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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This book is a page turner. Tessa and Gabby’s antics had me hooked from beginning to end. I love the close friendship these two cousins have and they make a great team throughout the book. Reading about Tessa’s food left me craving Italian and Catherine Bruns’ fabulous writing left me craving the next book in this series!
https://cozyexperience.com/it-cannoli-be-murder-book-review/
It Cannoli Be Murder
Italian Chef Mysteries, Book #2
Catherine Bruns
5 Stars
Synopsis:
It’s time to serve some just desserts…
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!
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author’s descriptions let me picture the restaurant, the food and the smells very vividly and left me hungry. The mystery was well plotted and very intriguing and I found myself caught up in it. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. Throw in some red herrings and it was not easily solved.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. Tessa and Gabby are cousins, but they could not be any closer. You can tell how much they care about each other and they will do anything to help each other. This causes some funny adventures that they have and also some dangerous ones. When they are considered suspects in a publicist murder, they will pull out all the stops to find out who did it.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. With fantastic characters, a inviting setting, a top notch mystery and food galore, who could ask for more?
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
I really enjoyed the first book by Catherine Bruns in the Italian Chef Mystey series, Penne Dreadful, and It Cannoli be Murder was another winner… which is not always the case with the second book in a cozy mystery series, so I was very happy!
As with the first book Bruns does a fantastic job with the scene descriptions, character development, and the mouth watering scenes with food. We got to know the characters very well in the first book, so in It Cannoli be Murder not only do we get some new insights into the main characters, but the new characters receive just as much detail. Tessa and her cousin, Gabby, have a fantastic relationship. Although they are cousins, it’s more like they are sisters and both of them are people I would love to have as friends. There’s a new detective in town that is a jerk so I’m interested to see if there will be a heartwarming story in future books that sheds a light on why he’s so mean, or to find out if that’s just the way he acts all the time.
Tessa’s landlord, Vince, is looking awful good to me and I hope something starts to happen with them in the romance department. I would jump on… ummm… I meant, at, a chance to be with him. Tall, dark, handsome, romantic, and owns a winery, Yes, Please. Then there’s her long time friend, Justin… while he’s attractive too and has been very sweet to Tessa, I’m still rooting for Vince.
There were lots of suspects as to who the killer could be and plenty of red herrings to keep one guessing. I thought I had figured out whodunnit, but I was wrong, which I always enjoy in a cozy mystery. Some of the suspects were vile people so it goes to show that Bruns can write a variety of characters very well.
Another great addition to the Italian Chef Mysteries and I am excited to see where book three leads. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you should definitely give this series a try!
This is the second book in the Italian Chef Mystery series and it was just as good as the first book. It is six months after the death of Tessa’s husband and she is slowly putting her life back together. She is about to open her restaurant and finally realize her dream when someone from her past is murdered at Gabby’s bookstore. Once again, Tessa and Gabby find themselves involved in trying to solve a murder, only this time it is because they are suspects. I love the relationship between Tessa, Gabby, and Gino. Even though Tessa is their cousin, the relationship plays out in a very sibling manner among all of them. Tessa and Gabby can sure get themselves into trouble. I find them to be a bit too reckless and cavalier about the trouble they get themselves into. Sometimes it makes me want to smack them both.
The mystery was well done. The victim was not well-liked and had a history of causing trouble with Gabby and Tessa back to high school. However, age didn’t change her and she was not necessarily a nice person, which allows the author to set up a number of viable suspects with very believable motives. I thought it unfolded nicely throughout the story and I was definitely surprised by the identity of the killer and the motive. I thought the author delivered a nice twist there.
I really enjoy the characters and I am looking forward to watching Tessa grow as a character as she works through her grief. I think the author has plenty of places to take this series and I am looking forward to seeing what’s to come.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Sourcebooks, through Edelweiss Books.
IT CANNOLI BE MURDER by Catherine Bruns is the second book in the Italian Chef Mysteries series. It’s a wonderful cozy mystery centered around Tessa Esposito as she prepares to open up her new restaurant ANYTHING’S PASTABLE and the adventures that ensue after agreeing to help her cousin, Gabby, with a book signing at her struggling book store.
Tessa is still trying to pick up the pieces after the sudden murder of her husband, but determined to fulfill their dream in opening a small Italian restaurant and to move forward. Nothing makes Tessa happier than cooking and making putting smiles on people’s faces with the food she has prepared. What better way to enjoy life than to have a job that you love doing!
Although busy with all the details to making opening night a success, Tessa is more than happy to help her cousin, Gabby, try to breathe new life into her struggling book store with the appearance of the world renowned Preston Rigotta for a book signing. Little did they both know that such an event would bring a hurtful part of Gabby’s past front and center with the appearance of Daphne Daniels as Prestone’s publicist at the book signing.
Things go from bad to worse when Tessa finds Daphne dead in the empty bookstore when she went back after closing to fetch her phone. When the police find out of the past between the three women and the lab result confirm that Daphne died from being poisoned while eating a cannoli – the same treat Tessa had made for the big event, both Tessa and Gabby become prime suspects in the murder. The fact that Gabby’s brother and boyfriend were pulled off the case because of conflict of interest and that the detective assigned to the case only seems to have his sights sit on the two, they feel that they must find out who the murderer is to save them being railroaded for murder and before the demise of their two businesses.
Is Tessa’s restaurant doomed to fail – even before it’s opened its doors? Will the book signing put the Gabby’s bookstore in the black or will it be the final nail to the store’s coffin? Can they prove whodunit and save both establishments? When they get too close and rattle the murderer, will they strike out again at one or both of the cousins? Along the way can Tessa settle some of past issues and possible be open to romance again? Could the murderer be Sylvia, the outraged jealous wife of Preston? Of his resentful daughter Willow? Or maybe Preston himself? Since she was a mostly unlikable person, exactly how many people could have really wanted Daphne dead?
Catherine Bruns did an excellent job of weaving a story that had many suspects taking you down many paths only to find out yourself at a dead end. I love the way the reveal at the end is both surprising and also makes total sense once you see the whole puzzle. Her descriptions are so vivid you will feel like you can smell the pots simmering on Tessa’s stove, hear the anger in Preston’s face when he threatens Tessa and feel her fear when he does, and see the happiness on opening night of ANYTHING’S PASTABLE. I was happy to see a recipe section in the back of the book showing how to make some of the dishes mentioned in the book.
IT CANNOLI BE MURDER can definitely be read as a standalone. I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves a well-crafted cozy that keeps you guessing from beginning to end. I, for one, loved it and can’t wait for the next adventure of Tessa Esposito. It’s gets a 5 star rating from me!
This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Besides the fact that it features a big loving Italian family and lots of delicious food, the story is well-written, the characters fully formed and the mystery is very interesting.
This is a series with some depth and meat to it and I think you’ll feel very satisfied after you’ve read it.
Start with book one, Penne Dreadful for the best reader’s experience.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It has been a long time coming but Tessa Esposito’s new restaurant, Anything’s Pastable, is almost ready to open. She just needs to hire a few more staff, the correct menus to arrive, and a few little touchups in the dining room, and she will thrust open the doors for her grand opening. Hoping to drive up the reservations she agrees to whip up some cannoli and biscotti to serve at a book signing at her cousin Gabby’s bookstore Once Upon A Book. Sadly, there is a disturbance when the author’s publicist arrives and it is an old high school rival who does her best to push Gabby’s buttons. The event escalates to a full-blown fight which has the author chewing Gabby out and her worried about the future of Once Upon A Book.
The next morning Tessa discovers the publicist dead on the floor of the bookshop with a cannolo nearby setting up Tessa and Gabby as the prime suspects. Knowing that could put their lives and businesses at risk they are not waiting for the police to complete their investigation, Tessa jumps right in with her own investigation and discovers one secret that could have easily set the murder in motion. She just needs to prove it.
Tessa has been through a lot. After the death of her husband she finds out he was actually murdered and she goes undercover to try to catch his killer. Now in this story, she is about to open her dream Italian Restaurant when another murder puts not only her dream in jeopardy but her cousin’s bookstore as well. Because they are both involved in the case, Gabby’s brother, Detective Gino Mancusi cannot be the detective in charge of the investigation. These are three strong characters that are really developing nicely. They have each other’s back and while Gino would like Gabby and Tessa to leave the death to the police he understands their frustrations.
We meet author Preston Rigotta, his wife, his daughter, their maid, and his publicist. These characters are also nicely developed even with the publicist dying. We learn a lot about her and the Rigotta family as the mystery unfolds.
The mystery was very well-plotted with some corkscrew twists. The victim was a real piece of work and definitely has not changed from high school, which meant she had made a few enemies. I was a little nervous about the risks Tessa and Gabby took. So much so, I wanted to jump into the book and save them from themselves. I thought I had nailed down whodunit and then Ms. Bruns added another twist that changed everything, I love it when that happens.
It Cannoli Be Murder contains an excellent mystery and characters I have grown to care about. My cancer treatments kept this book on my T-B-R shelf too long. But that means I have less time to wait for book number 3, The Enemy You Gnocchi, is being released on October 26 and it is already on my reading calendar. I am excited because it is a Christmas holiday mystery and I am looking forward to visiting Harvest Park when the snow is flying.
IT CANNOLI BE MURDER by Catherine Bruns, the second book in the Italian Chef Mysteries series is a wonderful follow-up to book 1–Penne Dreadful. Tessa is working toward her restaurant opening when she is drawn to her cousin’s urgent request to provide goodies, AKA cannoli, for Gabby’s bookstore. Unfortunately, later a body is found with one of Tessa’s cannoli nearby. What follows is a twisted path with a fast pace to uncover the evil-doer. A great read and series! I am ready for book #3!
Tessa is about to live her dream and open her own restaurant. In an effort to promote her business and help her cousin, she agrees to provide cannoli and biscotti for a book signing at Gabby’s store. Preston Rigotta is a local author whose books are bestsellers. When his publicist Daphne arrives she picks up bullying Gabby where she left off in high school. When the two confront each other publically, the publicist leaves wearing Gabby’s glass of red wine.
Early the next morning Tessa must go back to retrieve her forgotten cell phone. A trail of cannoli winds through the store leading Tessa to Daphne’s body. Tessa and Gabby become the detectives prime suspects. In order to clear their names and save their businesses Tess must investigate and find the murderer.
This is the second book in the Italian Chef Cozy Mystery series. This book held my interest and the author successfully created tension between characters. They are realistic and well-rounded. The pace of the story moves steadily. I recommend this book and look forward to book 3.
It Cannoli Be Murder is a fast paced, mouth watering, cozy mystery. Along with lovable Tessa, Gino and Gabby (Tessa’s cousins), there are several characters you will love to hate. When their high school mean girl is killed at Gabby’s bookstore with a lone cannolo at her side, both Tessa and Gabby shoot to the top of the suspect list. I was drawn into the story at the beginning and it did not let me go! There are a lot of twists, turns, suspects and motives to sift through before discovering the murderer. There are also yummy recipes. I could not put the book down!
In the quaint, lovely town of Harvest Park, NY, Chef Tessa Esposito is readying to open her new Italian restaurant—Anything’s Pastable. Tessa’s drama queen cousin, Gabby, owns Once Upon A Book, just up the street. When an obnoxious best-selling author, Preston Rigotta’s book-signing is over, and his disagreeable publicist, Daphne, is found murdered in the mystery aisle, the question arises—Who made the cannoli that killed her?
Readers are in for a delectable treat in this fast-paced cozy mystery. There are several characters written to despise and suspect. Humor is added in all the right places! Surprisingly, I figured out the killer before the ending, however, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this well-crafted manuscript throughout the ending. Delicious recipes added by the author.
It Cannoli Be Murder is the second book in Catherine Bruns’ Italian Chef Mysteries series. The storyline flows smoothly and has a steady pace. The mystery is solid, and the characters are well developed. There are plenty of twists, turns, and suspects to keep the reader guessing. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading cozy mysteries.
Very good! I highly recommend this mouth-watering series! Tessa is preparing to open her new Italian restaurant and provides cannolis and biscotti for a book signing at her cousin, Gabby’s, bookstore. The book signing doesn’t go quite as well as Gabby had hoped. The author is self-centered and arrogant, his wife is rude, and his publicist turns out to be an enemy of Gabby’s from high school, Daphne. Daphne gets into an argument with Lorenzo, the son of bakery owner, Carlita, whom she has been dating as well as getting into an argument with Gabby. The next morning Tessa arrives at the store to pick up her phone and finds Daphne dead along with some cannoli that are not the ones she had made. Tessa and Gabby are both suspects and the new police detective seems to believe one of them is the killer. The two cousins investigate all while Tessa tries to work on the opening of her restaurant. Very enjoyable storyline and characters. I love the closeness of Tessa and Gabby and it was fun to see them investigating together. The food all sounded amazing and I hope to try the recipes included in the book. I look forward to seeing what’s next for Tessa, seeing her restaurant hopefully thrive and it would be nice to see a relationship between Tessa and Justin. I like the friendship and closeness they share. Luigi, the cat, was a delight as well.
Loved this second book in the series. The restaurant is adorable, the characters are fun, the mystery kept me guessing, and those recipes! I especially liked how the cannoli was woven into the plot. Now if I just had a pasta machine … a girl can dream!
In this second book of the series Tessa’s dream of opening her own restaurant is coming true. She’s getting ready for her grand opening and stressing about having enough reservations on said day. Even though she’s busy she agrees to cater her cousin’s bookstore event where famous author Preston Ricotta will be doing a signing. Things are going well until his publicist makes an appearance, it’s none other than a rival from high school who made her cousin’s life miserable. What was suppose to be a huge night for her cousins bookstore turns into a horrible evening with an author who leaves angry. When Tessa finds the body of the publicist the next day while retrieving her phone from the bookstore it doesn’t look good. There is cannoli by the dead woman and the cops suspect it is what killed her. Tessa knows someone is trying to make her look guilty and decides to do her own investigation. She knows she must do everything thing she can To clear her name especially before the upcoming opening of her restaurant. Follow along as she looks for clues, finds out secrets, and figures out just who had it in for the woman!
It’s been six months since her husband died and Tessa Esposito has her hands full. She is still grieving the loss of her husband and trying to get her new restaurant up and running. When her cousin asks her to prepare desserts for the upcoming book signing in her store Tessa feels it will be good advertising. Unfortunately the publicist for the author is an old school nemesis of both her and her cousin. Tempers flare and words are exchanged. When the publicist is later found dead in the bookstore all suspicion falls on Gabby, Tessa’s cousin. Who would want the publicist dead? A jealous wife? A fed up author? As Tessa investigates, much to the chagrin of the police, she uncovers secrets and in doing so puts her own life in jeopardy. The characters are great! The mystery is very well written. I definitely enjoyed reading this book and happily recommend it to everyone! There are some delicious recipes included as an added bonus!
It Cannoli Be Murder, book two in An Italian Chef Mystery series by Catherine Bruns, takes place shortly after where Penne Dreadful, book one, left off. Tessa is getting ready for the grand opening of her new Italian restaurant, Anything’s Pastable, and she’s making lots and lots of sauce. That’s a sure sign that she’s stressed out! I wish I made sauce when I was stressed out, but I’d rather just eat it. And I’d rather eat the cannoli that Tessa makes for the book signing at her cousin Gina’s bookstore! If only they’d known that those cannoli were going to play a part in murder…
As in the first book of the series, the characters make the story. Tessa is still grieving the loss of her husband, but she’s determined to follow through on the dream they had before he died. Opening the restaurant is bittersweet for Tessa, and it is cathartic. It’s a new beginning for her…the next step in her life. She isn’t ready for another relationship, yet two men seem willing to wait until she is. Gina and Gino, Tessa’s cousins, play a big part in Tessa’s life. They’re like the siblings she never had. I really enjoy the interaction among these three the most.
The mystery in It Cannoli Be Murder is not easy to solve! When the victim is such an unlikable character, you are going to have lots of suspects. The problem here though is that Gina seems to be the only suspect the police are after. Tessa and Gina have to find the real murderer, and it’s fun trying to figure out who really killed the victim right along with them.
If you love cozy mystery books with yummy food, great characters, a cozy setting, and a puzzling mystery, you will love It Cannoli Be Murder!
It Cannoli Be Murder earns 5/5 Pinches of Spice…Entertaining Delight!
Catherine Bruns has stirred up a delightful second helping of her Italian Chef Mysteries. Set in upstate New York, Tess Esposito is a recent widow, chef by training and talent, a master of “the sauce,” and a pretty good amateur detective. Added to that resumé is new owner of her own restaurant…Anything’s Pastable. Hoping to get off to a good start with a bit of pre-opening advertisement, Tess agreed to cater a book-signing event at her cousin Gabby’s bookstore. Having best-selling author Preston Rigotta is a coup meant to greatly improve the bookstore’s bottom line, and his favorite dessert was something Tess could make in her sleep…cannoli! But, the cannoli ends up as a key factor in murder!
Catherine’s writing style has made me a loyal fan. She uses a first-person narrative from Tess’s perspective given me a delightful vicarious role with the “I” format. I thoroughly enjoyed her inner thoughts, theories, fears, and close connection to friends and family. With sensory-filled descriptive language it’s easy to picture the small town, shops, character appearances, and often sets up the time of the drama. Her dialogue illustrates well the emotions and varied personalities. The mystery follows the traditional cozy format I like: good set up, revisiting previous character background and connections, clever murder details, person of interest concerns, plenty of suspects with viable motives, a bit of personal peril, great conclusion, and…recipes!
There are other elements that have made this a favorite series. Bruns does well to create characters with the strength to overcome tragedies. In Tess’s case, it’s the murder of her husband and the aftermath of trying to move on. The dream of owning a restaurant was one her husband fostered and supported, but it’s able to see it come to fruition. Friendships and family are also a key element. Tess and her cousin Gabby have an enjoyable sister-like dynamic which motivates Tess’s involvement in the investigation, and cooperating, as best she can, with law enforcement is easy since her cousin Gino is the detective. Karma, too, always seems to have a role…
Buon appetito! Enjoy your meal! Easy-to-follow recipes included: Cannoli To Die For, Tess’s Ragu Bolognese Sauce, Cinnamon Chip Biscotti, and Pesto Sauce.
It Cannoli Be Murder is the second book in this series and like all of Catherine Bruns writing it feels like I get to hang out with my best friends and solve crime. Tessa Esposito is planning the opening of her new restaurant and is still grieving for her husband but has a network of friends and family for everlasting support. Her cousin, Gabby has a struggling bookshop so when a big author agrees to sign books, Tessa volunteers to help. Disaster strikes when Gabby’s bully from high school, Daphne, winds up being the publicist for the author. Daphne makes a scene at the signing and then turns up dead in the bookstore and Tessa and Gabby seem to be at the top of the suspect list. Running face first into danger and circumventing a cranky detective, the duo sends the reader down an entertaining, page turning journey. The characters leave an impression and the mystery throws you an interesting twists for a good cozy mystery of a read while the recipes are just an extra treat. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Tessa is just days away from having her dream come true. Her very own restaurant Anything’s Pastable will open. It’s been a hard year for her since the murder of her husband and this will start a new chapter for her. It will the only Italian restaurant in town and she is already famous for her pasta sauce. Her cousin, Gabby has also seen her dream come true in the form of her own book store. To help celebrate it’s opening and to give Tessa some advertising, Gabby asks her to make cannoli for an author event. There is a famous local author coming to read and sign books but her shows up with family and his publicist. Problems explode when the publicist turns out to be Gabby’s high school emesis and old friction is reignited – in a very public way. The following day the publicist is found dead inside the locked book store and cannolis are present. Double whammy for Gabby and Tessa – the police put them at the top of their list of suspects and Tessa knows her future as a restaurant owner and Gabby’s as a book store owner are numbered it they can’t find the real killer.
Tessa and Gabby make a great investigating team. I enjoyed spending time with them in the first book and even more in this one. The scrumptious food descriptions made me so hungry, I was ready to fall off the diet wagon and dive head first into a big bowl of pasta. The mystery was satisfying with a great conclusion and I’m adding the next book to my TBR list, sight unseen. The series is that good.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.