When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . . Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the … mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.
She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . .
Recipes included!
more
After an iffy start and almost giving up several times, I finished it and found that it was a pretty good story line. Not sure I was fond of the main characters though and that might have been the problem all along
“Hummus and Homicide” earns 4/5 Hummus Recipes…Deliciously Fun!
I am a big fan of the culinary-themed cozy mysteries, and so joining in with the Kabob Kitchen mystery series was a no-brainer! Tina Kashian has penned a delightfully fun mystery set on the Jersey Shore serving up plenty of Mediterranean delights and “just desserts” for the mean girl from high school. The first in a series introduces Lucy Berberian who has left her law firm, returned home to Ocean Crest, jumped in to help at her parents’ restaurant, and rekindled old friendships. Regretting her initial run-in with her high school nemesis, Lucy learns that said “nemesis” is the health inspector, and after citing a plethora of violations at the restaurant, she falls dead outside the restaurant…Lucy, of course, is implicated! Although the formula is typical for the cozy mystery genre—mean girl, murder, lead character is suspect number one—Tina’s writing style is entertaining with a descriptive and informative third person narrative. She didn’t rely on just the narrative, as her banter between Lucy and her family, friends, briefly with the victim, suspects, and law enforcement were all entertaining. Everything worked and realism reigned supreme. Lucy may have a knack for critical thinking, but she recognizes she’s not a professional investigator; she is a patent lawyer. But something “quirky” would have been a plus…old-school parents? opposites attract in a romantic interest? humorous side kick? But despite the little things I would have loved to see, it was a fun story. And my two favorite words? Recipes included. Straight from the Kabob Kitchen…Angela’s Famous Traditional Hummus! Azad’s Tabbouleh Salad! Lucy’s White Almond Cookies! All together I recommend this book.
Nice Cozy mystery!
It was an easy read, fun mystery, light book, which I like.
I already did this….
The mystery and the setting were good. Lucy has lots of friends and I love that Katie helps her out. Great team. A couple of things I don’t like is the potential love triangle (I’m not a big fan of them – find they add nothing to the stories and are annoying) and also that Lucy describes all the men in terms of their looks (like the tv chef). The food stuff was interesting. Will definitely read book 2.
This is such a fun cozy with wonderful ethnic flavor. The heroine is Armenian and the author’s family owned a restaurant in real life which lends a definite sense of authenticity to the story.
Kebabs! Jersey Shore! This great new series starts with Lucy Berberian returning to her home town of Ocean Crest, New Jersey to figure out her life. Shortly after her arrival, one of her high school enemies dies after eating at her parents’ restaurant. Lucy is the prime suspect and investigates along with her best friend Katie to clear her name and her parents’ restaurant. Fun characters, a charming town, and culture all make this a great book. I look forward to more books in this series and hope to see Lucy and Azad rekindle their relationship. So far, I like him better than Michael. All in all, a fantastic book!
Hummus And Homicide
Kebab Kitchen Mystery, Book #1
Tina Kashian
5 Stars
Synopsis:
When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting–the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . .
Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.
She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen–where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations–she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . . (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Lucy loves her family and she knows that family and tradition are important. It took her leaving and then coming back before she learned this lesson but she did figure it out. Lucy is smart, loyal and a hard worker and she agrees to help her family out in their restaurant. And when a body is found outside that restaurant and suspicion falls on her family, she is willing to snoop around and try to find the culprit. I liked how well Lucy and her best friend Katie got along, you can tell they would do anything for each other. And I enjoyed getting to meet and get to know Lucy’s family, it was great how close knit they are.
The writing style flowed smoothly and the book is a fast easy read. The writing style allowed my to see the action through the characters eyes and that made me more engaged in the story. The author is very talented is her descriptive writing and she did an excellent job with all of the different foods. I became hungry reading this book!!!
The mystery was well plotted and carried on well throughout the book. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. Thrown in some red herrings and it was not an easy one to solve. I did not figure it out until the reveal at the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. It has great characters, delicious food, a great setting and family love and loyalty. What more could you want?
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington Books, through Netgalley.
Characters needed more depth
Did not enjoy, the plot didn’t grab me. And I will not read any others if this is a series. Sorry
This really was a secret until the very end
would like to read more from this author
First, the food in this book is amazing and took everything I had not to drool on the pages! Thank you for including your own hummus recipe, so easy to make!! I loved the down to earth characters and the personalities of each. Our protagonist, Lucy, struggles to come back home to her small town, filled with friends and family, after having been out on her as a big city patent lawyer. Coming back home is never easy and to top it off, one of Lucy’s not so favorite high school rivals is found dead, at her family restaurant. What follows is a fun, get to know your neighbors, friends and family who-done-it, ultimately focusing on family and the ties that bring us home and the sacrifices we make. I really look forward to the next installment in this series and eagerly await to see how life unfolds for Lucy back home.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Hummus with a side of Homicide. That is what Lucy Berberian has to deal with shortly after returning home to Ocean Crest. When she quit her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia she hoped to come home, lick her wounds, and decide what her next career move would be. But now she is the prime suspect in the murder of Heather Banks, one of the high school in-crowd from when she and Lucy were in high school. She was now the local health inspector who had just written up a ton of violations for Lucy’s parent’s restaurant, The Kebab Kitchen. She also had loud words with Lucy soon after she arrived in town, in front of several witnesses. Those reasons, plus the victim happened to eat a whole lot of hummus at the family eatery right before she died means Lucy and her parents could lose everything.
The Berberian family had Lucy’s life all planned for her, work at the restaurant, marry the dishwasher soon to be chef, and take over the family business when her parents were ready to retire. She had other plans, she went to college and law school and took a job with a Philadelphia firm hoping to make partner. When her law career didn’t go as planned they welcomed her home with open arms. This theme is real, believable, and traditional of many families in the restaurant and other family businesses. These characters have depth and their dialogues are delightful. I was drawn into the story immediately by them as soon as they were introduced.
From the title I knew the method of death would be poison and it would be in the hummus, but beyond that, the entire investigation was a surprise. The suspect pool was pretty limited by who was in the restaurant or had access to the restaurant, most being family. I enjoyed following along with Lucy and her BFF Katie as they tried to find the actual killer. Twist after twist made this a tough mystery to solve. It was very well plotted by the author to lead this reader off the right track. I was totally blown away when the killer was revealed.
The story had a steady pace that picked up as we got closer to the big reveal.
Ms. Kashian has introduced us to some very captivating characters. I am excited to get to know them better in future stories. I love the romantic triangle that is just starting to evolve for Lucy. I also enjoyed her friendship with Katie, whose husband happens to be a police officer. Together they make a nice team and you know they have each other’s back no matter what.
This is an excellent start for this series. Stabbed in the Baklava will be released August 28, 2018. I can hardly wait.
A delicious start to a new series. HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE has me hungering for more!
I just love starting a new series, by a new to me author, and before I finish page one, I’m hooked. And by the end of the first chapter, I can’t put the book down. Author Tina Kashian has done that with this first installment in her Kebob Kitchen Mysteries!
I love that HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is set on the east coast. The little town of Ocean Crest, New Jersey reminds me of my summers at the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware. With the book’s opening talking about the smell of funnel cake, seeing the Ferris Wheel on the pier, and the mile long boardwalk, I was yearning to jump in my car and head to the beach!
Protagonist Lucy Berberian is a wonderful new cozy lead. Her parents, and friends are a wonderful balance of personalities, that play well off of Lucy.
And then there’s the mystery. I was so happy to see this victim get what was coming to her. Of course, Lucy investigates into why Heather was killed. I mean, she died after eating at Lucy’s parent’s restaurant. There are a lot of suspects that wanted the victim dead. But it took the reveal for me to know who the killer was, and why he/she wanted the victim dead.
Fast moving, with a great plot, and yummy recipes in the back of the book, HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is a book you’ll want to add to your reading list!
I never got really engaged with Lucy and this story. It just seems so much like so many cozies I’ve been reading lately. Heroine loses/gives up her job (either passed over for promotion or finds out her fiance is cheating on her) and comes back to her small town and joins the family business. Turns out home is better than she thought. Of course, there are the obligatory romantic interests, more than one so there can be a triangle for a few books. I’m really hating this trend.
Things were looking a bit up in the form of Katie, Lucy’s best friend who wants to be the Watson to Lucy’s Sherlock. Unfortunately, she’s under used.
The writing flowed well, but it was a little sluggish at the start. There was nothing that bugged me (the romance tug of war was minimal at this stage), but nothing that wowed me either. It was OK as my rating shows.
I got my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE by Tina Kashian
The First Kebab Kitchen Mystery
After being passed over for promotion yet again, Lisa Berberian quits her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia and returns home to the Jersey Shore for an extended visit. Despite a warm welcome from friends and family, who are pleased to have her helping out in the family restaurant, Lisa has a run in with her old high school nemesis, who has just taken over from her father as health inspector. Although her father never found fault with the Kebab Kitchen, Heather amasses numerous bogus citations. What could be worse than that? Heather being found dead behind the restaurant, with her death being ruled suspicious. Will the detective put his grudge against the Berberian family aside and find the real killer or will Lisa be charged with murder?
The first Kebab Kitchen Mystery is all about family and coming home. It’s about sticking together, even after being apart; a balance between nostalgia and moving with the times. Richly detailed writing makes me feel as if I’m in the midst of all the action while plenty of humor and the right amount of drama flavor this tasty mystery.
Lisa is a smart likable protagonist with a good head on her shoulders. Although charged by her father to solve the murder, Lisa knows when to investigate and when to call in the professionals. The rest of the characters are as interesting and varied as the flavors of hummus Angela creates, some traditional, some spicy, some tart, and some a bit nutty.
HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is the start of a delectable new mystery series. I urge you all to dig in!
Recipes included.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
There are so many wonderful things I liked about this book, I’m not sure I contain my excitement. This is my first book I’ve read by the author and oh my is it delectable, delicious and down right amazing. I want to move to Ocean Crest and hang out at the Jersey Shore. The description of the place was so realistic I had no problem visualizing it. I could hear the screams coming from people on the roller coaster and smell the delicious aroma of food as I dashed off to the Kebab Kitchen. I am a huge fan of hummus and just reading about the different varieties made me want to run to the store. I confess I did have hummus and crackers while reading the book. The author has convinced me that I need to find a Mediterranean restaurant and take in the rich flavors and exception dishes they have to offer.
Lucy is one great character. I loved that she came home to her parents when things didn’t work out for her as a lawyer. It felt comfortable for her to be back home and be surrounded by an amazing family. Her parents were so sweet and gracious that I wanted them to adopt me. Rumors start to swirl that the family business is being put up for sale. I think that kind of shocked Lucy and made her start thinking of how important the restaurant is to the family.
As in every cozy mystery there is always a murder and I try to figure out who the victim will be. The hints are there in the story but it sure does start an avalanche of trouble for Lucy and her family. I know if I had an inspection coming up, I would make sure everything was so clean you could eat off the floor. The inspection should be no worries for the Kebab Kitchen since they always pass with flying colors. What they are not prepared for is someone dying after eating at the restaurant. Lucy is determined to get her name off the suspect list and keep the restaurant open.
I wont go into more details because you need to read the book to see how gifted the author is.I do want to mention one thing. The details of a poison in the story was like hearing it from an expert. The author’s research is profound and I learned a lot about the subject. It was extremely fascinating and valuable to the story line. Her writing is outstanding as the murder investigation heats up. I really thought I knew who did it, but was so surprised when the guilty person was revealed. It is an adventure that takes you behind the scenes of how a restaurant works to the different shops in town that made the town so quaint. Is someone trying to give Kebab Kitchen a bad name? Will Lucy escape harm as her life is put in danger? I did really enjoy the hint of several interested men that have taken a shine to Lucy. It is a bit of a cliffhanger for me which I will be anxiously awaiting to be answered in the next book. I leave you with a high recommendation to grab this book, settle down with some snacks and get ready for an exciting journey. Don’t miss the recipes at the end of the story.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.
Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian is the first story in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. Lucy Berberian is returning home to Ocean Crest, New Jersey after quitting her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia. Lucy’s parents own Kebab Kitchen and can certainly use her help in the restaurant since they are down a waitress. Lucy is happy to reconnect with her friend Katie Watson. Lucy is staying with Katie and her police officer husband, Bill while she is in town. Lucy is surprised to learn that her parents are contemplating selling the restaurant. They already have three potential buyers that include Lucy’s former boyfriend, Azad Zakarian. The one thing marring Lucy’s enjoyment at being home is Heather Banks. Heather was the mean cheerleader girl in high school, and now she is the new health inspector. She quickly learns that Heather has not changed one iota since high school. Heather comes to do an inspection of the premises before the restaurant can be listed for sale and, despite the cleanliness of the facility, she lists nitpicky (and bogus) violations. The next day Heather returns to eat from the new hummus bar (which she criticized the day before). After Heather departs, Lucy takes the trash outside and finds Heather dead in the back-parking lot. Detective Clemmons is assigned the case, but he holds a grudge against the Berberian family (thanks to Lucy’s sister). Raffi, Lucy’s father, wants her to investigate Heather’s death and find the culprit before their business is ruined. Lucy, with help from Katie, retraces Heather’s steps the day she was killed and delves into Heather’s life looking for suspects. Who disliked Heather enough to murder her? The bike shop owner, a restaurateur, the mob boss, the suspense author who was dating Heather, or the loan shark? Join Lucy in her investigation in Hummus and Homicide.
Hummus and Homicide is nicely written and has a steady pace. I like that the author sets the stage for the series by giving us Lucy’s background and introducing us to her family and friends. The mystery was interesting, but the killer can easily be discerned early in the book (one detail is the key). There are some interesting suspects that Lucy questions. I just wish that there had been more action. If Lucy is going to continue to be a sleuth, she needs to work on her questioning technique. Her queries sounded more like accusations. Lucy also has a temper (triggers easily) and loose lips. You can tell that Tina Kashian (aka Tina Gabrielle) has written romance novels. We have Lucy’s ogling her romantic interests. She admires the attractive and handsome Azad (many times) and appreciates Michael Citteroni’s physique. The family kept pushing Lucy and Azad together trying to rekindle their romance. I prefer romances that progress slowly over the course of a series and for it not to overshadow the mystery element. As usual, there was repetitive information (Cooking Kurt’s show was mentioned five times for example). Hummus and Homicide was a typical cozy mystery where the main character returns home, someone dies, she investigates and solves the crime, there are love interests, potential sidekick, the amateur detective is inept in her questioning, and the main character realizes she likes being home and is going to stay. There are some nice cozy moments in the book. You can tell that Lucy’s family loves her and the mother is especially happy that her daughter has returned to Ocean Crest. My rating for Hummus and Homicide is 3 out of 5 stars. I will check out Stabbed in the Baklava when it releases in August. Hummus and Homicide is just the first book in the series, and I hope Tina Kashian ups her game in the next book in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. There are recipes (hummus) at the end of Hummus and Homicide.