Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley is the second installment the delightful deep dish mystery series.

-While being in a series the title stands well when read alone
-character development and plot pacing are handled extremely well.
-The setting gives me exceptionally cozy mystery vibes

This title will be a great reading experience for existing fans of the series as well as a fun entry point for mystery readers looking enjoy some cozy cooking energy in their story.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for my eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust is a great addition to the Deep Dish Mystery series. It is set in “Geneva Bay” Wisconsin. Or if you are super smart like me, you will recognize the setting at Lake Geneva Wisconsin.

In this second installment, Delilah once again has found herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. This time all eyes are focused on the new Juice Bar. There are so many questions and Delilah is not content to sit on the sidelines. There is still a smidge of romantic tensions with the chief of police. But will either act on it?

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery series. Although I was hungry for pizza and pretzels and all things foodie related to Wisconsin. Thank goodness I will be visiting twice this upcoming summer !! I would love to meet up with Mindy !

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

This second in the series is even better than the first, which I didn’t think possible! Delilah & Son’s (short for Sonya, Delilah’s best friend) had a great first summer in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. They sell Chicago-style deep-dish pizza with a twist. Dee (Delilah) creates truly trendy varieties that are especially popular with Chicago tourists and transplants.

Delilah broke up with Sam, her fiancé, who had purchased the building the restaurant and her upstairs apartment are in and financed the buildout. Tourist season is ending and she hadn’t been open long enough to save for the slow season. She insisted on paying Sam fair market rent instead of continuing their original deal of not paying rent until she was financially in the black, so she didn’t know if she would even be able to stay open. Dee adored Sam’s cat, Butterball. They had agreed to “joint custody”, but the weekly change was hard on the feisty feline so she may have to give him back to Sam full-time.

The town’s Labor Day weekend festival would include a Taste of Wisconsin cookoff. Each entrant would prepare a food item made with foods best representing Wisconsin’s products. Delilah, with the help of her staff, was fine-tuning a special deep-dish pizza. First prize would include $10,000 and a write-up in the local Chamber of Commerce magazine, both of which would help them get through the winter. It was the perfect plan until they learned the identity of the judge/ celebrity chef. Sonya had worked in one of Graham Ulrich’s kitchens, and to say she left on bad terms was an understatement. They continued to tweak the recipe, but are sure Ulrich will do what he can to ruin them when he sees Son.

Dee went to meet Sam at the newly-opened Juice Revolution bar to return Butterball for the week. It is the kind of place Sam loves, with the latest in wellness and healing smoothies. That is how she learned that Sam, barely three months past their breakup, was seriously involved with Jordan, the owner. She is fit and petite, looking like his perfect match. Jordan and Sam left to go sailing, while Dee chatted briefly with a couple staff members. Minutes later, one of Jordan’s customers stood, in respiratory distress with unusual spasms, then died. Delilah stayed and talked with the handsome Detective Calvin Capone (a descendent of Al Capone) regarding what happened. He would request an autopsy on Mr. Wong based on her observations.

After rushing Jordan to the hospital the next morning, Sam asked Dee to take Butterball until they can go home again. At Sam’s house, she was let in by the contractor who did their renovations. He was newly hired to expedite another complete remodel, this time meeting Jordan’s wishes. Dee also saw a partial smoothie in a Juice Revolution cup that Butterball swatted off the counter. Curious, she saved enough to give to Capone for testing. If she had a smoothie from her shop and was sick, and Mr. Wong died while drinking his, was there a connection? Capone remembers Dee’s keen instincts from the murder she helped with last spring, and took it to the lab.

Getting to know Delilah, Aunt Biz, and friends better was even more pleasurable than meeting them the first time. The comfortably proportioned Delilah and Butterball are my favorites, with Capone a close second. The regular characters, each with their own collection of quirks, are likable. I’m not too fond of some of the visitors, such as Ulrich, his estranged wife Renee, or Cinco, who got his nickname from the rumored number of people he killed – five…so far.

Dee’s sense of humor keeps me laughing, and her temper is less evident from the first novel except under unusual conditions. It can’t get more unusual than a hit man scoping out the restaurant, Aunt Biz losing her home, a staff member’s close relative going to jail, and another murder. Plot twists heighten the suspense and kept this reader up late trying to discover the real bad guy. I was stunned at the motives and resolution! Overall, I was very pleased with the outcomes, and am eagerly awaiting the next in series. This is one of my favorite cozy series; I highly recommend this novel and the first one!

Thank you NetGalley, Mindy Quigley, and St. Martin’s for allowing me this opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust due to be published April 25, 2023.
This is the 2nd book in the Deep Dish Mysteries series by Mindy. This book is set in a Wisconsin pizzeria with the owner Deliah O’Leary and very close confidant Sonyah and her cute little kitty butterball. This was such a fast paced little cozy and so much personality. I loved every second of this book and am looking forward to more.
Definitely recommend it was a 5/5 for me!!

Thanks to #NetGalley for a chance to read the ARC of Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust! This is only the 2nd in the Deep Dish Mystery series.
Overall a fun read with enjoyable characters that continue to develop. And all of the food descriptions (recipes at the end!!!) will make you hungry. Be sure to have some munchies within reach.

Welcome back to Geneva Bay, WI, home of a fascinating cast of characters. Among them are Delilah O'Leary, chef and proprietor of Delilah & Son, a gourmet deep dish pizza restaurant. A restaurant that seems to attract more than just hungry customers. Criminals of all sorts seem to flock to Delilah like moths to a flame.

Delilah O'Leary is a determined, resourceful, and stubborn woman. Raised and highly influenced by her Aunt Biz, she does not give in easily and refuses help no matter how dire her situation gets. To a point, I can respect this, however, her bullheadedness can sometimes be more of a detractor than an endearing quirk. She was a bit overwhelming with her 'must do it my way or no way' attitude in the first book. I am happy to report that she learned a little over the course of this second novel and has figured out how to bend. A tiny bit. But, it's progress.

It was fun getting to know some of the other characters a bit more, Sonya especially.  She takes a bigger role in this installment which was a nice change.  I tend to crave information about side characters, so this secondary storyline gave me a lot of joy.  She has her own issues, but like Delilah, I think she learned something, too.   

Melody and Rabbit are still pretty much underdeveloped, but I'm sure that their time will come.  We did get a bit of a peek into Melody's family this time, which was a surprise.  Of course, Butterball, the chubby feline, is present and accounted for as well.  He's by far my favorite character, but I am rather biased.  

Detective Capone was mellower this installment as well, but not a pushover.  He fell right into the space between hard boiled detective and caring person that I like best.  Near the end, there's a moment between him and Delilah that makes me hope for more between them in the next novel.  I don't need a full blown romance between them, but I'd be stoked if they could at least admit their attraction to one another.  

The murders were well thought out and I had no idea who the guilty party was.  Which isn't unusual for me, honestly.  I was surprised by the reveal as well as the motivations behind them.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  I hope that there will be more to come.  Can't wait to see what the residents of Geneva Bay manage to get into next.

I just really adore this series and cannot wait for more!! I love the time I get to spend with Delilah in the neat lakeside town of Geneva Bay, WI, full of it's own personality. Delilah gets herself in SEVERAL sticky situations in this book and I loved every minute of parsing it out with her. Aunt Biz, Sonya, Butterball, Melody and Sam are all facing challenges and Delilah gets wrapped up in it all. Her discussions of the mysteries with Capone provided some of my favorite scenes but I also love whenever the characters are whipping up something yummy in the kitchen. Cozy mystery readers- read this series!!!

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust is out April 25th! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-arc!

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, first of all, has a hilarious name and this is what drew me in. It was fun mystery with very likeable characters. It is definitely for people who like a particular genre, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. In the novel, the main character is opening a pizzeria, and they put recipes at the end of foods they had mentioned in the book. Overall, it is a light and quick read that is written in an entertaining way.

So many crimes, so little time!! Delilah and team are preparing to enter the Taste of Wisconsin culinary contest where the winner gets some free advertising and a cash prize of $10,000! 🤑 Delilah has been testing recipes with bratwurst and cheddar cheese for weeks but she just can’t fine the perfect combo to win the contest. Before long she is completely side tracked because someone is dead, someone is in the hospital, and an old hit man is drinking soda in her restaurant.

There were a lot of suspicious deaths in this one and I was thoroughly entertained! The amount of suspects grew and grew and the author definitely had me fooled! I really enjoyed getting to know the characters more and I’m looking forward to Sonya’s story line more! She really shined in this novel!

Old crime and new crime collide in this deliciously cheesy addition to the series and I’ll be looking forward to book 3 definitely!

I did not read the first book in this series. Delilah O’Leary lives in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin and is the chef and owner of a pizza themed upscale restaurant. When someone in town is poisoned at the local juice bar, Delilah assists Detective Capone in trying to solve the crime.

The book started slowly and I almost baled. I was glad I did not.

I found Delilah’s relationship with Sam unusual but rolled with it. He does seem a little unlucky in the love department. The characters were diverse and interesting. Both Delilah and her great aunt have trouble accepting help from others. When will people realize they do not need to be superheroes every minute of every day?
I figured out who the killer was but not the reason.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review. I am looking forward to the next installment.

Ashes to Ashes is Mindy Quigley’s second novel in her Deep Dish Mysteries series, and this book does not disappoint. Like the first novel in the series, Ashes to Ashes highlights Quigley’s strengths in character and plot development with humor and a clever mystery to boot. The book opens as Delilah is preparing for the Labor Day Taste of Wisconsin Cook-Off, desperate to win the $10,000 cash prize to tide her over during the off season. However, it does not take long for a murder to occur, this time at The Juice Revolution owned by Sam’s new girlfriend Jordan. Without revealing any details, this novel clears up the past for many of the characters, and the Delilah/Capone romance is still simmering. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with a complimentary advanced readers’ copy of the book.

This book will make you crave pizza and a snuggly kitty. Perhaps not in that order.

Newly single Delilah O'Leary is working hard to make sure her deep dish pizza restaurant can stay afloat in the slow winter months in Lake Geneva, WI. Since she broke up with her very rich fiance, she is determined to stand on her own two feet. Summer storms are putting a literal damper on her business with the inability to use the beautiful lakefront patio of her restaurant. She is determined to win the Taste of Wisconsin festival and it's healthy $10,000 prize. Except the celebrity judge happens to be her business partner Sonya's ex-boss and their parting terms were far from harmonious. Then she witnesses a murder in the new local smoothie shop. And then the celebrity judge ends up dead... is there a serial killer in the tourist town? Delilah has to find out!

This book is really something to sink your teeth into. I looked forward to reading picking it up again at the end of the work day. I want my own version of her portly kitty, Butterball. And I really wanted to try this brat pizza. A super enjoyable cozy mystery. Hope there is a third installment coming soon.

My thanks to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for a delicious ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series. While I enjoyed it I do think I prefer the first one a tiny bit better. In this book Delilah is entering a contest for the perfect pizza. All the delightful antics and recipes they talk about made me really hungry for pizza. Overall a fun quick paced read.

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust is the second book in Mindy Quigley's Deep Dish Mysteries series. This cozy mystery picks up where Six Feet Deep Dish left off. In this story, we find Delilah working hard to come up with a prize winning recipe in order to keep her restaurant afloat. Her stress is only exacerbated by a series of strange occurrences including a presumed murder. Set on a lake in Wisconsin, like the first in the series, the story features a glimpse into the behind the scenes goings on in the restaurant world, a well fed cat, Butterball and even some delicious looking recipes at the end.

There were a couple of unexpected twists that kept me guessing, but the storyline about Aunt Biz felt superfluous and did not add anything to the story. Additionally, I thought this book would show more development of the romantic relationships that began in the first book. Hopefully the author will dive a little deeper if there is a third book in the series.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is second installment in the series is a fast past fun read. I could not put it down and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Listen, if you love cozy mysteries check this series out! I read book one in 2022 and then when I received the arc for book two I was super excited! Things I love about this series:
1. The MC is strong willed and sassy. Which is honestly pretty different from most of the MCs that I read in other cozy mystery series.
2. The setting. The MC owns a pizza restaurant and her employees and friends, as well as the descriptions of the food and restaurant shenanigans are really fun to read about.
3. Butterball. He is the cat of the MC and he reminds me of one of my cats that is always getting into trouble, but you can't help but love him.
4. The plots and pace of the books are really great. I have no complaints about these books. I just super super super love them!

I cannot wait until book 3 is released! You can bet I'll be requesting the arc on NetGalley for sure!

A HUGE thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the series, I love the pizza restaurant setting- it’s different from other series settings. The characters are fun and the mystery is entertaining. I can’t wait for the next one!

This is book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery Series. Delilah O’Leary is newly single and determined to keep her pizzeria. She is looking to win the local "Taste of Wisconson" contest to help her bottom line. So she and her group of friends and family look to put out the perfect pizza. Her biggest rival is her ex's latest squeeze. When one of her rival's customers is poisoned, it looks bad for Delilah. Can she stay out of prison and win the contest?

Thank you NetGalley, Mindy Quigley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of
Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust. This is my personal review.
This is the second book in the great series Deep Dish Mysteries, and it is great.
Delilah O’Leary owns a pizza restaurant in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin.
The story has everything in it that makes it a great cozy mystery book. The location- characters- mystery- twists- turns all come together just right to keep me turning the pages.
I can not wait for the next book to come out in this series.

I really enjoyed this installment of the series! Delilah is trying her hand at a new deep-dish pizza that will hopefully win her and Son the winning money for the Taste of Wisconsin food contest. While I love all the fantastic recipes at the end of the book and fully intend to try most of them, this particular pizza aka the bratwurst isn't my jam..

I love coming back to all my favorite characters, Delilah is a bit of a control freak, but that's okay she's a chef, and she really does notice the small things that help her budding super adorable love interest Capone in investigating whatever crimes Delilah happens to stumble across. Butterball, he's a cat after my own heart. Son is a great friend, and Sam the ex that I try so hard to hate, but is actually a pretty nice dude.. And, I can't forget Auntie Biz, who in this book is a bit grumpier than normal, but as usual, is holding everything pretty close to the vest.

The mystery in this one was pretty great, I really enjoyed following along with Delilah as she was trying to figure out what was going on, I didn't end up guessing who the bad guy was until Delilah put it all together. This is a fun cozy mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat and entertained from the first page to the last.
I can't wait to see what will happen next!