Public Anchovy #1 is book 3 in the Deep Dish series, and it got a little gothic. Geneva Bay’s high society is hosting a Prohibition-themed fundraiser to help the local library. Delilah O’Leary and her pizza making team have been asked to cater. Delilah believes this is the best way to keep her restaurant afloat during the winter season and agrees. She didn’t anticipate a “free-from” pizza that needed to be made at the last minute, nor was she prepared for murder. And while the majority of guests were able to brave the winter storm outside, Delilah and company, and some straggling guests, including Detective Calvin Capone and his mother, are left trapped inside. Potentially with a killer among them.
I would not say this was a “locked room” mystery, but it was certainly a “trapped in a creepy mansion” mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. If Agatha Christie wrote about pizza. I loved it. I loved the sarcasm between Delilah and her team while discussing the “free-from” pizza. I loved Butterball and his sneaky maneuvering that led him into the house. I even loved the mystery itself.
I was so glad that readers got to experience a little more of Capone’s past by meeting his mother. It explains so much about his personality. I also loved that we met Auntie Biz’s old neighbors/enemies. I did not like how Delilah’s team kept her from saying her opinions or failed to acknowledge Delilah’s hurt feelings, but those were isolated incidents and did not take away from the narrative.
The mystery and its plot were well thought out. The whole plot is not one typically seen in mysteries. There’s usually one particularly type and is seen so often that it becomes common. However, this one was unique as many people don’t know that it is harder to catch. I appreciated that the author tied some book titles into the mystery as well.
Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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