A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I did not finish reading Hummus and Homicide. It's possibly a really good story and series, but it just feels like another retired (beloved) series to me. I found myself comparing the two series, which is not fair to this story or Tina Kashian.

Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting with her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen.

The only thing she isn’t happy to see is ex cheerleader and mean girl, Heather, who is the new health inspector. After giving the Kebab a list of bogus charges she is found dead in their parking lot. Lucy’s parents want her to find out who poisoned her before the restaurant ends up out of business.

I can’t believe it took me so long to start this series! I am so excited to read the next book. The characters are well written and the storyline was fun. A great cozy mystery series!!

Fun start to the series! I figured out the manner of death but not the killer. I look forward to reading the next one.

Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian is the first book in the new cozy series, Kebab Kitchen Mystery. This series introduces Lucy Berberian who has returned home to Ocean Crest, New Jersey after a major disappointment. She has recently been passed over as a partner in the law firm she works in after being stabbed in the back by a co-worker. She has returned home to regroup and figure out what direction she wants her career to go next. Lucy’s family runs a Mediterranean Restaurant called the Kebab Kitchen. When she comes home, Lucy finds that the family business is up for sale, and her parents need her to help out while they look for a buyer. Shortly after her return, the new health inspector, Heather Banks, visits and gives them a bad report with several trumped up violations, however, this does not stop her from eating before she leaves. When Lucy takes the trash out later that night, she stumbles over her dead body and when it is determined that she was poisoned, the restaurant is the suspected source, therefore Lucy's family is under the magnifying glass. As any good daughter would, Lucy decides to find the real killer.

I enjoyed meeting Lucy and her hometown friends. Lucy and her family felt like very real people, and I enjoyed following along in Lucy’s footsteps as she searched for a killer. Katie is a wonderful best friend who is willing to help Lucy in any way, even though she is married to a local policeman. Enter Michael, the son of the local mobster, who makes quite the impression on Lucy. There’s a touch of romance mixed into the mystery, but the main focus of the story is on the mystery. We learn that Heather was not very well liked by a number of people and had a few vices that left her open to unsavory characters. It was hard for me to narrow it down to one culprit, until shortly before the reveal. I thought I had it all figured out, and once again, the twists showed me that I was wrong once again. I enjoy a story that keeps me guessing. Overall this was a very good story, but somewhat bland. There was not a lot going on, just a lot of questioning. I am sure that with this being the first book, there is a lot of character development as well as community building, but with this out of the way, I expect big things for the next book. If you love hummus, this book will have you drooling as they talk about the hummus bar and various flavours and recipes. Be sure to check out the recipes in the back of the book. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I thought that this was a great start to a new series. The characters are interesting and easy to like. The book was well-written and a pleasure to read.

I love cozy mysteries and while this was enjoyable it wasn't one of the stronger ones. While it followed the scheme some of the details and surprises just didn't engage me in the ways others have. Maybe it was the final twist. Or maybe the setting but overall it was enjoyable just not one of my favorites.

“Hummus and Homicide” earns 4/5 Hummus Recipes…Deliciously Fun!

I am a big fan of the culinary-themed cozy mysteries, and so joining in with the Kabob Kitchen mystery series was a no-brainer! Tina Kashian has penned a delightfully fun mystery set on the Jersey Shore serving up plenty of Mediterranean delights and “just desserts” for the mean girl from high school. The first in a series introduces Lucy Berberian who has left her law firm, returned home to Ocean Crest, jumped in to help at her parents’ restaurant, and rekindled old friendships. Regretting her initial run-in with her high school nemesis, Lucy learns that said “nemesis” is the health inspector, and after citing a plethora of violations at the restaurant, she falls dead outside the restaurant…Lucy, of course, is implicated! Although the formula is typical for the cozy mystery genre—mean girl, murder, lead character is suspect number one—Tina’s writing style is entertaining with a descriptive and informative third person narrative. She didn't rely on just the narrative, as her banter between Lucy and her family, friends, briefly with the victim, suspects, and law enforcement were all entertaining. Everything worked and realism reigned supreme. Lucy may have a knack for critical thinking, but she recognizes she's not a professional investigator; she is a patent lawyer. But something “quirky” would have been a plus…old-school parents? opposites attract in a romantic interest? humorous side kick? But despite the little things I would have loved to see, it was a fun story. And my two favorite words? Recipes included. Straight from the Kabob Kitchen…Angela’s Famous Traditional Hummus! Azad’s Tabbouleh Salad! Lucy’s White Almond Cookies! All together I recommend this book.

Debut novel?? WOW. This was the first book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. Ms. Kashian does a great job capturing suspense and humor and wrapping it up with a giant bow of overbearing family drama. The characters were very well developed and easy to connect with. The mystery/twist of it all was a shocker. I did not see either twist coming.

After leaving her Philadelphia law firm, Lucy comes back to the small town of Ocean Crest, New Jersey to visit her family and take a much needed break. While staying with her childhood friend, they run into a high school nemesis, Heather. After a rough run in, Heather shows up at the Kebab Kitchen (Lucy's families' restaurant). Heather is the new health inspector and she has some low scores for the restaurant. So its no shock that when Heather turns up dead behind the Kabab Kitchen, Lucy becomes suspect number one. With the detective ready to point fingers at her and the medical examiner speculating poison, Lucy sets off to find out who else had the motive and means to kill Heather.

Will Lucy be able to prove her innocence? Will she be able to right the damage that this is doing to her family and their restaurant? Will she get herself in too deep by asking too many questions?

Looking forward to reading the next installment, Stabbed in the Baklava, which releases August 28, 2018.

I wanted to read this book and was so glad that I was able to review it. It's a fun book and I truly enjoyed it. I liked the mystery it wasn't too easy for me.

I read a lot of cozies and a lot of the protagonists head home. The Jersey shore setting for Lucy's family restaurant was actually pretty unique. This was an enjoyable start to a new series. Fans of food cozies will like this for sure.

With Hummus and Homicide debut author Tina Kashian begins a delightful culinary cozy mystery series set on New Jersey’s coast. It’s character depth that makes or breaks a story for me, rather than food or a similar theme – and this story delivered. Kashian uses an ethnic family restaurant as the backdrop for an engaging family and supporting cast that makes me want to read more. But I will say that fans of culinary mysteries will absolutely adore this story.

One of the things I liked most is that, at its heart, this is a story about family. Thinking back to why she left her family and the restaurant eight years earlier, Lucy reflected that “the smothering could be as thick as the sugar syrup on her mother’s baklava – sticky, sweet, and as effective as superglue.” But Lucy came to realize where her passion truly lay and the bottom line is that “family helps family.” I liked Lucy’s parents, but would like to see them fleshed out more in future stories.

The mystery itself is well-crafted and the murder’s identity was a complete surprise. There’s also a couple of romantic interests for Lucy – Azad, her first love who is a chef, and Michael, a bad-boy type whose father owns the bicycle shop next door. It’s too early to have a clear favorite, but I’m leaning toward #Team Azad.

Hummus and Homicide is a clean book, with the exception of a little mild profanity that I wish had been omitted. Tina Kashian is a fresh voice in the cozy mystery genre and I hope this series goes on for a good while. Book #2, Stabbed in the Backlava, releases in August 2018.

Recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

After quiting her job at a law firm, Lucy is back home at Ocean Crest. Right after arriving, she starts working at Kebab Kitchen, which is her parent’s restaurant. Lucy is happy to see her friends and family, but she also runs into Heather, who she did not like in high school nor does she like her now. Heather was a mean girl in high school and she hasn’t changed one bit. Heather is a local health ispector and after she ends up dead after visiting Kebab Kitchen, it’s up to Lucy to clear up her parents’ restaurant’s good name and find out who the real killer is.
It was my first cozy mystery book and I really enjoyed it. It was a past paced page turner and I did not guess the real murderer until the very end. All in all I really enjoyed it and plan to continue on with the series.

A fun series starter where murder by hummus leads a young woman to return and run her family's Mediterranean restaurant. The author did a good job developing the characters and creating a believable town for them to live in, which bodes well for the rest of the series. I enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading future installments.

Hummus and Homicide was a fantastic read. I loved the characters, especially Lucy, & the descriptions of the food made me almost drool.

Hummus and Homicide is the first book in A Kebab Kitchen mystery series & I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Humans can be silly sometimes. They think they know what they want, pursue it vigorously and then discover what they really want is what they had in the first place.
When Lucy returns home, with her proverbial tail between her legs, after leaving her career as a lawyer, she thinks she just needs a place to regroup and refocus. She left her South Jersey home to get away from a cloying ethnic family, a broken romance and the family restaurant. Now, when she returns, she discovers things are not going well in the restaurant and her parents are thinking of selling up and retiring. There may be a serious hitch in their plans when a local food inspector, who has just given them their first bad report, is poisoned. Lucy, who is no fan of the woman, discovers the body in the parking lot of the restaurant, right after she had eaten at their new hummus bar.
Lucy, of course, is suspect number one and even when suspicion lifts from her, the damage to the restaurant is done. Who would want to kill the obnoxious food inspector and at the same time damage the Berberians’ business? It seems there might be more than one possibility and Lucy finds it hard to know whom she should trust.
If you enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will love this book. In fact, it is easy to cast many of the actors in that movie into the book. I enjoy when I can read something and visualize it clearly and this book allowed me to do this.
It all turns out in the end of course but the themes of love and guilt and tradition all play powerful roles. It was a tasty treat.
I give five purrs and two paws up.

It’s not bad for the beginning of a saga, however I had problems getting into it.

Title: Humus and Homicide

Author: Tina Kashian

Series: Kebab Kitchen Mystery

Pages: 321

Genre: cozy mystery

Rating: 3 stars

Lucy is back in her hometown after losing her job as a patent lawyer. She hasn’t really been back after fleeing after college graduation. But not she’s back. And she has to solve a murder in order to clear her family, and save their Mediterranean restaurant.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery even though I didn’t love it. I am willing to pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. This book including Lucy’s family gave me slight My Big Fat Greek wedding feels in the sense it has some crazy family moments. Including locking two people in a walk in freezer. This was actually the funniest cozy mystery that I have read in a while.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Hummus with a side of Homicide. That is what Lucy Berberian has to deal with shortly after returning home to Ocean Crest. When she quit her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia she hoped to come home, lick her wounds, and decide what her next career move would be. But now she is the prime suspect in the murder of Heather Banks, one of the high school in-crowd from when she and Lucy were in high school. She was now the local health inspector who had just written up a ton of violations for Lucy’s parent’s restaurant, The Kebab Kitchen. She also had loud words with Lucy soon after she arrived in town, in front of several witnesses. Those reasons, plus the victim happened to eat a whole lot of hummus at the family eatery right before she died means Lucy and her parents could lose everything.

The Berberian family had Lucy’s life all planned for her, work at the restaurant, marry the dishwasher soon to be chef, and take over the family business when her parents were ready to retire. She had other plans, she went to college and law school and took a job with a Philadelphia firm hoping to make partner. When her law career didn’t go as planned they welcomed her home with open arms. This theme is real, believable, and traditional of many families in the restaurant and other family businesses. These characters have depth and their dialogues are delightful. I was drawn into the story immediately by them as soon as they were introduced.

From the title I knew the method of death would be poison and it would be in the hummus, but beyond that, the entire investigation was a surprise. The suspect pool was pretty limited by who was in the restaurant or had access to the restaurant, most being family. I enjoyed following along with Lucy and her BFF Katie as they tried to find the actual killer. Twist after twist made this a tough mystery to solve. It was very well plotted by the author to lead this reader off the right track. I was totally blown away when the killer was revealed.

The story had a steady pace that picked up as we got closer to the big reveal.

Ms. Kashian has introduced us to some very captivating characters. I am excited to get to know them better in future stories. I love the romantic triangle that is just starting to evolve for Lucy. I also enjoyed her friendship with Katie, whose husband happens to be a police officer. Together they make a nice team and you know they have each other’s back no matter what.

This is an excellent start for this series. Stabbed in the Baklava will be released August 28, 2018. I can hardly wait.

Overall, this not your typical culinary mystery. There is culture, divine setting, family ties and Lucy. No other book has a Lucy like this Lucy. I could keep coming back for more! The mystery takes you for a twist and turn around the boardwalk, I really didn’t see it coming in the end. The author really did an outstanding job making the reader hungry for more!