Minestrone Mischief by Rosie Genova
Series: Italian Kitchen Mysteries #4
Published by Two Roses Books on September 30th, 2022
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 285
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When a Halloween stalker shows up on Mischief Night, Vic encounters lots of tricks, no treats, and one murder …

It’s the post-summer season in Oceanside Park, and mystery writer Victoria Rienzi’s hometown is preparing for one last blast on the boardwalk—its annual Mischief Night parade, held the evening before Halloween. While Nonna keeps her busy making treat bags full of Italian candy, Vic dreams up the perfect costumes for herself and Tim: Nick and Nora Charles, the famed detective pair from The Thin Man movies. Completing their look is a canine scamp, Willie, borrowed to play the part of Nora’s pet terrier.

But Victoria’s excitement is dimmed by the presence of a stalker, Edward Millman, who’s seen lurking around the Rienzi family restaurant. And who shows up at the Mischief Night parade dressed as Victoria’s book sleuth, Bernardo Vitali. But halfway through the parade, Willie sniffs out trouble, leading Vic and Tim on a not-so-merry chase that brings them to a dead body—Victoria’s stalker, Edward Millman. And in a scene straight out of Victoria’s latest book, Millman is found with a knife sticking from his chest, along with a nasty note: You deserved this.

As Vic digs into the details of the victim’s life, she wonders: Is it life imitating art? Or is there a more deadly form of mischief at work this Halloween?

Greetings you guys! Welcome to our stop on the blog tour for Minestrone Mischief by Rosie Genova. A culinary delightful read that will leave both humans and canines drooling.

This is the fourth instalment of the Italian Kitchen Mysteries Series and in this one, mystery author Victoria Rienzi and her trusted side-kicks are preparing for Halloween. As all mystery writers are very clever and creative, Vic dreamed up the perfect costumes: Nick and Nora Charles the famed detective pair from The Thin Man Movies.

An excellent choice! Especially seeing that they’ve completed their look with a borrowed terrier, called Willie. Of course Willie quickly steals the show and as all terriers do, he sniffs out trouble in no time.

I guess by now, you guys might have noticed that it’s not Elza talking today, but me! Anna! I am finally old enough to hijack a few of Elza’s post and this one was the perfect one. I’ve asked Mommy to please, please ask the lovely Lori from Great Escape Tours if I can have an interview with the author. Lo and behold – it was granted! But let’s first introduce you to the author:

About the Author

Bestselling and award-winning author Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. The inspiration for her cozy series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, comes from her deep appreciation for Italian food, her affinity for the New Jersey seaside, and her love of classic mysteries from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. A former journalist and teacher, Rosie also writes women’s fiction and suspense. The proud mama of three grown sons, she still lives in her favorite state with her husband and a charming mutt named Lucy.

Author Links

Website: http://www.rosiegenova.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6462450.Rosie_Genova

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rosiegenova

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rosie-genova

Not only does Rosie appear super nice in her bio, she really is! As you can see from our interview below.

1. Hi Rosie! My name is Anna and I am a wire-haired terrier. Gosh, was I happy to see one of my kind on your new novel’s cover. We just couldn’t resist joining Lori’s blog tour. We are, however, new to your series and after digging (that’s my favorite thing to do) around a bit, we see that your Italian Kitchen mini-series always has a strong culinary theme. Cozy mysteries must either have food or a pet as an underlying theme. What made you decide on food? 

C’mon, I’m Italian–you might say that food decides us! I used to work in an Italian restaurant, so I had a pretty good sense of the setting. Also, I’m an enthusiastic home cook, and it’s fun to share easy recipes that deliver lots of flavor. And Anna, it is very nice to meet you; I suspect you and Willie would get along well!

2. With your latest novel, you combine two key elements for cozy mysteries – food and a pet. You must be one clever lady to make your first choice a terrier. Is the inspiration for making that choice only due to Skippy from The Thin Man series, or is there a terrier lurking in your backyard?

Both! We had a wire hair named Baci for 13 years. My boys grew up with her, and they still miss her. She, like Willie, was an escape artist!

3. I think Willie will be the star of the show for sure, any plans to keep him  on as a sidekick or at least another guest appearance in the rest of the series?

That’s a great question. Willie first appears as a pup in a romantic comedy I wrote a while ago. I have plans to revise that book and I’m also working on a sequel, so Willie will be back. . .

4. Do you have a favorite recipe from your series so far that us dogs can dig into as well?

Sad to say, I do not. However, my current dog, Lucy (only part terrier), happily chomps on dried pasta if it happens to fall on the floor. But I do not recommend it!

We haven’t read this series yet, but after chatting up a storm with the lovely Rosie, I think we are going to start. And of course we want to know more about Willie’s adventures. And there’s recipes in the books. Ooooh, that’s always a winner.

Giveaway

If you are eager to read this one, but you are on the end of the year budget – good news! You can enter the giveaway and stand a chance to win one of 4 signed copies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Lori at Great Escape Tours for inviting us on this blog tour. If you are interested in joining one of Lori’s tours, you can click on the image below.

Lots of Love,

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