Reviewed by Jeanne
Valentine’s Day approaches and while love is in the air, so is
cold and snow. The small town of Geneva
Bay, Wisconsin brings in plenty of tourists in summer but winter—not so
much. Pizza chef Delilah is trying to brainstorm
some ideas to drum up business so she can afford to keep the lights on and her
staff paid. Valentine’s Day is coming up,
but so far her idea of a romantic dinner hasn’t brought in many reservations.
Delilah isn’t the only one struggling. Other business owners
are as well, which is why the Chamber of Commerce hits on an idea: why not lean into the town’s gangster history
to draw in tourists? It sounds like a
great idea, but there’s one problem.
Delilah’s budding romance with a detective named Capone may not survive
a promotion that uses his infamous relative as a draw.
As if that isn’t enough, Delilah’s ice fishing trip with Aunt
Biz catches something other than fish: a
dead body.
The Deep Dish Mystery series follows the rules of many
cozies, with a small town cast of characters, a plucky heroine, detective
boyfriend, and a cat. Just as with any recipe,
the magic is how the ingredients complement each other. Delilah is stubborn and
critical but at least she recognizes these traits in herself and is working on
being less pig-headed. She comes by it
honestly, as her Aunt Biz could teach a mule a thing or two. Quigley does keep the plot moving, and offers
some good comic relief. Of course, my favorite
character is fat cat Butterball who did have a part to play in a successful conclusion.
I also enjoyed the bits of Chicago gangland lore woven into
the narrative, including about the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
For those who cook, there are recipes.
For me, this is an enjoyable series, one I’m always going to
buy when a see a new title offered. The titles
in the series are:
Six Feet Deep Dish
Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust
Public Anchovy #1
Sleep in Heavenly Pizza
At Death’s Dough
Murder in the Upper Crust (October 2026)
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