Hit and Nun is the third book in the A Lucille Mystery series.

I love this series, as the characters seem so real to me, it's like I've met them in real life. Lucille and Flo are the Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz of the literary world.

Life is good for Lucille, her daughter, Bernadette, has gotten married and has had her baby. All in the excepted order, too. But Bernadette then drops the bombshell that her and her husband, Tony, don't want to have their baby baptized and it is time for Lucille to have her first mammogram.

One day on her way into work at St. Rocco's church she stops off at her favorite pizza shop, Sal's Pizzeria. When she arrives at work, another volunteer asks her, no tells her to go into the church and make sure that the flowers are properly arranged. As she is doing so, she startled when someone approaches and says that they need to be baptized. She sees that it is Sal and he is bleeding from a stab wound. There are no priests available, so she gets some holy water and blesses him, only to have him die shortly thereafter. She gets a job at the rival pizza shop to try and she who might have killed Sal, but ends disastrously as she tries to toss a pizza shell and proves that she doesn't have the experience she claimed to have. But, then she enlists the help of Flo to get to the heart of the matter.

You have to get a laugh out of the antics of Lucille and Flo.

So looking forward to the next book in this hilarious series. ( )

Hit and Nun by Peg Cochran is a funny cozy mystery and the third book in The Lucille Mystery series. Lucille Mazzarella is in her fifties, married to Frankie, has a daughter, Bernadette, and a granddaughter, Lucia. She is also overweight, going through menopause, and dislikes change. Lucille still wears the leather jacket her husband gave her in high school (though it barely zips) and drives her 1987 Olds (despite the fact that it is on its last legs). Lucille comes from an Italian family. She hosts big family dinners every Sunday after Church with traditional Italian fare. Cousins Louis and Millie are no longer living with Lucille and Frank, but now they have Bernadette, her new husband Tony Jr., and little Lucy.

Lucille also works part-time at St. Rocco's Catholic Church (where she has found two bodies). Lucille is at work in the Church checking on the flowers when Sal, owner of Sal's Pizzeria, stumbles in clutching his side. Sal is bleeding and wants to be baptized. Since there is no priest around to baptize him, Lucille does the deed (she remembers that a layperson can baptize someone if they are about to die). Sal then dies. Lucille and her friend, Flo set out to find out who killed the owner of their favorite pizza restaurant (Lucille does love her food). They are checking out Sal's wife, Tiffany when they find her dead in her garage. The killer made it look like a suicide, but Lucille knows it was not (her purse was in the kitchen). Lucille and Flo will do whatever it takes to solve the murders (you are never going to believe what they do this time).

Lucille is a unique character. She marches to a different tune. Lucille's idea of dieting is hilarious. It is no wonder that she keeps gaining weight. Lucille also avoids technology. No GPS, no cell phone (Frank gave her one and she accidentally dropped it in the toilet), no MP3 player (still plays cassette tapes in her car). I do not know how she puts up with some of her relatives. Louis and Millie arrive for meals but offer no money or help. Bernadette does nothing around the house except make messes. Her mother is constantly getting into trouble. She insists on driving (she mixes up the brake and gas pedals).

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There is a lot of humor in the book and it is an easy book to read. The mystery, though, is very easy to solve. Peg Cochran is a good writer. I love her Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series and am looking forward to Berried Secrets (A Cranberry Cove Mystery) which will be out in August. Happy Reading!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )