As summer comes to an end in her Jersey Shore town, Lucy Berberian continues to manage her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. The Kebab Kitchen also has a food tent at this year’s beach festival. But now a local businessman is under the boardwalk—dead by the sea … will return next year … but Archie Kincaid won’t. The full-of-himself store owner has been fatally shot, soon after a screaming match with Lucy’s best friend. Katie’s far from the only suspect, though, since Archie had some bitter rivals—as well as some relationships no one knew about. It’s up to Lucy to look into some seedy characters and solve the case before the wrong person gets skewered …
Recipes included!
“Clever and charming … A culinary delight that will have readers salivating over the food and hungry for literary answers.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars, on Hummus and Homicide
“A series that will prove delightful for cozy fans.”
—Parkersburg News & Sentinel
more
I loved this cozy mystery! I can’t wait to try some of the included recipes!
Wonder charecter interaction. The list of suspects constant changed with the killer being someone you did not expect. I loved the suspense of the killercbeibg interwoven between the main charecter’s budding romance with the head chef and also with the local bike shop owner’s son. Weaving tge residebt psychic was interesting and she was on point with her readings.
Will the summer festival continue?
One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian is my first in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series, and I have to say that it was pretty good. Ms. Kashian did a superb job, and I love the dynamics between the main character Lucy and her family.
Sleuth:
Our sleuth is Lucy Berberian who is a first-generation American within her family that is multilingual. I fell in love with how different this sleuth is and is set in Jersey made me smile. Lucy is known in her small coastal town in Jersey for solving mysteries so when she finds Mr. Kincaid everyone automatically thinks she is on the case in solving it. Which she is.
What I like about her is that she is my first sleuth that is a lawyer but is trying to make her parents happy by working in the restaurant. I like that she cares for her family even if everyone knows that she isn’t the most fabulous cook. The way that she has two love interests that aren’t cops because the cop is her best friend’s husband. The last thing that I like about her is that she is pretty great at sleuthing. The one thing that I didn’t like about her is that she didn’t get why one of her love interests was jealous of the other who is just a friend.
The Victim:
The victim is Archie Kincaid but to call him a victim is a big step. The reason is he was a total jerk to everyone. He lived like he was a bachelor when that was far from the truth and that he spurned a whole lot of people. Okay, so the only one that he did let known was a guy named Harold. Anyways let’s just say Lucy and the cops had a lot of fun trying to sort through all the red herrings to get to the real killer. Especially through everything else that was brought to light.
Five Star
One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian is a great cozy mystery read, and I enjoyed it especially trying to figure out who killed Archie and what their motives where. I am giving this book a five-star review, and I am recommending it to all cozy mystery fans.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Baroness Book Trove.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one, please go to baronessbooktrove.com
One Feta In The Grave
Kebab Kitchen Mystery, Book #3
Tina Kashian
5 Stars
Synopsis:
As summer comes to an end in her Jersey Shore town, Lucy Berberian continues to manage her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. The Kebab Kitchen also has a food tent at this year’s beach festival. But now a local businessman is under the boardwalk–dead by the sea …
With a sand castle contest and live music, Ocean Crest bids a bittersweet farewell to tourist season. Summer will return next year … but Archie Kincaid won’t. The full-of-himself store owner has been fatally shot, soon after a screaming match with Lucy’s best friend. Katie’s far from the only suspect, though, since Archie had some bitter rivals–as well as some relationships no one knew about. It’s up to Lucy to look into some seedy characters and solve the case before the wrong person gets skewered …
Recipes included!
“Clever and charming … A culinary delight that will have readers salivating over the food and hungry for literary answers.”
–RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars, on Hummus and Homicide
“A series that will prove delightful for cozy fans.”
–Parkersburg News & Sentinel (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flowed smoothly and the book is an easy enjoyable read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there in The Kebab Kitchen, smelling all of the delicious aromas and getting hungrier by the minute.
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. I really like the emphasis on family in this series, it is heartwarming. I am also happy that it appears that Lucy has made a decision concerning her love interest, so I think the love triangle is over.
The mystery was well plotted and carried on well throughout the book. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through that my interest was held throughout the entire book. 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, but that is okay.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I have read all three of the books in this series and they are all great.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Murder comes back to the Jersey shore in this third installment of the Kabob Kitchen Mysteries.
I so enjoyed the first two books in this series, I could only hope to enjoy ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE half as much. Well, it turned out to be twice as much! I should have known, because author Tina Kashian has a way of pulling me into her stories that keeps my butt firmly planted in my seat as I absorb page after page.
I adore the characters in this series. I’ve enjoyed watching them and their relationships grow as the author fleshes them out. The feel of family and friendship rings true to me. There is a warmth I feel when reading them that makes me smile every time.
As for the mystery in, ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE, it was top notch! There were plenty of suspects to keep me twisted like a boardwalk funnel cake in my guessing. When I finally had it figured out and was giving myself a pat on the back for being brilliant (that never lasts long), I read the reveal. What a slap to the forehead that was. I was way off! LOL Well, played Ms. Kashian.
Fans of this series are going to love this addition. Culinary mystery fans, you’ll delight in the delicious recipes included. And fans of mysteries in general, you’re going to want to add ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE to your reading list!
It’s mid-August in Ocean Crest, New Jersey, and Lucy Berberian is on the planning committee for this year’s beach festival. Unfortunately, Archie Kincaide is proving to be a pain during the week. He owns a shop on the boardwalk, and he and his neighbor have been feuding since Archie moved to town. He’s also been causing problems for Lucy’s friend Katie, not only at the festival but also at her job at city hall. Taking a break one afternoon, Lucy is walking on the beach when she discovers Archie’s body under the boardwalk. It’s clear he’s been shot, but who did it? With Katie among Detective Clemmons’s suspects, Lucy jumps in to figure out what really happened.
This is another fun mystery. While we have two obvious suspects before Lucy finds Archie’s body, we quickly get more, and I enjoyed how the plot unfolded. The climax was a lot of fun. I do wish the supporting cast of the series were better developed; I like them, but I feel like most are still not as developed as they could be. That isn’t true for Lucy or the suspects, who manage to keep us guessing. And I loved the location. I can easily picture myself enjoying an annual vacation in Ocean Crest, and the added fun of the beach festival made me long to go stick my feet in some warm sand myself. There are 3 delicious sounding recipes to be enjoyed once you’ve finished the book.
This is the third book in the series but my first. I was able to keep up with the mystery. I did wish that I had read the others books, though, for the relationships.
I was drawn to the book by the fun cover. Reading a book set on the boardwalk was as fun as I imagined. It was cold and a bit snowy where I lived so the summertime reminder was especially sweet. I live in a tourist town so relating was easy. I liked Lucy and Katie, as well as the other characters. Madame Vega was a super interesting character to me. Who doesn’t enjoy getting their fortune told? I enjoyed the way the author weaved the characters together. I knew I was behind on some relationships and characters but I was able to quickly catch on. I liked that part. I thought the author did well writing characters that were clear as well as some who were questionable. There is a romance in the works with the current possible interest not in law enforcement.
I don’t want to go into the mystery because I hate spoilers and even innocent things have the potential to ruin the fun for some. I was kept guessing until the reveal. There were plenty of suspects; some I liked and some I was hoping it was them instead of one I liked.
There are recipes at the end of the story. I usually try to make a couple before writing up a review but I was sick while reading this. For a few days it was up to the guy who thinks a meal is complete if it has meat and bread. He knows, though, that I want soups when I’m sick so he attempted to make Azad’s Lentil Soup. It was a success so you know that one of the recipes is easy peasey and delicious.
My illness did include an eye infection which forced me to put aside the book about halfway through. This almost killed me. I was enjoying it so much that I kept trying to push it.
I really enjoyed reading One Feta In The Grave. I won an advanced reader copy so it is possible there may be minor changes when the book is released. I would definitely suggest, if you like cozies, put this one on your TBR. February is the perfect time to enjoy some book sunshine.
I like when I learn something new when reading a cozy mystery and I enjoyed how the author gives us a behind the scenes look at the protagonist’s Mediterranean culture. This is the first book in the series I have read and I felt right at home with the characters and setting. It kept me hooked and I can’t wait to read future installments of the series!
Take a trip to the Jersey Shore with Kashian’s Kebab Kitchen Mysteries. It’s a fun day at the beach until it turns sinister. There’s romance, cooking, motorcycles, a great cat, and murder.
If you enjoy Mediterranean food (like I do) and like a good mystery, then this is a series you will want to read. From the characters to the tantalizing dishes, everything falls into place and makes this a fantastic read.
This is the third installment in this series and I have enjoyed watching the characters develop, the family dynamics, and the mysteries being hidden in plain sight. Well, maybe not quite in plain sight because I have yet to figure out the killer. There are twists and turns that I didn’t expect which kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next.
I enjoy the potential love triangle between Lucy, Azad, and Michael. Granted, Lucy claims that Michael is just a friend but I think if he had his way they could be more.
This series continues to improve so we give it 5 paws up and perhaps one day I’ll try one of the delicious recipes that tease us in the book.
The end of season festival is interrupted when one of the businessman was found murdered and Lucy, once again, is put on the spot to try to find who did it. There’s too much on the line for her not to investigate! What a fun way to introduce new characters and help us feel more comfortable in this town we’ve grown to love.
Fun book! I love the setting of the Jersey Shore and learning about the Greek and Armenian foods. Lucy’s best friend, Katie, is a suspect in the murder of a local man. Lucy, with the help of Katie, investigates to find the real killer. Lots of interesting suspects that keep you guessing. I hope there will be more books in this series. I want to read more of Lucy’s adventures and see a relationship between Lucy and Azad.
Copied from Goodreads review:
First, I will state that I won a copy of the book in an author’s giveaway. But I am not allowing that to influence my review.
I thoroughly enjoyed following Lucy Berberian as she tries to juggle managing her family’s restaurant (Kebab Kitchen) figuring out her love life and, yes, trying to solve the murder of a local merchant, Archie Kincaid. I thought the very beginning was a bit slow (this may be because this was the first book I had read in the series–the book does standalone but you might be more invested from the beginning if you were acquainted with the characters) but as soon as Ms. Kashian began to bring in the personal affairs of her characters I was hooked.
Readers will enjoy Lucy’s extended family and the characters that populate Ocean Crest; my personal favorite is Madame Vega who is pivotal in solving the mystery and acting as Lucy’s sounding board in her personal life. And the plot keeps adding layers so that your interest is kept throughout. The big chase scene is classic!
I highly recommend this book and am going to get the earlier volumes to fill in the story lines.
One Feta in the Grave is my favorite of the bunch! I loved the first two cozies in the Kebab Kitchen Mysteries, but in the third installment protagonist Lucy Berberian really steps up her game. Quirky characters, a dead guy with lots of enemies, and a restaurateur who knows how to sniff out a killer made this cozy a mouth-watering read from beginning to end. Tina Kashian knows her way around a Mediterranean kitchen, and it shows in this delectable mystery. I’m anxious to gobble up another helping of this charming seaside series.
Lucy Berberian has returned home to help run the family restaurant. When Lucy is roped into helping best friend Katie judge a sand castle contest things start to go a little crazy. Katie is seen having a disagreement with one of the judges, Archie, when she dismisses him as a judge since his nephew is entered in the contest. Later when Archie if found dead Katie becomes one of the suspects so Lucy feels she has to help clear her friends name.
This is the third book in the series but my first. I had no problem following the storyline so this book can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The characters are fun and realistic. The setting of a beach festival was a great addition to making this a fun storyline and adding to the haste Lucy feels about solving the murder quickly. The mystery was well paced with several twists and turns along the way. For cozy fans that love to try out recipes your in luck, this book has a few recipes included at the end.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE by Tina Kashian
The Third Kebab Kitchen Mystery
It’s beach festival week for the Jersey Shore town of Ocean Crest and Lucy Berberian and her best friend, Katie, are working to make it a success. With a myriad of entertainments including a sand sculpture contest and wine and food tasting event, visitors and residents alike have plenty of activities to choose from and enjoy. Tempers flare with the heat however, as trouble making newcomer Archie Kincaid gets into public arguments not only with his business rival, but Katie as well. When Lucy finds Archie’s body under the boardwalk, she realizes she has more on her plate than baba ganoush and moussaka. With Detective Clemmons eyeing Katie as a prime suspect, Lucy begins to subtly search for the real killer, all while managing the Kebab Kitchen and dealing with her developing relationship with her hunky chef.
A compelling mystery, good food, loyalty, and a little romance are the key components to a Kebab Kitchen Mystery and ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE has them in spades. I love, not only the developing relationship between Lucy and Azad, but Lucy’s friendship with Michael…and smirk at how the two males deal with it. Angela never fails to make me giggle, especially when it comes to her infatuation with Cooking Kurt, the celebrity chef. It’s these characters, their foibles as well as their goodness, that pulls me in and makes me want to spend time with them.
I enjoyed the mystery, though I shook my head at one of Lucy’s schemes to get evidence. Still, there were plenty of suspects, lots of red herrings, and a fantastic chase scene. All in all ONE FETA IN THE GRAVE is great fun keeping me not only entertained, but filled with happiness from this big happy Kebab Kitchen family.
Recipes Included.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
It’s the end of summer, and the small seaside town of Ocean Crest, New Jersey is celebrating with a week long beach festival, but when Lucy Berberian finds one of the merchants shot to death under the boardwalk the celebrations come to a screeching halt, and she needs to investigate whodunit when her bestie, Katie, is suspected of the dastardly deed! One Feta in the Grave, Tina Kashian’s third Kebab Kitchen Mystery, is a traditional culinary cozy mystery complete with likable recurring characters, unlikable suspects, yummy recipes, and a little bit of romance. It’s quite an enjoyable read, and this cozy lover highly recommends it. A+
Lucy Berberian left her big, important job as a lawyer to return home to a small seasonal community and manage her parents’ restaurant when they decided to retire, well, at least slow down. Angela still keeps firm control over her kitchen, except when her favorite cooking show is on television.
Their head chef is Lucy’s high school boyfriend, and still has hold of her heart.
The hot biker boy next door is waiting in the wings in case things don’t work out.
Lucy’s best friend is married to a cop, but that doesn’t keep them BOTH from getting into trouble, trying their best to stay on the brighter edge of the thin line. So when trouble comes to town and Lucy and Kate find themselves involved in the middle, will they come out unscathed?
With the help of a psychic and thanks to Lucy’s early morning training runs, it is a close call.
Hot men, dangerous liaisons, and a town in trouble when their main money making event is canceled due to murder, all contribute to a fast paced and twisty murder investigation.
You can read this as a stand alone book.
Loved the wholw series!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tourist season is wrapping up in Ocean Crest and the beach festival is underway with music, contests, and plenty of food. Things get a little heated when Archie Kincaid was forced to step down as a judge of the sand castles because his nephew was participating in the contest. After Lucy finishes her judging duties and makes sure all the food vendors have everything they need she takes a walk on the beach. She notices something under the boardwalk. That something turns out to be a dead Archie Kincaid. The man wasn’t well liked and have public arguments with several people, including the one with her best friend Katie, when she eliminated him as a judge.
Detective Clemmons arrives on the scene and is not surprised that Lucy has found another body, but everyone is surprised when Katie lands on his list of suspects. This means her husband, Officer Bill Watson is unable to be part of the case. He knows Lucy’s reputation for solving cases and asks her to keep her ears open and ask a few questions to help clear Katie’s name. Lucy takes the request and runs with it, sometimes with Katie by her side, going much further than Bill intended. Now they just need to catch the killer before anyone else ends up dead.
Lucy Berberian is a fun protagonist and I like it when Katie tags along. This time Katie’s is the one who needs to be cleared. These ladies go to some dangerous lengths to do just that. Lucy is also learning to cook traditional Armenian dishes while taking over managing duties at the restaurant. At the same time, she is trying to rekindle her romance with chef Azad Zakarian while having a friendship with Michael, who runs the bike shop next to the restaurant. Michael and Lucy seem to make a better pair right now, at least in my opinion. With each story, the characters become more fleshed out and relatable.
Ms. Kashian has cooked up a great mystery. A first I thought the arguments between Archie and others were typical business things but as we get deeper in the story we see that isn’t the case. The author sets a nice pace and I enjoyed the way Lucy didn’t give up. There was a point where any amateur sleuth would have quit but not Lucy. It is pointed out to her more than once that she is not a cop and needs to back off, but she will run herself ragged to catch the killer. I had honed in the right party a bit before Lucy but the ending was both exciting and funny. I wish I had half of Lucy’s energy.
I do love the Jersey shore setting. The boardwalk, shops, and restaurants. All the touristy places and food. Yes, the food, again my mouth was watering.
Another fun and entertaining story from Tina Kashian. I look forward to visiting Ocean Crest again soon!