Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Murder in Tranquility Park by J.D. Griffo is book 2 of the Ferrara Family Detective Agency Mysteries.

In this book, we find that Alberta has inherited her aunt's cottage. Everything is going well when she and her companion Lola a black cat find a body in the woods.

Overall, the story is easy to follow and fun to read. The characters are all well-crafted and quite believable. It definitely kept me guessing until the very end. Can't wait to read more from this author.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

This one has characters that you could never "just fo-getta bout it" to be sure. Alberta/Berta or Gram as Jynx likes to call her is part of the Ferraro Family detective agency or at least that is what they would put on the sign if they had a formal agency. Alberta, her granddaughter "Jynx (gonna have to read it to see why she has that name), sister Helen (former nun) and sister in law Joyce (former Wall Street she-wolf) are hot on the trail of a killer. It's one big and VERY Italian family who would do anything to help each other and family isn't just those who you share blood with but also those whom you choice to be a part of that family. Chances are they will be giving Police Chief Vinnie (old family friend) a heart attack if they keep up their sleuthing but they are really quite good at it so why should they stop? These are all very colorful characters and there are even some recipes at the end including a vegan recipe because Jynx just wants her family to be healthy. On a side note I had no idea that Jalapeño vodka was even a flavor until I read this book. Not my usual style but definitely a page turner.

A delightful follow-up to Griffo's first installment in the series! The only reason I wouldn't recommend this particular title is because I would connect readers with the first in the series and allow them the opportunity to decide whether to continue.

This is the second book in the 'Ferrara Family Detective Agency' series and it was really enjoyable!

The characters were all well crafted by the author J D Griffo, with each one being very individual and having their own distinctive personalities and flaws. There were several good clues as to the identity of the perpetrator, but also some great red herrings to throw the reader off the scent. The plot was well written and I loved the author's style. With an excellent and fulfilling conclusion as well, I would definitely recommend MURDER IN TRANQUILITY PARK to other cozy readers. This was a five-star read for me!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Alberta and her granddaughter Jinx are jogging in the park when they find a tree house hidden in the trees with a dead body on the ground below. At first, they believe this was an accident but then some things are uncovered that just don't add up. So when the suspects are too close to home Alberta and Jinx with the help of family and friends set out to solve this murder. Can they solve it before they too end up hurt or dead?

This is the 2nd book in the series but my first book. I had no problem enjoying this book or following the storyline. The characters are interesting and have great chemistry. The storyline is well written and the mystery has several twists and turns along the way. This is a humorous fun cozy mystery. As a bonus for Italian food lovers, the book includes some recipes from Alberta’s kitchen.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

I liked this book. It was a quick read. It held my attention. I enjoyed the characters. I would recommend it to others.

This is book 2 in the Ferrara Family Mystery series and I enjoyed re-visiting Alberta, Jinx and the rest of the Scaglione family. This cross-generational set of sleuths have set up a family detective agency much to the displeasure of their cousin, the chief of police. Set in Tranquility, New Jersey Jinx is trying to get her grandmother Alberta into better shape. They are jogging through the park when they come across a dead body. It's not long before there is another body discovered and the Scaglione's are all hands on deck to find the murderer. Great characters for all age groups. Can be read as a stand alone story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This series is so fun. I love how close the women in the family are. I also like that each member plays an important role. Coming from a Sicilian family, I can relate to the characters and find humor in their sayings and actions.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Murder in Tranquility Park is just as much fun as Murder on Memory Lake, the first book in this series. The Ferrara Family are a hoot. A huge Italian family who stick together through thick and thin. After solving a murder, they have decided that they are a detecting agency and are all set to solve other crimes. I love Alberta and her granddaughter Jinx. They are great friends as well as relatives. Jinx has convinced Alberta to start taking care of herself, so out running one morning they stumble upon their next case. In Tranquility Park, under a tree house, they find a body. It looks like he died from an accidental fall, but Alberta's great observation skills open up the very real possibility that it was a murder.

I love how Alberta, her sister Helen, sister-in-law Joyce and Jinx all work together when there's a murder. This family is quite interesting as well as smart. You have a reporter, ex-nun, and a lawyer. They are a quirky group, and are they tenacious. In this book, Jinx's boyfriend Freddy and Alberta's boyfriend Sloan also get involved in the investigation. We meet some new characters as well as some familiar ones. Police Chief, Vinnie, once again allows the Ferrara family some leeway in investigating. When he was young, Alberta babysat him, so they had a relationship from the past. The plot was well-developed and the pace was quite quick. I was pretty sure I had figured out who the murderer was, but with one final twist, I was blown out of the water. The ending was quite tense and surprising. Having said all that, I really enjoyed this story. This was a very quick read that I enjoyed right from the beginning. If you enjoy a cozy with quirky characters, a quick story with a great mystery and ending, then pick up this book or the first in the series. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Phew! what a whirlwind of a book! I came to this series with this book and I am going to jump right back and read the first one as this was so good!

Alberta and her grandaughter Jinx are out jogging when the come across a dead body, the police assume that it is a case of misadventure (namely the man being drunk and falling out of the tree house he is under) but Alberta isn't so sure, when the tests come back she is proven to be correct as it appears that Jonas died from ingesting pesticide. That would be bad enough but when Nola (Jinx's flatmate) is arrested for the murder the Ferrara Family Detectives spring into action, then there is another murder and Nola is now in the frame for that as well and she will be going to trial very quickly - so the four Ferrara's need to step up their game and quickly to save Nola from ending up teaching from prison!

I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but I had no trouble at all getting to know the characters and the brief rundown on their lives, who they were, etc. I have to say I'm anxious now to read the first book just to read Alberta and crew's first case. They were such an awesome family, and I love how Alberta's granddaughter Jinx isn't just a granddaughter, the two are really good friends, even running buddies. Which was conveniently a good way to nearly trip over a dead body.

I love how Alberta, her sister Helen, sister-in-law Joyce and Jinx all work together when there's a murder. They even got Jinx's boyfriend Freddy and Alberta's boyfriend Sloan involved. The police chief was a friend of Berta's from school, so he was good about putting up with the amateur sleuths. Berta's line to him at the end was pretty cute, you'll have to read it. I was surprised in the twist at the end, because I was really sure one person had done this. Hadn't seen that coming at all, and the showdown was an exciting one. I hope this series continues, and in the meantime, I definitely want to read the first book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Ferrara Family Detective Agency has stumbled quite literally onto another case. Jinx has convinced her grandmother, Alberta Scaglione to exercise, in the form of jogging a few mornings a week. Their path leads them through scenic Tranquility Park. On the way into the park, Alberta notices a treehouse in one of the trees. On the way out of the park, she notices a body under the treehouse. They quickly determine the man is dead, but assume he has fallen to his death from the treehouse. Just in case they check out the scene thoroughly and call in the rest of their family before calling the police to inform them that, yes, there has been indeed another murder.

Chief Vinny D’Angelo is an old friend and will admit the ladies helped solve the last murder case but he orders them to stay out of this one. Seriously, he knows that is never going to happen because his friend “Alfie” is never going to back away from anything she has set her mind on doing. He just hopes and prays none of them gets hurt.

Mr. Griffo has created such wonderful characters. The Ferrara Family Detective Agency is made up of Alberta Marie Teresa Ferrara Scaglione, 64, a secret millionaire who inherited her home and her wealth from her Aunt Carmela. She is joined by her granddaughter Jinx, who has returned to the area to take a job at the local newspaper, her sister, the former nun, and her sister-in-law who has retired after working years on Wall Street. Together they love their Italian food unless cooked by Jinx, who tries to make their favorites no-carb and gluten-free, several flavors of vodka, and solving murders. These characters are likable, engaging, funny, and at times absolutely crazy. They all go to great lengths to get answers. The dialogue between these characters is priceless. Alberta’s Sicilian Catholic roots play heavily throughout the book. Each chapter starts with an Italian phrase and Italian runs through the dialogue but is always translated in a way that never slows the flow of the story.

The mystery turned out much more complex than I ever imagined. Jinx’s roommate is the police’s prime suspect but the evidence is just too tidy. There were many twists and turns that brought other suspects to light. It was when the second body is discovered that a few little tingles for my suspect cemented themselves in my mind. I just had to keep reading to see if I was right. The ending is very dramatic and scary but one part of it felt a little off to me. I think what happened was much more dangerous than even was portrayed.

Murder in Tranquility Park is a great addition to this series. The characters are fun and entertaining. I really enjoyed this story.

Cozy mystery with a family combining skills from the 65 year old grandmother, Alberta, to 25 year old granddaughter Jinx. In between are a sister (ex-nun Helen) and sister-in-law (Joyce). Vinny, now police chief for whom Alberta babysat and Nola, Zinx's roomy are also featured a second time.

Jinx has convinced Alberta that she needs some exercise to keep those old bones running smoothly and she and Gram begin by jogging very early in the morning only to discover a huge tree house neither had previously noticed in the small town park. On their way back they run to the tree house to further check it out and discover the body of well-known life-long occupant, Jonas.

The characters are very well developed ( this could function as a standalone) and each exhibit a whole host of personalities, from sweet and naive to biting but all work to create a well-paced narrative. Alberta is hardcore Sicilian Catholic and each new chapter heading is infused in beautiful Italian. Dialogue often borders on humorous with some innuendo enough to be fun and keep things light.

Lots of twists, turns, red herrings, but really you have your suspicions early on and it's a matter of just enjoying how the author lays out the investigation and the role each of the sisters play.

It's a fun, fast character-driven cozy mystery where the mystery is not forgotten and the theme of family value recurs often. I had a small problem with the conclusion and a couple of last twists into the climax you didn't see coming, so you can't guess it all (that and pushing disbelief with the gas pipe in a furnace room--uh, no...just, no).

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Easy to push right through this one and look for another. Recommended for cozy mystery fans looking for a slightly different, but very pleasant character.

An Italian-American grandmother, her granddaughter, her sister and sister-in-law band together to learn who murdered the town's handyman. This book combines Italian culture (food, language) with mystery. About a third of the way into the book, I found myself skipping over the lengthy descriptions to get to the storyline. It was a bit tedious to finish. There are a couple of twists in the story that are unexpected, especially the history of the person who committed the murder.

A clever cozy mystery. Family, friends, and murder. A walk in the park becomes so much more. Some surprises, especially near the end.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Feisty senior Alberta is back with her granddaughter Jinx, her sister and sister in law and assorted other characters. I liked her from the start. She is a lady who has come into her own later in life after passively accepting her life. She is smart, she is savvy and she is full of spunk.
She and her family are also very good at solving murders, much to the chagrin of her childhood friend Vinny who also happens to be the Chief of Police. Vinny who isn’t crazy about the amateur sleuthing is also not dumb. He sees the ladies as capable adjuncts to his own police force, albeit highly unorthodox. It is fascinating as the author weaves so many facets of Italian Catholic life into her stories. It helps humanize her characters and it is her characters that really move the stories.
That is not to say the mysteries are not good. From the death by treehouse of a local recluse and drunk and then the discovery of the body of a young police officer at the same place, the ladies are convinced that what seems an obvious slam dunk is wrong. They do not believe Jinx’s friend and roommate is the killer. All the signs point to her so if not her, who else.
I can honestly say the big reveal caught me by surprise. I did not see it coming. I certainly did not twig to the tangled web that led to it. However, once revealed, it all made a warped sort of sense. But it is Alberta and her senior accomplices who really make this series work for me. Bring on more.
Five purrs and two paws up.

To me this story was about family, and shows that you don’t have to be blood related to be family. I love the relationship between Grandmother Alberta and Granddaughter Jinx. I think that is what all grandmas wish for. This story has some sadness, some scary, some funny, some love, and some surprises. Oh, and secrets, can’t forget those. I liked the main characters and hope to visit with them again. When you have some “mature” sisters as stars of the show, you know it’s going to get interesting and I wasn’t disappointed. There are some yummy recipes included at the end of the book too. You might pick up a little Italian too while your enjoying the book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Murder in Tranquility Park by J.D. Griffo is the second book in the "Ferrara Family Mystery series."
In the first book of the series, Murder on Memory Lake, we met our protagonist Alberta Scaglione, a sixties age widow who inherited a fortune including her house on Memory Lake in Tranquility, New Jersey from a Aunt. Alberta was joined by her granddaughter, Jinx who is a reporter, and her sister Helen and sister in law Joyce who all get involved in the crime solving. This is a funny wonderful Italian Catholic family that is fun and entertaining with great repartee throughout each book. I really appreciate how the author has crafted such a likable smart savvy protagonist as Alberta in her 60's. Its quite refreshing to have a realistic protagonist.

Jinx and Alberta have taken up jogging in Tranquility Park only to once again find a dead body. This is not their first and as they already solved one murder case they begin to work on this investigation among themselves to piece together clues to find the murderer. The ladies work well together to find suspects and soon clues abound that steer them all in the right direction.

The Ferrara family are funny and good at solving crimes. They are very likable and I enjoyed returning to their small town of Tranquility . It fun to have them work together as a family to solve the mystery. The sleuth was well crafted and I enjoyed the clues to conclusion. Great laughs throughout are a delight. I look forward to further books in this series and returning to the fun and witty repartee. A 5 star cozy read. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.