Minestrone Mischief

Suspense Magazine calls Minestrone Mischief "a treat for cozy fans"!

When a Halloween stalker shows up on Mischief Night, Vic encounters lots of tricks, no treats—

and one murder…

It's the post-summer season in Oceanside Park, and mystery writer Victoria Rienzi's hometown is preparing for one last blast on the boardwalk—its annual Mischief Night parade, held the evening before Halloween. Vic dreams up the perfect costumes for herself and Tim: Nick and Nora Charles, the famed detective pair from The Thin Man movies. Completing their look is a canine scamp, Willie, borrowed to play the part of Nora's pet terrier.

But Victoria's excitement is dimmed by a stalker, Edward Millman, who's seen lurking around the Rienzi family restaurant. And who shows up at the Mischief Night parade dressed as Victoria's book sleuth, Bernardo Vitali. But halfway through the parade, Willie sniffs out trouble, leading Vic and Tim on a not-so-merry chase that brings them to a dead body—Victoria's stalker, Edward Millman. And in a scene straight out of Victoria's latest book, Millman is found with a knife sticking from his chest, along with a nasty note: You deserved this.

As Vic digs into the details of the victim's life, she wonders: Is it life imitating art? Or is there a more deadly form of mischief at work this Halloween?

"Wonderfully engaging characters work to solve a murder so intriguing and unique you'll find it difficult to put this book down until you reach the final, satisfying page." -Terrie Farley Moran, Agatha Award-winning author of the Murder, She Wrote novels

"A clever murder, delicious food, and Halloween at the Jersey shore? A winning combination. I loved every minute!" -Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author

"Great characters and clever plotting." -Susan Santangelo, Suspense Magazine