Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder

Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception hall owner who turned up his nose, and his price at her wedding plans, she can’t help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer.

Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s mouthwatering Christmas celebration, and before her hometown’s holiday spirit washes out to sea.

Series: A Kebab Kitchen Mystery – Book #5
Author: Tina Kashian
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 352

Rating:

Lucy is one of those characters that you either like or you don’t like her at all. When I first started reading this series, she wasn’t my favorite. However, in Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder, it would be difficult for readers not to like and enjoy getting to know Lucy. With this Christmas addition to the culinary based series, readers will cement their friendship with Lucy and the other cast members.

Christmas in Ocean Crest is cold, snowy, and fun. Between cooking delicious meals, participating in local holiday events, and planning her upcoming nuptials, Lucy has her hands full. But when she takes part in the holiday polar bear plunge and finds a body floating in the surf, she adds a murder investigation to her list of things to do. Food brings people together, and Lucy’s culinary skills are improving tremendously, so it doesn’t take long to hear on the grapevine that a few too many people disliked the victim.

Suspects come out of the corners, and some seem to have great motives for wanting the victim dead, including a disgruntled former bride, a business partner, and several business people. Twists have more than one meaning in this sometimes bazaar Christmas story, but they all move the story towards its ultimate end. The killer could be a surprise to many but not everyone. I enjoyed the way the author mixed in all of the action, wedding planning Lucy wasn’t really into, and family issues such as her parent’s constant bickering and the cooking. All of this combined to make Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder, a fun, easy read, with new recipes to delight culinary fans for the Christmas holidays.

More compelling Christmas culinary cozies readers will enjoy include Leslie Budewitz’s delightful “A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery” and Daryl Wood Gerber (Avery Aames) lovely “A Cookbook Nook Mystery”.

About the Author:

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as an NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her love of reading fiction for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. And yes, they eat hummus and spend summers at the Jersey shore. Tina loves to hear from readers. She also writes under the pseudonym Tina Gabrielle.

Represented by: Fine Print Literary Management.

Contact Tina: tina@tinakashian.com

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