Strawberry Swirl Murder

Spies and Food Truck #1

by Rosie A. Point

A poisoned ice cream. A scoop full of suspicion. Can our cone-fident sleuth solve the case? It’s up to Delta Mission.

Delta has a serve ice cream, keep moving from one quaint small town to the next, and under no circumstances blow her cover! She’s a spy on the run, posing as the owner of an adorably themed ice cream food truck, and she’s got to keep her nose clean.

Until she’s invited to cater an event on board a ship that’s just put into dock at the new cruise port in the small town of Carmel Springs, Maine.

She can’t afford to turn down the money. Believe it or not, the food truck business isn’t exactly booming.

But when a much-hated guest drops dead after a scoop of ice cream, she can’t afford to leave.

Especially since she’s the one who found the body.

Delta’s got to stop the cruise ship from setting sail and figure out who committed the murder before she’s the one who gets iced. Can she figure out whodunit in time?

Join Delta Mission, as she uncovers the truth and sleuths her way out of trouble, in this brand new first in series cozy mystery from USA Today bestselling author Rosie A. Point!

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Amazon

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2024

About the author

Rosie A. Point is a USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery author who loves writing about food, small towns, and cats. Her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Born and raised in South Africa, her books are all set in small towns in the United States. She dreams of visiting the places she writes about in her books.

Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!

https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/

Reviews

[Alayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this some time ago and found it very slow, and very poorly written. I picked it up again yesterday, and the only reason I finished it was because it was short. Not recommended.

[Pam]

not for me.

Amazon synopsis:
Delta has a plan: serve ice cream, keep moving from one quaint small town to the next, and under no circumstances blow her cover! She’s a spy on the run, posing as the owner of an adorably themed ice cream food truck, and she’s got to keep her nose clean.

Until she’s invited to cater an event on board a ship that’s just put into dock at the new cruise port in the small town of Carmel Springs, Maine.

She can’t afford to turn down the money. Believe it or not, the food truck business isn’t exactly booming.

But when a much-hated guest drops dead after a scoop of ice cream, she can’t afford to leave.

Especially since she’s the one who found the body.

Delta’s got to stop the cruise ship from setting sail and figure out who committed the murder before she’s the one who gets iced. Can she figure out whodunit in time?

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delta Mission, a spy, was living with her Granny in Gossip when her handler told her she had to leave and keep a low profile using the name, April Waters, and working an ice cream truck. She got the job on a cruise ship catering the Captain's birthday with her special flavors while docked in Carmel Springs. Captain Quinton runs a tight ship. With some very unusual passengers, things were going well until she serves ice cream to the loud mouthed, snooty passenger, Angela, and she drops dead right in front of her. There are so many suspects including a snake charmer, and of course, Delta/April has to investigate, not only to clear her name, but although she couldn't help herself getting involved. And Hentie and her little Chihuahua became a great help in Delta's investigation. The two became friends and we are treated to a great ending! I can't wait to see what will happen next! I received the ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead on the water.

Delta Mission is on the run with her new cover as the owner of an ice cream truck. At the moment, she is dispensing her creamy delights on a cruise ship docked at Carmel Springs, Maine. She is focused on keeping a low profile and being unmemorable up until one of the guests drops dead. All of her spy instincts tell her it’s murder and she cannot walk away until the case is solved.

Delta was a fun character when she was living in Gossip with her Granny, but I like this new, more mobile, way of sleuthing and her new partner with a cute pooch. I hope there will still be amazing spy gear included in this new series. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new twist on the cozy mystery sleuth: she's a spy in hiding. Or maybe retired? Some loss in her past but only hints given so far. BUT she has skills! So when a snooty passenger aboard a docked cruise ship keels over immediately after having had a bite of her Strawberry Swirl ice cream (her 'cover' is as an ice cream vendor in coastal Maine town) she feels like she's got to look into it -- though, thankfully, the local cops clear her pretty quickly. But it is soon very clear that there's something not quite right on board.

It was a quick read -- nice and relaxing as one wants this sort of book to read. Nothing deep and meaningful, just a decent mystery with a satisfying conclusion and people you don't mind hanging out with.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun new series! The Mission Inn Possible Cozy Mystery series is one of my favorites. A young woman and her grandmother, both retired spies, fight crime from a B&B in a small Texas town. The new series is a spin-off about their cousin and granddaughter, Delta Mission. She on the run from some bad guys and hiding out in a small Maine town, disguised as an ice cream truck owner. This first story setting of a cruise ship is attention-getting. The characters are interesting and the book is well-written and easy to follow. Lots of suspects and a surprise ending! Looking forward to the next one!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strawberry Swirl Murder

A secret identity, a new location to live in Carmel Springs and a job selling ice cream from an ice cream truck leads Alice to serving ice cream for a party on a docked cruise ship where an unlikable woman drops dead after taking a bite of ice cream. Alice is concerned that someone tampered with the ice cream. Will she be suspected of killing the woman? Alice is determined to figure out what happened. A great read. I love reading Rosie A. Point's books.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delta Mission in an undercover spy, operating an ice cream truck as April Waters. She is hired to do a ship captains birthday party. However one of guests on the cruise ship drops dead after taking a bite of ice cream. April is determined to clear her name and gets help from Hentie, who has been traveling on the cruise ship for a long time. Together they gather information and piece together the clues. This is the first book in a new series. Enjoy.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book in the A Spies and Food Truck Cozy Mystery series. In this book we’re introduced to “April” who has an ice cream truck and who also just happens to be a spy. We’re given a little bit of background on her and I’m sure we’ll find out more in upcoming books. I found it interesting that Hentie and Barkington left the cruise ship so I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in upcoming stories.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

It sure runs in the family, and both Delta and Charlie’s have a talent for running into trouble while undercover and having to work hard to keep their cover from being blown, lol. But Delta somehow made a friend in the process, a lady with a cute little pup. Maybe these two are gonna start solving cases together like Ruby and Bee did when they lived in Carmel Springs, that’d be cool.

[Lee Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much, it was so good!! I really like April and Hentie. I can't imagine living on a cruise ship but I have heard of people doing that. Now with a really elegant cabin and all the food and drink you want it might be something to think about. The author made the experience sound delicious and fun!! I will have to check it out!!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delta/ April get mixed up in a VIP passenger, Angela drops dead a step after having some Strawberry Swirl ice cream at the event April is serving. Loved the revisit to Carmel Springs from Bite-sized Bakery mysteries, Delta's way of investigating and solving the murder, Hentie and Her chihuahua, Sir Barkington are fun addition to the story.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delta Mission goes undercover to discover why people are dying or disappearing on a cruise ship. One dies in front of her, so she digs in despite having a hard time getting info from those in authority. Entertaining read
I received an arc gratis ans offer my opinion in the same.

[Timothy P. Hench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delta Mission undercover, incognito! Great new series.

Just read the book. You’ll enjoy the characters. Cousin of Charlie Mission. A spy hiding in plain sight, on leave from the NSIB.

[Giannina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosie has written another winner. The characters are very interesting especially Hentie. She keeps you guessing until the end which I thoroughly enjoy since in most cozies is not the case. I recommend this book and can not wait to see what Delta gets up to next.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good!!

Great start to a new series. It was fun to revisit the town of Caramel Springs (from the Ruby & Bee series) with different characters. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unknown Culprit

The culprit was unknown and they weren't really sure that there was a culprit. Who killed her if it wasn't natural causes?
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

[Jane Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

PRETTY GOOD!

This is the first of this Series I have read. It was good but I felt it took too long to get to the main plot & the murder. The last quarter of the book moved faster than the first 3/4 of it. Hopefully the next one will be more interesting!

[Karen Malabre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise Ending

I love the cozy mystery genre when I need a quick read. Rosie's character, Delta, doggedly follows the clues no matter what! I didn't expect the killer to be the person it was! Nice surprise.

[Linnette Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh That Was Fun

A very clever mystery, lots of suspects and clues, I didn’t know who did it, but I sure enjoyed the ride. Fun and funny characters and ice cream all you could want! Highly recommend.

[Janice E. Ryberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strawberry Swirl Murder Book 1. 4.6 stars

Great way to start a new cozy series. Lots of sneaking around and interesting cast of characters, especially the chihuahua. Our lady snoop is actually a spy for real and sells ice cream from a truck. Enjoy the fun!

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a freebie, and it was a really fun little cozy to read. I enjoyed the characters. I liked the story. It was well-written and easy to read. I would recommend it to cozy lovers!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes talent to write a good story that's this short. A quick read but a good book. Cool mystery, too. "April" is a great character, but we don't fully get to know her here. Some teasers about her back story definitely have me curious. I think this series is going to be fun!

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Angela and why??? The poison doesn't act immediately??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Mellie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story

Murder? Or natural causes? What is more fun than a mystery on a cruise ship? With more potential suspects than you can shake a stick at? Enjoyable read!

[Heidi Scarletta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Town was familiar

The characters from another series by the author stayed at Carmel Springs. The colors on the ice cream was good.

[Rose Mcclarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange happenings on a cruise ship and then a murder, lots of strange things happening and it just keeps getting stranger. Good read.

[Christine]

WAY overwritten. Every character is a caricature—no attempt to make them feel like real people.

[Patti A Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

.

What a fun book. Murder, suspense, and lots of smiles. Rosie knows how to tell a great story. I am excited for book number 2!

[Sienna S'Zell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for a good story, but 1 star for sloppy editing -- words mispelled, letters left out -- not to mention the puzzling wrap up at the end.