WEDDING SOUP MURDER
by Rosie Genova
When I conceived of the idea for a mystery series set in an Italian restaurant, it felt entirely natural to place that restaurant at the Jersey shore, in the fictional town of Oceanside Park. There’s a long tradition of Italian cuisine in New Jersey, from boardwalk stands to upscale restaurants. The setting of the books, the Casa Lido restaurant (which literally means “beach house”) is a family-owned establishment presided over by the tight-knit Rienzi family: Nonna, the matriarch and iron-handed manager; her son Frank, the easygoing host; his wife Nicolina, who keeps the accounts, and their daughter Victoria, my main character. It’s the kind of place that serves rustic, seasonal food in a wood-paneled dining room with red and white checked tablecloths—the kind of place that people go back to, season after season.
In fact, most shore restaurants rely on strong summer business to keep them going throughout the year. In the first Italian Kitchen Mystery, Murder and Marinara, the Casa Lido’s livelihood is threatened when Victoria discovers the corpse of an unpopular television producer in her grandmother’s tomato garden. Since the dead man ate his last meal there, the restaurant suddenly loses its customers, inspiring Vic to use her sleuthing skills to solve the murder in time for the start of the summer season. The book also contains recipes of dishes served in the restaurant, including the marinara sauce in the title. (If you make it once, you’ll never open a jar again!)
In The Wedding Soup Murder, Vic is called upon to help cater the soup course at a wedding reception being held at the upscale Belmont Country Club. Her first job, assigned by her ornery Nonna, is to make a thousand tiny meatballs for the soup! At the reception, she and her ex-boyfriend Tim, now the sous chef at Casa Lido, have to prepare the soup on site at the Belmont. While there, they run afoul of a testy pastry chef, a spoiled bride, and the club’s president, Elizabeth Merriman. When Elizabeth’s body shows up on the beach the next day and a family friend comes under suspicion, Vic reluctantly takes on the case. The soup in the title is made with a meatball recipe that was passed down to me by my mom and grandmother, and if I do say so myself, they are very tasty.
I hope that the Italian Kitchen Mysteries portray the Jersey shore that I love—a place with a long and proud history, beautiful beaches, miles of boardwalk fun, and of course, good Italian food!
About the Author:
A Jersey girl born and bred, national bestselling author Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. The atmosphere of the Jersey shore is present in the details, whether it’s the smell of the sea, the sound of a Springsteen song, or the taste of Kohr’s custard from the boardwalk. And no summer is complete unless she has sand in her shoes.
A bookworm from the time she could sound out words, Rosie spent many happy hours in her home town library where she hid behind the stacks reading the titles she was too young to check out. She earned two degrees in English from Rutgers University, where she discovered to her delight that reading Jane Austen was actually considered homework. Though she’s always considered herself a writer, she didn’t pen her first novel until ten years ago, and she hasn’t stopped since.
Her series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, was named a Best Cozy of 2013 by Suspense Magazine and was a finalist for a 2014 Daphne Du Maurier Award. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She still lives in her home state with her husband and her youngest son.
As she researches her family history, however, she is distracted by her attraction to two men, old flame and chef Tim Trouvare, and woodworker Cal Lockhart. And life gets more complicated when her grandmother puts her in charge of catering a wedding reception with a menu featuring the Casa Lido’s famous Italian Wedding Soup.
Held at the exclusive Belmont Country Club, a historic site that overlooks the ocean, the reception is presided over by the wealthy and snobbish Elizabeth Merriman, the events manager and Nonna’s long-time nemesis. At the reception, a harried Vic has to deal with a demanding bridezilla and her wealthy daddy, as well a number of clashes in the kitchen—between the staff and servers, between two egocentric head chefs, and between Elizabeth Merriman and everyone.
The wedding reception is ultimately a success, but by the time the happy couple and their guests depart, Elizabeth is missing. When her body is found on the beach the next morning, it appears that Elizabeth slipped from the top of the high seawall, but Vic isn’t convinced. Did Elizabeth Merriman finally push someone too far? And did that someone push her right back over the railing and onto the sand below?
Jennifer’s Review of The Wedding Soup Murder
Review (4.75 Stars): I love, love, love this series! Culinary mysteries are my absolute favorite and this book has everything. Great writing, fun cast of characters and wonderful descriptions of food that will make you hungry for more. The Wedding Soup Murder has Vic and her family’s restaurant helping to cater a prestigious wedding at the exclusive Belmont Country Club. Vic and Tim are “chosen” by Nonna to prepare and serve Nonna’s famous wedding soup to the guests as a special favor to the bride’s family. While working the event at the Belmont, Vic meets Elizabeth Merriman, who just happens to be the events manager and makes it known that she is not a big fan of the Caso Lido. Everything goes off without a hitch, but Elizabeth is found dead on the beach the very next morning. What Vic soon discovers is that Elizabeth had a long list of enemies that would love to see her dead, but who would be capable of actually pushing her over the railing? Vic is involved in yet another murder mystery and needs to find the killer before they decide to add another victim to their list.
I absolutely love this series and I have fallen in love with Vic and her big Italian family. Each of these characters are very entertaining and I look forward with each book to spending time with these lovely people. The Wedding Soup Murder was a fun, fast-paced mystery and I loved every minute of it. Makes me want to head to Caso Lido, have a glass wine and spend an evening chatting with Vic and her family. This is the second book in the Italian Kitchen mystery series and each book keeps getting better and better. I recommend reading Murder in Marinara first because it will give you some background on these characters and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Giveaway
I’m excited to give away a copy of The Wedding Soup Murder. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by September 17th, answer me this question in the comments:
Do you like culinary mysteries? What is your favorite series?
I love culinary mysteries; i really like Diane Mott Davidson.
jslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com
Hey Jennifer, thanks SO much for the kind words about Wedding Soup and for having me today!
Haven’t read any yet, so not sure
Yes, I like culinary mysteries. Favorite series, so far, Christine DeSmet, Fudge Shop mysteries.