The Missing Scoop

Description

If you love small-town charm, clever clues, and a mystery that simmers slowly before delivering a satisfying twist, The Missing Scoop is your next must-read cozy.

When gelato shop owner Lainey Turner moves to the picturesque winter town of Ice Cone Falls, she expects frosty mornings, loyal customers, and a front-row seat to the town’s beloved Ice Cream Sculpture Festival. What she doesn’t expect is to find a hand-carved ice cream scoop hidden behind a loose freezer panel in her shop—engraved with the initials of a rival who vanished eight years ago.

Maribel “Belle” Kline was once the festival’s brightest star. On the eve of the finals, she disappeared without a trace. The town accepted a tidy explanation: Belle left voluntarily. No foul play. No scandal. Just a bus ticket and a goodbye no one heard.

But when Lainey uncovers Belle’s engraved scoop—and later, a hidden badge and long-buried evidence—she begins to suspect the official story was carefully crafted. As the annual festival returns in a swirl of lights, peppermint, and sugar glass sculptures, Lainey finds herself navigating more than just flavor pairings. Someone is rewriting access logs, tightening backstage security, and quietly urging everyone to “stay calm.”

With the help of Deputy Rowan Hale and her fiercely loyal friend Tessa, Lainey follows a trail of subtle clues: hidden compartments, altered locks, sugar-glass fragments, and a press narrative that feels rehearsed. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a deeply personal mission—to uncover what truly happened to Belle and why the town worked so hard to forget.

As Lainey digs beneath the festive glow, she discovers that Ice Cone Falls has preserved more than winter charm. It has preserved secrets. And some secrets, no matter how carefully frozen, eventually rise to the surface.

Perfect for fans of:

• Small-town cozy mysteries with strong female sleuths

• Slow-burn investigations with layered clues

• Food-themed mysteries (especially ice cream and gelato!)

• Emotional stakes without graphic violence

• Found-family friendships and complicated local politics

The Missing Scoop blends heart, humor, and suspense into a richly atmospheric winter mystery where warmth and danger coexist—and where the truth waits beneath the brightest lights.

Curl up with a mug of something warm and step into Ice Cone Falls. Just remember: in a town built on sweetness, even the smallest scoop can uncover the biggest secret.