by: Lena Gregory
Series: Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new mystery…
Things have been looking up for Danika Delany’s business—her uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island. But for her love life? Not so much. After a disastrous date with Detective Jake Barlow, Danika lets her best friends, Gwen and Eli, talk her into a night out at the hottest new nightclub in town. Only, while there, Dani finds her sort-of boyfriend secreted in the shadows on the beach behind the club with crime boss Patrick Johansen’s wife, Angelique! An upset Dani leaves without giving Jake a chance to explain, but when he doesn’t get in touch the next day, she takes a long walk along the beach to reevaluate her love life. That’s where she suddenly stumbles across Angelique’s body buried in the dunes near where she last saw her with Jake. Sure that Jake is innocent—of murder at least—Danika and her friends set out to prove Jake had nothing to do with her murder and stop a killer…before they strike again!
Easy Centerpieces
By Danika Delaney
When I returned from New York City to my hometown of Watchogue New York, a small town on the south shore of Long Island’s east end, I used every drop of money I had refurbishing my Uncle Jimmie’s failing ice cream parlor into the Coffee and Cream Café and setting up a studio apartment for myself in the upstairs storage room. Not that I couldn’t have moved in with my parents and my sister, I could have, but who needed to wait in line for the bathroom. I expected pushback from my mother when I told her I was moving out. Instead, she jumped in whole-heartedly and helped me decorate, even made curtains for my windows and a comforter for my day bed. (Right before she turned my old bedroom into a sewing room, but I didn’t want to examine that too closely.)
Unfortunately, I don’t share Mom’s creative talents. I’m also out of money, so when it came time to make centerpieces, I had to come up with something cozy but inexpensive. With very little time left, I decided on an easy, inexpensive idea that anyone can make, even me.
I love the beach. Although I haven’t had much free time since returning home, I do manage to sneak away for a little while, and when I do, I head straight for the bay down the road. I walk along the beach with a bucket in hand, collecting anything I find that catches my interest; beach glass, seashells, small rocks, twigs, beach grass, driftwood, even a length of old fishing net. After that, I stroll through town and hit up the antique shops, and even the dollar stores, and pick out a variety of glass containers, mason jars, and small candles.
When I get back to the café, I sift through all of the interesting things I found on the beach and sort them into jars. Some jars get candles in the center—of course, I’m careful not to put anything flammable in those. Others get beach grass or twigs sticking out the top. If the jars have no fun decorations on them, I tie a ribbon, a length of rope, or a leather cord around them.
When I’m done, I set a jar or two in the center of each table, then I create a setting on the counter behind the register. I spread a small bit of fishing net on the counter and arrange the jars among pieces of driftwood. With the lights dimmed and the candles lit, my customers can enjoy an intimate setting with their meals.
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The Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries Series:
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
Places to find Lena Gregory:
Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter (X) | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter
You can follow the Buried in a Sundae Blog Tour here.
I enjoyed the character post. Sounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marcy!
DeleteSounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Rita! And thank you for following my tour :)
DeleteI love the idea of this story, sounds really interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melanie!
DeleteAn absolutely fantastic series!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Shannon! I'm so happy you're enjoying it. :D
DeleteThank you so much for having me and for sharing the release of Buried on a Sundae!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteThis sounds like a great cozy mystery. I like the cover.
ReplyDelete