A Dish Best Served Cold

An Italian Kitchen Mystery, Book #3

By Rosie Genova

ISBN13: 9780451415165

Author website: http://rosiegenova.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Synopsis:

The national bestselling author of The Wedding Soup Murder returns to the Jersey Shore where a killer is stirring up trouble during a hurricane…

At the Casa Lido, the end of summer means a party, and hit whodunit writer Victoria “Vic” Rienzi and her family are cooking like crazy for the restaurant’s seventieth anniversary celebration. As they chop onions and garlic, old family friend Pete Petrocelli stops by, saying he knows something that would make for a good mystery novel. Curious, Vic asks Nonna to elaborate on Pete’s claim and learns of a relative who mysteriously disappeared back in Italy…

The night of the party brings a crowd—and a full throttle hurricane. When the storm finally passes, everyone thinks they’re in the clear—until the first casualty is found, and it’s Pete. Remembering his visit, Vic isn’t certain Pete’s death was an accident and decides to dig deeper into his story. What she finds is meatier than Nonna’s sauce…

Review:

This is the first book I have read in Rosie Genova’s An Italian Kitchen Mystery series. I was immediately drawn in by entertaining characters, wonderful writing and the descriptions of some super yummy food. A great main character, Victoria (Vic) Rienzi is a mystery writer. The fact that she is a writer actually helps to make her interest in the mystery more feasible than some cozies. Her family is loving but also very hard working. As this books begins, they are preparing for the celebration of the family restaurant, Casa Lido’s 70th anniversary. The summer is ending, but it is going out with a bang, a hurricane has its sights set on their small town.

Vic is busy helping in the kitchen, the whole family is busy getting everything ready for the big party, when in walks Pete Petrocelli. He is unfortunately a drunk, but her family treats him kindly. Come to find out Pete is a friend from the old country. He teases Vic with information he has that may be perfect for one of her books. Before she can get anything out of him, he is gone and she is back at work. After the celebration and the hurricane, everyone seems fine, until the body of old Pete is found. Vic’s curiosity is in full gear and she has to find out more about what Pete was talking about and how he died.

Great characters, fun escapades, mafia connections and wonderful food bring A Dish Best Served Cold to another level in the cozy genre. The author does a great job of getting the reader up to speed with the characters and setting in this series. You do not have to read this series in order to thoroughly enjoy this book. Great interaction with all the characters and especially the family dynamics are fabulous. A wonderful storyline and several intertwined mysteries make this a filling and thrilling mystery. It has a bit of romance and a lot of fun and action. This is a great cozy mystery that should entertain anyone who likes this genre. Great food and of course a few wonderful recipes will please all foodies as well. I will have to read the two books in this series I have missed and cannot wait for the next to come out.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*