Ice Cream Shop Mystery Books in Order
Part ofDana Mentink Books in OrderBrowse Dana Mentink’s Ice Cream Shop Mystery books in order, with quick summaries, series background, and a simple place to start reading.
Last updated: July 13, 2026
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Ice Cream Shop Mystery books in publication order
3 books
Pint of No Return
by Dana Mentink
2021
Freshly divorced Trinidad Jones opens her dream shake shop in tiny Upper Sprocket, Oregon, and immediately finds murder next door. When one of her fellow ex-wives is accused, she starts sleuthing before everything melts down.
A Sprinkle in Time
by Dana Mentink
2022
Trinidad Jones is preparing for Alpenfest and a magazine feature when her grandfather claims he found a body in his trunk. When the corpse vanishes, Trinidad and her ex-wife friends have a fresh mystery on their hands.
Spoon to be Dead
by Dana Mentink
2023
Winter has reached Upper Sprocket, and Trinidad Jones is trying to keep her shake shop alive with holiday catering. Then her ex bursts in accused of murder, and the season gets messy fast.
Ice Cream Shop Mystery books in chronological order
Pint of No Return
by Dana Mentink
2021Ice Cream Shop Mystery, Book 1
A Sprinkle in Time
by Dana Mentink
2022Ice Cream Shop Mystery, Book 2
Spoon to be Dead
by Dana Mentink
2023Ice Cream Shop Mystery, Book 3
Series background & context
Dana Mentink’s ice cream shop mysteries are her playful side in full view. The books center on Trinidad Jones, who arrives in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, hoping for a fresh start and opens the Shimmy and Shake Shop, home of the town’s oversized milkshakes and a surprising amount of murder.
This is a cozy setup, but not a sleepy one. Trinidad is surrounded by people who keep life lively, including her fellow ex-wives, her larger-than-life grandfather Papa Luis, and a handsome local who keeps turning up when trouble does. Each book leans into festivals, small-town rivalries, vanishing bodies, strange clues, and the kind of community gossip that can be helpful right up until it is not.
What makes the series work is the tone. The danger is real, but the mood stays light on its feet. Food, family, and embarrassment sit right next to murder investigations. If you want Dana Mentink without the helicopters and snipers, this is a good place to go. Start with Pint of No Return and follow Trinidad as the town keeps handing her one sticky situation after another.
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