Review Of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Murder

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Catering Hall Mystery, Book #3

Maria DiRico

5 Stars

Synopsis:

Astoria, Queens, is decorated within an inch of its life for the Christmas season, and Mia Carina is juggling her job at the Belle View catering hall with a case of murder…

Mia’s busy with a full schedule of events at the family business–among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned–and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He’s so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother–even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo’s story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.

Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa’s-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who’s the guilty party…(Amazon)

Review:

Mia is busy with her events planning, she has a sweet sixteen birthday and first birthday party to plan.  And her good friend, Jamie, finds out that he has a brother that he never knew about.  Something does not feel right about the brother and Mia plans on looking into it.  But before she can, a dead body turns up and she must find out who the murderer is.

The characters are well rounded and well rounded. She has a special relationship with her dad and her brother, and her mother has come for a visit, which does not happen very often.  She will have to figure out what her mother really wants.

The writing style flows shoothy and the book is an easy read.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I could picture the action taking place in my mind’s eye.  The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. I had quite a few suspects that I considered and I did not know who was responsible until it was revealed at the end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  I cannot wait to see what is in store for Mia and her family.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.