This 4th installment in the author's Catering Hall series is entertaining. Lots of fun, with great characters, many of them mob-related, though our sleuth, Mia Carina, runs the catering hall business as a legit business.

The secondary characters bring a lot to the table as well.

I don't particularly care for reality TV but setting this mystery involving a production company filming a mob-based reality TV show called the “Dons of Ditmars Boulevard" made this book quite enjoyable. Loved it!!

Highly recommended!!

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

Belle View is an event center that is run by Mia Carina and her father Ravello - in an effort to have a legitimate business unrelated to their mob connections. In this story, The mobster Donny Baldano Sr. (mobster) wants his son Donny Jr. to work at Belle View to try to ascertain what he is best at outside of the family business. An independent film operation is creating a reality show, The Dons of Ditmars Boulevard, and suddenly Donny Jr. gets involved with a very pretty producer much to the disapproval of Donny Sr.

The characters and plot lines are totally entertaining and the mystery well presented. Fun series! ( )

Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico is the fourth book in the Catering Hall Mysteries, and it continues to be a well written and fun cozy mystery series.

Lots of things are happening in this one; lively scenes for the reality TV show that includes lots of fights, pre-wedding celebrations, a wedding, Cami trying to start a podcast, Grandma knitting up a storm, and a lot more.

With all the craziness happening Mia and her gorgeous model boyfriend have some issues of their own, but nothing stops Mia from figuring out the killer… one that I didn't see coming… which doesn’t happen too often any more with cozy mysteries, so that was fantastic!

Between all the fun scenes, f(F)amily togetherness, fun parties/events, fabulous food throughout the book, and the recipes at the end, The Catering Hall Mysteries is a cozy series you need to read. ( )

series, cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, murder, murder-investigation, friendship, law-enforcement, small-business, Italian-customs, the-mob, verbal-humor, restaurant, TV/film-industry, caterer, catering, family-drama, relationships, relatives, amateur-sleuth*****

More hilarity and goofy characters who rarely meet the norm for their stated type from a favorite author! The whole story and backstory are clear and well crafted as well, but it's the characters and the humor that I love. It's more than just about solving the murder, but the whole Family thing combined with the lifestyles involved. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

Mia Carina and her father Ravello run Belle View, an events center that is run as a legitimate business by the Boldano family. She wants to keep her father from falling back into the mob, so she works hard at it. But there are problems. Donny Baldano's son Jamie is getting married, which makes his elder brother Donny Jr. lamenting his own life. So Sr. asks Mia to give Jr. a job, which she does. He doesn't seem too happy about it until he sets his eyes on Ariadne St. James, ex-wife and partner to Giles St. James. They're filming a reality show, Dons of Ditmars Boulevard, and suddenly Donny brightens up. Now Mia has a request by Donny Sr. to keep his son out of trouble.

Which doesn't help when Mia is drafted into another uncomfortable position, giving her two problems to solve. Or maybe three -- but she's not trying to think about that. With watching over Donny, trying to plan a wedding, and keep everything else running smoothly, she thinks it's going to be fine. Until she finds a dead body that starts the wheels turning, and finding herself in the middle of yet another murder investigation -- one that she'll have to really keep her ears and eyes open if she's going to keep everything smooth sailing...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read and loved them all. I love all the characters in this series, and would have a hard time choosing a favorite. There are some very funny scenes involving Mia's nonna and bags of yarn that make it hard not to want to give the woman a hug; and Mia's assistant Cammie and her over-the-top latest adventure (she seems to have a different one every book).

The murder however, isn't that easy to solve. With a roomful of wanna-be dons and donettes, it makes for a confusing situation. Not to mention the entire crew who is shooting the show -- everywhere they can. I can say in total honesty that I have never watched a reality show in my life, which makes this all the more interesting to me. My sister, who is a reality show junkie, would love this book just as well.

When Mia does the only thing she can -- ask questions -- she wonders if she's getting closer or if people are just lying. It's enjoyable to try and figure out who is telling the truth and who is not. In between it all, she has to make sure the wedding is going well, even if it kills her. Let's not forget the major surprise that just might turn everything around, and unexpected help that will steer her in the right directions.

It's a fun lark that takes us on an unusual journey in the land of reality shows, offbeat contestants, and Mia's own brand of figuring out who a murderer is. When the ending comes, the motive for the murder is rather strange, but it fits right in with the rest of the book. I loved it and hope that others will also. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley but this in no way influenced my review. ( )