Did you know you can go from New York to Miami, then from Miami to Los Angeles, and then from L.A. back to NYC in twenty-four hours?
Yeah, I didn’t either. Until I did it.
Here’s the story. My girlfriend Mia – wait, SPOILER ALERT! She’s my fiancée now. Un-fricking-believable. If you’d told my wild friends from my modeling days that I’d be engaged to my boss at the catering hall in Queens where I’m the operations manager, they’d say, “Pisane, what are you on and should we call someone because you are outta your mind!”
Anyway, back to Mia. She’s the senior event planner at Belle View Catering Manor, which her father runs as a legit business for the Boldano Family. That’s a capital “F” in family, if you know what I mean. I don’t wanna give too much away, so I’m gonna keep some of the details of why we did this crazy trip vague. I mean, you already know we’re engaged. But I can’t tell you everything, right?
Lemme just say that I became the number one suspect in a murder, and if I was arrested and then convicted, it would’ve put a serious cramp in our future plans as man and wife. Since we both have seriously bad first marriages in our background, Mia and me were not gonna let anything get in the way of getting it right the second time. NYPD is a great law enforcement agency but let’s face it, they got a lot on their plate. So, helping to clear the name of the fiancé to the daughter of a mobster (reformed, BTW) was not exactly a top priority for them. Which meant it was up to my girl and me to do a little investigating on our own.
We uncovered clues that led us to Miami, which was tough on Mia because it was where she lived with her two-timing, S.O.B. of a first husband. We did pick up some important clues there, but it turned out the only way to pursue them was to fly to Los Angeles. We jumped on a flight from Miami to LaLaLand and thanks to a three-hour time difference, we got to the West Coast by late afternoon, early evening. But get this… We land at LAX – and people, lemme tell you, if you think the airport where you live is bad, fly into LAX and you will kiss the ground of your airport. Trust me.
Sorry. So, we land at LAX and Mia gets a call from Pete Dianopolis, the NYPD detective working the case. Turns out he knew the answers we were looking for in Los Angeles, so we didn’t need to fly there after all! Marrone. But since I spent some time in the city during my modeling days, I used the time to take Mia out to dinner in Malibu and watch the sunset over the Pacific. Believe me, we earned a little romance time.
Then we caught a redeye back to New York… where we were met by the police, who informed us there was another murder, this one in the house we plan on living in once we’re married.
Well, at least they know this time that there’s no way on earth I did it. Because I wasn’t on earth – I was in the air!
Four Parties and a Funeral, A Catering Hall Mystery Book #4
Genre: Cozy
Release: March 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
Agatha Award-winning author Maria DiRico returns with the fourth book in the Catering Hall Mystery Series, starring Mia Carina who is coming to grips with being back in Astoria, Queens, and running her Italian-American family’s catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor but a TV casting call is about to put murder in the spotlight . . .
The June events schedule at Belle View is busting out all over—proms, graduations, and of course, weddings. There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard. But soon, Mia’s fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed . . .
Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia’s friends insist on getting in on the action. The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife—who’s also very minor British royalty—have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen “talent.” Even so, it’s a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show . . .
Murder might boost the ratings. But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime . . .
About the author
Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery. She also writes the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, the Catering Hall Mysteries (under the name Maria DiRico) and will soon debut a new series, the Golden Motel Mysteries.
Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. Please visit her at ellenbyron.com.
All comments are welcomed.
Giveaway: Ellen has generously offered to give away one print copy of Here Comes The Body. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends March 30, 2023. Good luck everyone!
I’m so impressed with authors who can juggle multiple series. This one sounds fun.
Not to toot my own horn, but it is!
I was already looking forward to reading this book. But from what I’ve just read I am now more eager to read it than ever! Mia and Shane are engaged?! Is this for real or some kind of trick? I can’t wait to find out. Plus there is a fish funeral to attend. What doesn’t this book have?
Not in this book! A peek into the future!
Mia’s engaged? I need to catch up on this series! Congratulations on the launch Ellen!
Not here! In the next book! A little advance preview!
Well, that couldn’t be more intriguing! Great set up!!
Thanks! Unfortunately, it’s about book 5. Oops!
Ellen, you are one of my favorite authors. Love the Cajun Country Mysteries and I’m looking forward to starting this series.
Wow! Now I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I just gave you a glimpse into the future!
I love love love this series and can’t wait to read this latest!!!
Thanks so much, Autumn! The plane trip happens in book 5 but there are bachelorette and bachelor parties and a wedding and other stuff in this one!
I can’t wait to read this!!
Christi, thanks!! Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek – into book 5, out next year!
Can’t wait to read this! Love the series! Congrats on the new book.
Lori, thank you! You won’t find the flight sequence in this book – that’s the next one – but you will find a reality show, a posh wedding, and some boozy bachelor and bachelorette parties!
This does sound like a fun read.
I don’t envy them the around the country trip!
Thanks, Libby! It’s a preview of book 5! A happy accident on my part. But book 4 is a really fun read, if I do say so myself.
New series for me, sounds good!
It is, if I do say so myself! The first book in the series is HERE COMES THE BODY, if you want to start at the beginning.
Sounds like a fun and exciting read!
This is from book 5, which will be out next year. But book 4, this book, is a fun read too!
Love reading Ellen’s books. Makes my day lighter. Looking forward to this book.
Thanks, Robin!
This sounds like such a good story! Looking forward to it.
There’s no plane ride in this book but there’s lots of other exciting stuff!
Not that I wasn’t already hooked, but…this day in the life, knowing how the new release ended makes me want to read the next one all the more! Great story and I can’t wait to make the Tuna Casserole this weekend with some Italian Wedding cookies. Thank you for the giveaway, fingers crossed!
This plot point is in book 5! I messed up! But… you’ll still enjoy book 4 – I hope!
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
The reality show setting sounds made for madcap fun and mayhem. And book 5 – I can’t stop wondering why they would fly to those locations in 24 hours. Looking forward to both.
You’ll find out next year, Becca, when THE WITLESS PROTECTION PROGRAM launches!
Can’t wait to read this! Love both Ellen’s/Maria’s Books, but must admit I like the Bayou series just a Teensy bit better!
That’s okay! I’m thrilled you read any of my books!
Too funny, sometimes we just try to do too much at once. I know I have.I haven’t read this series, but would like to. Love the Bayou series!
**** WINNER ****
Here Comes The Body is Teresa Warner
Congratulations!