Review: Death Whisk

REVIEW: DEATH WHISK by Catherine Bruns

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, “Cookies & Chance” Series

5*****

Blurb: Full time baker and part time sleuth, Sally Muccio, is looking forward to an impromptu getaway at Bella Vita, a charming local inn recently renovated by an old friend of her father’s. Sal’s been asked to provide treats for Bella Vita’s open house and, in addition to the extra dough she’ll earn, her entire family is invited to spend the night at the bed and breakfast for free. But after a winter storm knocks out the power and Sal stumbles across owner Guido Sorrentino’s lifeless body, the night becomes something directly out of a horror movie. Sal fully intends to leave the investigation to the police…that is, until her father’s life becomes endangered as well! Who wanted Guido dead and what does her father have to do with it? Was Guido a member of organized crime? And why was he acting like he had a death wish? With a crowd of angry and bitter relatives busy celebrating his death instead of mourning, it quickly becomes apparent that there are too many suspects to count. It’s up to Sal to find a killer before she’s treated to a taste of death herself!

THOUGHTS: We’re back with Sally and her crazy family and the bakery. The story starts out with Sally being a week short of her delivery day of baby #2. She and her baker are catering an open house for the area’s newest B&B, Bella Vita, owned by Guido Sorrentino, a friend of Sally’s father. For their work, they (and Sally’s parents) get to spend a free night at the posh inn. But all does not go according to plan (of course not!) when Guido is first beaten up in front of Sally, and then murdered. And then a local mobster threatens their entire family if they don’t return what Guido stole from him. Unfortunately, neither Sally nor her father have any idea what “Ice Pick” is talking about!

The story has the usual crazy family members – Sally’s father Dom who runs the local funeral home and has suspect taste in clothing and social graces; her mother who’s more into fashion than anything else; and her grandmother who can take on anyone, including Ice Pick. Though Sally swears she’ll stay out of the investigation – after all, she has a new baby to consider — that doesn’t happen. Which puts her, her best friend, and one of Guido’s daughters in mortal danger.

Yes, the story, like all the other ones in the series, is full of stereotypes. But it’s so much fun that you have to laugh at it all. And thank goodness for Sally’s grandmother who keeps everyone together, taken care of, and fed! I want her for my granny!

Recommended. (But you might want to read the other ones in the series, especially the first ones, to really understand the family dynamics.)

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”