by: Lena Gregory
Series: Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
From author Lena Gregory comes a tasty summer murder mystery…
Danika Delaney is thrilled that her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, has gotten a catering contract for the biggest party of the season, the Rutherford Manor Fourth of July gala. She’ll be providing desserts for the party as well as attending the exclusive event on Eastern Long Island.
However her path to the gala quickly becomes a rocky road…
Dani arrives at the event, only to find the gala’s hostess, Cressida Rutherford, dead! What’s worse, one of Dani’s signature parfaits sits next to the dead woman, with what looks like peanuts in it—a food Cressida is severely allergic to. Amid the melted ice cream mess, Dani initially blames herself, thinking she made a mistake while rushing with the desserts. However she quickly learns that what appeared to be an accident was actually foul play, and suddenly Dani has to spring into action proving that she isn’t the perpetrator. Along with her friends, Dani uncovers a string of people in Cressida’s life who might have wanted the socialite dead. Can she prove her innocence and make sure the killer gets their just desserts?
I’m doing well, thank you. And thank you so much for having me. I always enjoy visiting with you.
You are more than welcome. I’m always excited to speak with you or one of your characters. So, wow, Rocky Road to Murder is the sixth book in your Coffee & Cream Café mystery series. Can you tell a newbie about the series, and is Rocky Road to Murder considered to be a standalone read?
I can’t believe this is the sixth book already! The Coffee & Cream Café mystery series takes place in Watchogue, a small, fictional town on the south shore of Eastern Long Island, very much based on the town I grew up in. In the first book, Danika Delaney returns to Watchogue when her family asks her to return home from New York City (where she’d just earned a degree in marketing), to take over her Uncle Jimmie’s old-fashioned ice cream parlor. I try to give reminders about anything important from previous books, so each of the books can be read as a standalone.
Let’s do a character refresher. Can you please give a little glossary of the characters readers will see in the story?
Danika Delaney – owner of the Coffee & Cream CaféWhat can readers expect from Rocky Road to Murder?
Patches – Dani’s black, orange, and white cat
Gwen Rothberg – hair stylist and Dani’s best friend from childhood
Eli Sinclair – Dani’s other best friend, barista, and computer expert
Meghan Delaney – Dani’s sister and often partner in crime
Detective Jake Barlow – Dani’s… something like a boyfriend when they’re not arguing over her involvement in his cases
Uncle Jimmie – Dani’s uncle, who spends almost as much time in the café now as before he “retired”
Aunt Miriam – Dani’s eighty-something-year-old aunt, who thinks she’s still a teenager
In Rocky Road to Murder, Dani was invited to cater and attend the biggest event of the season, Cressida Rutherford’s Fourth of July gala, hosted at Rutherford Manor. Unfortunately, when she arrived at the event, she found Cressida dead. And, if that weren’t bad enough, it seemed her dessert might have been the murder weapon. At first, she thought she or Eli might have made a mistake and put peanuts, which Cressida is severely allergic to, in the desserts. However, she quickly learned what appeared to be an accident was actually foul play. So, it seems now she and her friends will spend their summer trying to prove her innocence and figure out who might have wanted Cressida dead.
I love the covers for this series. Do you help with the design, or is that all Gemma Halliday Publishing?
Thank you so much! I really do love these covers, too. I do get input, and sometimes ask for small tweaks, but it is all Gemma and her cover artist who came up with the design and the individual ideas.
Okay. How about some quick-fire questions?
Night owl/early bird: Night owlSnack of choice: Ice Cream (preferably chocolate)
Drink of choice: Diet Pepsi
Favorite character you’ve ever written: Probably Dani from the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries
Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving
Lena, congratulations on the release of Rocky Road to Murder. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you & thank you so much for having me!
You’re welcome.
Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.
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.
Thank you & thank you so much for having me!
You’re welcome.
Purchase Rocky Road to Murder from:
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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 | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter
You can follow the Rocky Road to Murder Blog Tour here.
I liked the interview.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteThank you so much for having me, Kim! And for sharing the release of Rocky Road to Murder!
DeleteYou're welcome, Lena. Anytime. Thank you for stopping by.
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