Nice second installment in the cozy series featuring Lucy, her friend Katie, and her two love interests Azad and Michael. You don't need to have read the first book to appreciate this one (although I did, and I liked the first one as well.). This time around, the local banker (about whom there are mixed feelings in town) is stabbed in the neck with a kebab skewer at a wedding the Kebab Kitchen is catering. There is one very good twist in this, as well as some nice Jersey Shore atmospherics and recipes. Some gentle constructive criticism to the editors, who would have done well by Kashian had they weeded out some of the repetition, especially with regard to commentary about the food. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

This is the second book in the series. I suggest you read the first one. To put it bluntly, the book follows the basics of cozies: single female with multiple love interests, not a detective by trade, and incredibly nosey. Lucy is all these things. Her past as a patent attorney brings her no expertise, much to the disappointment of those around her. Most of the action of the book can be found in any number of cozies. What makes this one fun are the characters. In addition to Lucy, you have her two very different love interests, her parents who have run the family restaurant for 30+ years and are fighting retirement, the other people who own the other shops in her small town, and her best friend. They help add color and variation to what would otherwise be an commonplace but entertaining series.

Second in a cozy mystery series. Lucy has given up her career to run her parent’s Mediterranean restaurant on the Jersey Shore, and with her ex-boyfriend as the head chef. The restaurant has been asked to cater a high society wedding, which of course results in a dead body. When her ex is accused of the murder it’s up to Lucy and her friends to solve it. Great cozy mystery, and nice that the shoreline location is actually used. Characters are enjoyable, especially Lucy, who is trying to learn to cook, and being taught by her perfectionist mother. Enjoyed this book, will make sure to buy more by this author.

Lucy Berberian is taking over her family restaurant, even though she herself is no cook. Her ex boyfriend is the head chef and they are still finding their way to work together and remain friends, as they were long ago. Lucy's mother is anxious for grandchildren and is hoping to get her daughter settled. Lucy is still trying to figure out her future.
It was not long ago that someone died in the restaurant That is never good for business.
Even though her parents want to retire, they are fighting every change Lucy wants to make.

The opportunity for some great publicity comes along when Lucy is hired to cater a high society wedding. This is larger than anything they have ever done before. All goes well until the end of the event, when the best man is discovered dead in the restaurant van.

Lucy has vowed not to get involved in another investigation, but can't resist when the number one suspect is her head cook! Her best friend, who happens to be married to a cop, likes to encourage Lucy in the risky endeavor of "asking some simple questions." We all know this won't end well.

Tense yet fun, this second book in the series was entertaining to read. The motives and suspects are varied, secrets are revealed and Lucy has to escape personal endangerment once again.

Stabbed in the Baklava by Tina Kashian is the second installment of the cozy Kebab Kitchen Mystery series and the first in the series I have read. This is a standalone novel. Ms Kashian provides al the background information you need to proceed through the story.

Lucy Berberian is an ex attorney that has returned to the Jersey shore that is currently managing her family’s restaurant.
At an event that they catering, the best man is killed in their catering van and the main suspect is the head chef of Kebab Kitchen, Azad Zakarian.
Lucy and her best friend Katie investigate to assist the police, who do not want their help. Lucy knows Azad did not kill the best man. They look at a host of theories and suspects to clear Azad.

I liked the family feel to this story, the relationship between Lucy and Katie, and the food descriptions even though I am not a fan of Greek food. I was pretty sure who killed the best man but the best part is determining why. I liked the reveal.
Also, there are recipes after the story has ended.

This second book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series finds protagonist Lucy Berberian trying to expand her family’s restaurant business by taking on a huge catering job for a celebrity wedding. Helping her is Kebab Kitchen’s chef and her ex-boyfriend, Azad. Ms. Kashian has developed intriguing characters and situations for those characters to interact, grow, and discover themselves. And nothing causes them to develop more quickly than being confronted by a murder while catering the wedding. Azad was publicly seen arguing with the murdered man and the deceased was found in their catering van. Making matters worse, the detective on the case has it in for Lucy and her family and is all too happy to arrest the family’s chef.

Despite her emotions concerning her ex, Lucy knows she must step up and prove his innocence, even though her mother begs her not to get involved. Helping Lucy is her very fun, very entertaining sidekick, Katie. Katie is married to a police officer and uses that position to find out information to assist their own investigation. Katie is also gung-ho which counters Lucy’s tentativeness at times. Together they find themselves in some dicey situations which adds a bit of humor to the story. The author provides plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing and the big reveal wraps up the threads of the story into a satisfying conclusion.

I greatly enjoyed the bits and pieces of Mediterranean food, music, and dances that the author weaves into the story. It adds an authentic touch to the theme and will leave the reader hungry for a taste of the delectable food served at the Kebab Kitchen! Fortunately the author includes several recipes at the back of the book, which all sound amazing.

A great second instalment! There were some nice twists and great character development. I love that this series is bringing more diversity to the cozy mystery genre.

Another great story about restaurant owner and amateur sleuth Lucy Berbarian. When a shady banker is stabbed with a shish kebab skewer at a wedding she's catering, Lucy must solve the murder and clear her handsome chef's name. I love this Armenian cozy mystery series. Tina Kashian's writing makes me nostalgic for my own New Jersey childhood town. Her descriptions of Mediterranean meals make me hungry and longing for the Armenian food of my roots.

Great story and story line cannot wait until the next installment. Lucy is home to make a go of the family restaurant even though her heartbreaker ex-boyfriend is now the head chef and still gives her butterflies. The one thing that chases those away is a ride on the back of her business neighbor's motorcycle, of course that brings up another set of butterflies. Two guys who obviously do not like each other are quite a distraction but not enough of one to keep Lucy from trying to save Azad from the pokey after a wedding day homicide with a skewered body in the back of their catering truck. Azad isn't the only person with reason to turn the bank exec into a pin cushion and Lucy will put aside the pieces of her heart to get to the bottom of this mystery. Was it the wife, the groom, the maid of honor also known as the very young mistress, or someone else all together. Great plot that is as sticky sweet with a few nuts just like the incredible baklava. Be sure to make some as the recipes for the great dishes are in the back of the book. I do love a good food cozy!

Stabbed in the Baklava is a great addition to the Kebab Kitchen series. Lucy Berberian left her job as an attorney in Philadelphia when she was passed over for a promotion to return to her hometown on the Jersey shore. Her parents are about ready to retire from running the family Armenian restaurant so Lucy has taken over managing the restaurant (mostly). Her dad can't completely turn over controls. Her mom still comes in to work in the kitchen preparing food but Lucy's old boyfriend and family friend, Chef Azad, is doing a great job as main chef. Her sister, Emma, works as a waitress.
Things turn deadly at the first large catering job that the crew works when they cater a large celebrity wedding. Unfortunately, the best man is found in the restaurant van with a shish kabab skewer in his neck and Azad's fingerprints are on it. On top of that, the whole catering and serving staff heard Azad threaten the shady banker. Lucy and her best friend, Katie, put on their sleuthing hats once more to find out who really killed the guy. They have to be careful to stay out of trouble with Katie's cop husband as well as obnoxious detective, Calvin Clemmons, not to mention the real killer. This is another fun read that kept me guessing to the end. The delicious sounding food adds to the story as do the colorful and interesting characters. Lucy has two tall, dark and handsome fellows who are interested in her and of course don't like each other - Azad and neighbor biker guy, Michael.
Thanks to Kensington Publishing through NetGalley for a complimentary ARC to read and review. Thoughts and opinions are mine only.

This book is the second in the series, and it was just as good as the first. Lucy has come home to manage her family's restaurant, and jumps at the chance to cater a high society wedding. Hoping this will help bring in extra business, she's horrified when someone is killed. Worse, it's her former love and new head chef that becomes the main suspect. She gets out to find the real killer, hoping to save not only Azad, but her restaurant's reputation. This book was fast paced with just a bit of romance thrown in the mix. I would recommend.

Lucy has taken over her family's restaurant and everything is going well. The restaurant is catering the wedding of a high profile couple. However, when the best man is discovered murdered and Lucy's head chef is the number one suspect . . . well, that's not good at all!
Lucy Berberian and her friend Katie are back investigating the murder of poor Henry Simms. I refer to Lucy and Katie as the dynamic duo! :) Against the wishes of the constabulary and a rude attorney, Lucy and Katie, as discreetly as possible, find themselves snooping around asking questions to discover the identity of the killer.
The Kabab Kitchen Mysteries are fun mysteries. Azad, the head chef, is good looking and Lucy's mother wants them to marry and she wants grandchildren. She isn't shy about expressing her wishes. Katie, Lucy's best friend, is married to a police officer which makes their investigation a little tricky. I don't want to forget the good looking biker running the business next door to the Kabob Kitchen! Of course, running a kitchen is a full time job. There are well-written descriptions of New Jersey that cause a desire to well up within me to visit the state. And the descriptions of the food make me hungry for the cuisine.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Loved it! A typical tale of a protagonist returns home and possibly reunites with former boyfriend, but so much more. Of course, there is a murder mystery to solve. A few surprises. Engaging friends and family. I look forward to reading the next one in this entertaining series.

In the second book of Kebab Kitchen mystery series Lucy Berberian is in charge of the family restaurant and her ex-boyfriend, is the chef. Together they cater a society wedding. During the reception Azad has an angry argument with a guest who is later found in the locked catering van murder. The homicide detective, Calvin Clemmons feels that Azad is the killer and take procession of the van as the murder scene. Lucy feels that Azad is not guilty and sets out to prove it. She needs answers before her chef ends in prison? Recipes are included. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and series.

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

Tina Kashian's Stabbed in the Baklava is the second in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery Series featuring Lucy Berberian, and I found it just as enjoyable as the first. The restaurant has been hired to provide the food for a very high profile wedding in Ocean Crest, and all is running smoothly until the best man is found skewered to death in the catering van, and the head chef is accused of his murder! A nice plot, likable characters and very strong family ties make this cozy mystery a winner in my book! A+

Stabbed in the Baklava is the second installment in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series set in the coastal community of Ocean Crest, NJ and featuring patent attorney turned restaurant manager, Lucy Berberian. Things are settling back into place at the Kebab Kitchen after the recent death of the local health inspector. Lucy's parents, Raffi and Angela, are semi-retired but not a day goes by without the two visiting the restaurant, her sister Emma is happily waiting tables alongside longtime server, Sally and the new Chef in the kitchen is her ex-boyfriend Azad Zakarian.

Lucy is stunned when celebrity socialite Scarlet Westwood asks if the Kitchen Kebab will cater her upcoming wedding to Bradford Papadopoulos. Having never catered for that many people before Lucy is at first reluctant, but when the snooty wedding planner, Victoria Redding seems to insinuate that Lucy and her family aren't really cut out for the job, she quickly accepts the offer.

The lavish wedding at the Castle of the Sea seems to be going well until the drunken best man, Henry Simms stumbles into the kitchen. Azad picks a fight with the local banker, claiming the man had turned down his loan and ended up costing him a substantial amount of money in legal fees. Henry brushes off the Chef, which only angers Azad more and in front of the entire Castle kitchen staff, he makes an ominous threat. When Henry turns up dead in the catering van, stabbed with a kebab skewer, it doesn't take long before Azad becomes the prime suspect.

Determined to clear Azad's name, Lucy sets out with the help of her best friend Katie Watson to catch the real killer. Despite the warnings from Katie's husband and police officer, Bill not to get involved, Lucy soon finds herself going head to head with Detective Calvin Clemmons. Lucy and Katie quickly discover that quite a few people had it out for Henry, and the members of the wedding party are hiding all sorts of secrets including infidelity and embezzlement.

A fast paced plot makes for a real page turner. Well developed characters, a close knit family, mouthwatering recipes and a cute alley cat combine to make this series a winner. Let's just hope that the author doesn't drag out the dreaded love triangle.

I received a copy of Stabbed in the Baklava from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Lucy Berberian has taken over her family’s Mediterranean restaurant on the Jersey Shore after an unsatisfying stint at a Philadelphia law firm. It’s great to be back in her old beach town, even if she’s turning into a seasoned sleuth . Catering a high-society wedding should bring in some big income for Kebab Kitchen—and raise its profile too. But it’s not exactly good publicity when the best man winds up skewered like a shish kebab. Worse yet, Lucy’s ex, Azad—who’s the restaurant’s new head chef—is the prime suspect. But she doesn’t give a fig what the cops think. He may have killer looks, but he’s no murderer. She just needs to prove his innocence, before he has to go on the lamb .

I have not read the first book in this series but I enjoyed this one. The story line is engaging and fun. I really enjoyed Lucy. I felt like she was easy to get to know. Don't really care for all the romance/ love triangle going on. There are lots of little twists and turns that made it a good mystery.

Stabbed in the Baklava is the second book in Tina Kashian’s Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. The mystery is interesting and well plotted, the storyline is engaging, and the characters are well developed and affable. This book moves at a steady pace with lots of suspects, twists and turns, and red herrings. I was kept guessing the whole time and quite surprised at the murderer was revealed. I’m looking forward to reading future books in this series.

Lucy Berberian recently quit her job as an attorney at a Philadelphia law firm, returned to her hometown of Ocean Crest, New Jersey, and is taking over the management of Kebab Kitchen, her family’s restaurant, as her parents, Angela and Raffi, ease into retirement. Her dad’s teaching her the ropes of the daily running of the restaurant and her mother is teaching her how to cook. She’s staying with her best friend, Katie Watson, who works at Ocean Crest’s town hall, and her police officer husband, Bill. She’s has hired her ex-boyfriend, Azad Zakarian, as head chef. Kebab Kitchen has been hired to cater Scarlet Westwood and Bradford Papadopoulos’ wedding reception for 250 guests at Castle of the Sea. Azad argues with Henry Simms, the drunken best man, over a bad business deal at Henry’s bank and Lucy overheard Victoria Redding, the wedding planner, having words with him for taking pictures with his cell phone during the reception. When Azad discovers Henry’s body in Kebab Kitchen’s locked catering van, with one of the restaurant’s shish kebab skewers in his neck, Azad becomes the prime suspect. Detective Calvin Clemmons, the lead investigator, takes Bill off the case due to a conflict of interest. Lucy’s older sister, Emma, has a history with Calvin and he holds a grudge against the entire family, which makes Lucy concerned he won’t give the investigation his best effort and with Azad his prime suspect, she and Katie put on their amateur sleuth hats on even though they’ve been warned to steer clear of the case.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

3.25 stars

This undemanding cozy is set on the Jersey Shore. Recovered patent attorney Lucy Berberian has returned home to take over the family Mediterranean restaurant. She is working hard to learn all the facets of the business and is doing pretty well when a dead body is discovered in her catering van at a wedding she has just catered.

As if that wouldn't be bad enough, the chief suspect is her chef -- who is also her old flame and has made it clear he's ready to start where they left off. This is a pleasant enough read, but lots of old standard situations, including an odd sort of love triangle and a truly astounding amount of snooping and lawbreaking by Lucy and her best friend feel a bit uninspired. How many times have amateur detectives doing illicit searches had to run hide in the closet when their suspect comes home? If this was a movie, everyone would be shouting warnings at the screen when obvious trouble was brewing.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Murder, romance, mystery and food! Who could ask for more?
Tina Kashian has done it again with this installment of the series. The characters are well defined with depth that makes them practically jump off the page. The mystery had me devouring the pages and never missed a beat. Add to this a touch of romance and you have a great book.
Just a note of caution, don't read if your hungry!