It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Murder
Mia’s busy with a full schedule of events at the family business, among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned, and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He’s so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother, even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo’s story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.
Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa’s-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who’s the guilty party.
The Details
Series: A Catering Hall Mystery – Book #3
Author: Maria Dirico
Genre/Category: Cozy – Events/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 1496725360
Page Count: 280
Rating: 
The Review
“A Catering Hall Mystery” series has become one of my favorites. I have always enjoyed it, but with the addition of the latest addition, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Murder , it has won my heart completely. I love Mia. She has everything the main character needs to be interesting, entertaining, and keep readers reading. This Christmas story is everything you would expect from a mob-related New York-style cozy and much, much more.
It’s almost Christmas, and Mia is once again trying to juggle a lot of different events and activities. Mia is busy trying to keep her business running and her clients happy while planning a family holiday celebration. The last thing she needs is to get involved in another murder investigation, but of course, that is precisely what she gets. If she could just ignore it, she would, but if she doesn’t find the killer, her best friend or a member of his family, which includes mob connections, will end up behind bars. Then out of the blue, Mia’s mother returns and decides she wants to be a part of Mia’s life once again. Not knowing which way to turn, Mia dives into the investigation and hopes that when the smoke clears, everything will be back to normal.
The suspect list is long and grows almost until the end of the book. Evidence is all pointing in one direction, but you might say there is just a bit too much of it pointing at Mia’s friends. Was this a mob hit, or something more personal? Everyone she knows seems to have had a motive to kill the victim. Even Mia’s estranged mother, Gia comes under suspicion. All the returning characters play a part in the story, and some, like Nonna and her friends, make you laugh and cheer. Christmas is a time when families come together, but some families, especially those mob-style ones, new or old, might be better off staying apart. In some ways, Mia’s family falls into the less is more category, but at other times, they definitely do better when all together.
In the end, Mia helps find the killer and rescues Christmas for her family and friends. Readers who have not read any of this series should do so right away, and those who have read the entire series will love this addition. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Murder is an excellent holiday treat, with everything you need to keep readers happy, including the recipes for some fabulous eats.
The Author
Ellen Byron/Maria Dirico was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Queens and Westchester County. She is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side. On her father’s side, her grandfather was a low-level Jewish mobster who disappeared in 1933 under mysterious circumstances.
While growing up in Queens, Maria/Ellen’s cousin’s uncles ran the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls. Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. She’s written over 200 national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. She also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs. She still misses her hometown – and still drives like a New York cabbie.
Other books in the “A Catering Hall Mystery” series readers will enjoy include Here Comes The Body or book two, Long Island Iced Tina.
Represented by: Doug Grad Literary Agency, Inc.
Contact Maria: 
Find Maria on Social Media:
Follow the Cozy Review on Bloglovin’
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply