Italian Iced
Ethnic Eats Mystery Book #3
By Kylie Logan
ISBN13: 9780425274903
Author website: caseydaniels.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
Hot pasta and a cold corpse make for quite a combination in the latest book in the Ethnic Eats mystery series.
When Laurel Inwood features Italian cuisine on the Terminal at the Tracks menu, she knows she’ll need to stock the shelves, the fridge, and the freezer with plenty of wonderful delicacies. She just never expected one of them to be her old boss, Hollywood superstar Meghan Cohan.
But one day when Laurel is at the restaurant early to get ready for the regular rush of customers, that’s exactly what she finds–Meghan dead in the Terminal freezer
What’s a Hollywood A-lister doing in Hubbard, Ohio?
For Laurel, that’s the real question, because the first question she’d ask in any other murder investigation–who would want the victim dead?–seems pretty much a no-brainer in this case.
Who would want Meghan dead?
Just about anybody who had ever met her.
Review:
Italian Iced is the third installment in Kylie Logan’s “An Ethnic Eats Mystery” series. I have really enjoyed the first two and I think this third one is the very best. This series is so enjoyable and entertaining and number three is the cherry on top of the bunch! I adore the idea of a different ethnic menu at protagonist’s Terminal at the Tracks in each book. Laurel Inwood really is an intelligent and true to life main character. She is who she is due in part to her past in foster care, her relationship with her dear “aunt” Sophie and her time working for Hollywood diva Meghan Cohan. Yes, she is who she is, faults, insecurities and all, and is so relatable I think to just about any reader. The supporting cast of characters has just gotten better and better. (you can’t beat Declan for a boyfriend, lol)
The victim and the path the storyline went really surprised me. Laurel finds her former boss, Meghan dead in her freezer. So what was she doing there in Hubbard, Ohio, how long had she been there and who killed her? I loved the twists and turns the author threw in our path to find out the truth. I was along for the ride as Laurel and her crew tried to find out what was going on. When the police try to find out who had it in for Meghan, the answer is basically “anyone who knew her”, including her son. There are a lot of suspects in this one, but also a real motive for each one of them. Laurel does a great job sifting through them until she is knocked out of commission. You cannot keep Laurel down though and she pushes forward and uncovers some pretty intense issues people in Meghan’s closest circle had with her.
It was fun getting a glimpse at Laurel’s life with Meghan, her feelings about how she grew up and how far she has come. Just hope that does not interfere with her relationship with Declan. The author has fleshed out the characters and they are just a delight to read about. The mystery in Italian Iced is perfect. It pulled me in different directions without being overplayed. The plot and mystery were as delightful as a perfect plate of pasta and sauce. I guessed who the killer was at least 4 times, only to be fooled until the reveal. Even on the pages right before the reveal, I was sure I knew who it was, nope I sure didn’t, lol. And it all made sense, even if I did not have the sense to figure it out. This author is adept at this in all of her series, at keeping the reader entertained.
Italian Iced is the perfect recipe for a cozy mystery. Great characters, wonderful setting, super writing style, and a very intriguing mystery, make this a hit. I really enjoy these characters and love getting to spend time at the Terminal. The Italian food all sounded wonderful and made me need some of it as well. Luckily a couple of recipes are included. Kylie Logan is a wonderful author that has given us a fun and entertaining cozy series that can be read out of order, as standalones, or in the perfect order. I recommend this great cozy to anyone that enjoys a fun foodie read.
