The Enemy You Gnocchi Earns 5/5 Buon Natale Greetings…Entertaining Fun!

The local theater production of A Christmas Story, the Festival of Lights, and the town dressed for holiday cheer, couldn’t make for a better Christmas, but there’s a Scrooge in the form of Mario Russo. His coffeehouse, with freebies and cut-rate prices, is an “across the street” competitor of Tessa Esposito’s good friend Archie Fenton’s Java Time. He also has an overzealous, creepy, “thing” for Tessa and refuses to take no for an answer including grabbing her arm to get her continued attention. She’s surprised to learn the man who usually plays Santa at the festival is sick and Mario’s been pegged to take his place; isn’t Archie suppose to be the back up? Mario’s even pressuring Tessa to hire him as her own Santa figure for her Breakfast with Santa event on Christmas Eve. [Enter karma] Mario is found dead.

Catherine Bruns has lit up the holiday season with her third book in an Italian Chef Mystery series with karma delivering some justice. The victim is less than “jolly old elf” with rumors of loan sharks, questionable dealings, disgruntled business owners, and a string of women instead of Ho-Ho-Hos. The stockings are hung with loads of suspects slowly revealing secrets, clues, and reasonable motives (a must for me). The crime occurs early putting the investigation at the center along with Tessa’s daily cooking at her restaurant, gatherings with family, and navigating her relationship with good friend Justin. And Wow! a great ending…Watch out! Bonus! Catherine includes easy-to-follow recipes: Christmas Thyme Cookies, Gingerbread Pizzelle, Harvest Park Hot Chocolate Cookies, and of course, Tessa’s Easy Gnocchi.

The Enemy You Gnocchi
Italian Chef Mystery, Book #3
Catherine Bruns
5 Stars

Synopsis:

A delicious new holiday mystery from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns! It's Christmas time in Harvest Park, so grab your cocoa and sleuthing snow boots for a Christmas cozy mystery sure to sleigh!
It's the deadliest thyme of the year...
With snow dusting the ground and sauce sizzling on the stove, local chef Tessa Esposito is ready to serve up some holiday cheer. And with the annual Festival of Lights underway, it seems nothing can dim her spirits. Not even Mario Russo, the newest scrooge in town whose espresso bar has been quickly disrupting businesses and stealing customers from Harvest Park's favorite coffeehouse.
But when Mario is discovered at the festival's opening, face down in a Santa suit, Tessa realizes the bah humbug runs deeper than she could have imagined. And when one of her dearest friends is implicated in the crime, she must make a list of Mario's enemies, check them twice, and discover the cold-blooded killer. Especially before they can sleigh again. (Amazon)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Tessa and Gabby find themselves involved in another murder. This time it is a person that not many people like. The prime suspect is a good friend so Tessa and Gabby need to find the real culprit before he gets put away. Tessa and Gabby will do whatever they have to do to make sure justice is served.

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. I wanted to keep reading so I could find out what was going to happen and what would happen in Tessa’s love life. The mystery was well plotted and I did not figure it out until it was revealed at the end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book so much and I cannot wait to read the next one.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

The Enemy You Gnocchi is my first book of Catherine Bruns’ Italian Chef Mysteries series and it definitely will not be my last. From the beginning, I was swept into this entertaining book and it’s well thought out characters. It was fast-paced, entertaining and her descriptions of the food made me want to head into the kitchen!

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a well-crafted cozy mysteries centered on community and that are full of twists.

I want to thank NetGalley, Catherine Bruns and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

A delightful addition to a charming series. It will keep you guessing. You might end up with a craving for pasta, coffee, pie, or cookies. Yum! Lots of the holiday emotions. Some exciting moments, too. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

This is the third book in Catherine Bruns’ Italian Chef Mysteries series. I feel like picking up a Christmas themed cosy that is part of a bigger series can be risky, because sometimes there is just so much background and so many characters that have been introduced in previous books and it gets a bit hard to follow. This was not the case with this book – I felt like there was a good balance of discussion of the past with little introductions of the characters, which made the world feel more full, and gave some dimension to the main characters’ stories, without leaving me feeling like I needed a labelled diagram of relationships to keep up. I definitely think this is one that can be enjoyed as a stand alone, although that said, I enjoyed it enough to go back and read more from the series.

The characters were fun, and I liked that we got to see some of the dynamic of Tessa’s family. Mario was awful – there’s quite an icky scene at the start where he is a calling Tessa his girlfriend and grabs at her that grossed me out a bit (and made me hope his murder was coming along soon). The story was fairly light on romance, although Tessa has no shortage of possible love interests, and I thought the development of her feelings and relationship with one of the men was a nice touch to have running alongside the rest of the story. I also thought the backdrop to the story felt Christmassy enough to justify being a Christmas book, rather than just Christmas adjacent.

If you’re looking for a Christmas cosy murder, this one is definitely worth checking out!

The Enemy You Gnocchi by Catherine Bruns is the 3rd in the Italian Chef Mystery series. Local businessman Mario is spending money with wild abandon and trying to undermine other business owners in Harvest Park. So when he is murdered, no one in Harvest Park is morning his loss. When the prime suspect is one of her oldest and dearest friends, Tessa can’t help but try to identify the killer before her friend ends up behind bars.

This book manages to capture the essence of the holidays while delivering an entertaining and well-crafted mystery. The characters have depth and are portrayed in such a way that they soon become friends that the reader cares about too. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.). This book kept me engaged throughout. I am eagerly awaiting the next in this series.

This is a cute story with great characters who are fun free spirited. The way she talks about the food she makes it makes you wanted Italian food. It also gets you in the spirit for the holidays.

It was Christmastime in Harvest Park with a lights festival going on along with all the festive trimmings, but Tessa had a murder to contend with when the creepiest guy in town was offed at the lights festival. Did he have mob ties...or was it one of his string of exes?

I was happy I'd recently read the second book, so I was totally ready for this one and super pleased with the ending. Sometimes I was ready to headslap Tessa for not wanting to let herself fall for Justin in a more-than-friendship way, but I figured she'd finally come around because I know she's got an awesome author ;) There were quite a few suspects, and the whodunit was definitely a surprise for me. It was an exciting showdown that led to a quick brawl in the snow before Tessa got the upper hand.

Tessa did have an epiphany along the way which led to an even better story ending. I'm so eager now to read the next book, but I'm thinking we'll probably have to wait at least a year since this series hasn't been releasing more than that. These are some good characters who've become friends, and they're definitely worth the wait.

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

It's almost Christmas and Tessa Esposito is working hard baking dozens and dozens of cookies for the town Festival of Lights, cooking for her restaurant Anything's Pastable and putting the finishing touches on the Christmas eve morning breakfast with Santa. The one big bump in the road is a local scrooge who is making life a challenge for her friend, Archie Fenton who owns a coffee shop called Java Time. The scrooge is named Mario Russo and he's a creep. He has opened his own coffee shop The Espresso Lane across the street and is stealing business away from Archie. If that's not enough, Mario thinks it's okay to make moves on just about every woman in town. So it comes as no surprise to Tessa when, at the Festival of Lights, Mario - dressed as Santa for the children - is found murdered. Given that Mario was a major creep with a shady past, the list of suspects is long. Too bad the police set their sights on Archie as the killer. Tessa won't let that happen and sets out to unmask the killer.
The characters of Tessa, Archie, Gabby, Vince and Justin are well developed and make the reader want to have them for friends. Because of that character growth a reader new to the series should start with the first book but this one can be read as a stand alone. The mystery is complex and kept me guessing - wrong- to the big reveal. Just the way I like my mysteries. Now I'm looking forward to book #4.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tessa is gearing up for the holiday season and looking forward to the Festival of Lights. The only downside is Mario Russo, a.man who thinks he's god gift to women and hits on Tessa constantly. She would ban him from her restaurant but she hates to turn away from money. He is a new member of the community who has opened a coffee shop. Tessa hates that her favorite local coffeehouse has been looking business since Mario has come to town. When Mario is found dead at the start of the Festival Tessa realizes that there are quite a few people that wanted the man gone. Soon it becomes clear that the cops are looking at a good friend and that she just can't sit by and do nothing. After going through a list of the mans enemies Tessa learns that there quite a few people in his past that hated him too. Follow along as Tessa tries to put the pieces together to figure out who the killer is. Will she find a killer before someone else ends up dead?

Oh my goodness what a fun book to read. It was another I was sad to put down but looked immensely forward to being able to dive back into at the end of the day.

Tessa is making a good go at her restaurant Anything's Pastable (and holy moly made me want Italian food!). However, a sleaze ball regular who recently opened a coffee shop to rival Tessa's dear friend slimes his way into playing Santa for a town function, despite the fact that most of the town hates him. Someone murders him in the process and Tessa is donning her amateur sleuth hat when her friend Archie is fingered as the culprit. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suspects in town but Archie briefly ends up behind bars.

This book will make you HUNGRY (in a good way). Tessa is a great protagonist and I love that she is confident and self-assured, even if sometimes she does not feel that way. She and BFF cousin Gabby make a charming detective team, especially to the dismay of Tessa's other cousin Gino, who is an actual detective. This book has the big Italian family charm, mouthwatering dishes and cookies (can we say gingerbread Pizelles? LOTS OF THEM?!) and a holiday theme to boot. Cannot say the victim didn't deserve what he got but I appreciated the brief time Bruns gives us to get to know him so we can loathe him all the more.

This was my first book in this series but you don't have to have the read priors to get into the story. I will definitely seek out the other books in the series. Bravo!

The Enemy You Gnocchi by Catherine Bruns is the 3rd book in the Italian Chef Mystery series, and it is another delightful addition. Tessa Esposito is keeping busy with all the Christmas actives, and her restaurant, Anything’s Pastable, making wonderful Italian dishes. When a shady business owner is murdered, Tessa and Gabby are out to solve the case, and save the prime suspect. Tessa also struggles with her personal feeling for a friend. Found this book to be exciting and fast-paced with a well developed plot and characters. I can not wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book/series for anyone who enjoys mysteries, especially cozy ones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a wonderfully compelling mystery from start to finish!

In this third instalment of the Italian Chef Mysteries, The Enemy You Gnocchi, the reader meets protagonist Tessa Esposito, a trained chef and the proud owner of 'Anything's Pastable'. She’s all ready for Christmas baking cookies for the annual Festival of Lights as well as serving her usual fayre, but her friend Archie Fenton and his coffee shop, Java time are struggling because of a relative newcomer, Mario Russo who has opened The Espresso Lane, another coffee outlet just across the street. The Festival of Lights is going well until Marco Russo’s dead body is found outside the refreshments area and Santa's Grotto, Santa being the aforementioned Mario Russo. With the police pointing to Archie as their prime suspect, Tessa sets out to find the culprit she believes killed Marco.

The author, Catherine Bruns has executed this story with such a fresh take that it was nothing short of hugely enjoyable. An engaging and affable cast of characters and a well-thought-out, solid mystery resulted in a novel chock full of twists, red herrings, and suspects that kept me totally engaged in the shenanigans. I was desperate to continue reading until the fulfilling conclusion. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading well-crafted cozies and I am already looking forward to the next instalment in this marvellous series. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request, from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Anything’s Pastable (I love that name) is open and owner and chef Tessa Esposito is ready for the holidays. She is baking tons of cookies to be served at Harvest Park’s annual Festival of Lights and getting ready for her Breakfast with Santa on Christmas Eve morning. She is also serving delectable meals at the restaurant on a daily basis. Working long 12 hour days are tiring her out but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Harvest Park newcomer Mario Russo has become a daily customer who appears to have a crush on Tessa and most of the other women in Harvest Park. He opened The Expresso Lane, a coffee bar, about 3 months ago directly across the street from the beloved Archie Fenton’s Java Time. He is a pushy deplorable man that turns off Tessa in every way possible, plus his business is putting a huge dent in Archie’s business and several other Harvest Park businesses. Tessa tries to keep the Christmas Spirit but the man sure does not make that easy.

The first night of the Festival of Lights appears to be a grand success until Marco Russo’s dead body is found outside The Lake House where refreshments were being served and where kids could visit with Santa, the aforementioned Mario Russo. Sadly, the police have pegged Archie Fenton as their prime suspect but Tessa knows the list of Mario’s enemies in long and while most may be nice, someone was naughty and decided Mario would not be brewing another cup of coffee or listening to any more children’s wishes. Tessa with the assistance of her cousin Gabby hopes to identify the killer who will be getting the coal in their stocking behind bars.

This story contains a fabulous mystery set during the holiday season but it is so much more. Catherine Bruns has created characters that I have genuinely grown to enjoy following through their daily joys and trials. Tessa is an excellent protagonist. She has a curious nature and a huge heart. Her best friend Gabby makes an excellent sidekick and will support Tessa in any way she can. Gabby’s brother Gino is a cop who begs them both to stay in their lanes and let the police handle the investigation. Tessa’s landlord Vince is much more than he originally seemed and that made me happy. Firefighter Justin was Tessa’s husband’s best friend. Since her husband’s death, he has helped her in any way he can and has admitted that he does have feelings for her. She also has feelings for him but never wants to lose the friendship they have built so she is afraid to take their relationship to the next level. These characters are very likable and true to life. They face some very dramatic/dangerous situations but they all have each other’s back and will always be there for each other.

The author also includes a wonderful supporting cast that are believably connected and have purpose that adds to the story. Both the core and supporting characters are developing at a reasonable pace. She also created the swarmy Mario and gave this reader plenty to hold against him which led predictably to his death.

This mystery was a lot of fun because there were a lot of suspects. The plethora of suspects added several exciting moments. I just couldn’t zero in on the actual killer so the reveal was a thrilling surprise.

The Enemy You Gnocchi was a fantastic read. I love the way this author blends mystery with just the right amount of romance. The story is also written to draw the reader in and hold on tight. The main mystery is joined by delightful subplots and flows flawlessly. It truly was a Perfect Escape. I can’t wait to return to Harvest Park to see what these characters get into next.

Note – Ms. Bruns has included some marvelous recipes. You will want to try all of them before, during, and after reading this story, so plan ahead.

Catherine Bruns has another five star book (from me!) in the Italian Chef Mystery Series with the third book in the series, The Enemy You Gnocchi. I've also read and reviewed the prior two books: Penne Dreadful and It Cannoli Be Murder. Though you can read them on their own, they're much more fun to read in order! That way you'll get the full picture, and you won't have to worry about spoilers!

I love Christmas time! Decorating is always hard work because I have SO much stuff, but it's worth it. The tree lights make me happy. Looking at the ornaments and other Christmasy things that belonged to my grandma makes me happy too. She always went all out with decorations too, and as she got older, I often helped her put them up. Anyway... I love Christmas books too, and The Enemy You Gnocchi takes place during the Christmas season. Bruns's detailed descriptions make you feel as if you're in the book. You can smell the cookies and other yummy food. The cold starts seeping into your bones...that's what cozy blankets are for. It really put me in the mood for the holidays.

The characters are well-developed, and you'll feel like you know them personally. This is one reason I recommend reading the other two books first because the relationships grow and characters evolve with each book. I love Tessa and her best friend cousin Gabby. When they're together, personal safety sometimes gets thrown out the window! This is much to Gabby's brother/Tessa's cousin Gino's dismay. He's always telling them to stay out of it, yet they never listen. If they did, solving the mystery wouldn't be as much fun! Speaking of the mystery, this is well-plotted with just enough red herrings to keep you guessing.

Don't miss the delicious recipes in the back! I enjoyed this book tremendously and can't wait for the next!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of this book. I was not required to give a review.

The third installment of the Italian Chief series continues Tessa Esposito’s story after the death of her husband. It’s the second Christmas holiday season without Dylan. Tessa has been struggling the past year and putting her feelings for others in a box. She has been afraid to have feelings other than friendship for Justin. She doesn’t want their friendship to be ruined and she isn’t sure she can handle losing him from her life if things go south.

I found the story well-written, well-plotted, and full of twists. I was drawn in to save the Java shop and its owner. I loved the reveal and the sense of community was enhanced at the end.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was given an Advanced Reader’s Copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

This was my first book in the series and though I was a little lost in the beginning I quickly caught up and I would say it could be read as a stand alone but starting with the first book is probably for the best. This was a really fun holiday mystery. I really enjoyed the snowy Christmas atmosphere, the yummy food descriptions (recipes in the back) and the well thought out mystery. I enjoyed this one and will be getting book one!

Tessa and her wonderful family are back with more fun and sleuthing in this delightful 3rd in series. I loved this holiday theme mystery with good food, family and holiday ambiance.

Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. This is my favorite of the series so far.

An Italian Chef Mystery series new release is not to be missed. Christmas in Harvest Park is approaching and everyone is preparing for a festival while baking holiday treats and decorating. Italian Chef Tessa Esposito is not liking the attention she is getting from a coffee shop owner, Mario . When Mario is murdered Tessa must be involved in the investigation to prevent Mario's nemesis from going to jail as primary suspect number one. As the suspect lists and clues abound Tessa is in danger herself but she is determined . The supporting charcters are wonderful and all add to the plot. The sleuth was well crafted and kept me guessing to conclusion. I loved the atmospheric Christmas theme and the food references are wonderful. A winning next in series that every cozy reader will love. Well done to the author.

If you like cozy mysteries (like I do!) then definitely give this series a try -- it's fun and I like reading about all the Italian food! The murder mystery was fun, the town is a great setting and there is definitely room for more to happen. I also liked the end of this book and am excited to see where this series goes next!

The Enemy You Gnocchi comes out next week on October 26, 2021 and you can purchase HERE. You can read my review of the first book in this series HERE.

When I was a young girl, I always associated the smell of Italian food with my grandmother's house. Tomatoes and onions. Garlic and homemade bread fresh out of the oven. Brown sugar and melted butter from her mouthwatering ravioli sauce. By the time I was ten, I'd decided her kitchen must be a little bit like heaven-- warm, sweet-smelling, and full of love.

Arlo, central character in the Main Street Mystery series by Amy Lillard, is busy herding cats. Not literal cats, but the three members of her so-called book club. Trying to get these senior citizen women to actually read books and discuss them like, you know, a normal book club, is just like trying to get a cat to stay off the furniture. They are going to do what they are going to do, and in this case that means try to solve the latest murder in the small town of Sugar Springs, MS.

The murder itself is contained within the book, but the story of its author and the development of the book have threads that go back to the previous books. That may not matter to most readers, as it is enjoyable either way. In fact, if you read this as your first introduction to the people of Sugar Springs, you may be so entertained you decide to go back and read the other two books.

The book opens with the murder of a famous author from Sugar Springs whose last book before his death has been turned into a movie. The Hollywood movers and shakers have decided to have the premier in Sugar Springs and the book club ladies, lead by Helen, are the main volunteers working to get the coliseum spruced up for the event. Unfortunately, Helen has barely started work that day when she finds the body of the man who has come to town claiming someone else had actually written the book. She calls Arlo who rushes down along with the other book club members. Chaos ensues as the women decide to investigate and Mads, chief of police, demands Arlo get them under control, thus the herding begins. Arlo’s attempts to control three 80+ year old women are hilariously believable for anyone who has tried to reason with a strong willed senior citizen.

As the book club, along with Arlo, rush around town in search of clues, they constantly ignore not only Mads’ directives, but any thought of leaving evidence alone. Arlo has her hands full trying to keep them off the balcony where the victim was pushed; out of the victim’s room at the B&B owned by Helen, even though there is crime scene tape sealing the area; not to mention making copies of half a note they find written in what appears to be Russian.

The mystery is well plotted, and there are plenty of clues for the reader to use in solving it if they don’t get too tangled up in the humor of it all. The characters are well-crafted and unique as is the depiction of a small southern town. Passages throughout the book reveal an author who understands the south and what living in a small southern town is like. For example,there is the description of a gathering after the naturally occurring death of one of the characters which measures the townspeople's admiration of her by “the number of casseroles, pies,and mayonnaise-based salads” that have arrived.

As the book club ladies run around town, gathering clues and questioning people. Arlo is left to frantically run behind them, trying to get them back to the bookstore she owns and the area she set aside for the book club when she had what she thought was an inspired idea. In between investigative tasks, the women can be found in the coliseum, painting, dusting, and polishing the floor. That is until a wayward beam falls and Arlo has to take a dive to push one of the women out of the way. The result is a broken ankle for Arlo, so she winds up doing much of her herding with her right leg in a knee high cast.

Enough about the plot and interactions, trust me, it’s more fun to read them as they happen than to read a description of it. This is a cozy series not to be missed as it has it all: a central character with her own conflicts, a senior citizen group that is nothing if not laser focused, a handsome chief of police who once had a thing with Arlo and the man who, as a teenager, broke them up on prom night. Oh, yes, it also has a well plotted murder mystery and excellent pacing that keeps pulling you through the book until you are surprised that the whole thing is over.

I received an advance copy of this novel through Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.