Overview
Though it's a chilly October in Timber Ridge, North Carolina, Eleanor Swift is warm and cozy in A Slice of Delight, her scrumptious pizzeria. But she feels a shiver when snooty Judson Sizemore blows into town to open an upper-crust competitor. Worse, he has the nerve to get murdered right after he's seen causing a ruckus in Eleanor's restaurant. Now she and her saucy sister, Maddie, are the prime suspects. As Eleanor digs for clues to prove their innocence, her own suspect list grows longer than the local soccer team's pizza order—and life in Timber Ridge heats up like Maddie's five-alarm Volcano pie. . .
Includes delicious pizza recipe!
Praise for Chris Cavender and Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder
"The small-town setting, the small-business focus and the relationship between sisters Maddy and Eleanor are all reminiscent of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries." -Booklist
"Cavender is an ace at writing cozies. His characters are believable, especially the relationship between Eleanor and her sister, and his plots are rock solid. Sure to appeal to fans of food cozies." —Library Journal
"Scrumptious. . .this entertaining series will continue to gain fans with its clever plotting and small-town appeal." -RT Book Reviews
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Eleanor Swift, the plucky Timber Ridge, N.C., pizzeria owner, and her sister, Maddy, are dismayed to learn that Judson Sizemore plans to open Italia's, which will specialize in wood-fired pizzas, next door to Eleanor's A Slice of Delight in Cavender's pleasant if predictable third Pizza Lover's mystery (after 2010's Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder). They're even more dismayed when someone fatally clobbers Judson with a piece of firewood. Eleanor discovers that Judson's uncle, town eccentric Nathan Sizemore, was secretly bankrolling Italia's for his nephew, while Judson's sister, Gina, is eager to blame Eleanor for her brother's murder. Despite warnings from police chief Kevin Hurley and Maddy's attorney boyfriend, Bob Lemon, to steer clear of the investigation, the snooping sisters resolve to catch Judson's killer. The cozy action culminates with a less than exciting update on Eleanor's relationship with ex-boyfriend David Quinton. (May)Kirkus Reviews
Sisters can't stay out of trouble when their amateur sleuthing gets out of hand.
Maddy's impulsive, Eleanor's down-to-earth, and together the Swift sisters run A Slice of Delight, the local pizza place in Timber Ridge, N.C. While their restaurant is a perennial favorite for locals, out-of-towner Judson Sizemore decides to open his own boutique wood-fired pizza restaurant, Italia's, just down the street. Though Sizemore's not a very likable guy, Eleanor still thinks it's a shame when his body is discovered in Italia's even before their grand opening. Maddy's boyfriend Bob Lemon begs Maddy and Eleanor to leave the mystery alone, but the two sisters can't help their sense of curiosity and soon get wrapped up in a web that is far more complex than they expected. Luckily, Eleanor is supported by her two employees, Kevin Hurley and Greg Hatcher, both of whom would go to the mat for her in a second. Eleanor even trusts her out-of-town ex David Quinton to help her out. Good thing he's substantially less needy (and more attractive) than he was when he was local. All signs point to Judson's uncle Nathan and his sizeable fortune; it's just a matter of who would be willing to kill to get their hands on it.
Cavender (Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder, 2010, etc.) offers another slice of the same old pie—reasonable fare, but nothing to excite the taste buds.