Welcome! Clues in the Sand by Terry Ambrose is the second novel in A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery series. It is a charming cozy mystery and will be published on March 15. Plain as Day by Laura Bradford is An Amish Mystery short story that will be available to readers on March 13.
Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian is the first story in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. Lucy Berberian is returning home to Ocean
Crest, New Jersey after quitting her job as a patent attorney in
Philadelphia. Lucy’s parents own Kebab
Kitchen and can certainly use her help in the restaurant since they are down a
waitress. Lucy is happy to reconnect with her friend Katie Watson. Lucy is staying with Katie and her police
officer husband, Bill while she is in town.
Lucy is surprised to learn that her parents are contemplating selling
the restaurant. They already have three
potential buyers that include Lucy’s former boyfriend, Azad Zakarian. The one thing marring Lucy’s enjoyment at
being home is Heather Banks. Heather was
the mean cheerleader girl in high school, and now she is the new health inspector. She quickly learns that Heather has not
changed one iota since high school. Heather
comes to do an inspection of the premises before the restaurant can be listed
for sale and, despite the cleanliness of the facility, she lists nitpicky (and
bogus) violations. The next day Heather
returns to eat from the new hummus bar (which she criticized the day before). After Heather departs, Lucy takes the trash
outside and finds Heather dead in the back-parking lot. Detective Clemmons is assigned the case, but
he holds a grudge against the Berberian family (thanks to Lucy’s sister). Raffi, Lucy’s father, wants her to
investigate Heather’s death and find the culprit before their business is
ruined. Lucy, with help from Katie, retraces
Heather’s steps the day she was killed and delves into Heather’s life looking
for suspects. Who disliked Heather
enough to murder her? The bike shop
owner, a restaurateur, the mob boss, the suspense author who was dating Heather,
or the loan shark? Join Lucy in her
investigation in Hummus and Homicide.
Hummus and Homicide is nicely
written and has a steady pace. I like
that the author sets the stage for the series by giving us Lucy’s background
and introducing us to her family and friends.
The mystery was interesting, but the killer can easily be discerned
early in the book (one detail is the key).
There are some interesting suspects that Lucy questions. I just wish that there had been more action. If Lucy is going to continue to be a sleuth,
she needs to work on her questioning technique.
Her queries sounded more like accusations. Lucy also has a temper (triggers easily) and
loose lips. You can tell that Tina Kashian (aka Tina Gabrielle) has written romance novels. We have Lucy’s ogling her romantic interests. She admires the attractive and handsome Azad (many
times) and appreciates Michael Citteroni’s physique. The family kept pushing Lucy and Azad
together trying to rekindle their romance.
I prefer romances that progress slowly over the course of a series and for
it not to overshadow the mystery element.
As usual, there was repetitive information (Cooking Kurt’s show was
mentioned five times for example). Hummus and Homicide was a typical cozy mystery where the main character returns home,
someone dies, she investigates and solves the crime, there are love interests,
potential sidekick, the amateur detective is inept in her questioning, and the
main character realizes she likes being home and is going to stay. There
are some nice cozy moments in the book.
You can tell that Lucy’s family loves her and the mother is especially
happy that her daughter has returned to Ocean Crest. My rating for Hummus and Homicide is 3 out of
5 stars. I will check out Stabbed in the
Baklava when it releases in August. Hummus and Homicide is just the first book in the series, and I hope Tina Kashian ups
her game in the next book in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. There are recipes (hummus) at the end of
Hummus and Homicide.
I appreciate you visiting today. I am off to make a special birthday dinner for my daughter, Betsy. She turned the big 30 today. I will return tomorrow with my review of Who Moved My Goat Cheese? by Lynn Cahoon. I hope one of your wishes comes true today. Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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