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Purse-Stachio Makes a Splash

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Designer Katherine Watson is enjoying a delectable frozen pistachio treat at Ginardo's beachside ice cream shop when her friend issues a playful dare. Katherine can't resist accepting the challenge and finds herself tasked with creating a designer purse out of pistachio shells. But the fun day takes a chilling turn when Katherine uncovers a clue in the ice cream store to a decades old missing persons case--and she suspects there may be a killer in their midst.

Katherine is soon up to her shoulder bag in danger, but she's determined to see that a murderer gets his just desserts.

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2020

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Wendy Kendall

4 books68 followers

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for C.H. Brown.
17 reviews
September 24, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Susie Black.
Author 5 books60 followers
April 11, 2021
Purse-Stachio Makes a Splash is a sharply written prequel to Wendy Kendall’s cozy mystery Kat Out of the Bag. The well-paced novella introduces renowned purse designer Katherine Watson and her friend Bayside, Washington town Mayor Brenda Dirling. When the two friends stop at the local favorite Ginardo’s ice cream shop, they try the pistachio flavor and on a lark, Brenda dares Katherine to create a purse made out of pistachio shells. Katherine accepts the challenge and collects bags of pistachio shells from Arturo, the owner’s wife.
The author added a sub-plot that ties the story together and a peek at town history that exposes the unsolved disappearance of a local young artist years ago. Amateur sleuth Katherine is curious about what happened to the artist. After meeting the victim’s twin brother, the purse designer’s investigation into what became of the artist almost gets Katherine killed, but ultimately leads to the arrest of the young woman’s killer. The author throws several red herrings to misdirect the reader and guessing whodunit is a challenge.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys likable characters and a storyline that holds your interest from page one until the end.

Profile Image for Tena Stetler.
Author 24 books521 followers
October 1, 2021
Katherine Watson a Designer had no idea accepting a challenge to create a purse out of Pistachios would lead to investigating a decade old disappearance. The challenge was issued by Katherine’s friend in Ginardo’s beachside ice cream shop. Purse-Stacio Makes a Splash is part of the One Scoop or Two Summer Series from The Wild Rose Press.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Katherine with the help of others set out to solve the missing person case that just might be murder. This short read is packed with adventure, ice cream, and mystery. The characters drag you into the story and don’t let go until you turn the last page. A fun, quick read I highly recommend. So what you are waiting for, don’t just stand there, go get the book!
Profile Image for Marilyn Barr.
Author 25 books298 followers
May 23, 2021
Purse-stachio Makes a Splash by Wendy Kendall reminds me of Mid-Sommer Murders but with the fashion of Sex in the City. Fans of Wendy Kendall’s other works will geek out over the return of their favorite characters. For me, I rarely read cozy mysteries and enjoyed every page of this one. I loved the heart-warming story of the ice cream owner and his rebellious daughter. The mystery kept the pages turning and I couldn’t figure out whodunnit until the very end.

I highly recommend Purse-stachio Makes a Splash for the mystery lover who is vacationing on the beach.
Profile Image for Kay.
1,349 reviews
September 7, 2020
A glamorous pistachio purse to design and an old murder to solve.

A delicious short summer read, set by a sandy beach, and featuring a craft gelato shop threatened by a “corporate ice cream monster.” Accomplished L.A. purse designer and amateur sleuth, Katherine Watson, is visiting Bayside WA, and with her friend, Mayor Brenda Dirling, is drawn into investigating a cold case of the murder of a young local artist.

The sub-plot of the ice cream shop owner, Arturo, entering the local desserts contest with his superb spumoni without knowing his daughter is entering with her chocolate pistachio biscotti is fraught with family drama of a daughter who wants her own baking career rather than to take over the family ice cream business.

Father and daughter are using a lot of pistachios for their specialties, and Katherine adds her idea for a raffle of a designer purse she’ll make from pistachio shells. Meanwhile, Ida, the local historical museum maven, has found that the background of Arturo’s ice cream shop involves the cold case of the young and gifted artist who disappeared at the age of twenty. Could the fake wall of the shop be hiding one of her masterpieces?

With little time for lounging on the beach, Katherine has a glamorous pistachio purse to design and an old murder to solve. As she gets closer to the murderer, a cleverly concealed clue clinches the case, but not before landing Katherine into the icy waters of the bay. The finale is full of fun and the perfect top-off for this delectable caper, a well-solved mystery.

Now it’s time for a glass of Sgroppino!
Profile Image for T.P. Warren.
254 reviews105 followers
May 23, 2021
I enjoyed this short, fun mystery. It's a great story set in the same town as her novel, Kat out of the Bag. Another well-written and intriguing 'who-dun-it' - I was surprised at the end, which is always a plus.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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