Case of the Curved Staircase - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Ezio Tiepolo to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Ezio on the pages of the Macaroni on Wheels Mystery series by S. K. Derban. CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE is the second book in the series and was released

Greetings! My name is Ezio Tiepolo. I am proud to be Terza's father. She is my youngest daughter. I also have a son named Damiano. We call him Dom. Terza's and Dom's older sister is named Angeline.

The love of my life is Mrs. Tiepolo, my beloved wife, Benedette. I feel like I married an Italian movie star!

Benedette and I own the Tiepolo Mercato in Little Italy. It is located just a short walk from our home. Terza’s Macaroni on Wheels catering company is also next door. How blessed we are to all live and work in the same community as a family.

S.K. Derban, the author of CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE, a Macaroni on Wheels Mystery has included a Character Card with my photo. Ciao!

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Review

CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE by S. K. Derban
The Second Macaroni on Wheels Mystery 

 

Terza Tiepolo  is excited that her catering company, Macaroni on Wheels, is helping to plan a surprise birthday party for Sloan Kamoze. Her husband, Joshua, is a joy to work with as are his wife's co-workers who are helping. The only dark cloud is Joshua's sister, Ruby. The woman is paranoid and delusional making accusations and odd statements. When Terza returns to their home the morning after the party she finds Sloan dead at the bottom of their beautiful curved staircase, just like Joshua's first wife. But Terza's eagle eye notices clues that indicate this was not just a tragic accident.

 

There is a lot I like about CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE. I love the Tiepolo family dynamic; the way they care about each other, but also needle each other, the way they have Sunday dinner together then go play bocce ball. It's a warm loving feeling that extends to Terza's best friend Mo and her husband. I also adore the relationship between Terza and the medical examiner. I hope his assistant will play a bigger role in the next book as I thought she was a great addition. I enjoy the neighborhood of Little Italy which brings back memories of when I lived in a different Little Italy over 30 years ago. Of course, I love the food. The descriptions had be drooling.

 

Unfortunately, there were several things I wasn't too fond of in the second Macaroni on Wheels Mystery. First of all it was blatantly obvious who the killer was as well as the motive. Terza's near desperation to be married is a bit much and Nick's explanation for his behavior was believable...but barely. I also thought we had a possible third love interest, but we didn't. The series has two bits I really enjoy, the first is the M. E. calling Terza Number Three, and the second is her father asking her is she's read her bible and called her mother. However, while the latter bit is funny and fine to be repeated every day and it's fine that Terza reads her bible daily, though this is more of a Baptist practice than Roman Catholic, but does the author really have to describe her doing this EVERY day? And then have a whole section quoting the bible? From the acknowledgements it's obvious that religion is a major part of the author's life, but the book comes across more evangelical than anything else and is a bit off putting.

 

Delicious Italian food and the love of family make CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE a fun feel good mystery.

 

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 Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery by S.K. Derban

About Case of the Curved Staircase

Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Little Italy, San Diego and San Diego Bay
Publisher: ‎ S.K. Derban
Publication Date: ‎ August 27, 2025
Paperback Print Length: ‎ 302 pages Digital Print Length: ‎ 273 pages

The Little Italy entertainment continues in this second book of the Macaroni on Wheels series. Case of the Curved Staircase has more twists and turns than Terza can handle. And, Detective Nicholas Garza is not on the case. Say it isn't so, Nico! Staircases can be fatal, especially on Halloween. After catering a surprise birthday party on the evening of October 30th, Terza returns to the scene of the celebration on the following morning. Instead of being greeted by the happy, party hosts, Terza discovers a dead body at the bottom of the curved staircase. Not again! And this time, Terza's amateur detective skills are landing her directly into personal danger. She would rather be using her chef's knife than having one pointed at her face! As the feisty Italian caterer continues to fill her free time solving crime, she runs head first into a new detective. Unlike Nicholas Garza, the detective now in charge considers Terza a hinderance instead of a help. Fortunately, Jacob Radovan, the medical examiner, continues to be Terza's ally. There is also an unexpected wedding in Case of the Curved Staircase. Readers of Uneven Exchange just might cheer out loud. The almost perfect weather in San Diego allows the bride and groom to take a carriage ride from the wedding venue to the reception ballroom. It's a fairytale come true. Fans of cozy mysteries will revel in solving another murder along with Terza, and will continue to appreciate her zest for life. Readers will be spending more time with the animated Tiepolo family, and especially Terza's father. Ezio's Halloween costume is a moo-ving choice! The Tiepolo's celebrate their loving, family bond as they join together each Sunday. Food, family, and fun! Once again, you may consider this your personal invitation...

About S.K. Derban

 

S.K. Derban resides with her husband in Southern California. Although born in the United States she moved to London within the first three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her father, an American citizen, was a decorated veteran of the Second World War. Her British mother was involved with the London Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. After returning to the United States, Derban’s life remained filled with a love of the theatre, and a passion for British murder mysteries. S.K. Derban’s personal travel and missionary escapades are readily apparent as they shine through into her characters. Readers are often transported virtually across the globe. She has traveled to Hong Kong on five separate occasions to smuggle Bibles into China, and has been to Israel on seven missionary trips. Derban’s other adventures include visits to Bangkok, Greece, Egypt, Italy, and the Caribbean. Beginning with her faith in the Lord, S.K. Derban relies on all aspects of her life when writing. She hopes her books will allow readers to go on holiday without having to pack!  

Author Links: 

Website - https://childofthecarpenter.com/  

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