I really enjoyed this mystery with so many witnesses who also happened to be suspects. This is a new to me author and I will be sure to read more of her stories. Delilah is catering a fund raiser for the local library. Everything is set and she, along with her crew, are on their way to the upper crust party. The librarian calls to make a change that throws a wrench into the works. But Delilah adapts. things seem to be going smoothly until a man falls down the stairs. It was an accident, right? Maybe not. A big storm blows in, and they are stuck there with a dead body. During the night, Delilah is woken by her cat and realize someone is in the room. Her employee, and best friend, has been smothered. Can they revive her? They also find the librarian dead in (of all places) the library. No one, other than the attendees, could be in the house. They are trapped with a killer. Who is it? Will they survive the night?

Agatha Christy set the standard for creating the closed circle mystery, and it is a technique that many writers employ in creating a mystery. Mindy Quigley uses this technique in Book 3 of the Deep Dish Mysteries, Public Anchovy #1. The title is cute, but thankfully there are no anchovies on the menu of this pizza restaurant. I have read the 2 previous novels in this series and recommend that readers do so; however, this novel is constructed well enough that the book could stand alone.

Public Anchovy #1 includes all the same characters from the first 2 books, except for a handful of possible bad guys. All of the bad guys function very nicely as red herrings. Two cats, Butterball and Gloria, provide the comic relief. The food sounds great and the winter storm isolating 14 people and a dead man creates a good scenario for this cozy mystery. There are many good clues, which allow detective fiction fans to predict the ending. Even thought I had the mystery figured out, the book was a fun, fast read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC. I did enjoy this novel and do recommend it, especially for cozy mystery fans.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley is the third book in the Deep Dish Mysteries, and it’s my favorite one so far. And that’s saying a lot since I really enjoyed the first two!

What drew me to this series initially is that it takes place in Wisconsin, my home state, and that it revolves around a chef that makes specialty pizzas and other Wisconsin favorites, with recipes at the end of the book, of course.

Quickly into the first book I really enjoyed that Quigley not only had well developed characters, but a wide diversity in the cast, including: felon, lesbian, dreamboat with an accent, quirky elderly lady who’s also very grumpy, and a cat that steals the page! In Public Anchovy #1 we get to spend even more time with these great people, Butterball continues to steal every scene he’s in (and we get a ragdoll kitty in this one two), and Delilah’s relationship with the detective heats up a bit.

But what I really loved about this one was the classic storyline of people getting stuck in a huge home where a murder or two occurs, and then there’s the final reveal a la Agatha Christie. I mean, how much more perfect can a book be for a mystery lover?! We also get an upstairs/downstairs vibe with the rich socialites from the book world and the staff from Delilah’s restaurant, which was a fun addition.

I knew early on who the killer was, and I think long time mystery and cozy readers may too, but some may still be a bit surprised with the twist. I didn’t figure out the one key piece though until Delilah revealed it, so in that regard, I didn’t have it all figured out. Which I always enjoy.

I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to come back to Geneva Bay, WI. again to catch up with Delilah and her friends and staff.

I had mixed feelings about the first two Deep Dish Mysteries, but after this one I'm completely hooked. It's a fast paced, extremely fun mystery that could only happen in this series. Delilah and her staff are catering a prohibition themed dinner party in a historic mansion when an unexpected death occurs and a storm hits, knocking out the power and blocking the roads, leaving everyone trapped in the dark with a killer. I don't want to spoil the plot, but starting with the original murder suspect, the night keeps getting wilder. It's probably a good idea to read the first two books before this one, if only so you'll understand why Delilah is living in a house owned by her pet cat, Butterball.

This is my first book by Mindy Quigley. I really enjoyed her character development. The story had many twists and turns. Even though it is the third book in the series, I didn't feel like I had missed anything. I do plan to go back and read the first two. Set on a dark stormy night, it made for a good cozy to curl up with. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Delilah and her crew from “Delilah and Son” are hoping to generate income in the slow season by catering. A “Prohibition” themed fundraiser at an exclusive mansion will hopefully give them the exposure they need so be successful all year round.
Last minute a “free-from” pizza request puts a lot of time pressure on the crew, and downhill it goes when a dead body falls down the stairs, and to top it off a storm has isolated the crew and guests at the mansion.
Lovely “locked” room mystery, keeps you guessing at every turn.

Delilah and her staff at her pizza restaurant have been hired to cater a large fancy party. But during the evening events, a death occurs-accident or murder? Delilah and Detective Capone must once again team up to solve the crime before there’s more death during the night.

I loved this book. The reoccurring characters are so great, and the steps ahead in the romance department finally happened, which made me very happy. The setting of an isolated party, which no one could leave due to weather circumstances, where everyone is trapped with the unknown killer, is one of my favorites, and Quigley does a great job with it. I would recommend this book, and this series.

I'm a foodie fan so when I seen this book I knew I had to have it.
What a fun read! I loved in guessing who dun it.
I finished this book in one evening because I just had to see who did it. I had an idea it apparently the wrong one! Wow, was I surprised.
Amazing characters that you'll love in getting to know. Especially the kitty cat. To me, he's what made this story.
A well written plot that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. A story I didn't want to end. Definitely lots of twists and turns to keep you entertained.
I loved every minute of this story. It didn't disappoint.
5 stars along with a cute cover. I highly recommend!
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for a copy of this book.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Food themed cozy mysteries are an obsession of mine.  Mostly because I love to eat and hearing about all this fantastic food draws me in.  However, the Deep Dish Mystery series is a favorite because I adore Geneva Bay and all of its kooky inhabitants.  

Delilah and Sonya are inseparable as always, and they make a great pair.  Especially since Delilah seems to be tamping down a bit on her need to control every tiny detail.  Sonya is a balancing influence on her, I think, just as Delilah helps hold Sonya to the present as well.  The recipes they come up with sound fabulous, too, and make me want to expand my pizza making skills whenever I finish an installment in this series.

In Public Anchovy #1, we get to know the other employees at Delilah & Son's better.  Most notably Jarka, who had been a bit of a mystery before now.  I enjoyed getting some of her backstory and like that she did what she thought was best for herself, even if it meant a longer, harder road than the one she'd been offered.  We also get to meet and get to know Capone's mother some as well.  I hope that she returns in a future story.  

This latest installment was my favorite by far.  I think the mystery was more intricate and the stakes were higher for several reasons.  Not the least of which being Butteball being a suspect for a few minutes.  As a cat mom, this made me cackle because I have been there.  In the end, it wasn't Butterball after all (whew!), but the true guilty party surprised me a bit, which is always fun for me.  

Public Anchovy #1 is yet another fabulous addition to the Deep Dish Mysteries series and I can't wait to see what trouble Delilah, Sonya, and crew get themselves into.  Not to mention waiting to see how this new, possible romance between Delilah and Capone shakes out.  I'm definitely invested - Butterball needs a father figure!

The main character of this book, Delilah O'Leary, has been hired to cater a fundraising party with a Roaring 20s theme, with several wealthy residents of the town in attendance. Someone is murdered at the party and a storm prevents anyone from leaving the mansion where the event is being held. There is a diverse group of people from the town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, stranded there including Delilah and her staff, the wealthy party guests, as well as Detective Calvin Capone and his mother. With the exception of the handsome detective, everyone is a suspect, even Deliah's cat Butterball!

It takes a while for things to get going in the book, but once the murder occurs and witnesses and suspects are all stuck together, the tension increases and things become really interesting! Part of the tension is of course being trapped with an unidentified murderer, but also with the attitudes of some of the party guests who look down on some of the other people because of their background or social status.

I like the suspense of the story, especially Delilah starts helping Capone with the investigation. I really liked the way things wrap up at the end. This is the third book in the Deep Dish Mystery series, but works very well as a standalone. I have only read one prior book in the series and was still able to enjoy the story.
.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This is the third book in this series. I do recommend reading the 1st two before reading this one so that you have the background on everyone but the book can still be read as a standalone.

I have read the first two and this one did not disappoint! I enjoyed coming back to see how Delilah and her gang were doing.

Delilah’s restaurant gets an offsite catering gig at one of the local lake mansions that is hosting a fundraiser.

There is a murder pretty quickly upon their arrival. It is interesting how the author manages to create the murder, clear out everyone except Delilah and her crew, Capone and a few others thus creating backdrop for locked room mystery. She even manages to get the cat over to the mansion!

I enjoyed this and was surprised at the end. Great installment in this series. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a cute mystery with a fantastic locked room premise and a couple of cats for comic relief. Delilah is on her way to a catering job with her best friend and business partner Sonya when she gets a phone call that sends things off the rails. Before everything is over Delilah has had to come up with a deep dish pizza free from gluten, dairy, and tomatoes on the fly, a very annoyed, very large feline, and an evening that starts with a fatal fall and keeps getting worse.

The group of suspects is small on number but heavy on potential motives and most of them were rather awful. As the night goes on the stakes get higher and that makes for a fast paced read. I loved the restaurant crew and while the premise for Butterball's (which is a fantastic name for a cat!) presence is a bit ridiculous I couldn't help but love him. I enjoyed the writing style and the food references and now want some garlic knots and a deep dish pizza!

Delilah wasn't my favorite main character but I'm assuming the more books I read in the series the more I'll like her. The ending especially runs a bit towards the farce side side of things which isn't necessarily my favorite type of cozy. That said, this was a fun read and a series I'm looking forward to reading more from.

4 stars. I've never read a cozy mystery before-- the closest I've come is the Finlay Donovan series, but boy was this delightful. I should start by saying that Public Anchovy #1 is the 3rd book in the Deep Dish series, but you can absolutely read this book without having read books 1 and 2. I haven't read those books, but had no problem following allowing. But, you better believe I will be cycling back and reading those as well.

What can you expect from Public Anchovy #1? For starters- a mystery. I'm pleased to say that I wasn't able to guess who the bad guy was or what the motivation was. But there were several clues/ hints planted along the way. I love being surprised in books, so this was a big plus for me. A crazy cast of characters- The secondary characters in this one were a hoot! They weren't totally ridiculous, but definitely fun personalities to keep things interesting. A romance- yes! There was also a romance, which took me a bit by surprise, because I was not expecting that going into this. Ok, to be fair, it's more like the diet coke of romance. We get the sprinkling of tension between the main character and the lead detective, but romance definitely feels like it is in their future. And finally, a crazy pet. Oh my goodness, but Butterball the cat may have just been my favorite character! Yes he was silly, and yes, he was a cat. But I don't care. I loved all the drama and humor he brought to this book. Honestly, this was just a fun read. Even though people kept dying, it still felt light and cozy. This is totally the type of book I'd love to read on vacation, or maybe a rainy day while curled up with a blanket.

Thank you so much to Quigley, SMP and netgalley for the early copy of this one. Clearly, I recommend.

Delilah will be catering a library fundraiser at Pam Phillips Mansion on a remote island. There's a last minute free from pizza added to the catering plans which really throws a wrench in Delilah's plans. As they are beginning the show with Lola Capone. Edgar Clemons falls down the stairs. They aren't sure if it's an accident or murder. As the night goes on the storm knocks out the power and strands several guests. Delilah and Detective Capone have their hands full.

This was such a fun mystery I had no idea whodunnit. It was quite scary in parts when the power was out and they weren't sure what was happening. I really enjoyed this mystery and can't wait to read more of this series.

Here is the third in a series for those who enjoy traditional/cozy mysteries. It is a fun read.

All of the elements that readers of this genre look for are here. There are an appealing protagonist, something to learn about (restaurants/pizza), a bit of romance, pet (cat) and (of course), a body. Follow Delilah and those in her town as she figures everything out. It offers a perfect way to relax on a December night.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in a great cozy mystery series set in a lake resort town in Wisconsin. Even though it’s the third book in the series, I think this would definitely work as a standalone or as your entry into the series.

Delilah owns a pizza restaurant that does twists on traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza, with her best friend Sonya. The restaurant is called Delilah and Son, ha! This time the summer season has come and gone and many summer residents have departed. Luckily the restaurant is asked to cater a big fund-raising dinner for the local library, which is housed in a historic building. The party is being hosted by a wealthy tech entrepreneur (female, yay!) in the rambling old lakeside mansion she has been restoring.

Delilah has loved this lake community since she was young. Her great-aunt Elizabeth (“Biz”) lives there and is a big reason she started the restaurant there. The town has a gangster history and the local detective is a descendent of the infamous Al Capone. He figures large in each of the books.

The mystery in this one was really well done and kept me guessing. The elderly outgoing board chair of the library falls down a flight of stairs and dies. Earlier he had been hinting darkly at something fishy going on. It’s a “dark and stormy night” and this also plays a large part in the events, making it a sort of locked-room mystery.

Delilah’s ex-fiance left her in charge of their cat, Butterball, who plays quite the role in this story, accidentally being transported to the party location. He’s great comic relief. I love the supporting characters who work in the restaurant: Sonya, Rabbit, an ex-con, Daniel, the bartender, Jarka, a Bulgarian doctor who is temporary supporting herself as a waitress, and Melody, a young woman who acts as an assistant to Auntie Biz along with working in the restaurant. Delilah works with the police in these mysteries and she doesn’t do really dumb stuff, putting herself in danger - that unfortunately happens too often in cozy mysteries.

Several recipes are included at the end of the book, written in a chatty way, as if one of the book’s characters is giving you the recipe personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Give your inner detective some serious exercise with this complicated murder riddle. We all love the thrill and excitement of solving a complicated mystery. Was it a random accident or murder?”

"Public Anchovy #1" is the third book in author Mindy Quigley's Deep Dish Mystery series. It takes place in a Wisconsin pizzeria called Delilah & Son in Bluff Point, which is one of the wealthiest areas of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. A "wintry mix" of low temperatures, high winds, and snow is expected around midnight. The event is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Library, and Give your inner detective some serious exercise with this complicated murder riddle. We all love the thrill and excitement of solving a complicated mystery. Was it a random accident or murder?”
The theme is signature deep-dish pizzas and drinks from the Prohibition era. The Soirée would see the town’s upper crust turn out in their best gangster and moll outfits. The manuscript is about a murder riddle or two in a big house during a violent storm. Butterball, the cat, was stowed away on the water taxi that took the caterers to the estate. Butterball literally owns the million-dollar estate used for the evening. Detective Calvin Capone, who is Delilah's sort of boyfriend, is there to help solve the murder. Delila likes Capone but needs to know if he returns her affection.
There is a lot of fun and romance. Delilah is quick, intelligent, and sassy, looking out for her people and her cat, Butterball. I loved finding out how that happened. Try to solve the clever "locked room" mystery with turns and twists that make readers eager to keep reading. The book has a great atmosphere, a good story, and lots of fun literature and movie references. The book has tasty recipes, like a gluten-free crust recipe. Most people who like cozy culinary mysteries enjoy trying Delilah's "No Pizza Challenge." One guest requires a pizza with no gluten, dairy, or animal-derived products. She also avoids all nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes.” I thank the publishers, St. Martin's Paperbacks and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this delightful book. My review is voluntary and honest.

Delilah, Sonya and their crew are on their way to cater a Prohibition themed party for the library board. Delilah is counting on catering business to keep her restaurant afloat during the lean winter months. At the last minute, Delilah has to go back to the restaurant to fulfill a special request. When she arrives at the mansion, she finds one of her employees seemingly arguing with a guest. Since Delilah is busy with the party, she doesn’t have time to wonder about that. She is very surprised to find that the entertainment that night is her possible boyfriend’s mother. And, as she looks closer, the accompanist is Calvin Capone, the possible boyfriend. Calvin is also a police detective in Geneva Bay. After the appetizers are served and the entertainment finished, one of the guests seemingly falls down the stairs to his death. Calvin immediately takes charge. He enlists Delilah’s help in the investigation of what seems to be a tragic accident. But then the bodies start to pile up. Another winning cozy mystery from Mindy Quigly.

This is the third book of Mindy Quingley’s Deep Dish cozy mystery, Delilah is straggling with her pizza restaurant during the slow season, she starts catering to keeping herself staying in the business. When a dead body crashes the party, Delilah and her friends are trapped in an isolated mansion and embroiled an increasingly desperate killer.
I love this mystery, setting is great, characters are fun, love story is interesting. This is will be my favourite cozy mystery on going.
Highly recommended
5 stars

Was a fun whodunit read. Perfect for the cozy weather right now. I was able to cuddle up with it an a warm drink and finish it super quickly.

There were plenty of interesting characters to learn about. Like a last minute guest who has strange allergies that Delilah had to work around. One of the even stranger guests ends up falling down the stairs and dying. But alas it is storming outside so everyone must stay at the venue. Was it an accident? Was it on purpose? Luckily Delilah's love interest of a police officer is there to help on the case.

I had a great time reading this and recommended it to any fans of cozy books.