One Foot in the Gravy by Delia Rosen

In One Foot in the Gravy, Gwen Katz has inherited her uncle's kosher deli. Things are going well and she's just got her first catered affair contract - a murder mystery party hosted by social butterfly, Lolo Baker. Things are underway and everyone seems to be having fun when a guess crashes through the ceiling and ends up in Gwen's gravy. Gwen knows that this just isn't a great way to start this new side of her business, so she decided to do a little investigating to clear things up as quickly as possible. She soon figures out that Hoppy's two vices, money and women, have landed him in a heap of trouble and sorting them out isn't going to be easy.

What a fun book! This is the second book in the series, but the first one that I've read. This cozy mystery was definitely a delight. It was a quick read and really quite funny. I never knew the deli business could be so interesting. Gwen's heart is being pulled in two different directions, so there's even a little romantic suspense thrown in. I was entertained the whole way through and kept trying to guess who done it right until the very end.

The story contained some good solid characters.  They varied between the ones I loved and ones I loved to hate. Gwen, a transplanted New Yorker gets right to the point with all aspects of her life. She wants this deli business to succeed and she's not about to let a little murder get in her way. I really liked her take charge attitude.

I like it when food related mysteries include recipes. Here there are a few recipes for deli-type items in the back of the book: coleslaw, dill pickles, potato salad. Nothing too fancy, but they are written in a way that will stimulate your funny bone as well as your appetite.

I liked the playfulness of the cover; ones like this always draw me in. However, after I read the story, overall it was a little bothersome. How could a man crash through the ceiling and land under a table?

Favourite quotes:

The lie is best disguised by hiding it in the truth. (page 177)

...the door to hell is locked from the inside. (page 183)

New words:
afikomen (page 44): unleavened bread (in Judaism)
fundament (page 61): founding principle
fealty (page 230): faithfulness

Highly recommended. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for more of her books.

For more information about this book, please visit the Kensington Books website.

Thanks to those nice people from Kensington Books for this review copy.

One Foot in the Gravy by Delia Rosen, Kensington Books, ©2011. ISBN 9780758241719(Mass Market), 313p, including recipes.