I've enjoyed Logan's ethnic eats series and am sad there doesn't seem to be another one coming. This was a fun read, as Laurel becomes a suspect in her former boss's death.

Laurel is settling in well in Ohio running her restaurant , Terminal at the Tracks. She changes the menu frequently and this month is Italian. This is book 3 in the Ethnic Eats series. When Laurel's ex-boss, Hollywood superstar Meghan Cohan is found dead in her freezer she becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Good mystery and lots of suspects because everyone who knew Meghan wanted her dead. This is easily read as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Italian Iced by Kylie Logan is An Ethnic Eats Mystery. Laurel Inwood is gearing up for Italian cuisine month at Terminal at the Tracks in Hubbard, Ohio. She knows it will be a popular theme with their patrons. The first night Laurel notices a shabbily dressed older man with a fedora nursing a cup of coffee. When she arrives home at Pacifique, she is greeted with an open door and her kitchen is in a disarray. Someone went through all her cookbooks. On Saturday morning when Laurel arrives at the restaurant, she finds the kitchen ransacked and, again, all the cookbooks have been disturbed. Detective Gus Oberlin arrives to take a report and hints that he would love to try the gelato. Laurel opens the walk-in freezer and finds her former employer and Hollywood actress, Meghan Cohan frozen on the floor. She is wearing a disguise and Laurel recognizes her as the woman she bumped into the previous night. What was Meghan looking for among Laurel’s belongings and why was she incognito? The real question is who killed Meghan Cohan? The suspect list is lengthy as Meghan antagonized every person she encountered. Laurel needs to find the killer quickly, so she can get rid of the pesky reporters plaguing the restaurant.

Italian Iced is the third book in An Ethnic Eats Mystery series and it can be read alone. I like the characters in this cute cozy mystery series. Laurel is a strong main character with a passion for food. She has found a home in Hubbard along with close friends and her boyfriend, Declan Fury. The mystery was multifaceted with red herrings and twists. Armchair sleuths will have a difficult time solving this whodunit. I did have two unanswered questions at the end, though, that I wish the author had addressed. There is plenty of yummy sounding food mentioned throughout the book as Laurel creates Italian dishes for the restaurant. There is romance as Laurel and Declan’s relationship deepens. The ending was charming and romantic. It seems, though, that Italian Iced is the last novel in An Ethnic Eats Mystery series. I am happy that the author took the time provide a satisfying ending for her readers. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with engaging characters, luscious food, and a killer mystery, then you should read Italian Iced.

A year ago, Laurel Inwood left Hollywood, where she was a personal chef to the stars. Now she helps her aunt run a restaurant in the small town of Hubbard, Ohio. Laurel was able to keep the local diner afloat by adding a rotating menu of ethnic foods to the selection of comfort foods that have been a regular part of the diner’s offerings for years. Most of the new dishes have been a hit with customers, and the diner is doing well. The latest cuisine to be featured is Italian. Laurel is excited to debut the new foods, but then she sees her former celebrity boss, Meghan Cohan, there in the restaurant. Laurel’s worries over the woman’s motives for coming to town begin to put a damper on her excitement. When Meghan is found dead in the diner’s freezer, Laurel begins looking for someone who had a motive to kill the temperamental Meghan.

This is the third book in the Ethnic Eatsseries. I read the series debut but missed the book that came right before this one. However, I had no problems catching up with the main characters. Laurel is more settled into her new town and career in this installment, so I enjoyed it more than the first book when she was still mourning her old life. Laurel background as a foster child is somewhat complicated, but the main facts are given at the beginning and that’s all that’s needed to understand her character. Things she has gone through in her life have caused her to fear marriage, even though she is very much in love with her boyfriend attorney, Declan Fury, which could cause obstacles in their relationship.

Laurel’s investigation is interesting and because of the kind of person Meghan is, Laurel finds she has several suspects to investigate. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Laurel has to be the most forgiving employer ever after what she puts up with from one of the diner’s employees. It does show Laurel is a caring person, but her ease at forgiving the person for things done throughout the book is a little hard to believe. Overall, the book is well-written and I loved both the solution of the case and the unexpected ending of the book. I don’t know, but the way the final chapters read, this could be the final book in the series. Going along with the restaurant setting and featured cuisine, there are recipes for two different pasta dishes at the end. Fans of this series or of Kylie Logan’sother cozy mysteries will enjoy Italian Iced.

~ Christine

Laurel Innwood has made a new home for herself as the chef at Terminal at the Tracks after being fired by the illustrious actress Meghan Cohan. After their sharp parting she never expected to see Meghan again, but when she features Italian food on her menu she gets a surprise guest…dead on her freezer floor!

I enjoy these sorts of light mysteries, they’re easy to read and I love the recipes that come with them. I hadn’t read the books before this in the series, but it was pretty stand alone and seemed to fit the light mystery model – spunky female main character with loyal sidekick determined to clear her or a loved ones name with or without the help of the police. There was a little less police involvement in this book than usual, they were mostly props to move the story and less officers of the law, but it was still a fun story with interesting characters. I thought the end was a big surprise, I hadn’t seen it coming, so it felt like a tougher case than usual for this kind of book which was fun.

I did notice some continuity errors with two characters, but nothing major. I’m sure it will be taken care of in final editing. And Laurel does a LOT of grumbling and “slanting” looks, which got tiring after awhile. But since I have not read the previous books I don’t know her backstory or description, and she may simply be a grumble-sideye kind of person.

All in all, very enjoyable. I plan to read the other books in the series and highly recommend Italian Iced to all who enjoy foodie books and mysteries.

This is a well-written and interesting cozy mystery series. The food descriptions are tantalizing and the characters are very well drawn. I'm looking forward to her next ethnic entrees.

Italian Iced: An Ethnic Eats Mystery
By Kylie Logan
Berkley
July 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

It was just a year ago that Laurel Inwood arrived in Hubbard, Ohio, with the challenging goal of transforming her aunt’s struggling Terminal at the Tracks into a profitable restaurant. Introducing a rotating menu of ethnic cuisine to the comfort-food-loving Midwesterners wasn’t easy, but Laurel has learned to adjust her expectations for those with less than adventuresome palates. Once the personal chef to a Hollywood superstar, Laurel has found that the loss of access to an unlimited source of ingredients has the upside of no longer catering to the whims of an unreasonably demanding client. Which is why it is such a shock for Laurel to discover her former employer, the famous – and infamously temperamental – actress Meghan Cohan dead in the Terminal’s freezer.

It initially doesn’t look good for Laurel, who was abruptly and unjustly fired by Meghan for leaking secrets to the tabloids. Soon Laurel and the police have more suspects than they can keep track of though, as Meghan’s ex-husband, rebellious son, resentful staff, and social-media-stalking fans all descend upon Hubbard. There’s a reason so many were willing to put up with Meghan’s self-centeredness, and now everyone is ready to cash in on their share of her fame and estate. There may be another prize worth killing over at stake, as the Meghan’s disguised attempt to break into the Terminal was only the first of string of attempts at attacking Laurel’s restaurant, home, and even herself.

Readers will love what proves to be a mouth-watering mystery, as Laurel’s best ruminations and self-examinations take place as she prepares her Italian-themed meals. Being raised within the foster system has left its mark on Laurel, and seeing only dysfunctional relationships has her disbelieving that a healthy one can exist. Determined to change her mind is Declan Fury, the owner of Hubbard’s “Irish store,” who when not helping her uncover Meghan’s hidden past he distracts her by far more enjoyable means. The story whisks along at a brisk pace as Laurel finds herself once again amidst the celebrity elite, which helps to reconcile herself with the realization that Hubbard has become her true home. Just as transformative has been her neighbors’ gradual acceptance of “foreign” cuisines, and now Laurel is able to contrast their genial nosiness with Hollywood’s status-conscious shallowness. Laurel’s growth as she allows others into her life and heart makes this a rewarding series, and these emotional moments are perfectly balanced with her wry observations and sharp wit. The last page will have readers smiling with satisfaction and more than eager to try out one of the Terminal’s deliciously-described pasta delights.

Italian Iced
Ethnic Eats, Book #3
Kylie Logan
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Hot pasta and a cold corpse make for quite a combination in the latest book in the Ethnic Eats mystery series.

When Laurel Inwood features Italian cuisine on the Terminal at the Tracks menu, she knows she'll need to stock the shelves, the fridge, and the freezer with plenty of wonderful delicacies. She just never expected one of them to be her old boss, Hollywood superstar Meghan Cohan.

But one day when Laurel is at the restaurant early to get ready for the regular rush of customers, that's exactly what she finds--Meghan dead in the Terminal freezer.

What's a Hollywood A-lister doing in Hubbard, Ohio?

For Laurel, that's the real question, because the first question she'd ask in any other murder investigation--who would want the victim dead?--seems pretty much a no-brainer in this case.

Who would want Meghan dead?

Just about anybody who had ever met her. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoy Laurel, she is gutsy, smart and determined. She is not easily fooled and she sure is not a pushover. But she also has a softer caring side. She seemed multifaceted to me and very real. I enjoyed spending time with her work “family” and especially her “not aunt” Sophie, you can really tell that they care about and love each other very much. And Declan is a wonderful boyfriend and Laurel better not let him get away. But with her past of growing up in foster homes, she has trouble believing in happily-ever-after.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. It helped me get into the flow of the story and kept me there the entire time. The author is very talented in her descriptive and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, smelling the foods and listening in on conversations. The author does a great job of describing the dishes being served without turning the book into a cookbook. And the couple of recipes at the back of the book sound delicious.

The mystery is well plotted and is not easy to solve. With so many suspects that disliked the deceased and lots of clues to sift through, I had a difficult time trying to solve this mystery. Throw in some twists and turns and red herrings and I was not sure of the culprit’s identity until it was revealed. Which is just how I like my mysteries.

I would highly recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. To me, this book is exactly what a cozy should be. Check it out and I bet you will agree.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

It’s Italian food month at Terminal at the Tracks. Laurel Inwood is busy getting the restaurant ready to feed their customers delicious Italian food. She’ll make sure they have plenty of pasta and pizza ready. Imagine her shock when she discovers her old boss, Meghan Cohan, dead in the freezer.

Meghan is a mega Hollywood star who unceremoniously fired Laurel not long ago. Laurel can’t figure out what Meghan had been doing in the Ohio restaurant in the first place. She should have been in California being a superstar.

It goes without saying that Laurel had many reasons to be angry with Meghan, starting with being fired from her job. However, Laurel had put all that behind her in favor of her new career at Terminal at the Tracks. Still, it doesn’t look good for Laurel that Meghan had been murdered right under her nose. So, Laurel begins an investigation of her own. She quickly discovers she wasn’t the only one with an ax to grind against Meghan.

This is the third book of the Ethnic Eats series. I read the previous one and still need to read the first, but I already fell in love with this series. I adore everything about it from the clever setting to the characters to the plot. Kylie Logan does an excellent job of drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are right there with Laurel trying to figure out whodunit.

It’s fast-paced with well-developed characters. I’m already anxiously awaiting for my next visit to Hubbard, Ohio. I, also, plan to read this author’s other cozy mystery series. They all look good.

This is the first book I've read from this series, and I loved it! Logan's writing is excellent. She does an especially good job of transitioning from one chapter to the next, frequently using dialogue to connect Laurel's conversations with the murder suspects to her discussions with her boyfriend Declan as she pieces together the case. This keeps the story moving along at a good pace while also helping the reader to keep the clues organized. Logan also does a great job of using each character in the story to the fullest, and of keeping the killer a complete secret from the reader until the very end. I also like the way the plot incorporates events and people from Laurel's past, and how the restaurant where Laurel now works is woven into the story in a way that feels very natural and not forced just for the sake of the overarching theme of the series. I'm excited to go back and read the first two books of the series and also to check out other series by this author!

Laurel Inwood's cafe is featuring Italian cuisine this month in the 3 rd installment of Ethnic series. We find Laurel in the prep area preparing special dishes for the month. She opened the walk freezer there a body who apparently froze to death. The body turns out to be superstar Meghan Cohan, Laurel Hollywood employer who fired her a year ago. Before Meghan staff is now in Hubbard, Ohio. They include her son, personal secretary, her cook and Mitch staff, her ex-husband and his current wife. Everyone is wanting an item that Laurel has and she has no idea what they want. Laurel must find an answer before she joins Meghan Cohan in death. The ending will surprise. I highly recommend this book and series.
Italian recipes are included

Disclosure: Many thanks to Berkley for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.