Another solid outing for Maria DiRico/Ellen Byron. MIa finds herself embroiled in another mystery when her best friend's evil stepmonster is murdered at her baby shower held in the catering hall Mia manages. Overall it was an entertaining story but I felt a bit of a disconnect with Mia, a first for me when reading any of this author's books which is why I didn't give it all five stars.

I didn't read the first in the A Catering Hall Mystery series, but I thoroughly enjoyed 'Long Island Iced Tina'. The premise of mob family offspring struggling to make it in the world of legitimate business is fodder for cultural delights and laugh out loud fun. The mystery was actually very intriguing to me and kept me guessing until the end. There is a bit of a pleasant cliff hanger that has me anxious for the next in the series. I hope it come soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Dare I say it… I think Long Island Iced Tina by Maria DiRico may be even better than Here Comes the Body, the first book in the Catering Hall Mysteries. I love when this happens!

I can’t say that having a mob family in a cozy hasn’t been done before, but DiRico does it so well. The family dynamics read as true for an Italian family, and where this series really shines is in the character development. The elders in the family and community trying to show each other up makes for some interesting scenes. And the mission to deposit a pair of shoes into a casket had me amused. I think getting together Stephanie Plum’s grandma and Mia’s would be a hoot.

DiRico went in a different direction with the love angle, which I really enjoyed. I hate when they drag on in cozies, but I think how it was handled was great and I am excited to see how Mia handles having to be friends with the three other people involved… I really want to say more, but don’t want to give any spoilers. And I think the new hire at the end is going to really add some great scenes in future books.

As for the mystery… it was a heist. I love heists!!! I’ve seen The Italian Job and all the Ocean’s (8, 11, 12, & 13) numerous times… so I really appreciated that DiRico used a heist in the story. And I really liked how she had the Family help confirm her suspicions. It was a great way to incorporate more of the mob into the story.

The Catering Hall Mysteries is one series that I make sure to keep up to date with so I know as soon as the next book is coming out. I highly recommend that you give it a shot.

Loved reading this book and series. I highly recommend this author if you haven't read her books before. Im looking to the next book in the series.

This series is absolutely delightful. The characters, their back stories, and the mystery. This story takes us on a whirlwind of a journey with the mystery, and the side plots are a thing of beauty. This series is really starting to hit its stride and I cannot wait for more!

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it even more than the first one.
I liked the solid interesting characters and the premise of a catering hall as the family business. The family’s mafia connections is an entertaining addition to the story.
The whodunit was well written and kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I loved this book. Mia works on solving a murder while running her family business. She navigates her family issues, friendships etc. Lots of things happening in this books. It will keep your interest til the end and you will be wanting more.

Running a banquet hall in the shadow of LaGuardia Airport is a challenge for Mia Carina, but when a body floats into the picture. Mia needs to investigate. The victim is the stepmother of her friend Nicole. At another shower Nicole’s mother and Tina are overheard having a huge argument. Tina tries to outdo everyone, but when a long missing stolen painting is unwrapped by the mother-to-be , everyone is shocked. How did Tina come to have the painting and why has it shown up now? Another terrific mystery in this new series.

Long Island Iced Tina by Maria DiRico is the second book in the Catering Hall Mystery, also known as Ellen Byron.

I love the Main Character Mia Carina, daughter of a former (ha ha ) mobster.
The author creates some incredible laugh out loud moments.

I love the how the author describes the setting of Queens, NY , which I have never been to but I could see it in my minds eye.

The story involves some stolen artwork. The mystery is fantastic with several red herrings.

A fantastic mystery with great characters. I can't wait for the next book in this fantastic series.

For me, the best thing about this book was the cover. It is a little to “Italian Mob Family” for me and there were no characters that I felt attached to. That being said, it might be the perfect beach cozy since it’s light hearted, easy to lay down and it might make you laugh out loud. It’s not necessary to have read the first book to follow this one .
Thank you to Maria DiRico, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book.

Review posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Facebook. The review is also posted in my library for patrons.

Mia Carina an events planner has just learned from Minniguccia Evangelista, Nicole’s grandmother that Nicole is pregnant and she’s thrilled by the news. Nicole is one of Mia’s closest friends. Minnie then tells Mia that they’ll be hosting a baby shower at Mia’s catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor. Mia has been running Belle View with her father for a few months.

Minnie and her daughter Linda would be covering all the expenses. Linda also wants to invite Tina, Nicole’s stepmom, and Ron Karras’ second wife to the shower. Ron and Linda are divorced but Linda always has something nice to say about Tina. As opposed to Minnie who calls Tina a stepmonster. Since Tina would be attending, Minnie has insisted Mia adds Pasta puttanesca to the menu.🍝

At the same time, Tina’s also throwing a baby shower for her stepdaughter. Mia looks forward to attending as she could use this opportunity to see how Tina operates the catering business.

At the shower, however, while Nicole is opening presents, Mia leaves the ballroom to get a trash bag when she hears a commotion coming from the ladies' room. Tina and Minnie are having a heated argument. Eventually, order is restored and Nicole resumes opening her presents.

Nicole opens the last package 🎁 containing a painting 🖼 and a card with Tina’s name on it, whereupon she nicely asks her stepmom not to shower her with more gifts. But Tina, shocked to see the painting, says she didn’t gift Nicole with that particular present. Moments later, Tina collapses to the floor.

Mia calls her brother Positano Carina to inquire about an art collection heist. Positano, who’s currently doing time for car theft and finishing his jail term in a correctional facility, advises Mia not to pursue her inquiry and to leave the investigation to the police.

The next day, while taking driving lessons from a friend, Mia stumbles on a body floating in the water behind the Belle View manor. Upon close inspection, they discover the body belongs to Tina. An interesting cozy mystery with mouthwatering recipes. Though I struggled to keep up with all the characters. Would recommend.

Thank you to Maria DiRico, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book

The second in the series, and just as hard to put down as the first one. Mia is trying to run her family catering service, and ends up getting involved in a cold case of art theft and now murder. When her good friend, who is also pregnant with her first child, is shaken up by the accusation that her parents killed her evil stepmother. With a touch of Italian grandmas, who love to cook, and a touch of crime families, this book made me chuckle as well as trying to figure out the killer's identity. Good story, good author, highly recommend.

This is the second in the Catering Hall Mystery Series. Mia Carina is back in Queens, in charge of the family catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor. The Family’s legal enterprise.

Mia’s friend, Nicole is having that baby! And the Nonnas are planning showers like mad. One is to be held at Belle View but when Nicoles' stepmother throws one at the fancy Versaille. Of course, Mia has to attend and she is left with a lot of questions. How can Nicole’s father afford all of this? And what do we really know about this tart Tina?

While no blood was shed between the nonnas and the new wife, she is highly upset when Nicole opens a gift with a tag from her and it turns out to be a stolen painting. Shocking, right?

And later when Mia finds Tina’s body floating in the marina and Nicole’s father is arrested, Mia is not going to let that happen. With help from the family and The Family, she may be able to find out who the killer is and what else is going on at that fancy Versailles.

I laughed through the entire book. Every character is so well thought out and adds something to the tale. I think this one is a winner!

NetGalley/ February 23rd, 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

LONG ISLAND ICED TINA (Catering Hall Mystery # 2) by Maria DiRico is a fun cozy mystery! I immediately was drawn to read this book based on the title alone and I’m glad I did. I liked the main character Mia and her whole family. Mia and her ex-mobster father run a banquet hall and then Mia helps to solve a murder mystery. I thought there could have been more depth between Mia and her love interest. Maybe it will be built up in the upcoming books. I really liked all the Italian and there are even some recipes at the end of the book! This book totally works as a stand alone as I didn’t read the first book in this series before reading this one. I’d be curious to read the next book too!

The second book in Maria DiRico's Catering Hall Mystery Series is a winner. Mia Carina is even more determined to make her father's catering hall, Belle View, a profitable success. If only dead bodies would stop popping up near the hall.
Stolen art, competitive baby showers, a murder and attempted murder,
a love recognized as a lasting friendship and a potential romance all keep Mia, her lifelong friend, Jamie, her Mob connected Father and her Belle View staff and family trying to sort thru all the clues to solve this mystery.
Well written, Good mystery with a touch of humor, danger and good food all combine to create a longing for book number 3! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Received from Net Galley and Kensington for an honest review.

I have really been looking forward to Long Island Iced Tina, the second book in Maria diRico's new Catering Hall Mystery series and it did not disappoint. I found myself cheering Mia on in her investigation and booing several of the suspicious characters that she encountered in her complex search to clear her best friend's father of murder charges. The victim, his second wife Tina, was such a flagrant narcissist and jerk that no one was too concerned with her death but the negative publicity murder near the catering hall could cause had already peaked Mia's concern even before Ron's arrest.
As always, humor and warmth bring balance to the danger and Maria DiRico in both author personnas (Ellen Byron was already one of my cozy authors favorites when this series came out.) can turn intensity to outright laughter through her depiction of these senior New Jersey Italian ladies or with Mia's newest endeavor, learning to drive. Poor Jaimie. Time at the catering hall is always interesting whether through the special people who work there or through Mia's interaction with the newest hire, the incompetent son of one of the area mafia heads.
The complexity of the background of the murder almost had my head spinning but it also held my attention throughout this unputdownable tale.
I requested an ARC from NetGalley and am excited to share how much I enjoyed it. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!

Baby showers, missing painting, family drama, and mob connections this 2nd in series . Funny, well written, and great characters, Looking forward to more.

This book was definitely one of the better cozy mysteries I've read on Netgalley. The characters were all lively and interesting, and made me want to keep reading. As a Greek person, I did kind of dislike how all the Italians were good and all the Greeks were bad, but I can't complain because it's a cozy and characters tend to be a little stilted like that. It was really refreshing and interesting to see a book in this genre that took place in a city and not a small town. The author handled that really well and it felt pretty authentic. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and would definitely read more in this series. I'll recommend it when it comes out!

Mia is back! The second book in the best Italian series ever keeps you guessing! With colorful characters and plot twists, you be kept guessing to the end. Come to the east coast and enjoy!