A New Cold Case Cozy Mystery Novella – “Purse-Stachio Makes a Splash,” by Wendy Kendall

“Purse-Stachio Makes a Splash” by Wendy Kendall has just released.

This is another entertaining romp in Kendall’s fictional town, featuring amateur sleuth and purse designer, Katherine Watson. Katherine and her friend Brenda are enjoying a refreshing summer stop at their favorite ice cream shop. While visiting, Katherine takes on a challenge to make a special signature purse to support the owner of the shop in a local sweets contest.

But things go sideways as fast as the ice cream melts, when she gets pulled into a missing persons case. True to form, Katherine can’t resist a little sleuthing and the clues lead her deeper into a mystery, that might be a murder. Does a killer lurk in Bayside? And if so, will she solve this cold case, or get iced?

This novella is prequel to “Kat Out of the Bag,” that works as a stand alone story or can be read after Kendall’s debut novel. It’s as appealing as the yummy pistachio ice cream featured in the story, and you’ll eat it up almost as fast.

There’s a lot that makes this story at least two scoops of fun, but my favorite is that I get to know the character of Brenda a little better in this book. Brenda is the murder victim in “Kat Out of the Bag”, so it’s nice to see her get some screen time and focus on Kat and Brenda’s friendship in the present tense. Also, if you read this book first, it will make the novel that much more poignant when Brenda is killed. This novella also introduces us to more characters that I am sure will figure into future books in the In Purse-Suit Mystery series. Settings too, for that matter. Ginardo’s Ice Cream Shop is a great addition to the Bayside landscape.

If you love cozy mysteries or need a great beach read to finish out the summer, I encourage you to pick this book up. It’s available on Kindle for a great price. And if you  still can’t get enough of Kendall’s work, check out her “Recommended Reads” blog, her “A Novel Talk” podcast on YouTube, and her syndicated “Recommended Reads” and “Kids are Bookin’ It” columns with the Edmonds News.