I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the third book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. It’s Christmas time at the Belle View Catering Hall in Astoria, NY. From baby christenings (with the family posing as the biblical first family) to a ‘must be over the top’ 16th birthday party, Mia Carina and her staff are making magic happen and dreams come true.
When asked to visit the Boldano family, things aren’t so great. As the head of the Boldano “Family’, Mr. Boldano commands respect and immediate attention. But, Mia is asked to help with a delicate personal family situation. When the whole thing goes badly, Mia’s committed to helping the Boldanos reunite for Christmas.
But Mia’s thrown when her own mother returns from Italy, minus her sleazy husband. Adding the annual attempt by Mia’s grandmother to organize their street’s light displays for charity (and beat the neighboring streets), there’s a lot to be done and little time to do it all. When a body is discovered in one of the yard displays, Mia realizes all these events are linked and that’s a bad sign for everyone. Now, Mia’s naughty and nice lists must be fixed before everyone gets more than coal in their stockings!
Ellen Byron, writing as Maria DiRico, has written another wonderful entry in this new series. Her ability to tell stories, write clear and interesting characters, and tie in all the threads make a wonderful story tapestry. You can see why she’s won well deserved awards for her work. Fun holiday story with humor and love mixed in!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Maria DiRico is a great cozy mystery that is the third book in the entertaining and hilarious series: Catering Hall Mystery. I just love this series!

This series is really coming into its own at this point, and each book is just getting better and better.

This time Maria is roped into a murder/mystery when her friend Jaime finds out a family secret that leads to a lot more than just a big reveal.

The murder/mystery is creative, engaging, and kept me intrigued until the end. There were plenty of twists and suspects to make this a good one.

I also like the progression of Maria herself and her own personal life and struggles. She seems real, flawed, natural, and I really like the positive things that are finally coming her way in this book.

The dialogue is smart, sharp, witty, and the one-liners and banter make this a real gem. It balances perfectly with the darker, grittier (although not that dark and gritty kind you, which is a good thing in my book) aspects of the story.

I enjoyed the ending and am looking forward to reading the next book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Catering Hall Mystery series is fun to read and the latest book is no exception. Set during the days before Christmas, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder is entertaining and funny at times. Having read the previous books helps to better understand the characters and the storyline, although there are no spoilers. There are many shady characters, and the murder victim is quite unpleasant as well. Fortunately, all that is wrapped up in a nice cozy mystery package for the reader's greatest enjoyment. There are some interesting twists in the story, it's a great read in order to get in a Holidays season mood.

The Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron is one of my favorite series, I recently discovered that Maria DiRico is her pen name so it is no wonder I fell in love with the Catering Hall Mysteries! They are hysterical! Definitely one of the funniest cozy mystery series that I have read plus awesome characters and fun mysteries! This is a must read series and I cannot wait for more by this author!

I had to read this one a little earlier than the holiday season but this is such a great series that it’s a pleasure. Mia is one of the strongest heroines in a series, she’s smart, works hard & isn’t flighty at all. She’s surrounded by a quirky cast of supporting characters. I really like the change up that this series takes place not in a small town but in Queens, NY. This time around we’ve got an adoption, long lost family & extortion to go along with our murder. It involves one of Mia’s best friends (and former love interest) Jamie so she’s very set on figuring stuff out. Truthfully, I love this series, it’s so much fun to read. The characters are so richly drawn out that they practically walk off the page. Add in Christmas & this a perfect must read for cozy fans.

Mia Carina gets tangled up in another murder investigation in It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Maria DiRico. This time a dead body is found in the midst of Christmas lawn decorations on the street where Mia lives with her grandmother. Mia is busy with events at Belle Vue Banquet Manor but finds the time to search for clues. I liked how the characters are so well-developed and the dialogue is very entertaining. The neighborhood Christmas decoration competition and the holiday parties make this a fun Christmas cozy mystery.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Loved reading this book and series. One of my favorite authors. If you haven't read this series yet I highly recommend doing so.

What is not to love about Maria DiRico's A Catering Hall Mystery series? The neighborhood competition for Christmas decorations was hysterical and I had many delighted, laugh out loud moments. The mystery in this latest installment was engaging from the beginning, especially as it involved sensitive family issues. I thoroughly enjoy being exposed to a culture that is unlike anything in my life, and having it be so warmhearted even though it is about capital F - Family! The ending was just what I hoped for, however I am waiting for Mia's husband to 'come back to life' and to ruin hers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Christmas is a crazy time for any successful catering business and the Belle View Catering Hall in Astorio, New York, is full to bursting with events from christenings through sweet sixteens to staff parties and beyond. Mia Carina and her team are rushed off their feet and they all have family gatherings and local events to handle as well.

Even so, when Mia is summoned to meet with the Boldano Family, who she has close ties with, everything else has to wait. What she hears shocks her, they have a problem which, she knows without a doubt, will cause heartache for her life long friend and their youngest son, Jamie.

With the situation spiralling out of control Mia tries to calm everyone and begin mending fences but it is an uphill struggle. When her estranged mother arrives unannounced from Italy it seems nothing more can complicate matters but then, at the beginning of the annual Christmas street decorations competition, Mia finds a dead body and realises she has a link to the victim!

This is the third in the Catering Hall Mystery Series but the first I have read and to begin with I found that a problem. Mia's close and distant ties to her family and work colleagues meant it took me a little while to put people into their rightful places. Once I had it sorted this was an absolutely brilliant read and to say the premise was original is an understatement! Not many cosy crime protagonists have ties to the mob and a brother jail for a crime he did commit!  All of it worked however, and the investigation Mia and her friends undertook was as entertaining and fresh as the rest of the storyline. I hope there will be more books to come in this series for after I've caught up with the first two!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent,  original and highly recommended cosy crime mystery.

What a fun, quick read, cozy mystery. Add in some fun holiday theme and I had a perfect read!
Love the characters and the plot. Laughed out loud a few times as well!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The latest in the Catering Hall Mystery series is a Christmas-themed delight. A body turns up among the elves in a Santa’s workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who’s the guilty party. The cast of characters is full of interesting folks. and the twists and turns will keep you guessing. It is a solid and fun cozy mystery that you will love.

First and foremost this series has rapidly made its way to one of my top 3 favorite cozy mystery series. It is 3rd in the series.. Its Christmas time with competing neighborhood Christmas lights and decorations on steroids, family time, Holiday events at Belle View, a little romance and a murder taking center stage among the Christmas decor. The murder mystery was very well done with many twists and turns and lots of suspects. While detective work is on Mia's mind, so is the meaning of Christmas, forgiveness and falling for a handsome co- worker.
I love the Italian Mafia vibe and the humor that goes with it. Mia's Nonna, Elisabetta is a character I love. All in all a very entertaining read.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have given my honest opinion. The book publish date is October 26, 2021

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. #netgalley

Is there anything better then a Christmas cozy mystery? Nope. I love them all. This one though seemed even better then the dozens I've read

I received an advance copy of, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, by Maria DiRico. This was a nice mystery. I liked the characters, and the recipes in the back of the book.

Mia Carina returned home to Astoria, Queens, after her husband disappeared in a boating accident in Florida. Since then, she's been managing the Belle View Catering Hall as an event planner, working for her father Ravello, who's finally in a legitimate business for the powerful Boldano Family, whom he works for.

She, along with her employees Shane and Cammie (who pretends to work but is priceless to Mia in other ways), are planning a first birthday party based on the Nativity, and a Sweet Sixteen party for an angst-ridden teenager who's slowly bonding with Mia.

But the real problem comes when the Boldanos call Mia to their home. Donny Senior and his wife Aurora are worried because their youngest son Jamie has been approached by a man claiming to be his half-brother. What the Boldanos think is that this con artist is just looking for a way into the family. They want Mia to be with them when they talk to Jamie, and she agrees. But the plan backfires, and now she's in the middle of their problems.

But things get worse -- her mother, who lives in Italy, shows up out of the blue and tries to get Mia to forgive her for leaving. But Mia doesn't know how to handle it, and her grandmother Elisabetta, with whom Mia lives, isn't buying any of it. Also on hand is the fact that Elisabetta is trying to get her block to win a trophy for best Christmas display, and she's got a Tony Benne-Santa (don't ask) to beat. Things are heating up for Mia.

Just when things can't get any worse, a body is discovered in one of the displays, its feet sticking out from a Santa's workshop. Now Mia finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, trying to prove the innocence of people she loves like her own, and in doing so, she just might ring some bells that would rather she didn't...

This is the third book in the series, and I think it is the best of the three. Mia is really in the middle of it this time, and she's lucky she doesn't have a nervous breakdown with everything that's happening: planning two events, the reason her mother returned, her best friend Jamie's problems, and the problems between his family, her grandmother's attempts at winning a trophy. In between there are other things happening, and the root of a lot of the humor in the book (and some are so funny that I had to read the passages to my husband). There's one scene that takes place between Mia and her mother over at Mia's friend Phillip's home that's practically hilarious, in its own way.

But even the body takes second place to how it got there and who put it there: Mia is trying her best to find the killer, even if it causes her (very) personal pain (another funny scene). She's lucky to get out in one piece, in my mind. Anyway, she goes through a series of challenges as she's trying to keep the Boldano family members out of jail.

It's a wild ride over the Christmas holidays, and almost like being at a county fair, watching the antics go on. Especially fun is her grandmother and her neighbors as they try and out-Christmas-design each other's lawns and homes. Let us not forget the constant strings of Italian thrown in here and there, some invectives (hey, I'm slowly learning the language! When I get mad at my husband, he won't know what I'm saying -- ha!). And, of course, some delicious recipes at the end which I plan to make...

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's a twisted tale of threads that were merely one at a time in the beginning, but slowly began to come together in a tapestry of lies, intrigue, misunderstandings, and secrets. What ends up is a wonderful tale that I wish didn't end at all. I love Mia and everyone around her and truly can't wait for the next in the series. Highly recommended.

After a recent DNF, I was looking for a different cozy mystery to read—and to get back on track with—and so I settled on It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Maria DiRico. It’s a little earlier than I would typically pick up a holiday themed book (which I’m more inclined to do during November and December), but after reading the synopsis I couldn’t resist. This is the third book in the Catering Hall series, and it turned out to be the perfect combination of whodunit murder mystery, family drama, and holiday mayhem.

Right from the beginning, DiRico set up a festive atmosphere with descriptions of the snow and the holiday decorations—alongside the sometimes heated competition between the different blocks and neighbors, to see who has the best light display. I enjoyed the urban setting, as well as the catering hall end of the story. That is to say: the book was just good. The buildup to the introduction of the mystery has to be one of my favorites. The main players were tactfully introduced alongside the opening conflict and reoccurring characters in the series. And, overall, it was done well. Coupled with the sleuthing portions of the story and the amount of high stakes action, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder had plenty to offer.

Beside the holiday festivities and overall mystery, the other highlights were the characters. They were exceptionally good, and there were a lot of big personalities. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the emphasis on family, in particular Mia and her relatives. They were well-written, and despite their faults and disagreements, there was no question about the close bond they shared. I could also say the same about the secondary characters. They were just as great as Mia, and for a few of them they often felt like extended members of the MCs family.

So while it’s not quite the winter holiday rush just yet, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder was an excellent story and great preamble to the upcoming season’s offerings on the cozy mystery front.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Kensington Publishing) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

I enjoyed this book. It's fast paced and has interesting characters. I really liked the way the family came together. I was surprised by the ending. #ItsBeginningtoLookaLotLikeMurder #NetGalley

I love Christmas books any time of the year. The setting, at Christmas, took a back seat to the actual setting. This is what I like to see in any book as it helps with the overall storyline. The character development throughout the book and series flows nicely and orgànically. What I didn't care for was it got a little too steamy romantically near the end of the book. It, however, was a page turner, that kept me entertained.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of It's Beginning to Look a lot like Murder by Maria DeRico in exchange for an honest review. Mia Carina has a job at Belle View Catering Hall. Her father, Ravello, runs the Hall. It's Christmas time and people are throwing parties, trying to outdo each other. Someone shows Mia a pair of boots sticking out of a display. Oh no! They belong to a dead body. There were a lot of good recipes at the end, which I enjoy. This was a fun book, exciting and comedic.

Honestly, how are we on book three already? I feel like it was only yesterday this series was released, and with the upcoming October publication of It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder in Maria DiRico's series, A Catering Hall Mystery, readers are in for a solid treat. I wanted to hold off until it was closer to Christmas, but I couldn't stop myself this week. And wow, was it good!

The books take place in a town in Queens, New York, which just happens to be across the East River from me. Mia, a thirtyish sorta widow, returns home to her sorta mob family, and begins running a catering hall. In this third installment, her mother returns too... and it's quite the surprise. But when we learn of her connection to the murder mystery, it's even more of a shocker. I was prepared to hate the woman, at least based on what Mia's told us in the past, but that's not the case. Although the relationship is strained, it's ripe for growth, and I am excited to see what develops.

In terms of the mystery, let's just say... whoa, I'll never look at Christmas lights and lawn decorations the same again. Mia's former crush, Jamie, learns some devastating news from his family, and when a potential half-brother shows up in Queens, all hell breaks loose. So many mobsters... so much double talk. It's hilarious, and I cannot recommend it enough. I now know... do NOT piss off Maria DiRico! As if that's not enough, Mia's dealing with clients who are driving her nuts, and this time, an entire circus is practically setting up shop in the catering hall.

If you're a fan of romance in your cozies, at least the subtle but hit-you-over-the-head chemistry kind, then this book is definitely gonna make you smile. Who wouldn't want a gorgeous mob son coming to work for Mia? I think readers might have some naughty dreams about newcomer Shane, and if they're anything like Mia's, the steam is gonna blow! But it's a funny one too, and all throughout the book, it builds until the end. I won't spoil anything, yet I will say, the ending certainly makes it pretty clear what's happening. Do Mia and Shane hook up? Or does he have to let her down softly because of his personal situation?

Excellent installment. Highly recommended. I really think this series is gonna take off, and if you want something with humor and sarcasm and some heat, this Italian mafia backdrop is perfect.