Six Feet Deep Dish

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Six Feet Deep Dish is a strong start for a fun cozy mystery series featuring Delilah O'Leary, a pizza chef opening a brand new restaurant in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. The gear up to the grand opening is marred by a suspicious death--that of her elderly aunt's caregiver. Suspicion swirls around her aunt--the killing is done by her gun, and she's been weirdly addled of late--to other workers at the restaurant. The mystery has a very modern feel done in a cozy way. Current technology has a role, as do modern modes of crime, but everything is explained in easy-going form to make this approachable to mystery readers of all ages.

I wasn't too sure what to make of the first few chapters. Delilah is very show more much a type-A personality and when stressed, she is not at her nicest, but I soon came to know and appreciate her, and I loved the ensemble cast from her techie hipster fiancé to the hefty resident feline. Plus, it's a very smart mystery with a savvy cast and delightful twists and turns. Having read a few mysteries recently where the leads are more clumsy than clever, it was a joy to live vicariously through an amateur sleuth who was realistically competent. Oh yes, and there's a slight romantic subplot with great chemistry that is bound to bake into something more in future books. show less

I live in Wisconsin and love pizza and cozy mysteries, so how could I not love Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley?!?

This first in a new series takes place in a ritzier part of Wisconsin, Geneva Bay and is filled with tantalizing food descriptions (with recipes at the end) and a wonderful cast of characters. Most people keep coming back to a cozy series because they enjoy the characters and may even feel as if they are catching up with friends. Quigley has a well rounded group (felon, lesbian, dreamboat with an accent, quirky elderly lady, and a cat that steals the page!) of really developed characters, especially for a first book in a series.

Quigley also incorporates the perfect balance of sleuthing with actual story. Some authors show more dedicate ¾ of the book to sleuthing with not enough story to keep things interesting, but Quigley already has it mastered.

The mystery itself was well done with plenty of suspects and some red herrings to keep things interesting.

Already looking forward to the next book in the Deep Dish Mysteries and getting to know these fabulous characters even more. show less

Wisconsin, Chicago, restaurant, chef, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, verbal-humor, situational-humor, missing-persons, cats, relatives, relationships, passive-aggressive, control-freak, recipes*****

What's not to like about a cozy set in my state and within an hour's drive from my home? And pizza! And the author's wicked sense of humor! The mystery is very well done, the characters have more depth than Lake Michigan. The there's that laugh-out-loud humor and all-too-real dilemmas that make it so engrossing that you don't want to put it down, but gasp and keep on snickering. Can't wait for 1. the audio, and 2. the next in series!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's show more Press via NetGalley. Thank you! show less

Almost everything is ready for the soft opening of Sam and Delilah’s Deep-Dish Pizza in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Sam Van Meter is not only adding his name to the restaurant but is the investor making his fiancée’s dream come true. Delilah O’Leary is head chef, with best friend Sonya Dokter as her sous chef. Even before an appetizer is served, a delivery takes away something precious from Delilah’s night of dreams, and that’s simply the beginning of unexpected changes.

I loved the opening of this cozy mystery series! The menu is a delicious delight for all who love cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, creative entrepreneurs, diversity of characters by background and age, and especially for pizza lovers. There’s artistic fun show more related to individuals that have made Chicago famous that brightens the scenery and a genealogy reveal. Aunt Biz, a feline named Butterball, and a 2-year-old named Audra add their unique touches of charm and humorous moments. I solved the mystery but then let red herrings divert my attention. Pizza on my mind is my only excuse. 🍕

All who enjoy pizza night at home may become culinary artisans with recipes at the end of the cozy. Family chefs may also be inspired by the ingredient combinations of Delilah’s various pizza offerings mentioned throughout the cozy. Or reading the delectable offerings may spark ideas for a Build Your Own pizza for your next family dinner or a tasting competition with friends. show less

This book is the first in a new series, and I hope it is not the last. Delilah and her crew are ready to open a new pizza restaurant in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Things seem to be going well for the opening, until her wealthy fiancee and financial backer walks out on her and the restaurant. The action goes from bad to worse when a murder occurs outside the restaurant, preventing the place from staying open. Working with local law enforcement, Dee is determined to get to the bottom of the events swirling around her restaurant and to protect the well-being of her friends and family, including her huge cat Butterball.

The setting provided an atmospheric ambience for the action. Food descriptions and recipes provide a tasty backdrop as Dee and show more crew struggle to open the pizza restaurant and avoid the murder publicity vibe. The characters include a variety of different individuals, including an ex-con, rich air-head fiance, elderly auntie, strongly opinionated females, and a shifty employee. The cat adds a final fun touch to the story. There were enough red herrings to keep me involved and trying to guess the perpetrator. It took me awhile to get into the book and past the early snarky remarks, but I plan to read the next in the series.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. show less

Six Feet Deep Dish is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Mindy Quigley. The main character is Delilah O'Leary and and she has just opened up a new pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Funded by her rich fiance Sam Van Meter, Delilah is realizing her lifetime dream of owning a restaurant. To help her out is sous chef Sonya Dokter, a sassy, plus size woman who likes rockabilly fashion. The police detective is Al Capone's great-grandson Calvin Capone. A few other characters who work at the pizzeria round out the characters.

Just after the restaurant's soft opening, Delilah's fiance dumps her and leaves her with their plus size cat Butterball. Delilah and Sam are polar opposites with Delilah being a type A person and Sam being show more laid back. Her aunt Biz and her caretaker Jeremy join the crowd on opening night. However, early in the evening Jeremy wheels Aunt Biz outside for some fresh air. Soon Delilah and her diners hear a gunshot and run outside. There they find Jeremy's body and a gun in Aunt Biz's hand. Aunt Biz denies killing Jeremy but doesn't know what happened. Detective Capone opens an investigation and threatens to run the new restaurant to the ground while pursuing Aunt Biz. In order to save her aunt, Delilah has to find out the identity of the killer.

This is an excellent start to a new series. There are several quirky characters to base future stories on. Sonya is always going to be the comedian with sassy remarks. I am going to love her the most. Detective Capone is a little stiff but I am certain that he will mellow out and probably be a love interest for Delilah. Daniel the bartender is a kayaker and Melody is the sacharine sweet hostess. Rabbit has just been released from jail and begged for a job to support his family. He's the dishwasher. I can think of many scenarios for future stories from this gang.

I love the pizzeria, Geneva and Chicago settings. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a well known weekend getaway for Chicagoans. The Chicago setting comes into play because Delilah decorated her restaurant with posters of Chicago mobsters. These settings alone will offer the author many plot premises.

The Six Feet story was well paced with plenty of twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. show less

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
Delilah's about to open her own restaurant, but will a crime scene get in the way?
I really enjoyed this mystery with a dash of pizza. It was light and cozy, easy to read through in one sitting, and kept me interested from start to finish. I liked all the characters, I was excited there was Spanish characters, and I loved the cat. One thing I wasn't the biggest fan of is the references to current pop culture (it the Kardashians) but that's a thing I don't like in many books. The recipes with a helping of sass were fun too! I am looking forward to the next book in this series and will be checking out other works from this author!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this Advance Reader Copy in show more exchange for an honest review. show less