Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

Not even her impending nuptials can keep Lucy Berberian, manager of her family-owned Kebab Kitchen, from the Jersey Shore’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. But her dive into the icy ocean is especially chilling when she finds a fellow swimmer doing the dead man’s float—for real . . .

Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception hall owner who turned up his nose—and his price—at her wedding plans, she can’t help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer . . .

Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s mouthwatering Christmas celebration—and before her hometown’s holiday spirit washes out to sea . . .

 

Recipes included!

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Review

I love taking trips to the Jersey Shore and imagining this cozy touristy town with a boardwalk situated next to the beach. And of course, I imagine the food at Kebab Kitchen and can picture all of the deserts at Cutie’s Cupcakes. I think I might have gained a few pounds just reading this book, the recipes at the end sound divine.

Lucy is back on the case after a fellow polar bear plunge swimmer washes up dead. Who killed him? Why? Lucy is determined to discover the truth especially when her friend Susan of Cutie’s Cupcakes is arrested for the murder. There is no way Susan could have done it, but the evidence is stacked against her. Lucy tries to stay out of the situation but her instincts take over and she investigates with her best friend Katie.

From reading all of the other books in this series, the killer has been someone you would never expect. Perhaps they had a small role, or it just doesn’t seem like they have the motive. Well, in this case, my spidey sense went off and while I may not have known the why, I did figure out who the killer was but not until near the end. I was quite surprised to discover they why and that this character was willing to throw Susan or anyone else under the bus. But that is why this person is a criminal, they have no morals. There are several potential suspects, all with good reason to kill Deacon, but which one will it be?

Along with the mystery, there is also the relationship between Lucy and Azad. They dated when they were in college but events led them to break up. After some time, and her mother’s interference, these two have reconnected and are now engaged. Lucy has her concerns and has stalled on setting a date, but I think they cleared that hurdle in this book. I enjoy watching their relationship continue to blossom.

I enjoy this series and recommend it to everyone looking for a cozy with some good greek food.  I want that hummus bar here in my town!

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit her website and join her Newsletter to enter free contests to win books, get delicious recipes, and to learn when her books will be released.

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