When Delilah and her culinary crew cater a 1920's event, they never expect to get involved in a murder scene. Things get even more complicated when a huge storm rolls in and traps the catering crew in the historic mansion along with a group of guests, one of whom is the killer. When the lights go out, things get even more intense, as law enforcement is delayed by the storm and another death occurs. Mix in secret liaisons and thefts, and the classic "country house" mystery takes shape with a several twists. The book contains recipes at the end. It is the third in the Deep Dish Mysteries series, featuring Delilah and her pizza restaurant. Readers of the first two books in the series will enjoy reconnecting with old friends and quirky characters in this novel.

I especially enjoyed the historical aspects of the location near Chicago and the connections to past mobsters. Even though I was able to guess the motives and perpetrators, the crime is wrapped up nicely at the end, with appropriate homage to Dame Agatha.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed her are my own. ( )

Delilah O'Leary owns an Italian restaurant in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. On the night of a fundraising bash for the library, she is tasked with not only her pizzas, but creating a new "free-from" pizza for one of the guests who is allergic to almost everything. already nervous about the party because she is hoping to get new customers, this one is a challenge. But before the meal can be served, one of the guests tumbles down the stairs to their death -- and with detective Calvin Capone attending, it's eventually ruled a murder.

But since everyone is snowed in at the mansion, who is the killer? Is it one of the guests or one of Delilah's staff? She intends to finds out, even if Capone wants her to leave it alone...and so does the murderer....

This is the third book in the series and I really wanted to like it. It's a decent mystery, but I liked the first two much better. This one seems to drag on and on, never really going anywhere until close to the end. We don't learn much about the attendees, and if you haven't read the first two books, then you are given snippets here and there of Delilah's staff. What we are given ad nauseum, is Delilah's hots for Capone. Over and over. The entire book is filled with Delilah lusting after our detective, and he seemingly oblivious to it. (Well, why shouldn't he be concerned with the murder first? Of course). It's in every page. Constantly. This book is more of a romance/mystery instead of a mystery/romance. I don't mind romance in my cozies (after all, it's part of the book) but she is practically drooling every time she comes near him. Down, girl!

Other than that, the mystery was done very well. I really didn't guess the reason for the murder until close to the end, and I did think the way it was wrapped up was done nicely indeed. Ms. Quigley is a talented writer, and I do hope that in the next in the series we can get back to the mystery first instead of second. A very nice cozy to read on a winter night -- and you don't have to read the first two to enjoy this one.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review. ( )

Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in the Deep Dish Mystery Series by Mindy Quigley. The series is set in a pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin owned by Delilah O’Leary. Her best friend Sonya Dokter is her sous chef and bartender Daniel, hostess Melody and dishwasher Rabbit round out the staff. Delilah’s elderly Aunt Biz, police detective Calvin Capone and her cat Butterball complete the regular characters in the series.

In this installment of the series Delilah is catering a Prohibition-themed fundraiser for the local library. She is hopeful that she will get some new catering gigs from the wealthy residents in attendance that will help her struggling restaurant get through the winter slow season. Pam Phillips, the hostess of the fundraiser, makes a last minute request for a new “free-from” pizza recipe for a last minute guest with many food allergies. Of course, it wouldn't be a cozy mystery unless one of the guests gets murdered during the bash. An elderly guest, Edgar Clemmons, falls down the stairs and dies. Did he trip or did someone help him fall? With a winter storm in full force all of the roads are blocked and Delilah, her staff, Capone and several guests are trapped in the Phillips mansion. They all must spend the night together until the roads are cleared the next day.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I am not sure what the reason was for giving the book its title. No anchovies were on the pizzas and I do not believe the deceased was public enemy number 1. He had several people who opposed him on the library board. He also uncovered a scam over forged rare books. Yes, forged books. It's a thing. I googled "forged books" and found several articles concerning this topic. In one CNBC news story art forgery expert Curtis Dowling stated that rare books are especially valuable collectors' items. They are also among the most frequently faked, and hardest to detect.

"Fakers ply their trade by replicating the same sensations that anyone would perceive when walking into a used bookstore. It's one thing to make a book simply look old and weathered, a feat that can be accomplished with a little paint and an inscription dated back a century and a half. But it's necessary to fool all of the senses, especially touch and smell, to make the experienced collector accept a faked book as the genuine article."
I had never heard of this scam before. While I was reading, I was not sure whether it was plausible. My internet search was performed after I finished reading the book. Now I am wondering whether I missed clues in the storyline. ( )

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley is the third book in the Deep Dish Mysteries, and it’s my favorite one so far. And that’s saying a lot since I really enjoyed the first two!

What drew me to this series initially is that it takes place in Wisconsin, my home state, and that it revolves around a chef that makes specialty pizzas and other Wisconsin favorites, with recipes at the end of the book, of course.

Quickly into the first book I really enjoyed that Quigley not only had well developed characters, but a wide diversity in the cast, including: felon, lesbian, dreamboat with an accent, quirky elderly lady who’s also very grumpy, and a cat that steals the page! In Public Anchovy #1 we get to spend even more time with these great people, Butterball continues to steal every scene he’s in (and we get a ragdoll kitty in this one two), and Delilah’s relationship with the detective heats up a bit.

But what I really loved about this one was the classic storyline of people getting stuck in a huge home where a murder or two occurs, and then there’s the final reveal a la Agatha Christie. I mean, how much more perfect can a book be for a mystery lover?! We also get an upstairs/downstairs vibe with the rich socialites from the book world and the staff from Delilah’s restaurant, which was a fun addition.

I knew early on who the killer was, and I think long time mystery and cozy readers may too, but some may still be a bit surprised with the twist. I didn’t figure out the one key piece though until Delilah revealed it, so in that regard, I didn’t have it all figured out. Which I always enjoy.

I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to come back to Geneva Bay, WI. again to catch up with Delilah and her friends and staff. ( )

I absolutely loved this third book in the Deep Dish Mysteries series!! I found it to have one of the most clever locked room mystery plots I've read in a long time.

Besides an outstanding plot, I also loved the recurring characters, especially pizza chef Delilah O’Leary and her staff, as well as the police detective, Calvin Capone (yes, a fictional descendant of Al),

The setting, in the fictional upscale community of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin (which sounds an awful lot like the Lake Geneva, WI I've visited many times), is great, too.

All in all, this book is a winner and one of my favorite "new to me" authors I've read this year. So much so that I immediately picked up the first two books in the series.

Highly recommended to cozy fans!!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )