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Romano's Family Restaurant #1
The Cannelloni Corpse
At Romano’s Family Restaurant, the cannelloni special is good enough to die for…
Gina Romano has decided to relaunch her family restaurant in small town, Lake Basil, New York. With her chef boyfriend, Jacob, on the staff and the menu increased to include pasta dishes and a new family aesthetic, she’s convinced that the new launch will be the biggest news to hit the town in years.
Until one of her new customers dies in the bathroom of the restaurant on opening night.
It’s murder by cannelloni poisoning, and her boyfriend, Jacob, was the last person seen with the victim or the cannelloni in question.
Gina will stop at nothing to ensure Jacob is cleared of the crime. With the local detective breathing down her neck, and convinced that her boyfriend is the one whodunit, Gina has to work out of sight to solve the murder. If she doesn’t, she might lose her restaurant and the man she loves.
Will Gina catch the killer in Lake Basil and clear Jacob’s name? Find out in the first installment of A Romano’s Family Restaurant Cozy Mystery series from USA Today bestseller, Rosie A. Point. Grab your copy today!
Gina Romano has decided to relaunch her family restaurant in small town, Lake Basil, New York. With her chef boyfriend, Jacob, on the staff and the menu increased to include pasta dishes and a new family aesthetic, she’s convinced that the new launch will be the biggest news to hit the town in years.
Until one of her new customers dies in the bathroom of the restaurant on opening night.
It’s murder by cannelloni poisoning, and her boyfriend, Jacob, was the last person seen with the victim or the cannelloni in question.
Gina will stop at nothing to ensure Jacob is cleared of the crime. With the local detective breathing down her neck, and convinced that her boyfriend is the one whodunit, Gina has to work out of sight to solve the murder. If she doesn’t, she might lose her restaurant and the man she loves.
Will Gina catch the killer in Lake Basil and clear Jacob’s name? Find out in the first installment of A Romano’s Family Restaurant Cozy Mystery series from USA Today bestseller, Rosie A. Point. Grab your copy today!
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2023
About the author
Rosie A. Point
133 books666 followersRosie A. Point is a USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery author who loves writing about food, small towns, and cats. Her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Born and raised in South Africa, her books are all set in small towns in the United States. She dreams of visiting the places she writes about in her books.
Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!
https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/
Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!
https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 1, 2024
2.7 stars
Gina is not likeable, maybe she’ll have some character growth but ughhahes just pretty selfish and I wish Jacob had broken up with her. The convoluted murder was resolved and it was a good one and the restaurant launch successfully
Gina is not likeable, maybe she’ll have some character growth but ughhahes just pretty selfish and I wish Jacob had broken up with her. The convoluted murder was resolved and it was a good one and the restaurant launch successfully
June 22, 2023
I was so glad to see the previous pizza series continuing in a brand new series. Same characters I really came to like, but Gina's turned the pizza-only restaurant into pasta and other yummy Italian dishes. She was wishing she'd never seen the likes of the ballet company though after one of their dancers dropped dead...and of course until the food was cleared from being at fault, everyone working there was a suspect.
I wasn't really sure who the killer was until it was obvious. The showdown was a good one and taught the killer you don't mess with a girl who's lived in New York City lol. Can't wait to borrow the next book when it's out!
I wasn't really sure who the killer was until it was obvious. The showdown was a good one and taught the killer you don't mess with a girl who's lived in New York City lol. Can't wait to borrow the next book when it's out!
June 24, 2023
3.5 but I rounded up!
That was an easy read but it did feel like I should know these characters already (and after I finished, I saw that there was a series with this main character already - I wish I had known that, I would have
read that one first). But no worries, it was a good mystery!
(I definitely need to go back and read the first series - I need to go see how Gina and Jacob got together, lol.)
That was an easy read but it did feel like I should know these characters already (and after I finished, I saw that there was a series with this main character already - I wish I had known that, I would have
read that one first). But no worries, it was a good mystery!
(I definitely need to go back and read the first series - I need to go see how Gina and Jacob got together, lol.)
September 8, 2023
3.5 stars
When a customer is seemingly poisoned at Romano's Family Restaurant, owner Gina is ready to get to work to determine who the murderer is.
This is a quick, easy read and it has all the great elements of a cozy mystery:
- It takes place in a charming town where the people all seem to know each other.
- The MC is an amateur sleuth who is ready to put her detective skills to the test and solve a murder.
- There is a touch of romance.
- There are several red herrings aimed at keeping the reader guessing.
I only gave this 3.5 stars because I was a bit puzzled by certain elements in the story. There were references to a murder happening before in the small town, the MC having a prior bf who hurt her, and other things that made it seem the reader should be familiar with these elements. It wasn't until I finished and looked into it that I discovered that this series seems to be a spin off of another series. I would have preferred to start there so I understood everything better. With that said, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more by this author.
When a customer is seemingly poisoned at Romano's Family Restaurant, owner Gina is ready to get to work to determine who the murderer is.
This is a quick, easy read and it has all the great elements of a cozy mystery:
- It takes place in a charming town where the people all seem to know each other.
- The MC is an amateur sleuth who is ready to put her detective skills to the test and solve a murder.
- There is a touch of romance.
- There are several red herrings aimed at keeping the reader guessing.
I only gave this 3.5 stars because I was a bit puzzled by certain elements in the story. There were references to a murder happening before in the small town, the MC having a prior bf who hurt her, and other things that made it seem the reader should be familiar with these elements. It wasn't until I finished and looked into it that I discovered that this series seems to be a spin off of another series. I would have preferred to start there so I understood everything better. With that said, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more by this author.
September 4, 2023
Mistaken Murder
At Romano’s Family Restaurant, the cannelloni special is good enough to die for… Gina Romano has decided to relaunch her family restaurant in small town, Lake Basil, New York. With her chef boyfriend, Jacob, on the staff and the menu increased to include pasta dishes and a new family aesthetic, she’s convinced that the new launch will be the biggest news to hit the town in years. Until one of her new customers dies in the bathroom of the restaurant on opening night. It’s murder by cannelloni poisoning, and her boyfriend, Jacob, was the last person seen with the victim or the cannelloni in questions Gina will stop at nothing to ensure Jacob is cleared of the crime. With the local detective breathing down her neck, and convinced that her boyfriend is the one whodunit, Gina has to work out of sight to solve the murder.
The victim was a mistake. He meant to kill someone else. He mistakenly killed his sister.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.
At Romano’s Family Restaurant, the cannelloni special is good enough to die for… Gina Romano has decided to relaunch her family restaurant in small town, Lake Basil, New York. With her chef boyfriend, Jacob, on the staff and the menu increased to include pasta dishes and a new family aesthetic, she’s convinced that the new launch will be the biggest news to hit the town in years. Until one of her new customers dies in the bathroom of the restaurant on opening night. It’s murder by cannelloni poisoning, and her boyfriend, Jacob, was the last person seen with the victim or the cannelloni in questions Gina will stop at nothing to ensure Jacob is cleared of the crime. With the local detective breathing down her neck, and convinced that her boyfriend is the one whodunit, Gina has to work out of sight to solve the murder.
The victim was a mistake. He meant to kill someone else. He mistakenly killed his sister.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.
June 29, 2023
Relaunch red light
A whole lot of action packed into a quick read. This is the continuation of and an expansion/ spin off of a previous series of books set in Lake Basil. So the characters and the setting will be familiar to some, but if you haven’t read the prior books this stands alone well.
A fun and quirky small town filled with locals, tourists and a ballet company. Gina our main character is spurred into investigating when one of the dancers dies at the soft launch of her rebranded family restaurant. When her chef/ boyfriend is shaping up to be the chief suspect she’s even more invested. What follows is a thorny mystery that Gina unravels while dealing with various personal issues.
An quick, light read with a great mystery that kept me guessing. Very much enjoyed the relaunch of this series and am looking forward to the next installment!
A whole lot of action packed into a quick read. This is the continuation of and an expansion/ spin off of a previous series of books set in Lake Basil. So the characters and the setting will be familiar to some, but if you haven’t read the prior books this stands alone well.
A fun and quirky small town filled with locals, tourists and a ballet company. Gina our main character is spurred into investigating when one of the dancers dies at the soft launch of her rebranded family restaurant. When her chef/ boyfriend is shaping up to be the chief suspect she’s even more invested. What follows is a thorny mystery that Gina unravels while dealing with various personal issues.
An quick, light read with a great mystery that kept me guessing. Very much enjoyed the relaunch of this series and am looking forward to the next installment!
June 21, 2023
Gina is re-opening her family Italian Restaurant. She is having a soft opening with a visiting Ballet troupe. Everything is going great until one of them has a bad reaction and is rushed to the hospital. Was it an accident or was she poisoned? She had a special mean prepared by the chef, and is blaming the chef for giving her the wrong food. Gina has to investigate to prove her boyfriend innocent and save the restaurant. There are plenty of divas in the group, along with plenty of other people to have a good group of suspects. Can Gina figure it out before anything else happens? This is a great beginning of a new series by Rosie Point. You won’t be disappointed.
November 21, 2023
Gina run a resturant and Jacob was her cook.They wer having a big dinner for a group of dancers. One of the people there ordered a specific food due to her allergies. After they all have received their meals , one of the dancers passed out then eventually died . She apparently was given a food she was allergic too. Of course at first the cook Jacob was named as one of the suspects. But it seemed there was bad blood with some of the dancers as someone new was given the lead roll. Gina decided to investigate herself because she didnt want her cook ,her boyfriend to be charged with the crime. So she had to find out who did it for sure.
June 15, 2023
Small Town Culinary Cozy
Ms. Point brings us back to small town Lake basil and the reinvented Romano’s Pizza, now family restaurant. The plan for a soft opening is destroyed by an unexpected death at the featured dinner, in fact murder. The list of suspects, the chef, Gina’s boyfriend on the top for the police.
As is her way, Gina snoops until she comes up with irrefutable evidence her man is innocent. Nicely played. I enjoyed it as the short cozy that it is.
I received an ARC gratis for my perusal and offer my opinion in the same.
Ms. Point brings us back to small town Lake basil and the reinvented Romano’s Pizza, now family restaurant. The plan for a soft opening is destroyed by an unexpected death at the featured dinner, in fact murder. The list of suspects, the chef, Gina’s boyfriend on the top for the police.
As is her way, Gina snoops until she comes up with irrefutable evidence her man is innocent. Nicely played. I enjoyed it as the short cozy that it is.
I received an ARC gratis for my perusal and offer my opinion in the same.
June 15, 2023
Will this restaurant ever open?
Another murder threatens to shut down the restaurant before it officially opens and Jacob is a prime suspect. That makes two big seasons for Gina to solve this case quickly whether Detective Shawn wants her help or not.
This is my favorite book so far in this series. It's nice seeing Gina becoming more self-assured. She and Jacob are perfect for each other if she can overcome her insecurities. Her aunt and uncle are so typical and a nice element to the storyline. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.
Another murder threatens to shut down the restaurant before it officially opens and Jacob is a prime suspect. That makes two big seasons for Gina to solve this case quickly whether Detective Shawn wants her help or not.
This is my favorite book so far in this series. It's nice seeing Gina becoming more self-assured. She and Jacob are perfect for each other if she can overcome her insecurities. Her aunt and uncle are so typical and a nice element to the storyline. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.
June 24, 2023
they really should strike murder from their menu
Angela finds the latest reopening of the restaurant going well, except for a few hiccups- a diva of a customer or two, her nerves about how to balance her relationship with a hot chef with her ideals about professionalism, and oops!
frantic, very over the top Italiano, fun, and murder that will hopefully finally quit cropping up
funny and fantastico !
Angela finds the latest reopening of the restaurant going well, except for a few hiccups- a diva of a customer or two, her nerves about how to balance her relationship with a hot chef with her ideals about professionalism, and oops!
frantic, very over the top Italiano, fun, and murder that will hopefully finally quit cropping up
funny and fantastico !
June 21, 2023
I love this new series! The main character is a former city-girl who goes back to her hometown. She’s strong and determined to make her restaurant a success. She is loyal and protects her family and friends. The storylines were well-developed and kept my attention. The small town setting is always a plus for me. Looking forward to book #2.
Read
February 14, 2025When a Ballet dancers dies during the soft opening of Gina and her families restaurant and her boyfriend Jacob is accused. Gina cannot just let the police investigate, she wants to solve the murder so her family's restaurant can reopen.
After reading Spy food Truck it took me a bit to get into this story but got hooked and we'll I'm off to read book 2.
After reading Spy food Truck it took me a bit to get into this story but got hooked and we'll I'm off to read book 2.
February 4, 2026
A different series, but The Cannelloni Corpse picks up with the inhabitants of Lake Basil. Gina finds herself involved in yet another murder mystery when a ballet company comes to town. Tragedy strikes when one of the dancers is murdered in Gina's newly opened restaurant. Once again she must work out who the killer is whilst avoiding the local police force.
June 17, 2023
An excellent intro to Gina in this new setting. Nicely paced and allows you to follow the steps to discovering who committed the murder without disclosing it to early. Highly recommend for a cozy afternoon read.
July 14, 2023
The Channel link Corpse (1)
This is the first book in a new series that I have begun reading! I've enjoyed the story and the characters as they make their way through the story! I'm also looking forward to the second book!
This is the first book in a new series that I have begun reading! I've enjoyed the story and the characters as they make their way through the story! I'm also looking forward to the second book!
April 26, 2024
solid fun mystery
I enjoyed the characters and the mystery was solid. Gina was a good leading character and sleuth. Fun , not annoying . Love the business and area it is set in. Will definitely continue and check out other series by this author
I enjoyed the characters and the mystery was solid. Gina was a good leading character and sleuth. Fun , not annoying . Love the business and area it is set in. Will definitely continue and check out other series by this author
November 6, 2024
Fun, mystery, excitment
This book has it all. I caught myself laughing out loud and a couple of times. I had to be quiet because husband was sleeping!! I have the 2nd book to download. These are good books.
This book has it all. I caught myself laughing out loud and a couple of times. I had to be quiet because husband was sleeping!! I have the 2nd book to download. These are good books.
June 16, 2023
Who killed Giselle and why??? wrong person??? AND where is Cole??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
June 20, 2023
A must read
I am glad that the author decided to write this spinoff series as I really enjoyed the original series. This one is just as good. I can’t wait to read more.
I am glad that the author decided to write this spinoff series as I really enjoyed the original series. This one is just as good. I can’t wait to read more.
July 21, 2023
Loved it
August 9, 2023
Another fun murder mystery. The setting in a restaurant with a bakery and a best friend across the street.
September 1, 2023
Light hearted summer afernoon read. I like this brand new series.
October 18, 2023
Cat in the book
I don,t think the cat added anything to the story line. It would have been nice if the author had recipes .
I don,t think the cat added anything to the story line. It would have been nice if the author had recipes .
December 13, 2023
Exciting
This high quality cozy mystery is hilarious, exciting, Fast Paced and yes I will be reading more books in the series! Good fun!
This high quality cozy mystery is hilarious, exciting, Fast Paced and yes I will be reading more books in the series! Good fun!
October 9, 2025
I love a good quick and easy cozy mystery.
October 11, 2025
Another great cozy mystery.
January 1, 2026
I did this audiobook of a small town romance with mystery and you will never guess who did it. No spice and just a clean fun book to start off the new year!
June 22, 2023
Cannelloni and a Corpse
Gina is in a quandary when one of the guests in her restaurant ends up dead. It appears that thea cannelloni is poisoned and her chef and boyfriend, Jacob is a suspect. Gina must prove his innocence but how? An intriguing mystery with a twist which had me guessing.
Gina is in a quandary when one of the guests in her restaurant ends up dead. It appears that thea cannelloni is poisoned and her chef and boyfriend, Jacob is a suspect. Gina must prove his innocence but how? An intriguing mystery with a twist which had me guessing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews