In this fast-paced and action-packed drama, the author served up a well-written and tightly woven multi-arc tale that catered to everything I love in a mystery. This book quickly became a page-turner as I could not put it down until all was said and done. The author did a great job in staging this with enough intrigue, suspense, tenderness and the camaraderie of friends and family. With visually descriptive narrative, the author painted the scenes with a comfortable tone and engaging dialogue. There were a few red herrings and surprises that enhanced the telling of this tale. The best part of this book was the food – I want to dine in Anything Pastable. Make your reservation for a delectably appealing delight that will feed your appetite. With so many opportunities awaiting Tessa, I look forward to the next book in this enjoyable series.

It Cannoli be murder is a cozy mystery that will make your mouth water as you put the clues together. Lots od twist that will keep you second guessing. The characters will keep you jumping.

In this book in the series Gabby and Tess get dragged into a murder investigation....as suspects.
An old frenemy is murdered at Gabby's bookstore and it's been plotted to look like the cousins did it.
Having relatives in the police department isn't helping this time and the ladies keep butting heads with the detective assigned to it.
They know the police are focused on the wrong people and investigate it openly enough to make the killer want them out of the way...dead out of the way. They barely manage to stop their own murders.
Intrigue with humor and it also contains recipes.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my opinion freely.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just can’t relate to the main character, Tessa, or anyone else in the book.
The story fell flat for me so unfortunately I’m rating this 2.5 stars.

This is the 2nd installment in the Italian Chef Mystery series. Tessa Esposito is a little over one week away from opening her new restaurant and have a tons of last minute things to do but she is never to busy to help out her cousin and best friend Gabby at her bookstore. Gabby is hosting a book signing of New York Times bestselling author Preston Rigotta and Tess is providing the refreshments with cannoli (the author’s favorite) and biscotti. Tess arrives just he author along with his wife Sylvia, daughter Willow arrive and he is demanding an demeaning and Tess instantly takes a dislike to him. Just as she is putting out the desserts, Daphne Daniels arrives and things get tense. Daphne is a former high school classmate of Gabby and Tess’s and was a bully to them both. They work to ignore her as she makes demeaning comments about the store and demands before the book signing. Sylvia and Prescott have a terrible argument about Daphne and Tess overhears the entire thing. The next day Daphne is found dead in Gabby’s store and the new police detective from New York immediately thinks Gabby and Tess are the culprits. Gino, Gabby’s brother and Tess’s cousin cannot help on the case and Lou Gabby’s boyfriend also cannot help out so the ladies feel it is up to them to clear their name and save their businesses. This was yet another great story and good to see Tess moving on with her life after her husband’s death. She is working on her dream of opening her restaurant and will stop at nothing to help her cousin Gabby to keep her dream and business open. Family first. Love this. The story is well paced and it builds until you figure out the murderer just as Tess does. Those two girls are tough and they stay together. Looking forward to the next installment. Recommend.

“It Canoli Be Murder” is advertised as a mystery/thriller novel, but it is so much more. Tessa and her cousin Gabby both own businesses and it is great to see how family helps each other through thick and thin. Gabby’s brother is a police officer and tries to help with keeping the family safe. This book keeps you wanting to find out who killed the publicist and makes you think there are different suspects along the way. I really enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. It was great that there was also some romance throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for this review.

I have only read a handful of cozy mysteries, but It Cannoli Be Murder is hands down the best one I have read so far. It is the second book in Bruns' series, and while I didn't read the first book, I was able to drop right into the story with no problem. Bruns is an excellent writer, and I enjoyed getting to know her characters better. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy cozy mysteries.

I enjoyed the first book in this series so I wanted to give this one a try. This one was a bit of a let down. I felt that the characters didn't go any further, they seemed a bit flat. There was some ambiguity in whether there was a romance being or not.The culprit's reason, while a more novel idea still had some holes that were hard to overlook. It was an okay book, that really could have been better.

I LOVED this book! It was a perfect cozy mystery to start off the long weekend. The author gave enough teasers and information sprinkled throughout the book to keep the reader guessing. Unknowingly, I requested this book and was pleasantly surprised to hear that it took place close to my home. I will definitely be looking for more cozy mysteries by this author. If this is the style of book you like, cozy mysteries, I highly recommend that you check out “It Cannoli Be Murder” by Catherine Bruns

I am so happy I was given an ARC of this biok in exchange for an honest review.

IT CANNOLI BE MURDER, the second book in the Italian Chef Mysteries by Catherine Bruns, is another delicious addition to a delectable series. Ms. Bruns crafts an intriguing tale featuring Tessa Esposito, a fledgling Italian restaurant owner. Tessa has had a heartbreaking year after losing her husband and she’s trying to recover while moving forward with their dream of opening a restaurant featuring her award winning Italian dishes. The author captures the angst of Tessa which brings an emotional element into the story. Ms. Bruns also has a strong descriptive voice that conveys the sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes of Tessa’s cooking along with the setting to make the reader feel like they’re right there, experiencing everything alongside her. With strong character development, Tessa and her cousin, Gabby, have great chemistry together. I greatly enjoyed watching the plot unfold as they work as a team to clear their names while their repartee brings some humor to the book.

Ms. Bruns writes a tightly plotted mystery involving Gabby’s old high school mean-girl nemesis, an egotistical best-selling author, his arrogant wife, and a detective that has his sights set on Tessa and Gabby. There were suspects aplenty and the author uses a creative method for the murder. As the story unfolded I found myself drawn in and suffered from the “just one more page” syndrome until the late hours of the night. But it was well worth it as the twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat until the surprise reveal!

Tessa is a trained chef and makes all sorts of delicious foods and delectable desserts. As a reader, I was practically drooling over the yummy descriptions and I was happy that Ms. Bruns includes recipes at the back of the book.

1 star for books I didn't finish, 2 stars for books I didn't enjoy reading. Like this one, despite the puns I thoroughly enjoyed. I couldn't warm to the main characters, there was not much of a story going on in the back...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Cute mystery with restaurant/bookstore themes. Predictable characterizations with all characters being unbelievably beautiful. Could use a little realism. Cozy lovers will enjoy this little book.

Tessa Esposito is finally opening her restaurant, a dream come true. Right in her home down and just down the road from her cousin Gabby’s bookstore. Knowing just how hard it is to run your own business, Tessa is working hard to make Gabby’s first author book signing a success. But when the author’s publisher turns out to be Gabby’s mean girl nemesis from her youth, the event becomes challenging and Gabby has an altercation with Daphne and the author threatens to blackball her store.

When Daphne is found dead in gabby’s store the next morning, Gabby becomes a prime suspect along with Tessa. If being blackballed wasn’t enough to close her shop up, this murder surely will be. Tess and Gabby will do their best to find the murderer, hoping they won’t lose their businesses or their lives.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, and it reads fine as a stand-alone, though I have already purchased the first book to read next. I have read other books by this author and enjoy her writing. So glad to have another series from Catherine Bruns to add to my must follow and read list.