I really enjoyed this book with its sometimes-funny scenes and great characters! Athena's sister ended up in jail for a murder she didn't commit, and it was pretty hilarious picturing her mom going to the jail with food then getting into it with the warden over said food.

I loved that Case was interested in Athena and thought they made a pretty good investigating team. He was amazing at how he could think on his feet and hide, just what a great investigator would do. There were quite a few suspects, and I got sucked into believing every one of them was guilty whenever they were discussed, but I apparently guessed whodunit before Athena did. The showdown was suspenseful and exciting, and everyone got to be a little bit of a hero. The ending of the book was really awesome (and a touch funny too!). I'm really excited to read the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

A Big Fat Greek Murder by Kate Collins is the second in her series. I have not read the first but look forward to. Even though I did not read the first book, A Big Fat Greek Murder was a fun read. Athena must clear her sister's name in the murder of a groom who was killed before the wedding. Brady was a jerk with a history of harrassing women at the gym. Athen again teams up with Case to investigate why her sister was framed and who actually killed Brady.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

A Big Fat Greek Murder, the second installment of Kate Collins’s Goddess of Greene Street series, is a madcap adventure featuring an intrepid heroine, a boisterous Greek family, and a twisty murder with a wedding party full of suspects.

Athena Spencer is helping to host a rehearsal dinner at her grandparents’ Greek diner, the Parthenon. The festivities take a downward turn, however, when the groom-to-be is MIA. The groomsmen are dispatched to find the missing man who, it turns out, has been murdered. Things go from bad to worse when Athena’s sister Selene, a replacement bridesmaid, is identified as the prime suspect. Knowing her sister could not have committed the crime, Athena vows to clear her name and find the real culprit.

This book is so much fun! Athena’s quirky, rambunctious, and supportive family provide laugh-out-loud humor and heartfelt emotion. Athena has become more comfortable in her role as amateur investigator. And Case Donnelly, her partner in crime-solving, has moved permanently to Sequoia, furthering their relationship. The groomsmen and bridesmaids prove an almost impenetrable bunch, with a mean-girl vibe that is hard to ignore. An ongoing subplot involving Athena’s secret life as the Goddess Anon, an anonymous blog writer, is an added bonus. Finally, the murder itself is replete with clues and red herrings, and the suspects, while finite, each hide secrets that could prove incriminating. When the perpetrator is revealed, the resolution is bittersweet.

Do I recommend A Big Fat Greek Murder? Wholeheartedly! And I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this enjoyable cozy mystery series.

Note: I received an ARC of A Big Fat Greek Murder from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

I love this series! I have read a lot of the Flower Shop Mystery series so I was excited to find this new series. I had not read the first one so I quickly devoured both of the books in the series. I really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to see where the story goes next! I found the writing very engaging and easy to read. Really good cozy mystery!

This is the second in this series of cozy mysteries featuring Athena, grown-up daughter of a huge Greek family who has moved back to her small lakeside hometown after a disastrous marriage. Mother to 10-year-old Niko, she is slowly rebuilding her life, working at her father’s garden centre and avoiding going out on dates with ‘nice Greek men’ her well-meaning mother tries to set her up with, while writing her popular blog, Goddess Anon.

Though I hadn’t read the first in the series, I don’t think it was too much of an issue; I had no problem following who was who. There’s a blossoming relationship between Athena and Case Donnelly, who apparently played a large part in the first book, and we didn’t get to know him all that well here, which might have been the one thing I regretted a little.

When her sister is obviously framed for the murder of her friend’s fiancé, there’s no way Athena is going to let the disinterest of the local police in looking elsewhere for a suspect go unchallenged. With Case’s help, she starts probing into the dead man’s background, determined to uncover the truth and clear her sister’s name.

As a mystery, this is pretty good; it holds together logically and there are plenty of both real clues and red herrings to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed Athena’s family and the dashes of Greek life; it felt very authentic. Honestly, I could have done without the blog part; it felt like a distraction, but a pretty minor one. Overall, I’m happy to give this five stars.

A Big Fat Greek Murder: A Goddess of Greene Street Mystery
By Kate Collins
Kensington
December 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

With over twenty installments of the charming Flower Shop mysteries under her belt, Kate Collins steers back into the adventures of Athena Spencer, first introduced in Statue of Limitations in a mystery that earned her the nickname Goddess of Greene Street. The former Chicago newspaper reporter is unexpectedly relishing her return home to Sequoia, Michigan, where she joins her many Greek relatives who run their family-owned business. While filling in when needed – which is often – at her father’s Spencer’s Garden center, Athena is just as frequently assisting at her grandparents’ Parthenon Greek diner. She’s in particular high demand when the groom of a wedding party being held at the diner goes missing, throwing the bride and all of the attendants into disarray. That Athena’s sister Selene happens to be one of the bridesmaids further draws in the family, especially when the groom is found dead and evidence directly implicates Selene.

Having previously helped out police despite their wishes, Athena is compelled to begin investigating both the wealthy bride’s family and the stabbed-to-death prospective groom. She’s assisted by former research specialist Case Donnelly, whom Athena recently accused of murder but is now an uncomfortably appealing love interest. While he is definitely preferable to the cascade of blind dates her mother insists on setting up before the single mother dried up and becomes too old, Case is just too handsome of charming for Athena’s comfort. When focusing back on her investigation, it doesn’t take long for them to discover that the late personal trainer Brady Rogers had a reputation for becoming a little too on-hands with his clients. It was a proclivity that may have played a role in his death as it garnered him contempt from his future brother-in-law, a vengeful stalking ex-client, and a number of unidentified exes.

New readers will have no trouble diving headfirst into this second of the series, which quickly re-introduces them to Athena’s eccentric and loving family. Athena and two of her sisters were named after Greek goddesses, while her youngest sibling does her best to live up to her prophetic Delphi namesake. Leaning back into her journalistic roots, Athena not-so-secretively writes a blog under the name Goddess Anon, where she vents about her over-involved huge Greek family and her mother’s matchmaking attempts. While the debut installment focused more on her father’s gardening supply store, here readers are treated to an abundance of Greek delicacies from the Parthenon. Descriptions of baklava, moussaka, and pastitsio are particularly mouth-watering, and they are signs of how the family shows love as much as they are a family business. In fact, Athena’s mother is willing to incite a riot over her cooking. The plot zips along as Athena and Case dine with bridesmaids, drink with an abrasive, overprotective twin, and dodge the attentions of Athena’s mother. Athena will have her hands full as she is further drawn into a mystery where the same man who could help her save her sister could also ultimately break her own heart. Readers will be as anxious as Athena to see where she goes next in this exuberant mystery that celebrates Greek culture, family, and of course food.

Athena returns with another murder to solve. The groom is killed before he can attend his rehearsal dinner. Athena’s sister Selena is jailed as the suspected killer. Athena teams with Case to solve this murder. Lots of fun solving this mystery. Wonderful characters and you can miss Athena’s secret blogs.

This was the second book in the series and while I always like to read my books in order, you don't have to. The author provides enough of a recap of the first book that even if you forgot everything that happened (like I did), you can read this and still enjoy it and be caught up. Good mystery, loved the cast of characters. Really fun story!

I am in the minority here, as compared to other reviewers on Goodreads. The overall crowd like this instalment better than the first. I, on the other hand, feel the first set a standard this did not quite meet up.
In the last book, we were introduced to our leading lady who is now living with her large extended family and dealing with everything that includes. Athena is settling into her new roles when her sister is made suspect number one for murder. It is the flimsiest connection that holds the two together. Athena sets off to clear her sister's name with the man who barged into her life (initiating the ensuing chaos), and she(Athena) now has feelings for. The plotline is well done, and I never saw the ending coming ( or I did, then convinced myself that that was not really possible). The writing is still smooth, and the narrative voice is hugely entertaining. I wanted more of Oscar the racoon or the random banter between the family members. They were the highlights of the book and eclipsing Athena's detective skills and the dangers she was undertaking.
I am still not convinced of the lead couple in this series although I am willing to wait and see what happens. I was more intrigued by the secondary couple, which Athena took too long to confirm! I still wanted more of the anonymous blog, although I am not sure what turns it will take since there are a lot of relationship changes towards the end. I would suggest reading this for the fun characters and witty banter and given the way things ended, I wonder what will happen next with everyone involved.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. The review is entirely based on my own reading experience with this and the previous instalment of the series.

A Big Fat Greek Murder was such a fun cozy mystery! Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the e-book.

This is the second book in the Goddess of Greene Street Mystery series, following Athena Spencer—a single mom working to get back on her feet after a divorce who somehow finds herself adding detective to her resume! The supporting cast was excellent in this book, I especially loved the family banter between Athena and her sisters, parents, and grandparents. The other secondary characters also had roles but it never felt like there were too many storylines or that characters were only serving filler roles.

The mystery element kept my attention and was twisty enough (I really didn’t know “whodunit” until the final reveal)!

I have not read the first in this series yet, but definitely want to now and will be keeping my eyes out for future additions. Some of the storylines that I felt weren’t quite resolved will likely turn up in those.

Wedding bells should soon be ringing for Mandy and Brady. All the members of the wedding party are gathered at the Parthenon restaurant, owned by Athena Spencer's grandparents. Her sister, Selene is one of the bridesmaids. Everyone is ready to sit down to enjoy the meal and toast the future bride and groom but Brady is a no-show. When he fails to answer his phone his friends go to his apartment and find that he had a good reason for not answering - he's very dead and the murder weapon? Selene's haircutting scissors are imbedded in his back. Mandy is quick to accuse Selene of killing him and it will take all of Athena's investigative talents to figure out who hated him enough to change wedding bells to death knells. The list of suspects turns out to be a long one and it includes the bride and her brother for a start.
Spending time with this warm and colorful Greek family is a great stress reliever. Athena juggles being a single mother after her divorce. After she loses her job and returning home to her family she works at the family garden center, sometimes helps out at the Parthenon and secretly writes a very popular blog about a Greek family. There is even a touch of a budding romance with Case. Plus there is a cute raccoon. As for the mystery itself, it is well crafted and kept me looking in the wrong direction for the killer. I have no idea what the next book is titled nor when it will be published but I already have it on my TBR list as Kate Collins/Greek #3.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Athena is a secret blogger who dreams of romance in between working as a landscape consultant at the family diner/garden centre.
Normally the Greek diner is a happy place, but not today. The groom to be had not turned up for his pre-wedding rehearsal dinner.
Athena and her two sisters, Selene and Maia, do what they can, but two groomsmen rush it, Brady has been stabbed at his apartment,
Worse, Selene’s hairdressing scissors were used as the murder weapon.
Soon Athena is racing to discover who killed Brady and to clear her sister’s name.
It soon becomes apparent that the bride, her brother, the bridesmaid and at least one of his many girlfriends had very good reason for preventing the wedding. But who killed him?
Written in the first person, this mystery is a delight, with a warm family voice, delicious food and plenty of suspects.

A Big Fat Greek Murder is the second book in the Goddess of Green Street mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Athena Spencer. Following a divorce, Athena has recently moved back to her hometown of Sequoia, Michigan with her ten year old son to be closer to her large Greek family. Athena splits her time helping out at the her family's garden center and the Greek diner run by her grandparents. Athena is also the writer of an anonymous blog centered around her loud, boisterous family, a secret only her father and Case know about. Athena is helping at a rehearsal dinner hosted at her grandparent's diner, the Parthenon, when things take a deadly turn. After the groom fails to appear, the groomsmen set out in search for him, only to discover him dead in his apartment. It appears he has been stabbed with a pair of scissors, a pair of scissors that belong to Athena's sister Selene. After further evidence is uncovered linking Selene to the victim, Athena puts all of her amateur sleuthing skills to the test to prove her sister's innocence.
As a long time fan of Kate Collins' flower shop mystery I was excited to jump into another of her mystery series. Once again she has proven adept at creating large, loving, if a bit overbearing families that any reader would love to be a part of. Athena's family interact in such a comical manner, adding a delightful dose of humor and love to the story. Each member of the large group is a uniquely quirky and carefully curated character that come together to form a wonderful cast of supporting characters. The mystery itself is expertly paced with plenty of suspects and numerous twists that will have you guessing until the end. I highly recommend A Big Fat Greek Murder for those looking for a well written mystery with some much needed laughter for these troubling times.

A Big Fat Greek Wedding is the second book of the A Goddess of Greene Street Mystery series.

Athena Spencer has returned to her hometown of Sequoia, MI, along with her ten-year-old son. Her family owns a garden center, and Athena works there. Her grandparents own a nearby restaurant, The Parthenon, where this story begins.

The Parthenon is hosting Mandy and Brady’s wedding rehearsal dinner and Athena’s sister, Selene, is a bridesmaid. The dinner is about to be served when and the groom hasn’t arrived yet. Calls to his phone go unanswered, and soon the groomsmen leave for his apartment. A short time later, the party will learn that Brady has been found dead. Soon, Mandy is accusing Selene of having an affair with Brady and of murdering him. When the police determine that the scissors used to kill Brady were Selene’s hairdressing scissors and that Selene had had a bad experience with Brady, the police will arrest her for his murder.

Athena knows that her sister isn’t a killer, and she will team up with Case Donnelly, who has returned to town, to hunt down the killer.

Like all of Ms. Collins’s books, the story is well-written and plotted. The characters are well developed and believable. I particularly liked Athena’s sister Delphi, who claims to have psychic abilities; whether she is or not, her readings are enjoyable. And the pet raccoon is a special edition.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I will be watching for the next book in this delightful series.

A Big Fat Greek Murder is a fun second novel, brimming with disorder in the mystery series by Kate Collins, featuring single mum Athena Spencer. Although I haven't yet read book one, Statue of Limitations, I don’t think this spoilt my enjoyment of this particular instalment.

Protagonist Athena was great as were her boisterous Greek family. There was humour by the bucket-load and the opening chapters drew me into the story capturing my attention immediately. I was never bored as there was so much going on and the mystery itself was well thought out with enough misdirection to puzzle over the perpetrator's identity and motive. With oodles of mouthwatering food references and chatter at the family's restaurant, Parthenon, there was plenty to keep the reader entertained. The book had a natural, steady pace and I was totally engrossed until the reveal. Reading A Big Fat Greek Murder was a great way to while away a few lockdown hours and discover a new-to-me author, and I am now looking to read the first novel in the series as well as eagerly awaiting the third instalment. A highly recommended, quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.

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

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonpublishingcompany for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This second book in the Goddess of Greene Street starts out with a bang. The entire Spencer family is pitching in to host a wedding rehearsal dinner at the Parthenon. The bride to be is anxious when the groom does not show. Two groomsmen find him dead in his apartment and Athena's sister, Selene , is the prime suspect.

Oh how I love this boisterous family! They are loud, nosy and absolutely lovable. You just know that they will not sit by and let Selene be railroaded for something she didn't do.

I was pleased that Athena's relationship with Case is moving in a positive direction. I think he is grounding for her although she does not always listen to him.

The murder suspects were varied and all had good reason to kill the obnoxious womanizing groom. I vacillated between two that I felt were pretty strong contenders. I was hoping that it was a character I majorly disliked but to no avail. The culprit ended up having a sad story.

I love the description of the food in this book and was most happy to find a recipe for butter cookies. Food and family are so intertwined. I really appreciate that in a book.

I enjoyed this book so much and look forward to the next one in the series.

A Big Fat Greek Murder by Kate Collins is the 2nd book in A Goddess of Greene St. Mystery Series, and it was great. I have never read the Flower Shop Mysteries by this author, but I better give them a try. So many books, so little time. Athena Spencer returns home to Michigan, after her divorce, and to her big crazy Greek family and the garden center and Parthenon restaurant they own. When a groom ends up dead, and Athena's sister is a suspect, Athena is determined to find the truth. I really enjoyed this book with quirky characters, action and romance. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to all cozy mystery lovers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A very well written cozy mystery. Good plot and character dynamics. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

This is the second book in the new "Goddess Of Greene Street" series by cozy author Kate Collins. This is such a fun series that I highly recommend. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

In this fun next in series our protagonist Athena is working at her families nursery and their Greek diner while adjusting to that change in her life. Her family are big charcters and very funny in this series. She also has a pet raccoon which is a funny addition to the series. The author writes so well of each charcters that I found myself laughing out loud and enjoying this book cover to cover. Its like reading the book version of A Big Fat Greek Wedding and just as fun.,

Her boisterous family has been hired to host a rehearsal dinner at a local Greek hall. When the groom is murdered with a pair of scissors Athena and her family are sure to solve this murder as one of her sisters is suspected . Athena joins with her romantic interest for help in piecing together clues and soon finds red herrings abound.

I loved this next in series that kept me guessing to conclusion. This series is a winning cozy series with great charcters and lots of laughs for every reader.

Athena Spencer finds herself trying to find time to juggle her job, motherhood, family and possible romance but when her sister Selene is arrested for murder finding the true murderer becomes a top priority. The hardest part is that there are too many people that had cause to murder the victim.

Author Kate Collins is one of the main reasons I got hooked on cozies years ago. So when I saw she had a new series I jumped at the chance to read this book. I was not disappointed. The family dynamics are funny yet loving, the under current of romance interesting and of course the multifaceted mystery enjoyable. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.