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Rosie Genova

Autore di Murder And Marinara

6 opere 187 membri 9 recensioni

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Opere di Rosie Genova

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Victoria Rienzi writes mysteries under the name of Vick Reed. When it's determined that she needs a temporary break from writing her series, she returns home to her roots to write about her family. But when she arrives she doesn't expect to see the man who sent her running away in the first place...working in her family's restaurant as a sous chef.

Once she realizes she'll have to work with him she decides to make the best of it and tells him she refuses to discuss their past together. But that's not all: she learns from her family that a smarmy TV producer is going to film a reality TV show in their little town, and they've organized a protest against it.

But things take a turn when Gio Parisi - the person running the show - turns up at the restaurant and Victoria realizes she needs to serve him and get him out before her family returns and finds him there. But what she also doesn't expect is that when she heads out to the kitchen garden not too long after, she finds Gio dead nearby...

Now the restaurant is losing customers because everyone thinks he developed food poisoning from their food. And Vick also discovers that her nonna wants her to put her deductive skills to use to find the killer before they have to close their doors for good...

I know this series didn't last too long, but it sounded cute anyway, so I prevailed...at least until I discovered we're up to our ears again in a love triangle. When, oh, when will authors realize a love triangle is not all that interesting to read about? Personally, I detest them. Think of it this way: What if the situation were reversed and it were one man stringing along two women? You'd think him a dog and the women trying to snag him were desperate. So why is this any different? It's not much better, waffling between two men, really. Is there a lack of women in this town (or any of the others we read about)? Most people don't date two people at the same time (at least with the other person's knowledge) waiting for them to make a decision on which man she'll choose. Geez, enough with the love triangles already. If you're going to throw in a romance, make it a romance, not another silly woman who hasn't got the brains to decide which man she wants in her life.

Anyway, although others might find the idea interesting, it's gotten to the point with me that if I even get a whiff of a love triangle I stop reading the book and vow never to pick up any more in the series; and if the author writes a different series, I usually look for it at the bookstore and if that one goes in the same direction, I never read another by the author. I want to be entertained, not read a soap opera.

Besides that little tidbit of annoyance, the characters are all stereotypical - Italian family has a decades-old restaurant, a crusty nonna, an over-the-top mother who wants grandchildren (Thank God for parents who understand their children aren't baby-making machines who marry and then are expected to pop them out on a regular basis just to keep their mother happy). Babies come in their own time and at the right time, and mothers like this are the reason people move as far away from them as possible; the son is a police officer, and of course, the ex-boyfriend is dark and brooding.

While the ending tied everything up together nicely, just as it's supposed to, it also did the typical will-she-or-won't-she with the "boyfriends" whom, of course, she managed to alienate in this book in the usual way but will probably have them chomping at the bit for her in the next. It doesn't really matter, because I won't be there to read it.
… (altro)
 
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joannefm2 | 2 altre recensioni | Jul 6, 2018 |
First I want to mention that this is the third book in this series. Don’t let that stop you from reading this out of order. The author smoothly provided back story in the right places without slowing down the story and I easily became familiar with the characters and previous events.

Now to the book. How could I pass this up? A cozy mystery with the main character being a successful mystery writer.

Victoria Rienzi, or Vic, returned to Oceanside on the Jersey shore a few months ago. She’s trying to write the next book in her mystery series while working in the families Italian restaurant, Casa Lido.

The restaurant is preparing for it’s 70th anniversary, but it’s not looking to good. A storm is barreling down on New Jersey. Vic’s grandmother, Nonna, isn’t going to let a little ole hurricane ruin the outdoor dining and festivities. When the winds begin to bluster and the rain starts to fall, everyone is hustled inside to continue the celebration.

Like all hurricanes, it blows through and the morning is bright and clear. There’s lots of power outages along with some damage, but it looks like everyone came through it okay. Until they find the body.

Stinky Pete, the resident homeless man, is found dead at the historical carousel ride on the boardwalk. He was last seen after he stumbled into the restaurant celebration. Nonna gave him some food and water and guided away from the guests, sending him on his way.

Vic isn’t convinced it’s an accidental drowning and she just can’t help herself. She has to stick her nose in the investigation, drawing Nonna’s wrath. It’s not the first time Casa Lido has been at the center of a murder investigation.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the research. The research done by the characters. Vic and her sister-in-law, Sophie, dig deep and stumble upon a connection to Vic’s great uncle, Roberto. He was the black sheep in the family and thought to have died in Italy a long time ago.

They make a list of suspects and the list keeps growing. I tell you, these ladies left no one off that list.

And I have to hand it to Vic. I don’t know how she kept going. A deadline is looming on her new release, and she needs to get cracking on the next book. She ‘s dealing with issues at the restaurant and at home due to lack of electricity. And she’s having to work alongside the man who broke her heart and sent her running away many years ago.

Vic is persistent and starts asking questions, angering some people and setting herself up as a target.

Love lost and found, people who want to keep their skeletons in their closets, and a possible mob connection kept this mystery rushing forward and kept me on my toes, right along with Vic. That, and her Nonna, who brooks no slacking and no nonsense.

Good clean fun with lots of laughs and some intense scenes as the mystery unravels. Everything you need for a good cozy read.
… (altro)
 
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laura-thomas | 2 altre recensioni | Feb 2, 2016 |
I love the NJ shore and family dramas. This book has both. I was a bit disappointed in the romance, but since this is part of a series I assume that will take a while to resolve. Still, the mystery was a clever one and it took both the heroine and her sister-in-law some time to solve it. Nonna is the perfect family matriarch, strict but loving. There are recipes in the back of the book that I must try. All in all, a very enjoyable read.
 
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penelopemarzec | 2 altre recensioni | Jan 19, 2016 |

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Opere
6
Utenti
187
Popolarità
#116,277
Voto
½ 3.6
Recensioni
9
ISBN
11

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