Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am thrilled to share my thoughts with you today
about The Witless Protection Program!
The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)
by Maria DiRico
About The Witless Protection Program
The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – New York
Kensington Cozies (March 26, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496744624
ISBN-13 : 978-1496744623
Digital ASIN : B0C9W8W668
Mia Carina has steered her Italian-American family’s Astoria, Queens, catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, into becoming the borough’s premiere party site, and nothing could make her happier—except her boyfriend proposing. There’s just one presumed-dead obstacle in the way . . .
A strong, independent woman and respected entrepreneur, Mia never imagined she’d pine for a marriage proposal. Yet lately, with her beloved Shane, she’s on tenterhooks. It’s especially surprising, considering Mia’s first husband, Adam, was a philandering grifter, assumed lost-at-sea after a boating disaster. But everyone knows what happens when you assume . . .
While working a huge wedding expo in Manhattan, Mia is shocked to spot the man who nearly destroyed her life. The one who’s supposed to be sleeping with the fishes. But she loses him in the crowd. And when it happens again the next day, it’s time for an emergency meeting with the family—and the Family. Because if Adam is alive, Mia is still married . . .
Everyone wants Adam dead. Everyone except Mia. She’s dealt with enough police for a lifetime. Mia needs to be a divorcée, not a widow. But someone out there disagrees, and if Mia doesn’t discover who, she may never be free to marry Shane—or anyone else . . .
Italian recipes included!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The Belle View Banquet Manor has become the top party place in Astoria, Queens, thanks to Mia Carina. Nothing would make Mia happier than to have her own wedding there, that is if her boyfriend Shane would propose. After the trainwreck of her first marriage, she never thought she would want to get married again but Shane is definitely the man for her.
Then while promoting Belle View at a wedding expo in Manhattan Mia sees someone she thought she would never see again. A man that everyone had presumed dead. A man who almost ruined her life. Her husband, Adam who was supposed to have died in a boating accident. He disappeared before she could get close to him. Then the next day she saw him again at the Dodger game at Citi Field. This is not good. This can’t be happening. If Adam is still alive that means she is still married!
Mia calls a meeting with her family and “The Family”. She needs to find Adam now and get a divorce as quickly as possible. Everyone else wants Adam dead. Now that she isn’t a widow all she wants is to be a divorcée so she can marry Shane.
Sadly someone didn’t get the message. Adam is dead and Mia and Shane top the suspect list. Will they ever get married? or will one of them go down for murder?
I hate to write this, but The Witless Protection Program, is the 5th and final Catering Hall Mystery. It hurts because I am invested in these characters. Mia is a strong determined woman who took on the big job of making the Belle View Banquet Manor legit and she has done an amazing job. She has fallen hard for Shane and he for her. They make a wonderful couple. Elisabetta gives Mia and Shane a very interesting gift and she and Mia’s mom Gia have another plan in the works for Mia too. Cammie is acting super responsible which is downright scary but she is still spending Pete’s money faster than he can make it. These are just a few of the extraordinary characters Ms. DiRico has created and developed in this series. It will be hard to let them go.
But, she has written a heck of a finale for them. The mystery of Adam’s death takes Shane and Mia on a cross-country journey to find out how many enemies he raked up while he was supposed to be dead. There ended up being several suspects and Mia kept working the case, putting forth theories, following the clues, until one detail helped put everything in perspective. I enjoyed that Mia went to Pete with her final theory and her idea to flush out the killer. There was a sensational showdown and our girl Mia, WOW.
The excitement didn’t stop there. I highlighted the entire last chapter on my Kindle. It was fantastic! I laughed, then I laughed some more and ended up with a huge smile on my face. No spoilers. Just know, that this is now my favorite book in the series. Ms. DiRico topped herself and ended this series better than anyone could have imagined.
The Witless Protection Program was more than a Perfect Escape, it was A Trip to Paradise! A Best Read of 2024! Thank you, Maria DiRico for taking us on Mia’s journey. It was a wonderful ride. I recommend reading this series from the start for maximum enjoyment.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About Maria DiRico
Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award-winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father’s side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother’s family in Queens and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She’s a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.
Author Links – Website – Chicks on the Case – Facebook – Twitter –
Purchase Links
– Amazon – B&N – Kobo –Bookshop.org – Kensington –
Written as Ellen Byron
Great Escapes Praise for The Witless Protection Program
(A Catering Hall Mystery)
by Maria DiRico
As soon as I start reading, I immediately fall into the story and setting and don’t want to leave. I love The Catering Hall Mystery series so much, and book five might just be my very favorite of all.
~Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books
I absolutely adore the Catering Hall series and THE WITLESS PROTECTION PROGRAM makes a fantastic series finale. Throughout the book there were several small references to things that occurred in previous books in the series. I love that little footnotes were included noting which book the incident took place, in case you want to read more-and believe me, if you haven’t read them you should!
~Cozy Up With Kathy
I am giving five stars to The Witless Protection Program by Maria DiRico and recommend it to anyone who loves a good, cozy culinary mystery.
~Baroness’ Book Trove
An endearing cast of characters, humorous situations, and plot twists abound as she pursues the truth making for a very enjoyable read.
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves
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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.”
Glad you loved the book. The premise definitely sounds interesting.
Sounds like a great cozy.
OMG, thank you for a fabulous review! I really went all out on the sendoff for this series. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
How sad. A book that earns a “trip to paradise” rating, but the series is finished.
What an intriguing mystery! Mia sounds like a great character and I look forward to reading about her adventures.
Loved this one and this series!