I have interesting reactions to Mindy Quigley’s Deep Dish mysteries. I was a little worried I wouldn’t let her protagonist in the first book, Six Feet Deep Dish. I liked Delilah O’Leary, owner of a pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. I also liked the supporting characters. With Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, though, the author fell into one of the habits I hate in cozy mysteries. Delilah is the perfectionist owner of a struggling business, but she spends so much time investigating crimes or dealing with people on the periphery of a crime that she’s seldom at her business. In my opinion, that’s one more reason small businesses struggle in cozy mysteries. Where’s the owner when you need them?
Delilah knows it’s going to be hard to make it through the winter when tourists aren’t supporting local businesses. But, Geneva Bay’s Taste of Wisconsin Cook-Off is offering a $10,000 grand prize. She’s been working on her bratwurst pizza, making tiny adjustments. The staff is absolutely sick of it. A disaster hits them head-on, though, when the president of the visitor’s bureau announces the celebrity judge, Graham Ulrich. Sonya, the “Son” in Delilah & Son, Delilah’s sous chef and best friend, had a fling with Graham’s wife, and he fired Sonya with a firing that went viral. If he’s in town, and knows Sonya is there, Delilah can kiss the prize money goodbye.
But, that news is quickly supplanted with the news that Delilah’s ex, Sam, is dating Jordan Watts, owner of Juice Revolution. Delilah’s on the scene when a customer dies there after having a smoothie, and Jordan ends up in the hospital after having the same flavor. Delilah calls a local police detective, Calvin Capone. It doesn’t take long for the death to be blamed on poison. And, while waiting for Calvin, Delilah finds a threatening note at the cash register.
There’s a lot happening in Geneva Bay. Delilah’s gruff Auntie Biz is acting strange. One of the team members is worried about a cousin who works at Juice Revolution and seems to have a lot of money. There’s a strange man hanging around the businesses in town. And, Delilah feels as if she has to stick her nose in all of the troubles. It’s no wonder she’s worried about her business.
That’s my biggest gripe about cozy mysteries. Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust does nothing to prove to me that small business owners can juggle work while investigating crime. Or, in this case, maybe I should say they can’t make dough while looking for a killer.
Mindy Quigley’s website is https://mindyquigley.com/
Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley. St. Martin’s, 2023. ISBN 9781250792457 (paperback), 320p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley.
