being murdered during the event nor the vast number of journalists who would overtake the town. Kate is worried if the murder does not get solved quickly, her ice cream shop will go under from the lack of customers. Cynthia Baxter is a descriptive writer which provides readers with details they need to visualize the story. Kate questions various suspects and looks around Omar’s home in the hopes of identifying the killer. There are a limited number of suspects which makes it simple to solve this whodunit. I did find that Hot Fudge Murder slowed down in the middle with the pace picking up towards the end along with the action. Romance is in the air as Kate has two men interested in dating her. I sincerely hope the author will quickly nip the love triangle in the bud. Kate’s niece, Emma is having romance troubles of her own and we get to hear about every single detail. I would have preferred less romance and a more complex mystery. I did like the change in Grams and her idea involving the seniors from the local senior center. Hot Fudge Murder is filled with delectable and some unusual ice cream descriptions. Kate is always coming up with new flavor combinations which has caused her pants to become uncomfortably tight. I like the historical tidbits on ice cream at the beginning of each chapter. There are recipes for ice cream, sorbet and hot fudge sauce at the end. Hot Fudge Murder is a lighthearted cozy mystery that will leave readers craving a frozen sweet treat. ( )