Book Review: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

When I heard that author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo had begun writing a YA cozy mysteries, with Murder by Milkshake being the first in her series, I was so excited. As a teen, I was a huge fan of the Trixie Belden mystery series, as well as Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High books featuring the lives of twins Liz and Jessica Wakefield and their group of friends. In high school, I also delved into more adult mysteries with author Mary Higgins Clark.

Naranjo gave an interview with WOW! Women on Writing when she launched her blog tour this week explaining how she got the idea to create a unique blend of genres she hadn’t seen before:

“The idea for Sweet Dreams goes back to 2019, when I was reading a lot of young adult (YA) fiction and also a lot of cozy mysteries. One afternoon on a break at work I had the sudden idea to combine the two. I swear I actually felt the light bulb go off. There was this surge of giddy excitement, and then I thought, no way this hasn’t been done before. 

To anyone not familiar, cozy mysteries are light-hearted, funny, and PG-rated. They are murder mysteries with no gratuitous violence, sex, profanity, or drugs. Cozies feature an amateur sleuth, a close-knit community, and a theme centered around a job or hobby, like baking or knitting. They are written for middle-aged women, but I’m convinced they’d be loved by teens if the protagonists were aged down.“

You can read her entire interview here.

Book Summary:

Life is sweet for high school senior and ice cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood, Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business? 

Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High, Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student? Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead body of another missing faculty member. 

Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced? 

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

ASIN ‏: B0D94VG7L8 

Publication date ‏: ‎July 15, 2024 

Print length ‏: ‎220 pages 

Best Sellers Rank: #897,102 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #413 in Teen & Young Adult Detective Story eBooks #3,672 in Teen & Young Adult Mysteries & Detective Stories #8,610 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Kindle Store) 

Murder by Milkshake is available in print and as an ebook at Amazon. You can add it to your GoodReads reading list as well. 

About the Author, Elizabeth Maria Naranjo:

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.

#murderbymilkshakenaranjo 

Elizabeth and Murder by Milkshake can be found online: 

https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8124819.Elizabeth_Maria_Naranjo

https://twitter.com/emarianarano

Book Review:

Murder by Milkshake was such a fun and well-plotted read that I can’t wait for the next book in the series, Pralines and Creamed. As I mentioned above, I loved reading mysteries as a young adult, and as an adult woman, I still enjoy YA mysteries from authors such as Karen McManus. I think mystery fans of all ages will enjoy Murder by Milkshake for a variety of reasons. The characters are relatable, the setting is fun (although I found myself craving ice cream a little too much while reading the book!) the red herrings keep you guessing, and Naranjo writes about real issues that face teenagers and their parents. I also write mystery, and I still couldn’t quite figure out “whodunit” by the end of the book. However, when the murderer was revealed, the clues planted throughout the book made sense.

Genevieve Winterland is a fun and vivacious character who knows what she wants. The decisions she has to either stay in town and help run her family business or explore higher education in a different town are real issues young adults her age face. The entrepreneurial spirit in our country is real and alive, and it’s something to be admired in businesses like The Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour and Hidden Treasures (the local bookstore). I also enjoyed reading about the platonic relationship with her best friend, Brandon, because these types of friendship are real and exist! Throw in a cute homeless dog (Butterscotch), a mysterious new employee at the ice cream shop, the murder of a teacher at the local high school and the disappearance of another one, and you’ve got all the ingredients necessary for an intriguing cozy mystery. There’s even an inside joke planted involving a retired police detective reading a paper back “cozy” that made me laugh out loud.  Naranjo also did a great job of teasing the next book in the series in the final chapter so I’m excited to read it.