The Breakfast Club Murder

by Camilla T. Crespi

The Breakfast Club Murder is a fun, food-filled mystery with a rich and diverse cast of oddball characters to keep the reader laughing, crying, and guessing who the killer is.

In Hawthorne Park, Connecticut, Lori Corvino doesn't waste time licking her wounds after her ex-husband Rob remarries. She has an unhappy thirteen-year-old daughter to deal with, an invasive vegan mother to keep at bay, and a catering career to bring back to life. Then her ex's new wife is murdered not far from where Lori lives, just days after a nasty confrontation between the two women. Lori becomes the prime suspect, determined to clear herself with some help from her best friends.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

326 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 2014

About the author

Camilla T. Crespi also writes novels under the name Camilla Trinchieri.

Series:
* Simona Griffo Mystery

Reviews

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't as good as I had hoped. I wasn't a big fan of the characters. I liked Lori better than the rest. I can honestly say that I wasn't sad to see her ex husband's new wife die. She was a real trip. One of the things I didn't like about this story was the way people treated her. Especially her daughter. I get that she is only 13 but still. Thankfully she found happiness in the end.

[Erik Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, this book is not about cannibalism and does not have an antagonist who is a cannibal. I say that because when I first saw the book cover, I immediately assumed that the murderer of the book dined on the remains of his victims. On the other hand, food is an important motif of this book. But not only does food play a big part in the story but so does the great imagination of Camilla T. Crespi. She brings us a familiar story line but gives the story different routes to take so that we can experience great originality.
After coming back home from a much needed vacation, Lori Corvino is more eager than ever to re-launch her catering business. Her business is important to her because she is supporting her daughter, Jessica who is going through more emotional pain than Lori. While Lori is trying to better her business, she is also trying to forget about her ex husband; Robert Staunton and his new younger, wealthier wife; Valerie Fenwick. Jessica is dealing with the same emotional pain but she is also going through the normal troubles of being a teenager. Her self confidence doesn’t improve when one day, Valerie tells her that she needs to watch what she eats. When Lori finds out what Valerie said, she assaults her at her dentistry. This provides a sweet taste of revenge for Lori not just for what she said to Jessica but for also taking away her husband. The sweet taste doesn’t last however when Valerie is found dead not long after being slapped by Lori. Of course Lori is the prime suspect initially but while investigating more, the police find out that her ex was almost broke before marrying Valerie. As the police lean more towards Robert being the killer, Lori regains the sweet taste of revenge. Just thinking that he will spend the rest of his life in jail washes away all of the emotional pain he put her through. After realizing that the whole trial and knowledge that he might be going to jail would put Jessica through more emotional hell, Lori begins to think logically and realizes that Robert couldn’t have been the killer. After failing to convince the police that Robert is innocent, she turns to her “Breakfast Club” friends to aide her in finding the killer. They use food and recipes as their clues. But will it actually help? Is her ex really innocent? Is Lori even really innocent?
“The Breakfast Club Murder” has a familiar story but Camilla T. Crespi puts so much originality in her story, that you forget all the other murder mysteries that you’ve ever read. Not just because her characters and plots are entertaining but because there are many things in this book that most mysteries don’t have. For an example; many mouth-watering scenes. There are no pictures in this book, but Crespi does a great job at describing the clues that they use to find the killer. They are so descriptive; you got to have something to eat after reading a scene where they go over the clues. The usage of food and recipes isn’t the only things that are good about this book. Just the whole story and characters are more than enough to get you entertained. The clues are more than just the icing on the cake though. With the combination of the clues and a great story; you have an unforgettable, original thriller. One more thing; I really like how logical Lori is. She could have been the typical angry ex-wife who hates her ex-husband and the other woman. While she does hate them both, she doesn’t seem to want to be vile. But of course she is human and although she does breakout at times, you totally understand why. In other words, not only are the characters entertaining, they’re also relatable.

[Donna Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lori Corvino Staunton had a lot going on even before she got accused of murdering her ex’s new wife. Her Breakfast Club friends had issues, her daughter had issues, and the divorce wasn’t much fun either. Working our way through it all, we become fond of Lori’s loving, nurturing nature, her cooking, her friends. Getting to know her was a pleasure, the mystery complex and satisfying. Highly recommended.

[Barbara Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book but was not at all interested in it. Characters to me were not developed or engaging. Honestly, I didn’t care who killed Jessica!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its murderous theme, this is a very relatable novel about friendship and mother-daughter relationships with touches of humor. I quite liked it.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

A library find. October 2024.
This was an ok book for me.
It had a few unnecessary cuss words.
Written ok.
A fast read.

[John Hardy]

No rating, I gave up after about 40 pages (large print!). DNF does not count towards my reading goal. I had read one the author wrote under another name, and didn't like it much, so that's the end for me.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

she is a caterer (hasnt catered one thing yet) and her x husband got married so she went to Italy. she tried to get recipe from cook but they wouldnt give it out but she left them her card and the man at the next table spilled all the food on her

she went home, the man sent her flowers and the recipe she wanted

meanwhile her husbands new wife (his dentist) dropped her daughter off at a friends house and on her way home someone shot and killed her

she thinks the police think she did it cause she told her off the day before and slapped her face (she had told her daughter she was fat). she meets all her girlfriends at the Greek diner and they hatch a plot to ask all these people questions to try and figure it out so she will be off the hook

they arrested her husband but it was the man that pretended to be interested in her. the guy she met in Italy that she thought was gay, his brother was gay and not him so they got together at the end and he turned out to be a nice guy.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the Westchester County detail in Ms. Crespi's murder mystery, since that's my stomping grounds, so I knew some of the locales mentioned quite well. That said, I thought this was rather talky, the characters a bit confused and the heroine rather emotional and unaware. The wind-up and resolution occurred, as is so often the case in mystery books, in a final quick rush, and the red herrings were awfully red.

I was somewhat hoping for a Goldy Schultz book with actual recipes. Ms. Crespi's heroine Lori Corvino probably is a good cook, but she isn't sharing the deets of her dishes. Those would have been a welcome addition. Not clear whether Ms. Crespi will create a series around Lori Corvino, her family and friends, but I'm not waiting in breathless, eager anticipation.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Italian-American leaning mystery based on recently divorced mother Lori Corvino who happens to have a public altercation with her ex-husband's new wife, who then happens to get killed in a car jacking. I enjoyed Lori's spunky character and her great love for her daughter, as well as her patience with her mother, who seems to be something of a trial. I liked Lori's resolve to solve the murder so that her husband won't be framed for it, just for the sake of him being her daughter's father. Her whole gang of friends was very reminiscent of the Sex and the City gang, and Crespi gives homage to it at some point, but I did have trouble seeing them as people and not as the TV characters. I would have liked them to be a bit less stereotypic, as Lori was. Still, a good read.

[Maria Lisella · Rating 5 out of 5]

So there is still some time left of summer to pick up ‪#‎CamillaCrespi‬'s aka ‪#‎CamillaTrinchieri‬'s The Breakfast Club Murder from ‪#‎FiveStar‬ Press ... we exchanged books last year and I kept meaning to read it...finally after one poetry reading after another, I grabbed it. Stayed up til 3AM last night trying to figure out who killed Valerie .. of course what makes this book terrific is the fluid prose, the recipes sprinkled throughout [protagonist is a caterer], the hot-mouth grandmother, the arrogant men and the feeling that everyone at some moment is a suspect ... this is a delicious novel...get it, have fun with it...tell #CamillaCrespi! It moves fast and is meant to do just that, so take a ride and stop looking for deep meanings, this book is fun!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the woman who broke up Lori's marriage is murdered, she becomes one of the chief suspects. But since she didn't do it, the police can't find any evidence against her, and turn to her ex-husband, who inherited his new wife's fortune. Lori is unwilling to give up completely on her daughter's beloved father (though she's lost all her love for him) and investigates, with the help of her three friends, who meet for breakfast once a week at the local coffee shop. But she finds that there are hidden involvements between the victim and her friends and with the handsome real estate agent who keeps wanting to date her.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was put off by the writing style of the book as well as some of the characters. I found the self-pitying attitude of the main character rather sad. However, I'll give it two stars because I did like the Lori's relationship with her daughter and how she stood up for her when she thought she was being put down by the step-mom.

I can't really say this was a good mystery, but it certainly is an interesting addition to the books that show how different people deal with divorce in sometimes self-destructive ways.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Lori has recently been divorced from Rob and has a 13 yr old daughter Jessica. Rob is getting remarried to their dentist Valerie. She is not very nice to Jessica or Lori and is already starting to cause problems when she ends up murdered. Everyone is suspect. Lori and some friends meet once a week for breakfast and are now trying to help Lori figure out who did it so she is not arrested. She also has several men she wants to date and who are hanging around her. Who is the real killer.

[GC MacQuarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a tasty story - and not in a creepy way!

The first thing I have to get off my chest is, yes. Yes, this book is everything I hoped it would be. After reading the blurb, I was excited to say the least, and upon reading it, I was engrossed in the story line. It's a murder mystery laced with characters you will love to hate and a protagonist who will make you hungry.

Read my full review here: http://www.gcmacquarie.com/reviews/th...

[Jeanne Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific stand-alone mystery that I wish was the first in a series. Ms. Crespi gave protagonist Lori a good number of suspects to investigate, all people close to her. There's menace, heartache, comic relief, and romantic sweetness in the story that I enjoyed very much.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed more chic lit than mystery. The characters were so into complaining about their husbands, ex-husbands, maybe boyfriends that very little time seemed to be spent on finding the killer. Slow moving and easy to spot the killer early on. Too much introspection and not enough detecting.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first novel by this author. I liked it well enough to try another. The characters are solid, it's got a good plot & I had several missed guesses as to who the killer is before I figured it out. I like that in a book.

I would recommend it to others who like a cute mystery.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the read. Just frustrated that the husband's new car was first described as a Mercedes and then several chapters later it became a BMW. Don't copyeditors get to review before books are published these days?

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute idea, way too long to get to the point. Shave about 50 pages and it would have been better.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! And, I figured it out :)...well, I figured out more than one it :).

[Michael Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

overly long and very whiney characters