Sometimes, I get sent books to read that otherwise would not have been on my radar. That is the case with Mindy Quigley’s Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, the second book in the Deep Dish Mysteries series.
Delilah O’Leary is working hard to keep her new restaurant afloat after the (mis)adventures of their grand opening in book one. If she can just win the Taste of Wisconsin culinary contest (and the money that comes with it), she’ll be able to help them survive the months without the tourists that small town Geneva Bay relies on. When one of her rival’s customers is poisoned by a tainted smoothie, Delilah finds herself landing in the middle of a murder investigation once again, much to the chagrin of Detective Calvin Capone.
As someone who was born and raised in a big city, stories set in small towns will never cease to feel like a novelty to me regardless of how many of them I read. This cozy mystery is one of those stories and it was a joy to return to Geneva Bay and see what Delilah and company are up to following what was probably the most excitement the town had seen since the time of mobsters.
While this is the second in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone without reading the first book. Not only does Quigley make it easy to understand how all these characters came together, but she also touches on the events of the first book without actually spoiling the whodunnit mystery that it revolves around.
Since this story is a cozy mystery, the stakes never feel like they are too high, even when bodies start dropping. There are a few different layers to the mystery and Quigley is able to pull on multiple threads throughout to keep you guessing. Everything weaved together in a way that made it feel like a fun adventure rather than a murder investigation and sometimes you just need a little fun with a side of murder.
Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley is available now and you can get your own copy here. While you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the first book in the series Six Feet Deep Dish to see where it all began.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well!
