Long Island Iced Tina by Maria DiRico (Catering Hall Mystery #2) 5 stars

A new book following "Here Comes The Body", we see Mia Carina, who helps to run Belle View Banquet Manor getting a booking for a baby shower for her friend, Nicole Karras-Whitman. Nicole's grandmother and mother are paying for the shower. There is a lot of drama with Nicole's mom, Linda, her ex-husband Ron and the new wife, Tina at the party. A stolen painting is listed as a gift from Tina and the police arrive to retrieve the stolen item. Later, Mia finds a body near the catering hall, it is Tina. Linda is a prime suspect due to an argument at the shower. So to help her friend Nicole, Mia needs to figure out who killed Tina.

The mystery was really great. I confess I didn't read "Here Comes The Body", but it will jump to the top of the TBR pile. Mia Carina is a wonderful character and the rest of the Carina family entertains. The premise is that Mia's dad was a member of the Boldano Crime Family. The Family gives him the catering hall to satisfy a gambling debt with orders to run it as a legitimate enterprise. Mia needs the catering hall to be a success in order to prevent her father from going to prison again. What makes this book a joy is the sassy dialogue, the close knit characters and the background of various crime families. Organized crime is more light in this series and avoids all the grim aspects. The plot was action packed with plenty of funny scenes. The author, Maria DiRico aka Ellen Byron is a great writer and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Mia Carina is thrilled for her friend Nicole, who is expecting her first baby. Nicole has chosen Mia’s catering hall, Belle View, as the location for one of her baby showers. Despite Mia’s best efforts, the baby shower is interrupted by a fight between Nicole’s mother and step-mother. Then, one of Nicole’s presents turns out to be a valuable painting stolen years before. Things only get worse when Mia finds the body of a shower guest the next morning. Is the murder linked to the painting?

I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one was great as well. The painting added a fun element to the mystery, and I really enjoyed seeing how that played out. The mystery had some great zigs and zags along the way. The climax was a bit complicated, but I was able to think it through, and it did make sense. All the characters were wonderful, with some interesting growth for the series regulars. Mia’s grandmother provides a very funny sub-plot, and there are other great moments of humor throughout the book. At the end, we get four recipes and a hit for hosting events yourself. The series is set in Queens, and Mia’s family is involved in the mob. Even so, this is most definitely still a cozy series. Grab some ice tea and enjoy this delightful book.

What a great story!! Long Island Iced Tea book 2 is even better than book 1 if that is even possible.

In this instalment, we find Mia's friend Nicole pregnant and planning a baby shower.. However, she must attend first to attend another shower. Sure enough, there is a body and trouble and danger are near.

Love the way Mia's character is portrayed. All the other characters are also well-crafted. Overall, the story is funny and quite enjoyable.

And the best are the recipes, jummy.

This is a winner!!

Mia Carina is back in the borough of Queens—in charge of the family catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, and keeping her nonna company. But some events—like murder—are not the kind you can schedule . . .

Mia’s newly pregnant friend Nicole plans to hold a shower at Belle View—but Nicole also has to attend one that her competitive (and mysteriously rich) stepmother, Tina, is throwing at the fanciest place in Queens. It’s a good chance for Mia to snoop on a competitor, especially since doing a search for “how to run a catering hall” can get you only so far.

Mia tags along at the lavish party, but the ambience suffers at Nicole’s Belle View shower when a fight breaks out—and then, oddly, a long-missing and valuable stolen painting is unwrapped by the mom-to-be. Tina is clearly shocked to see it. But not as shocked as Mia is when, soon afterward, she spots the lifeless body of a party guest floating in the marina . . .
Amazon.com

I’m disappointed I missed the debut book in this series, Here Comes the Body, but I was easily able to pick up the backstory in Long Island Iced Tina, the second book in the series. Maria DiRico is a pseudonym for Ellen Byron. This series is different from her Cajun/Bayou series set in Louisiana, but the central theme of family remains the same. It’s a great theme, universal, and showcases the beauty and warts that go along with family.

Mia Carina’s main goal in life at the moment is to keep her father, Ravello, from going back into the slammer. He’s done time, as her brother is now doing. They are associated with the mob, but they are trying to go straight by operating Belle View Banquet Manor, a clean venue. But as an ex-con, her father is always first on the suspect list.

There’s a lot of unresolved backstory within these books—a remote (in more ways than one) mother who lives in Italy, an ex who supposedly drowned but whose body wasn’t recovered, a brother soon to get out of jail, and a stalled romance. All keep Mia’s life interesting or fraught, but that’s for the books that follow.

Please welcome Maria DiRico to WWK! E. B. Davis

Where in NYC is Astoria? Or perhaps it isn’t in the city? Is this an Italian neighborhood?
Astoria is in the New York City borough of Queens. Decades ago, it was a predominately Italian neighborhood, then it segued into being more of a Greek neighborhood, and now’s it’s wonderfully multi-cultural.

Mia’s friend Nicole is having a baby. Nicole’s maternal grandmother wants to have a shower at Belle View. The problem is that Nicole’s parents split up. Her mother, Linda, magnanimously insists on inviting step-monster, Tina, to the shower. For that reason, Nicole’s grandmother insists pasta puttanesca be served. What’s the story on pasta named for whores? Legend has it that this particular sauce was created by prostitutes in a Neapolitan bordello during WWII. While this has become widely accepted as the sauce’s genesis, many culinary experts dispute it. But they haven’t come up with a better story, lol.

Tina decides to upstage the Belle View shower and have another shower for her at a tony venue, Versailles on the Park, an upscale rival of Belle View. Is the building real, the park?
It’s not, but it’s inspired by a real venue called Terrace on the Park, which is housed in the old heliport from the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park. Terrace on the Park looks nothing like the venue I created in the book, though.

Mia has a cat, named Doorstop, and a pet parakeet. She lets it fly in her apartment even though la cacca happens (why is that word feminine?). Is she nuts? Lol! She lets her parakeet Pizzazz fly around the room because the bird is based on my zia and zio’s bird, Tweetie, who they let fly around their home, which is literally where Mia lives in the series. I used to have a great photo of Tweetie perched on the head of Zia Rose’s Virgin Mary figurine in her bedroom. I’d give anything to find that picture.

Mia’s grandmother makes Italian sausage on scrambled eggs topped with fried onions and peppers for breakfast. Maria says she’ll have a salad for lunch, but ends up with pasta. How does she not get fat? Oh, her pants are definitely getting tighter. That’s why she sometimes bikes to work. To burn off calories.

Is it true that brick homes in Astoria were built with words or pictures hidden in the brick? I honestly don’t know if those particular homes were built that way, but this is based on apartment buildings in the Bronx or Mount Vernon that my family used to drive by on our way from Westchester County to Astoria to visit Nonna and my cousins. The Italian masons who built the apartments included little designs with bricks. My mother pointed them out to me once, and I’ve kept an eye out for them ever since.

Jamie Boldano is a childhood friend since his father is head of the Family. Jamie and Mia are attracted to each other, but have sworn off romance, at least Jamie has. His girlfriend is Connecticut waspy, and he longs for a home in the countryside. Is he rebelling from his upbringing or does he truly want to change who he is? A little of both. At this point in his life, though, I think Jamie generally seeks a different type of life more than he’s rebelling against what he grew up with.

When the shower takes place at Belle View, a fight between mother Linda and stepmother Tina ensues in the ladies’ room, and then a stolen painting appears as a gift. Later, Mia finds a body in the marina harbor that Belle View overlooks. It wasn’t until Mia starts investigating the murder that I appreciated slacker employee, Cammie Dianopolis. Why is she vital when she barely works? I love writing Cammie because there’s way more to her than meets the eye. She absolutely does her job, although she keeps her tasks to a minimum. But that’s the deal the Boldanos agreed to. She’s also an invaluable ear to Mia. And even better, she can manipulate her detective ex-husband into sharing information Mia would never be able to get otherwise.

Are Greeks and Italians sequestered in the same neighborhood? Yes, along with many other cultures now, as well.

How did a corpse get buried without shoes? Why is Mia’s grandmother intent on sending extra shoes along to heaven in another body’s coffin? This is real!! Mom and I were visiting Nonna once when the story came up. Nonna told Mom in Italian. I only picked up a few words of it – they spoke a dialect and my Italian was never great – and when I asked Mom to translate, she said the husband of one of Nonna’s friends appeared to his widow in her dreams telling her he was buried without shoes. So they put a pair in the coffin of another pisane to send up to him. My mother has absolutely no memory of this, but I can recall exactly where she and Nonna were in Nonna’s living room when she told me!

Why do women TV weather professionals, who often have advance meteorology degrees, have to dress like sluts? I don’t know!! I live in Los Angeles, and on the secondary stations, it’s jaw-dropping what not only the weatherwomen but some of the anchorwomen wear.

Mia visits her brother Posi in jail. Why does she seek his opinion? Is he older? Yes, he’s two years older. Since he’s got a criminal past – and present – he’s a good source for insight into how criminals think and plan. Plus, he was in much deeper with the Family than she was, so he can provide Mia with insights into the Boldanos that she lacks.

Who were the Westies? The Westies were a violent Irish gang that operated mostly in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan during the 1960s-80s. They were active when I was living in the city. I even lived in Hell’s Kitchen for several months. A lot of actors I knew lived there too, because it was cheap, and some of the Westies would hang out at the dive bars we also hung out at.

Now that Mia’s solved that murder, will she ever learn to drive? Yup!

What’s next for Mia? IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MURDER launches in November 2021, and as you can guess, it’s Christmas-themed. A secret about Jamie’s birth is revealed, setting the wheels in motion for murder. Meanwhile, the neighborhood competes for the most extreme Christmas decorations, causing a battle between some senior citizen mean girls and Nonna’s crew. It involves the most coveted holiday display piece of all – Tony Bennett-Santa, an animatronic Tony Bennett dressed as Santa who croons holiday tunes. Tony Bennett is a native son of Astoria. My mom went to high school with him, although he was a year older. I met him and his wife once. Lovely people.

There is family and then there is Family. Fun Italian mob references, but they aren't really the bad guys in this tale. Other individuals up to nefarious art stealing deeds, along with murder. Funny and engaging story. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher.

This series is so cute and book 2 is even better than. Book 1 I love Mia and her nonna and entire Family.

Book 2 finds Mia attending her best friend Nicole’s baby shower at another venue - being hosted by said friends step mother Tina followed by a second shower at Belle View where a stolen painting appears Fast forward a few days and Tina the step monster is found dead floating in the water behind Mia’s venue.

Start the list of suspects who wanted Tina dead - primarily Nicoles parents. Now it’s up to Mia to solve the mystery and find other suspects for the police to investigate - which not only includes the murder of Tina - the step mother but a stole. Art collection

This book is so cute and perfect for a lazy weekend read.

I gave this book 5 stars - based on the cuteness and interesting plot and character development.

I love how the author is developing the character of Mia and the Family dynamics

Can’t wait for next book

Thank you Netgalley, Maria DiRico and Kensington for the ARC of Long Island Iced Tina. This is my personal review.
Long Island Iced Tina is the second book in the Catering Hall Mysteries.
This book is as good if not better than the first in the series. It is full of wonderful characters and lots of everything fun, friends, family, and of course mystery.
Mia is running the business and when the murder happens, she knows she must figure out who was guilty to save her business.
When I finished this book, I knew the next book in the series could not get be published fast enough.

This is the 2nd in the Catering Hall Mystery series. Mia Carina is the daughter of a former “mob” associate who has been to jail several times and her older brother Posi is currently in a local correctional facility. Mia’s father Ravello is running Belle View Banquet Manor for the Boldano family and it is a legitimate business and Mia is planning on it staying that way. Her father is dating and everyone is giving Mia grief about not dating but she only came back recently to Queens after living in Florida and her ex-husband disappeared and she was a suspect. She is not ready to date. Well tell that to her Grandmother and her friends who are all becoming great grand-parents. Mia’s friend Nicole is expecting her first child and her grandmother contact Mia about having a shower at Belle View. The only issue is Nicole’s parents are divorced and her Dad Ron has remarried and Tina is a step-monster and many other nasty Italian names. Nicole’s mother Linda wants Tina involved and is trying to keep the peace. Tina throws a lavish baby shower at a competing hall and Mia hopes that the low key event at Belle View will go down without a hitch. Only issue is Tina and Mia’s grandmother get into a fight and Linda gets involved when Tina jokes that the grandmother will be dead before long. Everyone agrees to keep this from Nicole and as the final gifts are opened a final gift is addressed to Tina and is a famous painting that was stolen 20 years ago. Tina faints and the police are called. Unfortunately the next day Tina is found dead floating in the water outside Belle View and once again Mia feels she must try and find out who did as first Linda and then Ron become suspects. I really liked this story as it kept me engaged the entire time and I liked the way Mia went about her investigating and she kept the police in the loop and really tried not to take any crazy chances. The family is so great and I just love her grandmother Elisabetta and the ending with the new employee is too funny. Cannot wait for the next installment.

Mia Carina is trying to give her best friend the most memorable baby shower possible and when murder makes the event unforgettable, Mia has to uncover a murderer before she becomes the next victim!

The mystery was so much fun to read! It kept me guessing and I loved all the "twists and turns" and "red herrings". Mia is coming into her own with Belle Vie. I enjoy seeing her gain confidence in her business and sleuthing skills. There are so many wonderful supporting characters - Mia's father and grandmother, the neighbors, her "crush" Jamie and the staff at Belle Vie keep me grinning. I also like the addition of the members of the "Family" and the characters who made up Mia's father's world before he went legit. The author makes New York and all its burroughs come alive which adds to the enjoyment of the series!

I was completely wrong about "whodunit" and I loved it! I'm looking forward to another visit to the Big Apple with Mia and her crew!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Mia Carina is helping her former mobster father go legitimate by helping him run the Belle View Banquet Manor in Queens, New York. One of Mia’s best friends is having a baby and Nicole’s mother and grandmother throw her a baby shower at Belle View. Things are going great until Nicole’s grandmother and her flamboyant stepmother Tina get into a shouting match in the bathroom that Nicole’s mother has to break up. Then Nicole gets a strange shower gift that flusters her usually overconfident stepmom. Things get even worse when soon afterwards Mia discovers TIna’s dead body in the bay in front of Belle View. Mia is determined to prove that nobody in Nicole’s family was responsible for Tina’s death and also keep the Carina name free from another scandal.

This is the second book in the Catering Hall Mystery series. I loved the first book, but you can enjoy this book even if you haven’t read it. I love all the references to Mia’s father’s former life in the mob and that some of the people Mia deals with still have some underworld connections. The book is populated with colorful characters, both in Mia’s family and in “The Family.” Mia is an engaging character who is trying to make the banquet hall a success and keep her dad out of trouble. She also has an Italian grandmother to keep out of trouble, too, and their relationship is both sweet and funny. Mia also hangs around with Jamie Boldano, who is the son of a mob boss but isn’t in the “business.” There was a lot of chemistry between Mia and Jamie in the first book and in this book, they discuss whether their friendship could be more.

In addition to the interesting characters, I like that this cozy mystery takes place in New York City. It gives a different vibe than the majority of cozies that are set in small towns. The plot involving the “step-monster”, Tina, becomes surprisingly complex as the story continues. I like that Mia’s father, Ravello, is able to use his insights into the criminal mind, to give her important clues that help solve the case. The book is a fun, quick read that is full of humor. The scenes between Mia and her family come across as very authentic. As expected in a cozy set in a catering center, the book ends recipes of a few of the dishes that are mentioned in the story. If I was a better cook, I would love to try making the cannoli cake! A new character is introduced at the very end that could really shake things up in the next book. Fans of Rosie Genova, Victoria Abbott, or The Cajun Country mysteries which are written by DiRico under the name Ellen Byron, will enjoy this book. I am already looking forward to the next one in this great series.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

You wouldn't think a baby shower gift would lead to murder but gosh- Mia is involved and so there you are. The daughter of a recovering Mafia boss, she helps run a catering hall in Queens but this time the murder happens at the more upscale show being thrown for Mia's BFF Nicole. There's a missing painting that reappears, family dynamics, and lots of other stuff for Mia to wade through to get to the truth. I have to admit that I like this series (and this is only the second one so it's fine as a standalone) more for Mia's relationships with her dad, her gonna, her cat, her friends, and for the general atmospherics of a catering hall in Queens. It's a hoot without going too far. AND, she's sort of letting go of her ex and there's a hint of a possible new love interest this time out (no spoilers). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun cozy read. OH- and there are recipes!

Second book in the Catering Hall mystery written by Maria DiRico, was wonderful.

The title was perfect. Long Island Iced Tina is a clue to who the murder victim is.

Mia Carina is responsible for the Catering Hall business to help her father go straight.

Synopsis:

Mia's Catering Hall business is growing fast. We see the dynamics of Mob families and relatives who are trying to go straight. Mia's organizing a baby shower for her friend Nicole. Meanwhile, they have to deal with Nicole;s nonna and the Italian families who HATES the step mother. Unfortunately, when the step mother is murdered, the police looks at the wrong suspects. Mia knew them growing up and she sets out to find the real killer. We meet characters like Castor and the Art Collectors.

My notes:
I was lucky to get a chance to review this book from the Kensington Books publishers and NetGalley. It is always a treat to read books by Ellen Byron / Maria Di Rico.. This is my honest review. This is a light cozy mystery set in contemporary times. I flew through the story. I could follow the story. The supporting characters are likable.

CW: There are guns in the story.

I wasn't sure I'd like this series. Mia and her family are part of The Family. I found the characters to be likeable. My favorite has to be Mia's father, Ravelle, who is trying to stay on the straight path. Of course, everytime a body shows up, Ravelle has to provide an alibi due to his past. This time around the victim is the stepmother of Mia's friend, Nicole. Tina does her best to show up Nicole's mother, Linda, at the baby shower. Linda says a few things that she shouldn't to Tina. That leads to Linda becoming the number one suspect when Tina is pulled from the bay near the catering hall. Mia uses her talent and connections to solve not only Tina's murder, but also a crime that her Family was accused of committing but didn't do.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

With Mafia family ties, the Carina’s are determined to keep Belle View Banquet Manor in Queens legit, afloat, and out of the headlines. But that is hard when the body of Mia Carina’s best friend’s step-mother, Tina, is found floating just off their back deck in Flushing Bay.

Nicole’s mother and grandmother were looking to host a tasteful baby shower. But when step-mother Tina shows up, arguments break out, a mysterious gift appears, and Mia determined to save her business, is off to the proverbial races to solve this murder before her family name hits the papers. Add in a competing venue that may be hiding something, Nicole’s father accused of murder, secrets revealed, an art heist, shoes needing to find their owner, and a long-simmering flirtation finally squashed.

Usually, cozy mysteries are a slow monotonous single note from start to finish, but not so with the Catering Hall Mysteries from Maria DiRico. There are multiple plots, entertaining interactions (yes, Nonna I am talking to you), neighbors, friends, family (some with the capital F), food, and co-workers, turning this into a fun series that I hope will continue for years to come.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It was a cozy but so different from other cozies as it is not a quaint, small town setting - it's a big city with big city crime and mentions family members being connected and in prison; it's the life she was born into and it works well. The characters were all loveable and quirky and the food made my mouth water. I will definitely continue with this series.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#LongIslandIcedTina #NetGalley

This is the second installment in this series and I think this one is better than the first. This book can be read as a standalone but reading from the beginning makes things so much more interesting. Mia is drawn into another murder investigation when another dead body is found at her family’s catering hall. The dead woman was so disliked that she was referred to as the stepmonster. There certainly isn’t a lack of suspects in her murder. Mia’s challenge is to keep the catering hall afloat, keep a nosy reporter from writing that the Mob and Mia’s family are involved in the murder, investigate a twenty year old art heist and figure out who had the biggest reason to want Tina Karras dead.

This is a well written mystery with an interesting cast of characters. The mystery itself is well constructed and keeps you guessing. The underlying theme of a family with mob ties struggling to run a legitimate business makes this series unique.

This is a series that I am enjoying with the Queens setting and likable, somewhat funny characters and a great mystery to solve. Mia Carina and dad, Ravello, Mob lieutenant, on a straight path, are working hard to make the Family owned catering hall, Bell View Banquet Manor, a success. Mia lives with her Nonna Elisabetta, after a failed marriage. Elisabetta's answer to all problems is food, yummy sounding Italian food. Her brother Posi is serving a prison sentence and her mom is not in the picture. Mia's friend Nicole is pregnant and Bell View hosts one of the showers where her stepmonster mother gives a gift that she really did not give, a stolen painting, but it is apparently some sort of warning that only she understands. When her body is later found behind Bell View, Nicole's mom is a prime suspect having been seen arguing with the deceased. Mia sets out once more to solve a murder mystery where someone close to her is a suspect. This is a complicated mystery to unravel as it appears to be possibly linked to an old crime. This series is funny with the Italian seniors and their quirky antics that keep it light while the Italian Mob Family keeps it interesting. There are some new and recurring wacky employees at the hall and an irritating reporter that add side issues as does an old friendship that Mia has to figure out if she wants it to be more. I highly recommend it for a good cozy read.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

“Long Island Iced Tina " is the 2nd instalment in the A Catering Hall Mystery series by Maria DiRico. This is the first book I have read in the series and it can be read as a standalone but I wish I had read book one.
I loved Mia and her Nonna, but the side characters are also just as engaging, and funny. I have friends that come from big Italian families and this was how it was at their homes.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, I found myself guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I couldn’t put the book down, read it in a few hours.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends and I can’t wait for book three!


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Good plot and character dynamics. Lots of quirky characters. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

This book made me laugh with all the antics that seems to follow Mia in her search for a killer, quickly becoming a page-turner as I could not put it down until all was said and done. The cleverly written story has the ingredients that made for a solid whodunit, an intriguing mystery plot, an abundance of quirky characters, engaging dialogue, and the urban jungle of New York as a background which included rides on the subway and utilizing car service. All to keep me immersed in all aspects as I follow along with what she has intended for the latest thrills and exploits of one Messina Carina. The pacing was on par with how well this tale was being told with plenty of suspects, clues nestled in between forays across the city, a bit of comical relief, and a few red herrings, all to enhance my reading pleasure. Overall, a delightful entertaining read, and I can’t wait for more exciting times with the Carina family and their friends.