I’m so pleased to partner with WOW! Women on Writing as part of the blog tour for Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. This book is a perfect cozy mystery readers are excited to get into – and the best news is it’s the first book of a fabulous series!
About the Book, Murder by Milkshake 
- Genre: Cozy Mystery / Amateur Sleuth / Young Adult/New Adult
- Publication date : July 15, 2024
- Print length : 220 pages
Life is sweet for high school senior and ice cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood, Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business?
Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High, Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student? Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead body of another missing faculty member.
Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced?
Buy, read, and discuss this book:
About the Author, Elizabeth Maria Naranjo 
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.
Connect with Elizabeth:
Website | Goodreads Author Page | X (Twitter)
My Thoughts 
I’ve long maintained that YA/NA titles offer the best storytelling in contemporary literature, and Murder by Milkshake is no exception.
Author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo has given us a cozy mystery set around the ice cream parlor where protagonist, Genevieve Winterland works. When her favorite teacher goes missing, the seventeen-year-old trades her ice cream scoop for a (metaphoric) magnifying glass and decides to investigate. Its the perfect combination of teenaged determination and amateur sleuthing, and the story is both engaging and well-paced. Genevieve is a likeable character, smart without being precocious, and written with dimension. I applaud the author for making her young characters sound age-appropriate without resorting to an over-abundance of slang.
Worthy of note is the friendship between Genevive and Brandon. They’re best friends, and you never get the sense that either is pushing for that to change. I found this quite refreshing.
I also liked that the ice cream shop wasn’t just a throw-away setting. Rather, we see that Genevieve enjoys her job there, even creating her own flavors. (Also, some of her recipes are included, and sound scrumptious.)
Over all, this is a satisfying read that tells a complete story but also whets our appetites for further books in the series. It’s also a fast read – much like the perfect sundae, it’s best experienced quickly. I recommend it to teens and adults alike, because the characters may be youthful, but the story isn’t at all childish.
Goes well with: a banana split with two spoons so it can be shared with a friend.
Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour
September 9th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate the launch of author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s Murder by Milkshake. You can read an interview with Elizabeth and enter to win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
September 9th @ StoreyBook Reviews
Leslie Storey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at StoreyBook Reviews will be dying to learn more about this cozy mystery!
https://www.storeybookreviews.com
September 10th @ Goodreads with Karen Brown Tyson
Stop by Goodreads and find out what Karen Brown Tyson thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6741483799
September 10th @ Rockin Book Reviews
Lu Ann at Rocking Book Reviews shares her thoughts with readers about Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s Murder by Milkshake – this is a fabulous cozy mystery readers won’t want to miss!
http://www.rockinbookreviews.com
September 11th @ Book Woman Joan
Joan Nienhuis – known at Book Woman Joan reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com
September 11th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
Veronica Joy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Burgeoning Bookshelf won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/
September 12th @ Life According to Jamie
See what Jamie has to say as she reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
September 12th @ Writer Advice
Fellow WOW! Author, B. Lynn Goodwin reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the most helpful reviews – see how many stars Goodwin gives Naranjo!
September 12th @ Just Katherine
Katherine reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Just Katherine won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com
September 13th @ What is that Book About
In the spotlight today at What is that Book About is none other than: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery by this talented author!
September 14th @ Chapter Break
Today’s guest author at Chapter Break is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: YA Cozy Mysteries: A Perfect Pairing!
September 15th @ Finished Pages
Renee Roberson is a big fan of Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Find out what Renee has to say and how many stars she will give!
September 16th @ Fiona Ingram Author
Today’s guest author at Fiona Ingram’s website is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: 5 Key Ingredients to Creating a Cozy Mystery.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
September 17th @ Bibliotica
Melissa reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Bibliotica won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!
September 18th @ Frugal Freelancer
Sara reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Frugal Freelancer won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery; others are raving about this fantastic read!
https://saratrimble.wordpress.com
September 19th @ Knotty Needle Creative
Judy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Knotty Needle Creative won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
September 20th @ Boy’s Mom Reads
Stop by Boy’s Mom Reads and find out what Karen thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com
September 21st @ Book Bunnies
Gizem reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Book Bunnies will love this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!
September 23rd @ One Writer’s Journey
Sue Bradford Edwards at One Writers’ Journey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery!
September 24th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Fellow author Anthony Avina reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the best reviews – don’t miss Anthony’s thoughts on this cozy mystery!
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
September 27th @ The Faerie Review
Lily at The Faerie Review reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
September 28th @ Boots Shoes and Fashion
Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Size Books
Today’s guest author at Boots Shoes and Fashion is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Sized Books!
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com
October 1st @ Words by Webb
Jodi at Words by Webb reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!
October 4th @ My Beauty My Books
Nikki at My Beauty My Books reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Stop by and see what Nikki has to say about Naranjo’s latest!
https://mybeautymybooks.wordpress.com/