Delilah O'Leary is doing everything she can to get her struggling pizzeria through the winter season. She is tasked with coming up with a recipe for an upcoming charity bash and hopes this will add to her coffers. During the bash a dead body makes an appearance and things go downhill from there. Delilah, her staff and Officer Capone are trapped in the isolated mansion where the bash was held and need to figure put who the killer is before one of them ends up dead. Follow along and see if the group can figure out who the killer is before more tragedy strikes. Will a killer be caught?

I love a good cozy mystery so I was excited to get a chance to read this. But I didn’t feel overly attached to the characters or story for some reason. I also didn’t realize this was part of a series so maybe that had something to do with it. It’s probably just me so if this story or author sounds like something you’d be interested in then definitely give it a shot.

Upscale pizzeria owner Delilah O’Leary is looking forward to her first big catering gig for the social elite of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. One successful evening could lead to word-of-mouth recommendations that would help her new restaurant survive the area’s tourist-starved winters.

The Friends Of The Library fundraising gala is Prohibition-themed, and Delilah and her crew have been working hard on perfecting a Chicago-inspired menu, featuring their signature deep-dish pizzas. Delilah has even concocted several items for vegetarians, vegans and the gluten-free. But she’s thrown for a loop when the event organizer, Isabel Berney, calls her up with a last-minute special request.

One of the gala’s attendees is not only allergic to gluten, but to lactose and nightshades as well. Despite this, the guest has their heart set on a vegetarian pizza, to Delilah’s chagrin. While this is a challenge she wouldn’t mind taking on in the ordinary course of things, receiving it a handful of hours before the biggest catering event of her career is basically a nightmare. Isabel is, however, extremely persuasive, and so Delilah sets to creating this “free-from” pizza while trying to cart all her supplies over to the restored lakeside manor hosting the fundraiser.

Delilah and her crew have been encouraged to dress up according to the Prohibition theme, to help with the atmosphere. Some of her staff take to this more readily than others, especially her sous chef and best friend, Sonia Dokter. But not even the fanciest clothing can help with the atmosphere when one of the guests, Sonia’s friend Edgar Clemmons, plummets to his death from the top of the main staircase.

Edgar had not been the most popular guy in Geneva Bay: hardly surprising given his pride in modeling his own behavior after his namesake’s, the notorious J Edgar Hoover. Before his death, he had given Delilah two books to pass on to Sonia, with a cryptic message. Delilah can’t help wondering whether this had something to do with his murder. Her love interest, Detective Calvin Capone, happens to be at the fundraiser too, and takes charge of the scene as the guests find themselves trapped in the manor by the increasingly awful winter weather. Will Delilah and Calvin be able to keep themselves and the other attendees safe despite the murderer lurking in their midst?

This was a delightfully atmospheric culinary cozy with strong classic manor house murder vibes. It’s weirdly cute how much of a non-reader Delilah is, but the real appeal lies in how much she’s grown since the very first book in this series. I do still think she’s in desperate need of therapy, but at least she and her similarly prickly Aunt Biz are aware of their own emotional weaknesses. I did very much love how she progressed her relationship with Calvin here, too!

There were six recipes included, written in the hilarious voices of the book’s characters, and while there was a recipe for the free-from pizza, I decided to go with something a little less labor-intensive:

QUOTE
Italian Beef Crostini

1 long, skinny French baguette, cut into ½-inch rounds
3-4 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil (or regular olive oil)
1 lb Italian beef heated in its own gravy
1 jar of mild <i>giardiniera</i> (For catering orders, mild is safer, but if you know your crowd likes spice, feel free to go with hot!)
10 slices of provolone or low-moisture mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Using a pastry brush, paint both sides of each baguette slice with oil and arrange the oiled pieces in a single layer on a large baking tray.

Bake slices for 4-5 minutes. Flip ‘em. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until golden.

Remove the bread from the oven and layer each slice with drained Italian beef and <i>giardiniera</i>. Top with a cheese slice. Depending on how big your slices are, you may need to cut the cheese. (<i>Hahahaha!</i> Sorry, sometimes I’m five years old.)

Turn broiler on low.

Broil 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
END QUOTE

Hilariously for my attempts at working smarter instead of harder, I found Italian Beef impossible to source in my East Coast neighborhood, so had to whip up 3+ pounds of it – the absolute minimum amount I could find in any recipe – in my slow cooker the night before putting together these crostinis. On the plus side, the recipe I used had me toss in an entire jar of <i>giardiniera</i>, so when the time came to top each crostini with more vegetables, I felt fine with skipping that step. The crostini are just not big enough to take unchopped <i>giardiniera</i>, which was all I had left: I’m sure that a spoonful of the chopped kind would have been amazing on these though! I did have the whole version available as a side for the crostini, but they were perfectly delicious even without.

I love how the toasting of each slice of baguette helps keep the bread soft but sturdy, making sure they hold up well against the beef and cheese. I’d never had Italian beef before, but this is definitely the fun kind of finger food that’s great to make for crowds.

Next week, we head to my neck of the woods to serve up a delicious dinner entree while looking into at least one literal and several figurative skeletons. Do join me!

I didn't really like the first two books in this mystery series. But I have to say the third one surprised me. In how much I loved the mystery that kept me guessing from page one until the end. And the characters are starting to grow on me.

Delilah O’Leary owns a pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. She lives in a lakefront mansion as caretaker to Butterball who owns the place, along with her great Aunt Biz. She is trying to keep her restaurant open during the winter (the slow season). Delilah is catering a fundraiser to benefit the library. The first problem that arises is when she asked by a librarian begs her to create a non-pizza pizza for a donor with severe allergies. Delilah runs into Edgar, the Friends of the Library. Edgar gives her two books and an odd message to give to her friend Sonya. Edgar appears to have fallen down the steps and dies. Was he pushed down the steps or ? Delilah decides to solve the mystery.

It is an excellent cozy mystery. It appeared to be a case of figuring out who would have the motive, means and opportunity to kill. The author wrote a perfect setting for the mystery. The enclosed recipes are great. I loved watching Delilah trying to find the killer. It’s a great book to read.

Public Anchovy #1 is the third Deep Dish cozy mystery by Mindy Quigley. Released 26th Dec 2023 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. Large print paperback due out from the same publisher in May 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is an engaging light cozy series with an appealing female protagonist pizza-shop owner and her partner and best friend Sonya, a chubby tabby cat, and a predilection for stumbling over mysteries. It's full of the sort of small town quirky eccentric characters which populate shopfront cozies.

This one has a well rendered limited suspect pool isolated setting with a high end charity dinner in an isolated mansion gone very wrong. The denouement and resolution are satisfyingly self-contained in this book and it works well as a standalone. There are currently 3 books in the ongoing series and it would also work quite well as a binge/buddy read. A fourth volume is due out in mid fourth quarter 2024 from the same publisher.

There are more than the usual number of pizza themed recipes included in the back of the book including some very fancy (and detailed) dishes based on non-ingredients: gluten free, dairy free "parmesan" etc.

Four stars. Highly recommended for fans of humorous light shopfront cozies like those from Ellie Alexander, Laurie Cass, and Peggy Ehrhart.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Mindy Quigley has become an author that I look forward to reading. I adore her Deep Dish series. Public Anchovy #1 had a great Clue like feel. I did become a little restless at times from the lack of scenery change. However, we did have all the great cast of characters involved. I totally love the growing relationship between Delilah and Capone. Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy for exchange for an honest review.

Although this book is the third in the Deep Dish Mysteries series, I had no trouble with it being my introduction to the series. Lots of twists and turns after the death of one of the party guests at a very upscale house party. A storm forces everyone to remain in the house, and from there chaos ensues. A little over the top in places, but not to the point of ridiculousness. Overall a fun read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Public Anchovy #1

By: Mindy Quigley

Publish Date: 26 December 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Mystery and Thriller

#PublicAnchovy1#NetGalley

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:

This book was fun to read, and I gave it 4 stars. It is the third book in the Deep-Dish series. This was a little confusing since the book title has a number 1 on it. Nevertheless, it was fun. The library is doing a fund raiser to help with renovation cost, so they have hired Delilah O’Leary to cater the food. The theme of the party is Prohibition. Delilah specializes in pizza. She is all ready to go and then a special request comes in at the last minute, which leaves her scrambling. She is so glad for the team she works with, and she is able to accomplish this special order with a twist. Once they get to the castle where the party is held things start to go weird and wrong. Delilah isn’t able to help out as much as she usually does because one of the guests pulls her aside and starts giving her coded clues to what is going to happen at the party. As the party goes on the guest who pulled Delilah ends up falling down a set of stairs is dead. At first, they think one of the cats accidently trips him but later on they discover he was pushed. While this is going on there is a really bad storm happening and now everyone is trapped in the castle, and they have to stay the night with a dead body at the foot of the stairs and a murderer. Is the murderer still there or did he/she leave before the storm worsen? Can Delilah figure out who done it with the help of her staff, or will she be next? You will have to read the story to find out.

This book has great friendship representation and family values. I love how Delilah sticks up for her team even though she is reminded that she needs to add them to the suspect list also. She refuses to think that one of her people is capable of murder. I also enjoy how much the characters loved their animals in this book and how they are spoiled. The author does a great job of giving some back information for those who haven’t read the first two books.

In the third installment of the A Deep Dish Mystery series Delilah and her staff are catering a Prohibition era theme fundraiser for wealthy library benefactors. Durning the evening when a murder occurs and then a snow storm Delilah and her staff are trapped with a murderer .
The story flows easily and the characters are interesting and fun (including Butterball he cat ) .

This was such a fun and easy read that will have readers guessing until the very end .

I am looking forward to the next in the series ,I highly recommend to all fans of cozy mysteries ,food theme mysteries and cat moms/dads .

I just reviewed Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley. #PublicAnchovy1 #NetGalley

Delilah O’Leary is quite successful with her rather new pizzeria. Asked to serve at an event, with the guest of honor having strict dietary needs, Delilah is bound and determined to meet her needs. Delilah gathers her friends and staff, and all of the supplies she can think of and heads to the party location on a lake property. This makes this third book in Mindy Quigley's series a locked room mystery.

When the guest of honor is found dead, the suspect pool is rather small, as they are stuck at their location. Shockingly, Delilah's hefty cat Butterball managed to stow away and just might be responsible for the death, as the victim apparently fell down the stairs.

Delilah can't imagine Butterball being responsible, and seeks to discover what really happened. She begins to question the guests, all while Detective Calvin Capone is there as well. While he would much rather Delilah step back, she has no intention of doing so. She makes Capone realize that with only so many guests, the murderer must be in their midst.

While this is a delightful cozy mystery story, the characters are a real joy. Delilah and Capone play well off of each other, and even his mother Lola plays her role in this story. As I have read the first two books in this series, Six Feet, Deep Dish and Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, I loved seeing the relationship between Delilah and Calvin evolve, and also how Delilah shows her wit when it comes to solving murders. I do hope this series continues, as it is thoroughly enjoyable.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This mystery was unputdownable!! I almost finished it in one sitting it had me on the edge of my seat!
The first Deep Dish mystery was very intricate and fun and interesting, but this mystery honestly may be better. Or it could just be that I adore the Agatha Christie vibes of this locked room mystery. This book had me so enthralled that I was gasping, putting a hand to my chest and yelling “no!” at 3am 😅 (and also at one very specific moment had me fist pumping and yelling “yes!!”)
The suspects in this novel were dynamic, and every character felt like someone you’ve met in real life (whether you liked them or not). The beautiful historic mansion was a wonderful backdrop, and all the talk of noir films and old books was very interesting and cozy. The Delilah&Son team are so refreshing to read, it’s definitely a found family group of misfits I can get behind. I really love Rabbit, and Sonya of course. Poor Sonya with her horrible dating history, it’s too relatable for me 😅 And Delilah may sometimes be wrong, but she is a great main character to read. She’s sassy, she’s assertive, she swears, she spoils her fur baby too much, I love her. She’s got to be one of my favorite mystery heroines/amateur sleuths. Also Capone is back in this one and he is as swoon-worthy as ever. And we finally get to meet his jazz singer mom, Lola! She joins the list of suspects because she’s hiding secrets of her own👀
If you haven’t read the first book in this series you may want to, but if you just want to devour the locked room mystery you could start with this one. Either way I think anyone who likes mysteries and strong women will love this book.

This series gets better with each book. A fast paced read with no sagging middle. The author does a masterful job of making the reader feel like they are part of the story. An amazing setting, interesting premise, well developed characters, plenty of sarcasm, and hilarious antics from the cat, Butterball, and a cleverly plotted mystery make this a fun read that I couldn’t put down. This has become one of my favorite cozy series and I hope there are many more books to come.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want pizza now. Good, deep dish, meat lovers pizza.

Anyway, this book was a great addition to this series! I love these characters and it was so fun to see them in a locked room murder mystery. This setting was so good, although reading about the storm cutting the power and a killer among them while an actual storm was happening outside and it's nighttime gave me chills. Thankfully I also have protective cats like Butterball and I was safe. The twists kept me guessing the whole time and the final reveal was hilarious and unexpected. I really do enjoy this series and I hope we get more Deep Dish Mysteries.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley is the third book with pizza chef Delilah O'Leary and her eclectic crew in a locked house mystery. Due to a blizzard, when murder happens, Delilah, with the help of the police detective on scene, has to solve this one with a captive houseful of suspects.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. And even though it is the third book in the series and my first I found it very easy to jump right in. I thought there was a perfect amount of suspense and characters/suspects. I will definitely be reading the previous books in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Public Anchovy #1 is book 3 in the Deep Dish series, and it got a little gothic. Geneva Bay’s high society is hosting a Prohibition-themed fundraiser to help the local library. Delilah O’Leary and her pizza making team have been asked to cater. Delilah believes this is the best way to keep her restaurant afloat during the winter season and agrees. She didn’t anticipate a “free-from” pizza that needed to be made at the last minute, nor was she prepared for murder. And while the majority of guests were able to brave the winter storm outside, Delilah and company, and some straggling guests, including Detective Calvin Capone and his mother, are left trapped inside. Potentially with a killer among them.

I would not say this was a “locked room” mystery, but it was certainly a “trapped in a creepy mansion” mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. If Agatha Christie wrote about pizza. I loved it. I loved the sarcasm between Delilah and her team while discussing the “free-from” pizza. I loved Butterball and his sneaky maneuvering that led him into the house. I even loved the mystery itself.

I was so glad that readers got to experience a little more of Capone’s past by meeting his mother. It explains so much about his personality. I also loved that we met Auntie Biz’s old neighbors/enemies. I did not like how Delilah’s team kept her from saying her opinions or failed to acknowledge Delilah’s hurt feelings, but those were isolated incidents and did not take away from the narrative.

The mystery and its plot were well thought out. The whole plot is not one typically seen in mysteries. There’s usually one particularly type and is seen so often that it becomes common. However, this one was unique as many people don’t know that it is harder to catch. I appreciated that the author tied some book titles into the mystery as well.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I’ve been enjoying Delilah and her crew in the Deep Dish Mystery series, so I was happy to see a new installment in Public Anchovy #1 by author Mindy Quigley. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The series follows Delilah, a pizzeria owner, along with her family, both at home and in the restaurant. Public Anchovy #1 sees Delilah and her crew heading to a local mansion to cater a library fundraiser. Delilah sees the catering opportunity as a way to bring some cash in during the off-season as well as to make some connections within the upper class of Geneva Bay. But, of course, things aren’t going to go smoothly.

I enjoyed the trapped in a house with the murderer trope explored in Public Anchovy #1. I know some books use this trope, but I’ve never read one and was here for it.

A storm leaves half of the guests, one of whom happens to be Detective Capone, and Delilah and her staff stranded at the mansion. When a guest dies after falling down the stairs, everyone wants to believe it’s an accident, but Delilah can’t help but think it’s murder and start snooping.

The setup was a little slow. But once the murder happened, I was on the edge of my seat trying to solve the mystery along with Delilah. While there were definite hints (seen in hindsight), I didn’t solve the mystery. However, it was well-developed, and it drew me in completely. Of course, it also didn’t hurt that there was an underlying theme around libraries and books that this book lover just ate up.

I was also very happy with the character and relationship developments. Delilah continues to grow, and I find her very likable and relatable. I was thrilled to see some movement in her “relationship” with Detective Capone. But in this book, the reader also gets to know Capone and Delilah’s staff better.

Despite a slow start, I found Public Anchovy #1 to be a delightful read. It was a great continuation of the series, and I can’t wait for the next installment. I highly recommend this series to fans of culinary mysteries, and you might even enjoy some unique recipes at the end of the book.

PUBLIC ANCHOVY #1 by Mindy Quigley
The Third Deep Dish Mystery

Tourist season is over and chef Delilah O’Leary needs to figure out how to get her restaurant through the cold winter months, earning enough to keep her and her employees afloat. On this cold blustery day the entire staff is headed to a prohibition themed fundraiser for the Geneva Bay Library, hoping to make a great impression in order to garner even more catering gigs. Guests have barely started munching on appetizers when a body tumbles down the stairs. With the sudden death the party may have ended, but the intense storm has trapped everyone in the secluded mansion. Tensions are running high and the killer is getting desperate. Will Delilah and her crew survive the night or will this be the end of their deep dish pizzas?

Tempestuous is a word that truly describes this book. Weather, characters, all tempestuous! I love so much about the third Deep Dish Mystery. What makes this series so special are the relationships between characters. These relationships can be messy and difficult, and thus real. I have almost as hard a time dealing with Biz as Delilah does. I feel Delilah's frustration with Capone. And I truly love the relationship the restaurant family has with each other! This book also explores relationships between the possible suspects as well as possible suspects and our restaurant family and Capone.

A closed circle mystery, PUBLIC ANCHOVY #1 brings humor, spice, and suspense. There's drama and I loved learning more about our characters. Aside from the main story, there are even more laughs in the recipe section. I love that the characters themselves share their recipes. Even if you don't cook and never intend to attempt a recipe, you need to read them! Trust me.

A high end party, squabbling couples, rare books, a late autumn storm, and murder make for a fantastically chilling tale. PUBLIC ANCHOVY #1is a cunningly crafted mystery spotlighting relationships that will make you both gasp and smile.

Sweet Butterball a killer? Never!

Delilah and her crew are on their way to a private catering gig. They haven’t even arrived when things go off the rails.

Lots of cool references to classic black and white movies along with the classic books they were based on.

We get to learn more about the Capones and Jarka which is a treat.

We meet some new characters which bring more interest and diversity to Geneva Bay.

I didn’t want to put this book down! In hindsight several clues were there blinking in bright lights but that was only in hindsight.

I love the recipes as well as how Biz and Delilah cook together. Baking is my “love language” as well.

Speaking of Biz, I missed her wit. She was present at the beginning and end, so managed to have a bit of her.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.
Happy Reading!