Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley is a mystery infused with family drama.

Will Delilah find the culprit and wreck everyone's perfect Christmas?

Delilah O'Leary
Our sleuth is Delilah, the chef and owner of Delilah & Son, Geneva Bay's premier pizza restaurant. Dee is somewhat of a perfectionist and busybody, although I don't think she would agree with that last part. She is a fantastic chef, however, it seems she shouldn't cater events outside the restaurant. The last couple have ended with deaths.

I like Delilah. She is witty and intelligent, and she speaks her mind, although, at times, she really needs to stop and think before opening her mouth. I love that she is loyal to her friends and family. Dee does so much to help out those around her. Her cat, Butterball, does seem to steal some of the scenes, which is entirely expected. Dee's relationship with Detective Capone is blossoming well.

The Mystery
At the end of the Chrismukkah party, one of the guests disappears from the party, forgetting her coat. Said guest is found the next day in one of the blocks of snow at the city park, where it will be transformed into a piece of art. There are so many suspects, and each is holding their own secrets. But secrets in a small town never stay secret. As some of Delilah's staff and family members are suspects, she is trying to stay a step ahead of her boyfriend, who is investigating the murder. Are all of the secrets part of the same main secret-? It looks like it is up to Dee to figure it all out.

Five Stars
I love this sleuth and her friends. My rating for Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley is five stars. I truly enjoyed the mystery, and the characters are entertaining. I recommend this cozy mystery to all.

Check out the recipes at the back of the book, which includes Tear-and-Share Christmas Tree Pizza Bread, Sonya's Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Jelly Donuts), Sonya's Bubbe Ilene's Imperfectly Perfect Latkes, and The Castillo Family's Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog).

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

"Sharing a house with a twentysomething, an eightysomething, and a very opinionated cat meant that there was truly never a dull moment."

This is apparently the fourth installment (I say apparently simply because I didn't read the first three) of the Deep Dish Mystery series penned by Mindy Quigley. Protagonist and Pizzeria owner Dee lives in the frozen wasteland known to Americans as the state of Wisconsin. While the average winter temperatures hover around negative one million degrees Fahrenheit (I may or may not be exaggerating), it is arguably not the worst place to set up a pizzeria due to the prominence of good cheese. Mmm, cheese. Well, one evening when Dee and her crew are catering a fancy-shmancy party, she overhears a bit of a kerfuffle amongst some of the guests. The next day a body is found in a block of ice and - woah! - it happens to be one of the partygoers involved in the kerfuffle. But who killed the now dead person, and why? Dee, her hunky boyfriend Detective Capone, and her faithful XL cat Butterball are on the case.

While this story was cute and enjoyable for the most part, I have some gripes. Most of my gripes contain spoilers, however, so here we go:

1. The person who did it was obvious-ish. The cast of characters in this book are Dee, Dee's family, people who work for Dee, Dee's boyfriend, and a family who are essentially painted as villains from page one. While the book hints that maybe it's someone who works for Dee or someone in her family... come on. This is a cozy mystery. Without knowing the why or the how, it was pretty clear the murderer was going to be one of the members of the villainous family.

2. I know not everything has to make perfect sense for a book to be enjoyable, but I had to suspend my disbelief more than I would've liked to as I read this novel. Dee and her bestie Sonya are able to keep their restaurant up and running with only FOUR total people working when some of the staff goes on vacation? Dee's BIL is completely surprised to run into Dee when he visits the town where she lives - when Geneva Bay has a population of 8,000 people? Two characters talk about heading out for night skiing at 7 pm on two different occasions - when night skiing closes at 8 pm or 9 pm at any mountain I've been to? Maybe I'm just being nit-picky, but this stuff bugged me.

3. While Dee is generally portrayed as a tough-as-nails type, she irritatingly became a damsel-in-distress when it came to her boyfriend Capone. After Dee and Capone discuss the discovery of the dead body and ponder who could've killed her and why, Dee mentions her BIL will be flying out later that day. Even though Capone has no warrant and is going off of some loosely baked theory, he decides to confront the BIL, intimidate him, question him, and purposefully causes him to miss his flight home. Since this is the holiday season and the weather is inclement, this means BIL won't be spending Christmas with his family. When BIL discovers that Dee not only knows Capone but is dating him and that she's the one who let him know BIL had an upcoming flight, he's rightfully upset. And when Dee confronts Capone about this, HE has the audacity to get upset with HER and state that he's just "doing his job." If he was better at his job, he would've gotten a warrant. If he was better at his job, he wouldn't be relying on Dee to spoon feed him information he should've known in the first place. And if he had an ounce of respect for her, he'd trust her when she said her BIL didn't do it and would leave her family alone. Instead of breaking up with him at this point, which she 100% should've done, she actually ponders if the had the right to be upset with him or if she should run after him and apologize. Ugh. In the end, Capone literally did nothing to solve the crime - it was all Dee, her coworkers, and... a confession that put the pieces together. Even the cat solved more of the mystery than Capone! And yet he's always "too busy working" to ever spend time with Dee? Too busy doing what, exactly?

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza did have several positives about it. I don't know that I'll actually try any of them, but I dug the recipes provided at the conclusion of the story. My mouth was watering just glancing through all of them. And hands down the best character in the book was Butterball. I hope he swats Capone in the face and draws blood in the next Deep Dish Mystery installment.

This was the first book in the series that I've read and it was the purrfect murder mystery. I am such a sucker for food/animal themed murder mysteries and their clever punny titles.

This murder mystery focuses around a restaurant around Christmas time. Most of the characters are family or somehow their circle is all connected, so it was easy to remember who was who. I actually liked that about this book, because a lot of murder mysteries will just throw a bunch of random names and people out that don't have much relevance to the story at all.

The owner of the restaurant is a woman named Delilah. She is in a romantic relationship with a cop named Capone. He investigates a murder that happens near the restaurant and before she knows it, most of Delilah's family and friends are now suspects. This definitely puts some tension on their relationship as her family is being interrogated. They work through it however, and I really enjoy the two of them together.

One of the best characters in the book is Delilah's large orange tabby cat named Butterball. He makes appearances from time to time, and the potato tiger as her nephew calls him shines every time!

I didn't guess who the murderer was correctly, but after realizing the motive it makes sense. It genuinely seemed like anyone could have been the murderer after learning how everyone is connected in some way.

I truly enjoyed this book overall. While I was reading it, I found the first two books in the series at a thrift store and can't wait to read those also!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mindy Quigley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delilah O’Leary is catering a Christmas-Hanukkah joint event when some nasty encounters abruptly end the festivities. The next morning, a missing party guest’s frozen corpse turns up inside one of the mounds of snow to be used for the local snow sculpture competition.

Delilah's police boyfriend Capone is busy questioning the attendees which include surprise attendees from her family: tennis coach Jonathan & his college-aged daughter Piper. Delilah's pizza restaurant staff members Rabbit and Daniel are also on the suspect list because of their odd behavior and connection to the murder victim. Family dysfunctions abound as the Christmas holiday approaches.

This was an ok mystery, not my favorite in the series.

A body (no spoilers) in the snow sculpture! It's the holiday season and Dee has a good gig catering except now she's got her family to deal with and a murder to solve, whether Detective Capone likes it or not. This latest in the series likely will be more appreciated by fans because you'll be able to see the growth in the characters and the additional family drama. That said, it also will work as a standalone, especially for those who enjoy cozies. Quigley's affection for her setting comes through strongly. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read. AND- recipes!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mindy Quigley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Sleep in Heavenly Pizza coming out October 22, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I need to read the other books in the series. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries and I really love punny titles. I love Christmastime/Hanukkah mysteries. I think Delilah was a really fun character. I loved the small town setting. I loved the mystery. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Dollycas's Thoughts

We arrive in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin just in time for the holidays. The nation’s premier snow sculpting championship is set to begin soon and the town will become a winter wonderland of ice and snow sculptures. Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary caters a Chrismukkah event for Daffi and Adrian Hoffman the evening before and is surprised to see her niece and brother-in-law in attendance without her sister. The surprises don't end with the party, the next day one of the sculptors makes a terrifying discovery.

It appears murder is on the menu and Delilah's crew and family will be getting more than a slice of attention. Can Delilah and her feline friend Butterball put the clues together to serve up the real killer before anyone else gets iced?

______

Ms. Quigley has created a sensational set of core characters for this series. I related to Aunt Biz and her longing for a family holiday. It is hard to get everyone together these days. At first Delilah's sister, Shea was not coming for Christmas but circumstances in the story brought her and her family to town. While they were all together at times you could cut the tension with a knife. Delilah feels so true to life. The woman has a huge heart. As this series continues, the supporting characters become more fleshed out too. It is easy to get invested in their lives.

The way the murder takes place and the aftermath was really freaky. Capone wants Delilah to stay out of the investigation. He wants to protect her, but she looks out for all her friends and family no matter what. The murder is linked to the Chrismukkah party and there is no shortage of suspects, including some dear to Delilah. Connections and interactions pared them down but people she cares about are still being questioned. As clues started to come together and motives and misdeeds were revealed epic twists had me reeling. The reveal had me gobsmacked and a little heartbroken.

While some heavy topics were themes in the mystery, Ms. Quigley adds a perfect amount of humor. She also mentions Wisconsin traditions and happenings that always make this Wisconsin girl smile. Delilah mentions a previous Christmas when she flopped on the couch to "watch the Bears get clobbered by the Packers". Yes, a very enjoyable part of every Packer football season. They are two of the oldest teams in the NFL and have been rivals since 1921. Also, a Wisconsin winter is not for the faint at heart. There can be snow and frigid temps that need to be taken seriously especially when trying to solve a murder.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza was wonderfully plotted and written. Delilah, her friends, and her family had a heck of a holiday season. I loved tagging along for every minute of it.

Delilah "Dee" O'Leary owns an upscale pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. She runs it with her best friend, Sonya, and the two are catering a "Chrismukkah" event - a party to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. There are a few snags, but overall the event goes well - until a woman who had gone missing from the party is found dead in a pile of snow where a snow sculpting competition is being held. 

This is the fifth book in the "cozyish" Deep Dish Mystery series. I've read most of them, but think this would work well as a standalone. My favorite part of the book is the actual event and the descriptions of the dishes being served. (Recipes for a couple of them can be found at the end of the book.) I could picture myself at the party and loved that both Christmas and Hanukkah foods were included. I also enjoy the friendship between Dee and Sonya and how their personalities complement each other. There was a little too much O'Leary family drama in this one. The parts that were tied in with the investigation were fine, but much of it wasn't and made it hard to like some of the characters. 

Dee is a capable investigator, but sometimes needs to take it down a notch. I think even she realized that showing up at an active crime scene to talk to her detective boyfriend about the case was the wrong thing to do. The case held my interest throughout the book, but when all the details were revealed, I was somewhat disappointed. The overall ending of this book, however, was touching and hopeful for Dee, her family, and her friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing the advance review copy of this ebook. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I'll admit reading this was a tad annoying because there were so many feelings and red herrings and the final outcome for motive was "meh." However, I persevered to the end as I had to know whodunit (I guessed correctly) and why. My guess for the why was completely wrong.

Delilah is gearing up for the holiday season in the small town of Geneva Bay, WI. She is trying to bear her Aunt Biz, who turns from Scrooge into Liberace during the holidays, and that her sister has declined to spend Christmas with them, yet again. So imagine Delilah's surprise when she meets her brother-in-law at a fancy holiday party she is catering and had no idea he was in town. The party ends with a hiccup of dropped glassware and a laceration and multiple people leave early.

When a body turns up in the packed snow for the snow sculpting competition Deliliah is suspicious. Then it turns out it was a party guest and the suspect list isn't that long and includes some of her staff! Delilah has to try and set aside her fuzzies for her family and staff while her boyfriend Capone investigates the case.

I admit I finished this book while eating a pizza because the food in these is always mouthwatering. I enjoyed the festive atmosphere of the book, despite the multitude of dysfunctional families present. Butterball, as always, is the star of the show. I'll be looking for the next installment!

Thank you to Minotaur books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the fourth book in Mindy Quigley's delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

Pizza chef Delilah O'Leary and her kitty companion, Butterball, get into the holiday spirit as Geneva Bay, Wisconsin hosts the nation's premier snow sculpting championship. The annual event transforms the charming resort town into a wonderland of snow castles, ice rinks, and cozy cups of cocoa.

On the eve of the festival though, a too-good-to-be-true Chrismukkah catering gig brings some frosty tidings and heralds an unexpected visit from Delilah's high-intensity older sister. Suddenly it seems that the holidays may not be the hap-happiest season of all. And when one of the town's snowy sculptures reveals a chilling surprise, murder threatens to put the celebrations - and Delilah's crew - on ice for good."

OBVIOUSLY based on the Lake Geneva ice sculpting competition, which means I'm OBVIOUSLY going to read it.

In Mindy Quigley's fourth Deep Dish cozy, Deliah and Butterball, her feline friend, deal with a frozen corpse showing up at the annual sculpting competition. This holiday mystery is hip-deep in snow and intriguing events.

r Fellow Reader,

We are back this week with a new installment in the Deep Dish Mysteries. I have reviewed the three previous books in the series, Public Anchovy (Public Anchovy Review) Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust (Crust to Crust review), and Six Feet Deep Dish (my review).

The series takes place in Geneva Lake, WI. Geneva Lake is a tourist destination, and winters can be quiet except during the famous snow sculpting championship. When Delilah O’Leary, the owner of the local pizza restaurant, is asked to cater a Chrismukkah gig, she is delighted. The party will take place during the competition.

Unfortunately, a person disappears from the party and is discovered frozen in a snow sculpture.

The cast of suspects includes a new character in the series, Delilah’s brother-in-law. What was his connection and why was he at the party with Delilah’s niece? They hadn’t told Delilah or her aunt they were coming to town. And where is Delilah’s sister? The sisters aren’t close mostly because Delilah feels her sister is constantly judging her and finding her wanting.

Unfortunately, the murder brings some questions about Delilah’s staff. She hates to be suspicious of them but things are going on that raise questions about their backgrounds. She hates feeling they could be involved but she doesn’t step back from investigating.

This fourth installment continues the character-driven series with new characters and Delilah’s role as narrator. And what is going on with the romance with Calvin Capone? Things are progressing slowly but there is progress.

If you like the other books in the series, I think you will be happy with this installment. There is more in this story; I’m sure because we know more about the characters. Can it stand on its own? I think so but it is hard to be completely sure because I have read all the series. I am glad when there is a new book in the series if that helps you decide.

Thanks for reading!

I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion. The book will be published on  October 22, 2024.

Delilah and her team from an upscale pizzeria were catering a glamorous house party, and everything was running smoothly due to her meticulous attention to detail. However, after a mishap, one of her employees disappeared, a body was discovered, and Delilah found herself entangled in a mystery, trying to clear her friends and a family member from her detective boyfriend’s list of suspects.

This intriguing mystery was intertwined with family drama, friendship and a touch of romance. The plot was well written, and the author did an outstanding job providing details that really made the story come to life. This is another great installment in A Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza
Deep Dish Mystery #4
by Mindy Quigley
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Mystery/Cozy Mystery
Pages: 320
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

When a guest from the Chrismukkah house party pizza chef Delilah O’Leary catered shows up embedded in a block of snow, she’s drawn into investigating the bizarre death.

Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary has her hands full. It’s Christmas in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and she and her staff at Delilah and Son are catering a glitzy Chrismukkah house party, and Delilah doesn’t want anything to go wrong. But the evening brings a torrent of questions. Her employee, Rabbit, disappears. The only sign Delilah can find is his footprints in the snow, as well as someone else’s-and that someone else is a woman, wearing stilettos. Trying to find him, she ends up on the second floor, where she sees a young woman appearing to eavesdrop at one of the doors. Delilah unexpectedly crosses paths with her brother-in-law Jonathan Savage at the same party. Delilah’s sister, Shea, had refused Delilah’s Christmas invitation. So why is he in Geneva Bay instead of home in Pasadena? Then hours after the party, one of the guests is found dead. Her body is discovered when snow sculptors uncover her as they begin work for their entry in the well-known snow sculpting championship. As Delilah begins to investigate this murder, she’ll uncover layers of lies and deceit that lead back to her family.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza has a complex plot, but one that is fully resolved by the end. The characters are complicated, mainly focusing around family groups. The relationship between Delilah and her sister, Shea is a focus of the book. Shea is the older of the two, and Delilah has never measured up in Shea’s eyes. Their complicated relationship takes a new turn in this novel. But family members can also be extraordinarily cruel to one another, and that pain can spill out in the darkest ways.

Overall, Sleep in Heavenly Pizza, is a solid read. The plot is complicated, but not convoluted. The relationships between the characters are difficult, sometimes painful, but also full of love. 4/5 stars.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the 4th book in the Deep Dish Mysteries and it is an enjoyable addition to the series. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery was good. Delilah O'Leary owns an upscale pizza restaurant and her best friend Sonya works with her along with Melanie, Daniel, Rabbit and Jarka. They are like a family. Delilah is dating Detective Capone and their relationship seems to finally be progressing. It is Christmas and Hanukkah and Geneva Bay, WI is having an Ice Sculpture Competition. Delilah & Son's is catering a big party and there are some odd things going on and a guest goes missing. Delilah and Capone are on a date watching the ice sculpting when a dead body turns up. Daniel, his Mom Angie, Rabbit and Delilah's brother-in-law Jonathan are all suspects which causes tension between Delilah and Capone. They work through it and he is the primary source for information. I like this more than when the main character ends up in peril trying to get clues. There are a lot of secrets, lies, and omissions to keep things interesting. Delilah and her sister Shea are not close but Shea, her 3 year old son Caleb, stepdaughter Piper, and husband Jonathan all end up staying with her. There is a lot of tension between all of them, Delilah and Aunt Biz which adds some drama to the story. Delilah's cat Butterball certainly is a part of it all. Everything is r
resolved just in time for Christmas. The ending was interesting and without suspence and peril. This is an enjoyable cozy mystery! #SleepInHeavenlyPizza #DeepDishMysteries #MinotaurPress #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Delilah and her crew are catering a party where she is surprised to see her brother-in-law and niece as guests.
When a guest's body is found the next day, Delilah wonders if her brother-in-law's relationship with the murdered
woman is a factor. When it turns out that two of her employees also have ties to the woman, the suspect list
increases. Bent on keeping family and friends safe, Delilah is determined to discover the person responsible.
Enjoyed learning more about Delilah's family and employees, Look forward to reading the next book in the
series.
#SleepinHeavenlyPiza #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

Want to get into the holiday spirit through a delightful cozy? This is for you! I really enjoy this series and this latest installment is no different. One particular thing I found really fun was getting to see the families of various characters. It really gave some fun insight into who they are in the way that only families can. The mystery in this book was solid - not overly amazing, but still fun to read. I’m also waiting for Delilah and Capone to figure their relationship out!! Overall, another solid entry into a fun series.

This is the fourth book in the series and probably my favorite. There is definitely something to be said for mysteries set around holidays, especially when you are far enough in to have several favorite characters. My problem with this series is that I find Dee, the MC, just a little too much, a tad too intense. This book has a lot of time with Sonya, Melody, Daniel, Capone, and Butterball, and generally, I prefer their company. That being said, there is a very interesting mystery that resolves around a catering event. Because of that, we get the whole crew plus some of Dee's family we haven't met before. With some of her staff and some of her family as suspects, you know Dee and Capone are going to have some difficult times. Come on and enjoy the slippery ride! Thanks to #Netgally, #StMartinsPress, and the author for an opportunity to read. #SleepinHeavenlyPizza #DeepDishMysteries #MindyQuigley #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

This book is part of the Deep Dish mystery series, and I consider it the best so far. In this complex plot line, Dee and friends get involved in helping law enforcement solve the mystery of a woman who fell from a balcony on a snowy winter night after a fancy party. Dee and associates run a pizza restaurant and catered the event. Many things about the woman's death just do not add up. When law enforcement starts to question members of Dee's family and her friends, tension mounts as the story builds to a surprising conclusion.

As a reader of many mysteries, I am usually pretty good at guessing the outcome. This book was an exception! I never saw that ending coming, although it all made sense. Add in the holiday celebrations for Christmas and Hanukkah, and you have the recipe for an outstanding mystery with a resounding resolution. The recipes at the end with their humorous comments just add value to this story.

Readers who enjoy culinary mysteries with quirky characters will find this latest addition to the series to be intriguing and a definite page-turner. For those returning to this series, the characters are further developed, supporting the feeling of being with family. New and interesting character depths are explored in this story, although it can be read as a standalone novel. This book contains no steamy intimate scenes or strong language or descriptive violence.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley (thank you very much!) in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Readers looking for a culinary cozy with a Christmas setting will love this! It is the fourth book in a series, but I hadn't read the first three and I no trouble keeping up, so readers can jump right in and go back to older titles if they like this one -- which I think they will!