A Scoop of Deceit blog tour is through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours and includes a character guest post. Follow, comment, share with a friend.
Book Details
A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher : Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication date : March 10, 2026
Digital ASIN : B0GHZMWLBV
From author Lena Gregory comes another decadently delightful cozy mystery …
Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck. As if that weren’t enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim’s stormy past. Can Dani clear her mother’s name and find the truth behind Krane’s murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?
About Lena Gregory
Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 9 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW
March 9 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews -REVIEW
March 10 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
March 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 11 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 12 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 14 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
March 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER GUEST POST_No Post Yet
March 15 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 16 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
March 18 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
March 18 – Ascroft, eh? -CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 19 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
March 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
Character Guest Post
Hi everyone, Danika Delaney here, owner of the Coffee & Cream Cafe.
Running an ice cream shop in Watchogue has been… well, it’s been nothing like I expected. I
imagined sunny mornings, waves crashing in the distance, and the simple rhythm of life in the
town where I grew up. When I left New York City, I thought I was trading in skyscrapers and
my sublet apartment for salty air and the comfort of knowing my customers by name. And don’t
get me wrong, in many ways, that’s true—I love greeting locals, especially those I’ve known
since childhood, trying out new flavors, and watching kids’ faces light up when they get a double
scoop of their favorite ice cream.
I love greeting the same familiar faces every morning, seeing kids argue over whether sprinkles
should be rainbow or chocolate, and helping Janet pick out a hot fudge sundae and a paperback
just so she can get a few minutes peace away from the in-laws. I love experimenting with
flavors—sometimes wild, sometimes classic—and watching someone’s eyes light up when they
take their first bite of something new. Ice cream is, at its core, happiness in a cone. That’s what I
signed up for. Or at least, that’s what I thought I signed up for.
But life in Watchogue isn’t just scoops and sunshine. Turns out, even the coziest towns can hold
some bitter secrets. Lately, I’ve found myself in situations I never expected—mysteries that need
solving, clues that seem to appear in the most unlikely places, and people whose smiles hide
more than I realized.
I learned that lesson the hard way, when my former boyfriend’s soon-to-be ex-wife was found
murdered in the basement of the Coffee & Cream Café. And for the first time, my peaceful little
world felt… fragile.
That was the day I understood that small-town life doesn’t always mean simple life. It means
everyone has a history, every smile might hide something, and every conversation could be a
clue, especially considering the ever-chugging Watchogue rumor mill. It also means that
sometimes, the people you trust the most can surprise you in ways you never imagined.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the last murder to take place in town since I’ve returned. And the
latest has hit a little too close to home, when the man who crashed into my mother, then yelled at
her and filed a lawsuit, is found dead with a knife in his back. Also, unfortunately, I’m the one
who happened to be present when the body was found.
Still, I’ve always loved a good puzzle, and suddenly, life in Watchogue has become one giant
mystery. Between scooping cones and experimenting with flavors, I find myself noticing the
little details: the way someone hesitates before ordering, the way a door clicks just a little
differently than it did yesterday, the sound of voices hushed in corners as gossip flies. Each
moment feels like a piece of a bigger picture, a puzzle I’m determined to solve.
Of course, I still love the ice cream. I couldn’t give that up even if I tried. In fact, I think it helps
me stay grounded. The aroma of fresh waffle cones, the hum of the freezer, the sticky sweetness
of fudge on a spoon—these are my constants in a world that’s suddenly full of questions. There’s
comfort in the ordinary, even when the extraordinary keeps creeping in.
And maybe that’s the lesson I’m learning here in Watchogue. Life isn’t just about safety or
sweetness; it’s about balance. It’s about enjoying the simple pleasures—the first lick of a cone on
a hot day, the laughter of kids on the beach—while keeping your eyes open for the surprises that
lie just beneath the surface. It’s about finding courage when you didn’t know you had any and
learning to trust yourself even when the world seems a little… off-kilter.
I don’t know how this story ends. Maybe I’ll uncover all the secrets and restore the calm I
thought I came home for. Maybe the mysteries will linger, tucked in the corners of the town like
the shadows that stretch long on the dunes at sunset. But one thing I do know: I’m here, and I’m
paying attention. I’ll keep scooping, keep noticing, keep questioning—and maybe, just maybe,
I’ll figure out how to balance the sweetness with the secrets.
So, if you ever find yourself in Watchogue, come by the shop. Try the salted caramel swirl or the
blueberry cheesecake. Say hello. And remember, even in a town that looks like a postcard,
there’s always more going on than meets the eye. Sometimes, the sweetest places hide the most
intriguing stories—and I think I’ve just started to uncover mine.
Giveaway
