A delicious new title in a new series from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns! Tessa’s biscotti have always been killer, but never as deadly as in this addition to the Italian Chef mystery books!
It’s time to serve some just desserts…
For fans of Joanne Fluke and Susan Furlong
For readers of cozy mysteries and food mysteries
Includes delicious recipes!
Six months after her … and food mysteries
Six months after her husband’s death, Tessa Esposito is hoping to drum up reservations for her restaurant’s grand opening. And since a signing with bestselling author, Preston Rigotta, is sure to draw a crowd, Tessa agrees to cater her cousin’s bookstore event—whipping up some of her famous Italian desserts. But the event soon takes a sour turn when Preston’s publicist, an old high school rival, arrives and begins to whisk up their old grudges.
That night, a fight breaks out in front of the crowd, and it becomes clear there’s bad blood in Harvest Park. And when the publicist is found dead on the bookstore floor the next morning, a stray cannolo at her side, Tessa knows who will be framed as the prime suspect.
To clear both her cousin’s and her own name, Tessa must investigate the murder. But Preston’s publicist has many secrets to hide, and in the end, the truth is bittersweet…
The second book in the Italian Chef Cozy Mystery series! As Italian Chef Tessa plays the role of a female detective in this murder mystery, she’ll have to follow a string of clues before the case boils over.
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It Cannoli Be Murder by Catherine Bruns is the second in the Italian Chef Cozy Mystery series. I have been looking forward to this since I enjoyed the first in the series. I was not disappointed.
Tessa is getting ready for the opening of her restaurant but can’t tell her cousin no when asked to make her cannolis for a book signing. When the author is found dead the morning after the signing, in the closed book store with a cannoli by him Tessa knows this can’t be good. Will a cannoli also be to blame for her restaurant’s demise. She is determined to find the killer and open up her restaurant and nothing and no one is going to stop her.
This easy to read Cozy has it all, a great setting, likeable characters, humor, family and friendship, and a hint of romance. The plot twists are numerous and have you guessing until the end.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
IT CANNOLI BE MURDER by Catherine Bruns
The Second Italian Chef Mystery
While Tessa Esposito is anxiously preparing to open her new restaurant, her cousin, Gabby, is worried about the survival of her bookstore. In hopes of saving her store Gabby has arranged for Preston Rigotta, a bestselling author, to come to Once Upon a Book for a book signing. Even with the surprise of an old high school nemesis being Preston’s publicist and the fact that Preston turns out to be an overbearing jerk and his wife a snooty would be celebrity chef, the evening seems to be a success.The books are selling like hotcakes and everyone is devouring Tessa’s cannoli. Unfortunately, the evening ends on a sour note when Daphne, the publicist, pushes Gabby too far. As bad as the evening ends, things get worse in the morning when Tessa discovers Daphne’s dead body in the bookstore. With Tessa and Gabby as top suspects, Tessa realizes she’s about to be involved in a murder investigation…again.
Dreams are in danger of being crushed while despicable characters rise up in the second Italian Chef Mystery. The “bestselling author” and his “better than you” wife are sadly realistic. And Daphne is the perfect victim we love to hate. The juxtaposition of Tessa realizing her dream of opening her own restaurant with Gabby’s fear of losing her dream bookstore is poignant. And the fact that both could lose their dreams due to an old high school enemy is so frustrating.
I really enjoy the realistic touches in the book. From the problems that arise when starting a business to the fact that Gino and Lou can’t investigate the murder, to the vivid characterizations presented, all combine to make the book more real and thus have readers more invested. I also like the fact that Tessa is not ready for romance, but two admirers are standing in the wings.
Catherine Bruns delivers another delectable page-turner in IT CANNOLI BE MURDER. I wouldn’t say no to some cannoli while I wait for my reservation to Anything’s Pastable and wonder what’s in store for Tessa.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
It Cannoli be Murder by Catherine Bruns is the second in the Italian Chef Mystery series. It took only the first couple of pages to know that this would be an upper echelon cozy mystery. The genre has really hit its stride in the last few years with new authors popping up every day. It’s hard to say what makes a book better than the rest. They all have all the necessary requisites: a pet, a boyfriend, a tenuous relationship with the police, an amateur sleuth with an interesting profession, but this book is definitely a cut above many of the rest. Tessa Esposito is opening her Italian restaurant in just a few days. Her cousin, Gabby, opened her bookstore in the past few months. Life is looking good. Tessa is recovering from the murder of her husband, Dylan, and is following their dream by opening Anything’s Pastable and it is helping with the grief. Gabby has scheduled a book signing with a best-selling author that will put her on the map, and in the black. Tessa is making cannoli for the book-signing. Things are looking good. Then the worst happens: murder. And Tessa and Gabby are both suspects.
Tessa is a fabulous character: she is definitely three-dimensional wearing her emotions on her sleeve. Her husband’s death, as well as his lies, are still fresh for her. She has trouble sleeping and is often moved to tears by it all. She is a talented, hard-working chef with many friendships, both professional and personal. She is a terrific leading lady. Her sidekick, her cousin Gabby, is a bit of a whiner, but likable all the same. Gabby’s brother, Gino is the town’s only police detective in the beginning of the story, although that quickly changes with the addition of the difficult Paddy McDermott, a big city cop from Brooklyn who is full of attitude and derision for the small town her has ended up in. The moms of both women promise entertainment in the future. All in all, Bruns has constructed a cast of characters that will age well and serve in the long run. The plot was a good one, with plenty of suspects and red herrings; lots of people to hate. It Cannoli be Murder was a good read. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of It Cannoli be Murder by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #itcannolibemurder
I absolutely loved this book, the characters were great! All the setting were brilliant! It made the places and people seem real. I loved how it turn out in the end!
It’s well action packed! I highly recommend reading this series. I love the Italian recipes.
I just finished It Cannoli Be Murder by Catherine Bruns and let me just say I recommend everyone read it. It is a well written book. Once you pick it up, it’s hard to put down – you will want to read one more chapter. The characters are well developed, and you will wish they were real. The story line flows well, and the plot keeps you guessing until the end. I have not read the first book in the series yet, Penne Dreadful, but fortunately my library has it now, so I plan to read it soon.
I’ve never eaten any cannoli’s, but I’m willing to give them a try. You’ll find a recipe at the end of this book. I would love to have Tess as a cousin, except there is no telling how much weight I would gain eating her scrumptious cooking. Course, if Gabby were my cousin, I would be spending a lot of time in her book store. I love the relationship these two have with each other. If we could all be so lucky. I think you will enjoy going along with them on their adventures. I enjoyed the story and hanging out with these good folks in Harvest Park. I can’t wait to visit them again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, friendship, law-enforcement
Did everyone but me know that this was a book 2? I had no idea until after I finished it, guess that shows that it is good as a stand alone. The whole family gets involved when a murder occurs in the bookshop of one cousin and her BFF cousin is implicated. But with family on the force there’s a lot of other problems as well. Good sleuthing and a plot filled with sneaky tricks, red herrings, and other surprises. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Intense moments, emotional moments, warm moments all intertwined with an excellent plot make It Cannoli Be Murder an outstanding second entry in Catherine Bruns newest series. Ms. Bruns create wonderful characters and presents believable interactions that draw me into the lives of Tess, Gabby and a few of their friends. The mystery is well plotted with both red-herrings and solid clues scattered throughout the novel.
Tess is almost ready to open her Italian restaurant, Nothing’s Impastable, when her cousin Gabby comes under suspicion of murder and Tess is eyed as an accessory, so off they go into another murder investigation, one Gabby’s brother Gino is especially angry about. Not only does it endanger his job, he fears for their lives after the last almost disaster. The closest to a negative I found was that most of the edge-of-your-seat scenes came from typical cringe-worthy investigative choices that we find in so many cozy mysteries, but Catherine Bruns mostly manages to make them works. Quite a few well-laid red-herrings send the women and the reader in several directions but stick-to-it-ivness and intelligent reasoning lead them to the truth.
My thanks to Poisened Pen Press and Edelweiss for allowing me to read and review the ARC of It Cannoli Be Murder. So fun!
Just like spaghetti is always better the next day, this second installment in the Italian Chef Mysteries is even better than the first!
Author Catherine Bruns knows how to write a tale that keeps you turning the pages. Seriously, I couldn’t put down, IT CANNOLI BE MURDER. I did the whole, I’ll just read one more page because I have things I need to get done, thing more times than I can count. Let’s just say, those other things didn’t get done.
This is easily is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s a first rate murder mystery that had me stumped until the reveal. Honestly, each time I thought I was on the right track, author Bruns threw in another twist that showed me how off course I was. I was beginning to think there was no way the author herself could figure out who-dun-it. Of course, she did so brilliantly.
Along with the mystery, this story has wonderful characters that I was happy to spend time with again, and that I’m looking forward to revisiting in the next book. Last but not least, the food references had me salivating. I could smell the tomato sauce simmering. It made me so hungry, I made pasta for dinner when I was finished!
If you’re looking for a fast, fun, wonderfully written mystery, add IT CANNOLI BE MURDER to your must read list!
It Cannoli Be Murder is the second book in Catherine Bruns’ Italian Chef Mysteries series. The storyline flows smoothly in this steadily paced cozy whodunit. The mystery is solid, and the affable characters are well developed. There are plenty of twists and turns, red herrings, and suspects to keep the reader engaged. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.
Tessa Esposito’s husband recently passed away, and while she’s still grieving, the talented Italian chef is about to realize her dream of owning a restaurant. While she’s preparing for the grand opening of Anything’s Pastable, she agrees to prepare treats for a New York Times bestselling author, Preston Rigotta’s book signing at Once Upon a Book, the bookstore owned by her cousin and best friend, Gabby Mancusi. Gabby had been coordinating the signing with Preston’s daughter, Willow, and is taken aback when her high school nemeses, Daphne Daniels, shows up and announces that she’s Preston’s publicist. Gabby does her best to keep her temper in check and suffer the daunting abuse Daphne dishes out, but in the end, they get into a public argument. When Tessa goes to the bookstore to retrieve her phone the next morning, she discovers Daphne’s body, and once poisoning is determined as the cause of death, Gabby and Tessa become suspects in Detective Padraic “Paddy” McDermott’s mind. Sergeant Warner won’t allow Gabby’s brother, Detective Gino Mancusi, and her boyfriend and police officer, Lou Sawyer, to work on the case. Tessa and Gabby both fear this will affect the future of their businesses and are determined to track down the guilty party.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.