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
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.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
The mystery is engaging. The characters are ones you can cheer for or jeer at, as you wish. There are several story threads in play, and DiRico ties them all together in a neat bow, five-star read for me, and I highly recommend it!
~The Plain Spoken Pen
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!
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 –
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March 31 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
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April 1 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 2 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 2 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
April 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 3 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW – EXCERPT
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