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Sweet Treats Mystery #1

Strawberry Crunch & Murder

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Molly Jenn, along with her pet parakeet, Whammy, decides to leave her small town of Brooks and start fresh on the East Coast. With her new dessert shop opening soon, Molly is excited to be following her dream.

The last thing she expects is to be caught up in the solving the murder of the town’s bully.
Using her former investigative journalism skills, and with the help of the handsome police officer, Molly makes it her mission to find the killer before they strike again.

Book 1 in the Sweet Treat Cozy Mystery series, which can be read in one to two hours! Perfect for a lunchtime read or if you want to enjoy a quick light-hearted read, with a parrot-loving amateur sleuth, set in a seaside town with quirky characters. 

No cliffhanger, swearing or gory scenes!

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2018

501 people are currently reading
282 people want to read

About the author

Lori Woods

75 books66 followers

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5 stars
185 (45%)
4 stars
121 (29%)
3 stars
76 (18%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
January 17, 2019
The teenage mob boss

A quick, light hearted read but a shame about the proofing errors. A nice little mystery that naturally evolves around the opening of a business and deals with cyber bullying. How it can get out of hand and the fact that there really aren't enough checks and counter balances in place to curb the spread of this. Great characters. Lively, fun but also show that youngsters can have a mentality that older than the hills and that some adults never leave the teenage state.
She has driven from her previous home to her new one (hauling an ice cream van) whilst her parakeet enjoyed the ride. Now she's ready to tackle the shop that will soon house her business. The state is deplorable but two young teens are going to be helping (she's agreed with the building owner to give them a job once her business is open). Everything is going to schedule and her presence, plus the free ice cream, is going down a treat at the local festival. However all that comes crashing down when a young girl is found and one of her young helpers is taken into custody. The twins have been a great help to her and it might make meeting her opening deadline a problem without their help. With the agreement of the local handsome deputy she starts asking questions. Only to find that the young girl has led a systematic cyber bullying campaign against everyone she wanted to hurt. From business to individuals regardless of age and no-one had curbed her. Finding her mother's suicide doesn't help but the detailed noted the girl kept do. Can she find the real culprit? Can she get her two helpers back? Will she open on time?
Profile Image for Nila (digitalcreativepages).
2,672 reviews223 followers
December 28, 2020
A straightforward and cute murder mystery.
Molly, a former investigative journalist, had the opportunity to open shop in a new town. With loving and helpful characters, her life seemed to be set. Until a murder and suicide got her investigative juices flowing.

My first book by this author, the story was extremely loving. Molly was clever and prudent. I would have loved to see more of her ice cream making skills. Various characters were supportive of her venture, exactly how a small town vibe ought to be.

Her investigation into the murder was clear, I liked how she stumbled into clues. Romance was hinted at and it went with the flow.

Overall, a fun read
Profile Image for Elizabeth Edwards.
5,552 reviews9 followers
November 19, 2018
standalone. i am new to Lori ...such a great read. such a new fan. cute, short and such a sweet little fine read. my favorite genre is always been mystery ... my go 2. will read more from Lori soon enough. loved this book cover. awesome!!
Profile Image for Cindy B. .
3,899 reviews219 followers
November 5, 2018
Clean Mystery

Short, sweet and clever with a twist (cyber-bullying). A lot resolved in a short and pleasant read. Standalone and recommended for a Dr. Office wait.
490 reviews9 followers
September 20, 2018
A very cute, short and sweet little read. Just the thing to read before going to bed. As I have a terrible problem in not being able to put a book down till it is finished, I, many times, am up till 2, 3,or 4 in the morning. I appreciated this as I could finish it by a reasonable hour and get a good night's sleep.
Unfortunately, I must give it a black mark for grammar, etc. I am really tired of reading books that the author does not take enough pride in to have properly edited/proofread. But, when you have sentences that read : "I kept HER wings clipped for the first couple of years I had HIM and SHE just got use to relying on me", I have to say something. Which leads me to ask "Is Whammy a He or a She?" This is inexcusable.
Other errors, like starting a sentence with "The" when you mean "They" could be bypassed, but playing with gender cannot. In fact, the other errors of omission, even if not as bad, make the book unacceptable as a published book , maybe as an essay for an English class, but not a book that is offered for sale..
I will try with another Sweet Tea Mystery and see if the author improved as time passed.
Profile Image for Lady Galaxy.
889 reviews
March 7, 2020
I liked the main characters in this book, but the plot had holes big enough to drive an ice cream truck through! It reads very much like an unedited first draft. There are too many typos and grammar errors to count. Throughout most of the book we are told the parakeet is male, but in one random paragraph the author uses both male and female pronouns to refer to the bird.

We learn a few chapters in that the main character has been keeping already made ice cream in her truck. How did she keep it from melting? There's no mention of keeping the truck running constantly for days or plugging the generator into any sort of electric outlet.

What kind of police officer allows a civilian he's just met to enter the home of a crime victim and randomly pick up her stuff without wearing gloves to prevent her from leaving finger prints all over everything? Is the health department aware that she sometimes lets the bird out of its cage to fly around the ice cream shop?

We learn from the preview chapter for the next book that her kitchen wasn't installed until after her grand opening. So how and where did she make all the ice cream they served?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for SANDYE.
458 reviews4 followers
May 27, 2019
Short cozy mystery

Entertaining. Fun. A young woman moves to Savannah, GA and opens up an ice cream shop near the popular riverfront shopping district. While getting ready to open the shop, she agrees to hire her landlord's two grandchildren. To promote her brand opening, she gives away free ice cream at a local vendor show. While at this show, the town bully, a nasty tempered teen, is found dead. Instantly, another teen is blamed and arrested for the death because of their strained history in school. As a former investigative reporter, the New business owner decides to help the local Police force solve the mystery surrounding the teen's murder.

A quick read, great for a rainy afternoon or a lazy evening.
Profile Image for Carol Gronli.
31 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2019
Okay I have a serious complaint about this author's books. They are illogical. First, the main character "creates" new ice creams. No she doesn't. An ice cream plant is huge. It involves a whole lot of big equipment. She doesn't have an ice cream factory. She has a store. But it's never brought up with the reader. So, she creates new flavors - how? That threw me. Then there is that whole she was an investigative journalist whom the cops just trust. When have the police EVER trusted a journalist? Um, never. I guess I wanted to read more reality than what I got.
2,362 reviews27 followers
May 14, 2022
This is a cute, sweet and short read with interesting characters. Story deals with cyber bullying and teenagers. The girl who is killed is a very nasty character, bullying people in real life as well as by computer. She even goes after adults, writing negative comments to get their businesses to go under. Of course, she has a mother who always gets her out of any trouble-I wasn't sure if that was really realistic as she was able to stop anyone from pressing charges. There were some issues with grammar that interfered with my enjoyment some.
Profile Image for Jeanne  Brewer.
272 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2019
Likeable characters, simple straightforward plot, no surprises

Enjoyable effort with a very basic plot with no twists to make it more interesting. Note: The twins are 16 and 18, respectively, but are repeatedly referred to as "twins." Book very badly needs some editing and proofreading. Dialogue is stiff and self-conscious. Recommended only if constant word misuse and grammatical errors do not bother you.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Evans.
279 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2018
Love the new series

Just discovered this new cozy mystery series and I love the first book! Molly Jenn moved to make a new start and gets involved in a murder mystery! There's a policeman in town that catches her eye and the two work together to find an answer!! She opens her I've great shop too!!!
Profile Image for Lonnie.
77 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2018
Cute story

Cute, little mystery that I finished in no time. New town, new business, new friends and a murder. Only thing that would help this story is "grammar check" prior to printing. Other readers might not notice but it was enough for me to rate the mystery 3 stars instead of 4.
7,776 reviews50 followers
September 19, 2018
Molly, wanting a new career, with an ice cream truck, minus an ex boyfriend. He wanted her to keep her investigation journalism experience.
So, it failed, she now trying Savanah close to the beaches, everyone should want ice cream. New to town, she knows who the bully is, and with the police office, she is busy once again, investigating a murder.Delightful start to a new series
307 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2019
Woods/strawberry crunch & murder

A cute story of a former investigative journalist turned I've cream entrepreneur, Molly with her bird named whammy who moved from small town brooks, ga. To open up her new ice cream business in savanah, ga. Molly ends up helping one of her employees accused of murder. The story needed more to it it was too short.
Profile Image for D.
21 reviews
March 10, 2019
Very smooth read. Characters are easy to follow and Miss Woods paints a nice picture with her details. I gave it only 4 stars because of the death of this particular character was a bit off putting because of their age. Otherwise I enjoyed it very much. The mystery unfolded nicely. It made me want to continue with the rest in the series.
1,032 reviews
July 2, 2019
Fun, sweet cozy mystery series

The main characters are good, likable, smart people. Molly is getting a fresh start in a new place and finds the best employees, landlord, neighbors and local cop. Then there is a mystery to solve. This is the first in a series, and is a rather short, easy, fun, relaxing read.
16 reviews
May 6, 2025
Ice Cream Meets Murder!

Strawberry Crunch Murder will keep you on your toes. Molly the Ice Cream and Dessert Shop owner and part time sleuth goes to work after a teenage girl is murdered. With dozens of possible suspects, Molly has her work cutout for her. Excellent writing, with wonderful characters and a twist you won’t see coming at the end. Great read!!!
1,063 reviews4 followers
February 7, 2018
Great read

Book one and I'm hooked already if you love a great cozy with characters you will love and a story that will keep you turning the page then this one by Lori Woods is a must read getting the next one now
22 reviews
March 7, 2018
Quick enjoyable and fun

I definitely recommend this book. The story had a good flow and fun characters. The pet bird Whammy is also a great addition than the standard cat or dog you read in a lot of other cozy mysteries.
Profile Image for Shannon.
503 reviews2 followers
April 17, 2018
Fits the mold

This falls right in line with other cozy mystery series formats, so no surprises there. Some inconsistencies like whether the bird is a boy or a girl, but that should sort itself out.
193 reviews
July 16, 2018
CyberBullying Is highlighted in the story.

This is a nice easy read and does bring up some of the issues of today. Well thought out, And good storyline. Worth the time to read. Happy reading!
47 reviews
September 20, 2018
Simple cozy mystery

This was a simple cozy mystery.

The writing style was quite elementary. Given that, it’s a shame there were quite a lot inaccuracies in terms of grammar, vocabulary and the likes.

Could do with a thorough editorial review.
71 reviews
October 4, 2018
So cute!

This book was very cute, and quick. It has a bird, twins and an officer. While the owner of an ice cream shop is an investigator journalist.
Some typing issues on words, but still fun.
Profile Image for Kirsten Sultemeier.
11 reviews
June 2, 2019
Funny, Action-packed and intriguing.

Funny, Action-packed and intriguing. The storyline is great it moves along at a wonderful pace. The characters are interesting and the author really gives us a chance to get to know them.
77 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2019
Is Whammy a boy or girl??? Only a few pages in and already noticed editing errors. Kind of funny really. "kept her wings clipped, few years I had him, she became dependent". All in one paragraph!!"

Not bad, really really easy read, took no time at all to get through it.
2,323 reviews6 followers
August 6, 2022
A good start to the series.

I enjoyed this story. Molly is a good character. After moving into a new town, she finds herself investigating a murder. There are several suspects. I like the plot, and the way Molly makes new friends . This is a quick read
Profile Image for Kitten  Peters.
1,017 reviews5 followers
May 12, 2018
Cute story

This is a fast read and a page turner. Melt makes a move, opens an ice cream store, runs an ice cream store and helps solve a murder.
5 reviews
May 27, 2018
Great idea

What a great idea to have the story in Savannah. Her parakeet, Whammy, is a nice pet to have. Looking forward to the other books.
Profile Image for gary c lehn.
1,724 reviews7 followers
August 26, 2018
Great series.........

I enjoyed this story of intrigue and mystery. The author did a great job of putting a cast of characters together with a crime and a who done it.
1 review
September 13, 2018
So so not the greatest

Molly has to stop smirking! Not much of a plot, could be a much better book. Maybe the next one will be better
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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