Italian-customs, amateur-sleuth, caterer, catering, family-drama, relationships, relationship-issues, relatives, borough-of-Queens, series, cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, verbal-humor, small-business, The Mob, family-dynamics, former-husband, friendship, friends, lies, murder, murder-investigation, recipes, secrets, situational-humor, unputdownable, wedding-madness*****

She THINKS that she has a dead cheating husband and a good guy fiancé. But even as she is working with a client, Mia spies the not-so-dead guy in the crowd. And that's just the beginning of this madcap escapade in Queens, NY! Add in a wedding present that turns out to be a shrine to a comic book character, a visit by the not-really-in WitSec cheater, and more Italian relatives than you can shake a cannoli at, and you have an afternoon gigglefest! Laughed my sox off while trying to solve the murder mystery!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
Pub Date 26 Mar 2024
#CateringHallMysteriesNo5 #CozyCrime

The title of this book is a sure fire draw. It clearly says READ ME! So I did! and loved Mia and her madcap life. This may be book #5 in the series but it definitely stands alone as an entertaining cozy mystery. Mia's life has always been a little crazy but when she spots her "dead" husband at a conference, the crazy is out of control. What follows is sure to bring giggles and full on belly laughs as she tries to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I’m kind of at a loss for words at the end of this book. Especially since the actual end of this book left me laughing so hard my sides hurt and I sort of can’t catch my breath now. Remembering how much I’ve enjoyed this series previously, I went back and re-read everything. Which made this extravaganza of a story feel even more over the top and perfect by the time I reached it. I adore Mia. I love her family and friends. I also have so much fun watching the hijinks and shenanigans they get involved in, both by accident and on purpose. I was rather glad to see that Mia’s love life had a clear direction forward and one of the specters of her past got dealt with, even if that meant that Mia was involved with yet another murder investigation. And what an investigation that was. At no point was I able to outthink the plot. Even by the time all the big reveals were finished I was still left asking “are you sure?” I have no idea what that closing scene means for the future of the series, but I can’t wait to see what Mia gets up to next.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

In this, the 5th in the series, Mia is about to get her man to the altar. But there might just be some stumbling blocks along the way....from her ex who suddenly is back ALIVE, to a wedding present that causes legal hassles, to a vengeful ex out to destroy Mia's day. It's gonna take some old school gangster family edge, and love, to figure out how to save the day for Mia and Shane! Full of laughs, this is a fun entry into the series!

A strong, independent woman and respected entrepreneur, Mia never imagined she’d pine for a marriage proposal. Yet lately, with her beloved Shane, she’s on tenterhooks. It’s especially surprising, considering Mia’s first husband, Adam, was a philandering grifter, assumed lost-at-sea after a boating disaster. But everyone knows what happens when you assume . . .
While working a huge wedding expo in Manhattan, Mia is shocked to spot the man who nearly destroyed her life. The one who’s supposed to be sleeping with the fishes. But she loses him in the crowd. And when it happens again the next day, it’s time for an emergency meeting with the family—and the Family. Because if Adam is alive, Mia is still married . . .
Everyone wants Adam dead. Everyone except Mia. She’s dealt with enough police for a lifetime. Mia needs to be a divorcée, not a widow. But someone out there disagrees, and if Mia doesn’t discover who, she may never be free to marry Shane—or anyone else . . .


I really enjoyed this book. I’m new to the series so I will definitely be going back and reading from the beginning!!

How sad am I that this series has to come an end? Maria DiRico has created an extraordinary character who holds a piece of my heart. I've had the privilege of meeting this author once or twice, and her personality is beautifully imbued in a small piece of Mia from the Catering Hall Mysteries. With The Witless Protection Program as the final book in this series, I find myself raving about all that it entails. I wished for Mia to be with Jamie, then I wanted her with Shane, and now... well, I'm just so glad she is happy. Excellent mystery. Perfect conclusion. It needs to come back for another book again in a few years!

Catering Hall manager and widow Mia wants to marry the love of her life Shane. Until the sudden appearance of her dead husband Adam throws a wrench in the works. After finding Adam dead, for real this time, Mia has to track down the real killer. This is a fast paced mystery with some over the top characters and plenty of humor.

This series just gets better and better! Which says alot because the previous ones were excellent! A believed dead husband shows up just as the wife is getting engaged. Filled with the most delightful characters that are supper charming. I want the series to just keep going! Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

What happens when a believed to be dead husband reappears just as one gets newly engaged to another? Chaos and hilarity, that’s what. Mia and the crew are back for what seems to be the final installment in this entertaining series. DiRico does a great job of connecting all the books in the series, with past characters making appearances. It all ends happily for our characters, except for the murder victim of course.

Each of DiRico's cozy series has its own special flavor, but this one may be my favorite with the robust cast of secondary characters who are fully fledged with their own eccentricities. From the Italian grandmothers to the PI-novel-writing police detective, they make me laugh while charming me. And this book did not disappoint. Mia has built up the bridal venue into a desirable locale, not just a legitimate front for the Family business. As she's hoping to be able to use the venue herself one day soon. Only two flies in the ointment, she needs a proposal and sudden reappearance of her "dead" husband. The story moves along at a full clip full of red herrings until the totally satisfying conclusion.

The Witless Protection Program by Maria DiRico is the fifth in the Catering Hall mysteries. Mia, who runs the Hall for her Italian American slightly Mob related family is trying to get married to Shane, but her ex-husband, who everyone thinks is dead, keeps showing up. This is a very fun series with great characters and locations.

I cannot say enough good things about this series! Mia, Cammie, Shane, Pete, and the family, including the Family, all solve the murder of Mia’s presumed dead ex husband who has shown up after two years. Engagements, weddings, babies, retirement….a whirlwind of activity. Thoroughly enjoyed reading!

I enjoyed this fun, interesting, well told ‘rom com” suspense story. I did not know it is book five in a very
beloved series, but I did not feel like I was lost. The Author did a grand job bringing the cast of characters
and whether they were clearly regular, or added for this story, I loved it
I should mention that there are some amazing recipes at the end of the book. They looked yummy!
The most important thing to know is that everyone is in a good (or better) place than wherever they were
in the last book.
Super fans have an advantage of details and history, but the book was still fun. I recommend it to
everyone, with the caveat that while I rooted for Mia, and loved Shane, I had little history. So, it’s a
toss up =. I will be reading the next book for sure.
My thanks to Kensington Books via NetGalley, for the download copy,of,this book for review purposes.
The book is due out on March 25, 2024

She's done it again. Author DiRico has written a cozy mystery novel that captures your interest until the very end. Well-developed characters make you feel as if you actually know them personally. Great storyline. Can't wait for more books by this author.

Mia Carina is an event planner with a tight knit Italian family and a loyal Italian Family. While at an event, she spots her presumed dead husband, Adam. Yes, you read that right, presumed dead. He shows up and then disappears. Mia is the only one who sees him! Her friends and family think she only imagined seeing him because she wants her boyfriend Shane to ask her to marry him. She needs to find him to get a divorce and be free to marry Shane. Once she spots Adam again, her family and Family are all on board. What follows makes the title perfect! This is a lighthearted and humorous mystery with a colorful cast. One of my favorites is Mia's grandmother, Nonna Elizabetta. She's hilarious and charming. I highly recommend this book! Don't miss out on the adventure and fun! I recommend that you read the entire series for all the antics and delight. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for my advanced copy. I'll be posting a review on Amazon on the publication date, and Bookbub when it's added to their site.

LOVED this book!! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. Well written, perfectly paced. The twist at the end was amazing!. I cannot wait for the next one!

Mia had made a good life for herself back in New Jersey after the disappearance and presumed death of her husband in Florida. That is, until she saw him at an event she was attending promoting her event venue. He kept appearing and disappearing until he showed up dead in an alley in Mia's neighborhood.
Mia is, of course, a suspect as well as her fiance, grandmother, father, brother, co-workers.........you know, everyone. Why was he there? Why did he want Mia back after he cheated with all her friends? Why did he claim he was in the Witness Protection Program with a new name?
With lots of twists and turns and major surprises, Mia and friends (including the investigating officer) eventually find the answers and she can FINALLY marry Shane.
I love the progression of Mia's self-confidence from the first book to this one. Adam had made her feel so worthless. And Elisabetta is a joy, so spunky and up for anything!
The staff at Belle View have become family who always have her back.
Loved the many (very good) surprises at the end!
I would give it 10 stars if I could.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

This fifth book in this series is another fabulous entry. You can read it as a standalone but I recommend the preceding books just for the enjoyment. Ellen Byron writes as Maria DiRico and continues to show her exemplary skills at crafting cozy mysteries. Looking forward to the next one already!

Event planner, Mia Carina, is loving life, except for one small detail. Her business, Belle View Banquet Manor, is now a successful venue for all things party, her family are well and happy although her brother still has six months of his jail time left to serve and living with her Nonna, Elizabetta, is never dull! So, if her drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend, Shane, could just propose everything in her world would be wonderful or it would be if she hadn't just spotted her no-longer deceased husband across a crowded room!

With the unfortunate realisation that she is still married Mia knows both her family and The Family would be happy to change that! Explaining her desire to be a divorcée rather than a widow seems to calm things a little but unfortunately it doesn't prevent her from discovering a dead body and becoming embroiled in a murder investigation once again! With more suspects than she knows what to do with, Mia finds herself in the middle of things not only trying to find a killer but also having to persuade the local police department she had nothing to do with it!

Even if I didn't already love Mia Carina how could I resist such a brilliant title? The laugh out loud humour is as good as ever and the whole reading experience is a pleasure from word one. With all the main protagonists present as well as a few visitors from the rest of this excellent series its a good idea to read the books in order which is absolutely no hardship!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. There is a mix of humour, tension and romance throughout and I loved it. Recommended.

THE WITLESS PROTECTION PROGRAM is the fifth book in the Catering Hall Mysteries by Maria DiRico. With her trademark humor, Ms. DiRico has penned another tale that kept me laughing and turning the pages late into the night to find out who murdered protagonist Mia Carina’s supposedly already dead husband. Mia has built up the reputation and the business of Belle View Banquet manor, and things couldn’t be better… aside from impatiently waiting for a proposal from her co-worker, Shane. The storyline and the dialog from the scenes are perfect for any rom-com aficionado—hilarious and sweet. And just when you think Mia will get her happily ever after, Mia’s thought to be deceased husband shows up… at a wedding expo, no less. The character development of the core characters is spot-on, and I found it easy to become invested in what happened to them. If you enjoy watching characters grow and change, then I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series. However, The Witless Protection Program can be read as a standalone since there’s just enough backstory to keep new readers from feeling lost.

Even with all the humor and zany situations Mia finds herself in, this is still a murder mystery. The plot is fast-paced and there are enough suspects to keep the reader guessing. When Mia’s first husband is found murdered, Shane is the first and foremost suspect. Thrown into the mix is a dead reclusive artist, an empty house that seems to attract treasure hunters, and The Family… There’s never a dull moment on the page and as the intrigue and suspense build, Ms. DiRico rises to the challenge and delivers an unputdownable read. With a heartwarming ending, I can’t wait to find out what’s next in store for Mia and her family!

Running a catering hall, Mia is constantly surrounding by amazing dishes served to guests. Be prepared to be hungry as you read or cook one of the delicious recipes provided at the back of the book to enjoy while you consume this newest release.