Review - Murder and Marinara

Murder and Marinara

An Italian Kitchen Mystery #1

by Rosie Genova

Mystery

326 pages

Release date 10/01/2013

4 out of 5 stars

According to the publisher, "Hit whodunit writer Victoria Rienzi is getting back to her roots by working at her family’s Italian restaurant. But now in between plating pasta and pouring vino, she’ll have to find the secret ingredient in a murder....

When Victoria takes a break from penning her popular mystery series and moves back to the Jersey shore, she imagines sun, sand, and scents of fresh basil and simmering marinara sauce at the family restaurant, the Casa Lido. But her nonna’s recipes aren’t the only things getting stirred up in this Italian kitchen.

Their small town is up in arms over plans to film a new reality TV show, and when Victoria serves the show’s pushy producer his last meal, the Casa Lido staff finds itself embroiled in a murder investigation. Victoria wants to find the real killer, but there are as many suspects as tomatoes in her nonna’s garden. Now she’ll have to heat up her sleuthing skills quickly…before someone else gets a plateful of murder."

Murder and Marinara has so many elements that appeal to me.  First, it's a cozy mystery, which is my absolute favorite.  Second, the main character is an author, which, in my opinion, always makes for an interesting protagonist.  Third, the book takes place at the Jersey Shore.  What more could I want?

Once I got beyond judging this book by its cover, I found that it really was an enjoyable read.  The author provides us with a dynamic cast of characters; the majority of the characters have decades of history with each other, and the author did a fantastic job of translating that authentically on to the page.  Each character had a distinct personality, with Victoria's family being especially lovable.  

As a born and bred Jersey girl, it was so cool to read a book set in a place where I have spent so much time!  For people from the Garden State, the Jersey Shore is a universally loved backdrop.  We all have a specific beach town that is our favorite, connected with distinct memories that often spread throughout a lifetime.  While Murder and Marinara's setting is actually a fictional town, I'm sure each reader will picture their own beloved Jersey Shore locale as they read, which lets everyone have their own unique experience with this book.

Of course, the main point of this book is the mystery, which did not disappoint!  I was immediately drawn in to the story, and had to know how it ended.

If I have one main criticism of this book, it's that this series only has four books in it.  One of the things I most love about cozy mysteries is that the series are often quite expansive; I hold out hope that there will be more additions to the Italian Kitchen Mystery series in the future!

For all of my NJ readers, this book is for you!  And for anyone who is not from our beautiful state, grab a copy of this book and start planning your trip to the shore now!