Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Chris Cavender (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pizza Lover's Mysteries | Publication Date: August 1, 2010

For once, it seems, no one is trying to pin a murder on Eleanor Swift, owner of the scrumptious pizzeria A Slice of Delight in the quiet little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina. But someone has to answer for that body in her kitchen...and it looks like the final stop for Greg Hatcher, her deliveryman, may be the state penitentiary...Eleanor knows Gregg would never have lethally bashed his own brother in the head with a pizza-rolling pin. Sure, Wade was greedily claiming far more than his fair share of their family inheritance. And Gregg did catch his ex-girlfriend Katy smooching on the couch with Wade. It's no wonder that Timber Ridge's police chief - and Eleanor's ex-sweetheart - has his sights set on finding and arresting poor Gregg. But as Eleanor and her saucy sister Maddy dig a little deeper into the mystery, they find Wade's enemies begin to outnumber the slices on a large pie. This is one mystery that's made to order, and if Eleanor and Maddy don't find out who killed Wade, Gregg's delivery days are over. But while finding the killer is one thing, escaping alive to dish the goods to the police is quite another.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The pseudonymous Cavender (Tim Myers) offers few surprises in his talky second mystery starring Timber Ridge, N.C., pizzeria owner Eleanor Swift (after 2009's A Slice of Murder). When someone bashes in the head of Wade Hatcher, the brother of Eleanor's best delivery guy, Greg Hatcher, with Eleanor's maple rolling pin in her pizzeria kitchen, it appears at first that Greg killed Wade, who was contesting their grandparents' will. Eleanor and her sister, Maddy, join forces to investigate after the local police chief, Kevin Hurley, who always knows how to ruffle Eleanor's feathers, doesn't do much. As the sisters pursue some sticky but somewhat predictable clues, their suspect list grows. Could the killer have been Greg's estranged girlfriend, Katy Johnson; ill-tempered Sandi Meadows, who was dating Wade; or Roger Henderson, Wade's boss, who claims Wade was stealing from his customers? Some readers might wish that Cavender had added a little more spice to his comfortable recipe of food, mystery, and smalltown vibes.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Widow Eleanor Swift, owner of A Slice of Delight pizzeria, turns investigator after Wade Hatcher is found murdered in her pizzeria, killed with her rolling pin. Wade’s brother, Gregg, the pizzeria’s deliveryman, is the chief suspect, due to wrangling over their grandparents’ estate—with Wade demanding more than his fair share and Gregg refusing to capitulate. When Gregg goes on the run, Detective Kevin Hurley is sure he has found his killer; but Eleanor and her sister, Maddy, don’t believe their deliveryman is guilty and look into other possible suspects, including Wade’s boss and girlfriend. Details of running a pizzeria, including recipes for pizza sauce and dough, frame the entertainingly light story. The small-town setting, the small-business focus, and the relationship between sisters Maddy and Eleanor are all reminiscent of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen mysteries. --Sue OBrien

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075822950X
• ISBN-13: 978-0758229502
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Slice of Heaven, September 26, 2010

By 

Sassy girl "Sassy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I have to say I really enjoyed
this second installment of the Pizza Lover's mystery.
Of course the cover of the book had me yearning for
just one slice of a gooey cheesy pizza.
I relished the idea of coming back to see
how sisters Eleanor and Maddy were getting along.
This mystery takes place in a very
small town in North Carolina.
Where everyone knows your name and your business.
This time the crime is committed right inside
Eleanor's pizza making kitchen.
How dare someone use one of her tools of the trade to murder someone.
So, of course Eleanor has a stake in this crime.
The fun comes while tagging along on all the escapades
the sisters do to find the guilty party.
Again, I savored every moment while reading this mystery.
Thanks for the pizza recipes included.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hold the anchovies, August 31, 2010

By 

Angela Thornton "The Wicked Librarian" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Not a bad mystery series. I like this one better than the first one. But, did I miss something? How was the body discovered at the pizzeria? Eleanor gets a call in the middle of the night from the police saying a murdered body has been found at her restaurant. How did they know this? An anonymous tip? Police patrol found the body? I kept thinking this point would come up during the course of the book thereby giving a clue about the murderer but I don't recall anything ever being mentioned about it. And the main character (who owns the place) never asks? The first book in this series also bothered me in that Eleanor is so easily suspected of murder even though it's a small town and everyone has known everyone forever. Otherwise, they are readable books and I'll continue the series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mystery, March 2, 2011

By 

Peg M (Northern MI United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Good read. I find the main character getting a little nasty? She is definitely dwelling on her past a bit much. Different strokes for different folks but am a little put off by her negative attitude. It is a good read however, and worth reading.