Deep Dish Mysteries #4
In Mindy Quigley’s Sleep in Heavenly Pizza, readers are taken to Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, for a white Christmas and one stressed out Delilah O’Leary. Her restaurant, Delilah & Son, is catering a big Chrismukkah celebration. Thanks to her amazing food and fastidious planning, it all seems to be a success, with just a few unfortunate hiccups brought about by a bit of over indulgence by the guests. Little does Delilah know that the events of the party will directly tie into a gruesome discovery later on at the snow sculpting contest which puts not only her staff, but also her family in the crosshairs of the investigation.
Detective Calvin Capone (yes, like that Capone) isn’t about to hold back just because of his romantic involvement with Delilah. He’ll follow the leads wherever they may go and holds the murderer accountable. Luckily for him, Delilah is reasonable, with a strong sense of justice. While she might not like hearing his theories about her friends and family, she is ready to listen. Not only that, she’s happy to do her own snooping. Since her help has been invaluable in the past, Detective Capone is more than willing to let her, as long as she doesn’t get herself into any situation that’s too dangerous.
If murder wasn’t stressful enough, Delilah also has to deal with her sister and her family unexpectedly being in town. While the holiday season is heralded worldwide for bringing families together, there are plenty of families that are more than a little dysfunctional. Some take a lot more than some eggnog and seasonal good cheer to come together. Delilah and her great-aunt Biz yearn for a closer relationship with her sister and her family, but seem to always hit walls. Shea and Delilah have a strained relationship, and Shea’s being thrown into a murder suspect pool along with her husband does nothing to help. Delilah isn’t about to give up, and keeps trying to build bridges with her sister, even as she pushes for any possible information about the night of the murder. Hopefully some Chrismukkah magic goes into play, and helps the O’Leary family come together despite the chaos.
Both readers who have never picked up a Deep Dish Mystery, and those who have enjoyed the previous three novels, will enjoy Mindy Quigley’s latest work. Characters are introduced smoothly, and readers are given some context of Delilah’s life thus far without becoming bogged down in background. The cast is diverse and interesting as well. There is also a very rotund tabby cat known as Butterball, who adds hilarity to things. I suggest this book for readers looking for a Christmas escape amongst the Spooky season, and for those who love a cozy that also tackles some more complicated family dynamics. There is also representation for ex-felons who are sincerely trying to turn their life around. It’s not an easy task at all with any kind of record, and Mindy Quigley does an admirable job of letting readers see the struggle. Delilah is a strong protagonist that is willing to go the extra mile for those she loves, but isn’t going to hide from the truth. She faces things head on and I find that a very admirable trait in any heroine. As this was my first introduction to the series, I look forward to reading the previous three books and seeing what adventures life has in store for Delilah O’Leary. – Carla Schantz