Review
MURDER MADE TO ORDER by Lena Gregory
The Second All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery
Gia Morelli left New York for Florida and a new start in life. Now she's
debating that decision. While she's made some good friends, Gia is
still uncomfortable, OK down right scared, of the critters that also
live in her world. But worse than the critters are some of the people.
The town council is demanding that Gia close her All-Day Breakfast Café
saying that the property was never zoned commercial. Wondering if that's
a sign she should just return to New York, Gia stumbles upon the body
of the council's president. Now she's embroiled in another murder. Did
the councilwoman's murder have something to do with the zoning laws?
Could the Captain be involved? What's really going on between him and
Hunt? Are Maybelle's threats serious, or is she just blowing smoke? Gia
will have to dig deep to save her café and perhaps her own life.
Characters and setting are the most important part of a cozy mystery, as much as if not even more important than the mystery itself. Authors need to make their readers want to spend time in their world and hang out with the people that inhabit it. I do want to hang out in Boggy Creek and I do like the characters, for the most part. Savannah is a best friend in a million and Detective Hunter Quinn is a delectable romantic interest. I appreciate Gia's willingness to try new things and her loyalty, but her fearfulness, especially of critters, is overboard and annoying. I'm grateful that Savannah calls her out on it at one point. Gia is still able to remain likeable, despite this quality, although I find the secondary characters more amiable and interesting.
The mystery in this second All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery is engaging with lots of possible suspects and motives along with an interesting history. Once again, friendship and community play a big role in the story along with some life altering decisions.
MURDER MADE TO ORDER shows what friends and neighbors can achieve when they pull together despite outside, and at times internal, forces working against them. Food and friendship, along with laughter and some chills, combine to create an enjoyable mystery.
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Murder Made to Order (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery) by Lena Gregory
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (June 19, 2018)
Paperback: 196 pages
To save her cozy Florida diner, Gia Morelli must choke down a heaping helping of murder . . . New York native Gia Morelli is just getting used to life in Florida when she gets word that the town government wants to shut down her pride and joy: the charming little diner known as the All-Day Breakfast Café. A forgotten zoning regulation means that the café was opened illegally, and hardboiled council president Marcia Steers refuses to budge. Gia is considering hanging up her apron and going back to New York, but before she gives up on her dream, she discovers something shocking in the local swamp: Marcia Steers, dead in the water. There’s a secret buried in the books at town hall, and someone killed to keep it hidden. To save her café and bring a killer to justice, Gia and her friends will have to figure out a killer’s recipe for murder . . .
About the Author
Lena Gregory lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children. When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lena.gregory.986
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Lena.Gregory.Author/?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory?from_search=true Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/
Purchase Links:
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A fascinating plot The little guy versus the inflexible city government. Dbahn@iw.net
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianne! :)
DeleteI live in Ct. and can understand where you got the idea about the town council. LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review on "MURDER MADE TO ORDER" by Lena Gregory and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the opportunity to read this wonderful cozy with the completely adorable cover!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I loved this book, maybe even more than the first one! Would love to meet a real-life Thor dog!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I had a dog like Thor. Her name was Koda, and she was the most amazing dog ever!!!
DeleteI love Thor!
DeleteThank you so much for sharing the release of Murder Made to Order & for such a lovely review!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteI used to work for a newspaper and it's amazing how much power the council members wield! This book sounds great!
ReplyDelete