The holidays can be murder! And in Mia's life, this seems to be the case. Besides running Belle View events, Mia finds herself defending her best friend in a murder, and keeping her family and his on track. Mia seems to be the caretaker (and only sane one) of several different members of her family and friends.

This is a fast-paced, over-the-top cozy that is an entertaining read, only around for the holidays. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

This is a quick, fun cozy mystery. I've never read anything by DiRico, but I'm likely to look up future books. I enjoyed sleuthing things along with the characters. And I really liked the recipes. I look forward to trying them soon.

Snuggle in your favorite chair and get ready for a most enjoyable fun fast paced mystery. Mia is running the family catering business with her father. She gets hit with family drama when her estranged mother shows up. Her friend Jaime is dealing with a problem also. Add murder to the mix and you get a cozy rhat you will NOT want to put down. Once again, Maria DiRico delivers a book worthy of being called a bases loaded home run!! Kudos!
Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Two upcoming events are keeping Mia busy at the Belle View catering hall – a first birthday party with a Nativity theme and a sweet sixteen party where the birthday girl wants her celebration to outshine any of her classmates’ parties. Mia must also deal with the unexpected return of her mother and the family secret of her friend Jaime Boldano’s adoption. Added into the mix is the neighborhood Christmas decorating competition her grandmother is involved with. When Jamie’s alleged brother is found murdered, Mia investigates all the players involved and who has the best reason to want him dead.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley fior an ARC.

The latest installment of the Catering Hall Mysteries is set at Christmastime in New York. This fantastic plot is stuffed full of home, hearth, and family relationships. The Boldano Family is shocked to it’s core when someone infiltrates their family as a long-lost relative. The answer to that situation comes to a boil very fast, and it’s a huge upset! Protagonist, Mia Carina’s life is hectic as she navigates the event planning at Belle View, plus deals with the suspicious surprise return of her mother, Gia.

Filled with mirth and good tidings; Author DiRico’s magic pen flows swiftly through the complex murder mystery. Nonna’s street competition to win best Christmas lights and decorations is a lot of fun. The main characters in this series are some of my favorites—so easy to like and feel welcomed in sharing their ups and downs in life. There are several bad characters to contemplate whether they are killer’s, or not. I was thrilled at the new ‘oomph’ in Shane and Mia’s relationship. There is so much description of delectable food in this story that my tummy was always growling! The author provides yummy recipes, also. I highly recommend this story. It’s best if reader’s read the series starting with book one so you understand the familial ties.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

Murder, Mayhem And Mistletoe…
Christmastime in Astoria, Queens and Mia is busy juggling a job, her personal life and the inevitable festivities. In between staggering familial revelations a body turns up near Santa’s workshop and chaos ensues. Can Mia untangle the suspects and find a killer? A fun and engaging entry to this enjoyable series with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. Delectable Italian recipes included.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was a great quick read that kept me entertained until the end.

Christmas is busy at Belle View Catering Hall and Mia is super busy. She’s got some demanding customer requests that are keeping her and the team hopping. While it’s busy, Mia certainly didn’t expect her long lost Mother to appear out of nowhere with no warning. When a man who claims to be Jamie Boldano’s brother shows up, everything breaks loose and family secrets are outed.

With the murder of the man claiming to be Jamie’s brother, Mia now has to add solving a murder to her to do list. But will she solve the mystery and save the Boldano Family from breaking apart, or will she be sleeping with the fishes by time the the Feast of the Seven Fishes arrives?

Be sure to check out the recipes at the back of the book. You’ll be drooling along as you read, but can make the recipes and enjoy them with your family and friends. The author, who also writes under another name, is talented and brings the characters and setting to life. You can almost smell the water outside Belle View. Read and enjoy then check out the other books by this author.

It’s beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder was unputdownable! Christmas means more catering and an inevitable (say in creepy voice) murder! A fun series with quirky characters this one won’t disappoint.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing says Christmas like a murder.

Mia is busy with the family business and her personal life as well. Estranged mom returns and her best friend have a shocking revelation that he has a long lost brother who he starts hanging out with but soon it turns out that the things the new relative has said is all been a lie.

Then a body turns up and Mia will out be looking for a killer. A fast paced read that brings the holiday spirit alive.

family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, small-business, Italian-customs, the-mob, verbal-humor, situational-humor, restaurant, event-planner, estranged, angst, scam*****

Christmas, large Italian family, outdoor decorations, Sweet Sixteen party, camels/goats, a scam, and a dead man with jingle bells on his shoes? Mia is an event planner in Queens with a model-handsome assistant, a jailbird brother, and some really trying customers. There's a whole lot more, but I'm afraid of getting into spoiler territory (and that's just wrong!). This is an addictive laugh riot guaranteed to make politics go away for a while. Loved it and laughed my way through it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MURDER by Maria DiRico.

Again, wonderful characters. I liked the book with one minor exception. To avoid giving away the story, there was a character that I was hoping to die in the story. Unfortunately they did Not kill this character. I was like "oh darn it!"

This book was so exciting to read, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Mia is working hard at the catering hall she and her father run, and with the holidays fast approaching, she certainly has her hands full.
The last thing Mia needs is family drama, unfortunately, she’s knee deep in it. Her estranged mother shows up, her best friend finds out some shocking things about his family, and Mia herself is struggling with intimate feelings about a coworker.
Mix in a murder, and you’ve got the makings for It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, by Maria DiRico.
I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a well written, fast paced cozy mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.
#ItsBeginningtoLookaLotLikeMurder #NetGalley