Book Review: The Wedding Soup Murder By: Rosie Genova

 Victoria Rienzi came home to the Jersey Shore to write a new book, learn the family restaurant business, and practice the fine art of Italian cooking. But when delicious dishes are paired with murder, Vic has a little too much on her plate...

When Vic asks her nonna for more responsibility in the kitchen, she doesn't mean forming a thousand tiny meatballs by hand for the family's famous wedding soup. The dish is to be served at the reception for a close family friend at the exclusive Belmont Beach Country Club. And once there, Vic has to deal with a demanding bridezilla and clashes in the kitchen between the staff and servers, between two egocentric head chefs, and between the country club president and well... everyone.

The wedding comes off without a hitch, until the body of the club's president is found on the beach below a high seawall. Now Vic will need to use her noodle to find out who pushed whom too far... before she's the one who lands in the soup! 

La Famiglia at the Casa Lido Resturant in Oceanside Park is as tight knit as ever. With this summer in high swing Victoria Rienzi is not only back in the kitchen she's back to solving murder at the Jersey Shore once again. This time she learns just how deep family secrets can be. With her crazy but sweet SIL (Sister-In-Law) Sofia and the infamous red folder by her side, she'll have this murder solved faster than you can say Pasta Premavera!

I seriously loved everything about this book! Once again Rosie Genova you continue to impress me with your writing! I love the characters and I find myself always thinking of Nonna whenever I am trying to make sauce in my own kitchen (mostly fearing that I might get whacked with her giant wooden Italian kitchen spoon!) I can honestly say; I laughed, I cried, I smirked and was left speechless reading this amazing book! I love simply love this series and if you love sassy Italians, great plots, crazy twists and a family as thick as the best pasta sauce you've ever had... then you will love this book and the series! 

Book Review: Murder and Marinara by: Rosie Genova

When Victoria takes a break from penning her popular mystery series and moves back to the Jersey Shore, she imagines sun, sand and scents of fresh basil and simmering marinara sauce at the family resturant, the Casa Lido. but her nonna's recipes aren't the only things getting stirred up in this Italian kitchen. 

Their small town is up in arms over plans to film a new reality TV show, and when Victoria serves the show's pushy producer his last meal, the Casa Lido staff finds itself embroiled in a murder investigation. Victoria wants to find the real killer, but there are as many suspects as tomatoes in her nonna's garden. Now she'll have to heat up her sleuthing skills quickly... before someone else gets a plateful of murder. 

"When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie... that's aaaa muuuuurdah!"

Who doesn't love a big, crazy Italian family and all the murder, er... food that comes with it?!? And that's just what you get from Victoria Rienzi and her crazy but fun family. The Rienzi's own the Casa Lido, a classic Ristorante Italiano on the boardwalk of the famous Jersey Shore. Victoria decided to take a break from the big city life in NYC and head back to the shore for the summer to learn more than her fair share of cooking, family business and a bit of crime! Right before the big weekend that has everyone flocking to the Shore's beaches, a famous producer for a reality tv show takes THE big bite right in the family restaurant! It's now up to Victoria to clear her families name in murder before the Casa Lido's has to close it's doors for good.

This great and spicy Italian mystery had my hand in that familiar old Italian hand gesture while reading, and singing along to "Papa Loves Mambo" and some classic Frank while I putz around in the kitchen recreating some "Rienzi Family" classic recipes from none other than the Casa Lido itself. This fabulous mystery does not read like a typical first in a series but more like an old friend from Napoli, with all of Victoria's crazy Italian family and friends along for the ride! I thoroughly enjoyed the bits of Jersey Shore tributes and classic boardwalk'esq style
thrown in to set a wonderful scene and mood, I also enjoyed the subtle tributes to that famous "familia italiano" lingo with flipping through pages reading words like; Cafone!, Bene, Cara, Brava and Puttanna! This book had me racing to the end to figure out who really murdered that big Cafone producer, faster than a angry Italian grandma. I loved this book and I think that this is one saucy little mystery that you will not want to miss out on!