Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am delighted to welcome Kylie Logan back to Escape with Dollycas!
Guest Post | ITALIAN ICED by Kylie Logan
(Provided by Publicist)
Writing cozy mysteries is a funny thing.
After all, I’ve been told by numerous readers that they come back to a mystery series book after book because they love the world the author creates. Whether it’s a sweet little button shop in Chicago (like in my Button Box mysteries
But, aha! That last word in the above sentence is the key.
Mystery.
It’s tricky. We create these great characters and often, they’re friends or family of our main character, people she loves and people she deals with every day. And as authors, we grow to love these people, too.
And then we have to make bad things happen to them.
Sigh.
It’s true, every single time and with every single book. If it wasn’t, there would be no story.
In my Ethnic Eats mysteries
And then I make terrible things happen to these really nice people.
In book #1 of the series, “Irish Stewed
Through it all–the egotistical Italian race car driver, the twit of an assistant, the teen with a chip on his shoulder–Laurel knows she’s got friends to stand by her side.
And that, I think, is the real appeal of the cozy. These characters we know and love will come through it all, and there’s always a happily ever after waiting for them on the other side.
~Kylie
Thank you so much, Kylie, for visiting today!
Now let me tell you more about Italian Iced
Italian Iced (An Ethnic Eats Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Ohio
Berkley (June 26, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 042527490X
ISBN-13: 978-0425274903
Kindle ASIN: B07693J4WL
Hot pasta and a cold corpse make for quite a combination in the latest book in the Ethnic Eats mystery series.
When Laurel Inwood features Italian cuisine on the Terminal at the Tracks menu, she knows she’ll need to stock the shelves, the fridge, and the freezer with plenty of wonderful delicacies. She just never expected one of them to be her former employer, Hollywood superstar Meghan Cohan.
And one day, when Laurel is at the restaurant early to get ready for the regular rush of customers, that’s exactly what she finds–Meghan dead in the Terminal freezer.
What’s a Hollywood A-lister doing in Hubbard, Ohio?
For Laurel, that’s the real question, because the first question she’d ask in any other murder investigation–who would want the victim dead?–seems pretty much a no-brainer in this case.
Who would want Meghan dead?
Just about anybody who had ever met her.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I really love this series. Growing up in a family that owned and operated a restaurant much like the Terminal at the Tracks before Laurel arrived I know the author’s depiction of how hard it is to keep an eatery open with enough customers to turn a profit is true. My mother sold the restaurant not long after my father passed and no one else has been able to take it over and replicate the success she had. I love Laurel’s idea of a different type of cuisine every month while still keeping customer favorite’s on the menu. It keeps the menu fresh and fun both for the customers and the cooks.
By this third book in the series, Laurel has decided to stay in Hubbard and Sophia is back to work. A new waitress adds a bit of drama, but the staff works together like a well-oiled machine. The characters this author has created are so realistic. I feel like I could take a little trip to Ohio and walk right into the Terminal at the Tracks. The dialogue rings true. The relationships have developed naturally. This cast has worked their way right into my heart.
The idea of Hollywood superstar Meghan Cohan, Laurel’s former employer showing up in Hubbard would never have crossed my mind. I was totally surprised at how she made her appearance. To have her be the victim brought a wonderful new group of characters to the story. Her assistant, her son, her ex-husband and more. So many likely suspects all with the motive to cause her icy demise.
Ms. Logan plotted this story out with knife-like precision. Twists and turns with a real mystery not only of “whodunit” but why they “dunit”. Laurel has a heck of a time figuring this one out even after she ends up out cold and headed to the hospital. I was totally in the dark until the very end. I love the way all the suspects were brought together for the grand reveal.
I did enjoy how the events in the story allowed Laurel to look back at her life in California and even back to being a foster child. This made it possible to really open herself up to opportunities that were staring her right in the face.
This is an excellent addition to this series. The way the final pages are written I am sad to say I think this is the last book in this series which really upsets me. These are characters I am not ready to say goodbye to and there are so many more countries to visit for ethnic eats. I really hope I am wrong.
I highly recommend all three books in this series!
Check out my review of Irish Stewed here and French Fried here.
You can find out about Kylie Logan and her books on her website here.
Thanks to the publisher I have 1 print copy to giveaway!
The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US mailing address.
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5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End July 25, 2018, at 11:59 PM CST
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Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
Click Here For Entry Form
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
new author for me.
I really like the theme of these stories.
I love all of her books! Thank you for giving us a chance to win this one!
Thank you for your review on “ITALIAN ICED” by Kylie Logan. I enjoyed the guest post with the author too. This book sounds like a fun read and one that I would enjoy very much.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
thanks for the review. On my TBR.
This sounds great! Thank you so much for the giveaway!
Really enjoy this series!!!!
Love Kylie’s “League of Literary Ladies” and since I live near Hubbard, Oh can’t wait to read this one. Hope you’re wrong and that the series continues.
Thanks for the reviews. I have found so many new auther . I can’t wait to read Italian Iced and all her other books.
What a variety! Love these titles, too.
A great feature and giveaway. Wonderful author. Thanks.
A character who has been through the foster care system is an interesting angle.
I lived in Liberty, Ohio. Did a little business in Hubbard. I’d really enjoy reading this book.
When a story has a fab premise, characters, setting and an excellent mystery I am hooked and will come back for more. If I am genuinely sad that something has happened to a well-liked character or I want to reach into the book and slap the crap-weasel characters upside the cranium….then that’s some excellent writing.
Thanks for the chance to win! Book looks really good!
You are new to me and your books sound like a lot of fun.
Love this series! Can’t wait to read “Italian Iced”.
Love Kylie’s books – can’t wait to read her latest!
This sounds like an intriguing location for a mystery. Thanks.
Can’t wait to read this book!
This is a new author to me. Her books sound wonderful.
This sounds like it will keep me entertained.
Nice
Looks like great cozy mystery
I love the supporting cast in these books.
I just realized that I hadn’t read the second yet, I loved the first one, great characters.
I love the concept of featuring different countries and their foods in these mysteries. I love to travel and will enjoy these books!
I am a fan of your books, and I am looking forward to reading the Ethnic Eats mystery series!