Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder by Chris Cavender
Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Mystery
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: Eleanor Swift runs the Slice of Delight Pizzeria in Timber Ridge, North Carolina. It’s a business she stared with her late husband and now runs with her sister Maddy. She looks out for her two other employees in a combination manager/big sister role too. And now her delivery driver Greg is accused of murdering his brother. In her shop! And with her favorite rolling pin! Eleanor knows Greg isn’t capable of murder, no matter how rocky his relationship with his brother was. And she’s not going to let Sheriff (and ex-boyfriend) Kevin Hurley railroad him for a crime he didn’t commit. But Eleanor’s investigation might make her the next victim…
My Review: This is book 2 of the “Pizza Lovers” series. You do not have to have read book 1 (A Slice Of Murder) in order to read this book. I make it a point to give any series 2-3 books to prove themselves, but I think I’ll be done after this one. This book was trying, in every sense of the word. Despite its best efforts, it just left me flat. The characters seem quite different than in the previous volume – the sisters go from lovingly argumentative to catty, and Eleanor herself now acts rather rude and ill-tempered – which takes away some of the overall charm. The sisters continue to insist on butting in where they have no business, pushing others to do things that they aren’t comfortable with (Bob Lemon, I’m looking at you), making them more unlikable. And I won’t get started on the whole Eleanor-Kevin thing; I’ll let you judge that for yourself.
The pacing was good and the events flowed in a reasonable path. The added touches of small-town living (neighborly chats that border on gossip, small business owners looking out for each other, etc.) gave a good sense of what the town is like in normal circumstances. In the end, it’s a bit like pineapple on pizza. Maybe not right for me, but it might be just right for you.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Trying, Touching, Cheesy
Give This a Try if You Like… Cozy mysteries, pizza
Rating: 3/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!