Murder in the Moonshine

Rita Calabrese #3

by Maureen Klovers

Rita's catering a Jazz Age-themed party in an abandoned former speakeasy, and an ex-con is her sous chef. What could go wrong? When her twin sister asks for help drumming up interest in her newest real estate listing—a mothballed old mansion that was once a Prohibition-era speakeasy and FDR hangout—Rita readily agrees. Planning an over-the-top Jazz Age-themed soirée, she dusts off her vintage recipes for lemon cake and oysters Rockefeller, casts her son Vinnie and his best friend Rocco as the G-men who will stage a “raid,” and even enlists the culinary services of Rocco’s mom, the beautiful but troubled Fran, who has just been released from prison. But when Vinnie and Rocco stage their “raid”, what they find in the old dairy barn behind the mansion isn’t moonshine…but a dead body. The citizens of Acorn Hollow are eager to point the finger at Rocco and Fran, but Rita isn’t buying it. Like the multi-tasking mother she is, she’s determined to prove their innocence—all while mentoring a sulky teenaged intern, unmasking the identity of the newspaper’s new male advice columnist, and encouraging her daughter’s fledgling romance with a hunky teacher. Featuring mouth-watering recipes for Italian classics, including bruschetta and tiramisu!

Genres: Fiction

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2019

About the author

Maureen Klovers has held numerous positions in government, including a stint as a U.S. intelligence officer, and was a political commentator on DC 101's talk radio show "Neighborhood Stuff." Ms. Klovers has traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, China, India, and Latin America. She's hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, been escorted through a Bolivian prison by a German narco-trafficker, and fished for piranhas in Venezuela. She received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (with a focus on Latin American politics) from the College of William and Mary in 1999 and a Master's of Public Policy and Master's of Business Administration from Georgetown University in 2006. She lives with her husband, Kevin, in Arlington, Virginia.

Reviews

[Seraphia Bunny]

Murder in the Moonshine by Maureen Klovers is a fantastic murder mystery with Rita Calabrese leading the proverbial charge to discover the truth behind who murdered a known drug dealer and the truth behind why. A Jazz Age soiree simply meant to draw attention and garner some interest in an old mansion that has been abandoned for years, is thrown a wrench when the final act is marred by a dead body found in the dairy barn. The town is quick to believe that certain ones are guilty, but the truth goes deeper than meets the eye!
Murder in the Moonshine by Maureen Klovers is the first book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely! While this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel which I absolutely appreciate. This book gives me a perfect recipe of a story. I get a taste of everything that is Rita Calabrese. I see her as a journalist, chef, mother, and sleuth. They all blend together so well that I was hooked on this book from the very first page.
Rita is such an engaging character and I adore how she handles sticky situations. She’s determined enough to get to the root of a story, but finessed enough to not be annoying about it! I’ve read so many books of where even I got annoyed when a character pursues a line of questioning and you know they’re treading on thin ice, and then the person being questioned clams up. Rita artfully questions, finds hints in their answers and expertly sifts through to the truth and/or pouncing on tiny slip-ups. I couldn’t help but be surprised in admiration at how she picked up on tiny hints that I ignored or would have completely missed in certain cases. She’s quite a humorous character in certain moments as well. When her daughter catches her “spying” on her at her job she handles it so well! Most individuals when they use the “I lost/dropped an earring” flub it entirely, but you can tell Rita is a pro. I couldn’t help but laugh.
I love that this story has more than one mystery to puzzle through. Of course, there is the main mystery of the murder, but there is so much more that comes together to weave a bigger picture and show that there is more going on than meets the eye. I will admit that at first I was irritated with Ana’s attitude towards Rita. But the author has Rita handle that whole situation expertly. The fun minor mystery of who is “The Dude” literally had my jaw dropping and giggling at the same time. My only real complaint is directed to the Italian phrases used through the story. Some I was able to decipher or piece together due to the context of the situation, but I would have liked it if there had been a section with translations of what was said. I only say this because I felt like I missed out on bits and pieces of the story from not fully knowing or understanding what was being said.
At the end of the day, I am rating this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Rita is such an engaging character and I love how she is there for those she cares about. She has such a good heart and she is absolutely someone that I would love to know in real life. When it comes to a mystery she is determined to discover the truth, and she does so in a way that brings all of the truth to light. I absolutely applaud the author on keeping me in the dark as to who the murder was until the right moment. I tend to pride myself on discovering the guilty party before the big reveal, but I do love a good book that keeps me guessing to the end. This author has just gained a faithful reader and I look forward to reading more of her work in the near future! I tip my hat and say a hearty job well done on a fantastic mystery novel!

[Katreader]

MURDER IN THE MOONSHINE by Maureen Klovers
The Third Rita Calabrese Culinary Mystery

All is quiet in Acorn Hollow, New York, too quiet for the editor of the Morris County Gazette. Much to Rita Calabrese's chagrin, two new columns are being added to the paper, Ask a Dude, and Teen Talk which is written by a high school student with an attitude. A request from her sister to drum up interest on her latest real estate challenge proves to be the inspiration Rita needs. Not only will she pen fascinating copy about the history of the house, not difficult since the house was once a speakeasy visited by FDR, but she'll organize a jazz themed party for the whole town. But when a known drug dealer is found murdered before the big event's staged raid, Rita has a serious piece of investigative journalism to pursue.

Disgruntled that her popularity is being usurped by a know it all teen and an unknown man, Rita is on a mission. First off to figure out the identity of the mysterious Dude, and then get her byline back in the spotlight. I love Rita's confidence, but in her third mystery she also shows a little vulnerability. Her inability to connect with her daughter as well as an overwhelming need to protect her family, blood relation or not, makes her more real. But this attitude, which can appear a bit overbearing, leads me to a bone of contention with the well meaning matriarch. I understand her concern over her family leaving the nest and moving away, but she needs to stop bashing Buffalo! I hereby cordially invite Rita over and I will gladly show her the amazing architecture, the vast history, and incredible art to be found in Buffalo, not to mention the fabulous food. Rita, we're not all snow and closed steel mills and you should see what we've done to our grain silos!

While I love Buffalo, New York I would like to visit the crossroads and see this amazing, albeit dilapidated, old home. Vivid descriptions and intricately woven lore makes it tangible and I especially love that some of the history surrounding it is true.

Infused with Italian flair, MURDER IN THE MOONSHINE takes history, modern societal issues, and family values and melds them into a captivating, mouthwatering mystery.

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.

[Amy]

Rita Calabrese is a strong. Italian woman of many talents. She is a journalist in the Hudson Valley, New York town of Acorn Creek, married to her beloved Sal and a mother of adult children. When her sister has a marketing idea to sell a historic mansion which has been vacant for decades, they decide to throw a Roaring Twenties party, complete with a phony police raid. But when a real person is killed during the "raid," and someone close to her falsely confesses to protect another, Rita knows she can't let the real killer get off scot-free.

This was an interesting read with complex characters. The victim is a drug dealer and even tries to entice Rita's recently paroled friend back to active addiction. But he is also known to be a talented poet, a gifted student and a rock climber. Rita's naivete that someone doesn't seem like an addict shows just how deep the crisis has become, as the mystery plot later reveals. Rita is quite the gossip b but uses it to get the inside track on a story and not to malign another person. She is quick to make food to comfort others and spoils her family with delicious meals of lasagna and other home-made Italian dishes and deserts, all deliciously seasoned from her backyard garden. She struggles at first in dealing with changes at the newspaper but is surprised to discover that she has been able to learn from them.

I can deal with one snow joke about my native town of Buffalo but this went way beyond that. We have two houses by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright open for daily tours, excellent museums and historic sites, vibrant ethnic foods and cultures, craft brewing and a bustling waterfront. I cordially invite Rita to come to enjoy our wonderful city anytime. Be sure to bring your passport!

Thanks to Cozy Mystery Review for a copy of this book. My review is voluntary.

[Carol]

We are going to Acorn Hollow area to attend
a soirée!!!
Rita Calabrese is a wife, mother, investigative
reporter for the Morris County Gazette who
loves to cook Italian. She grows her own
vegetables in her garden. The readers mouth
will water with all the delicious foods mentioned
throughout the story.
Rita comes up with an idea to help her twin
sister sell an old, dilapidated mansion. This
mansion use to a Prohibition era speakeasy.
It is said the FDR use to hang there. So the
Sister will sponsor a Jazz Age party. Rita will
make food from that era. She will have her
son and his best friend stage a raid then break
up a supposed still in the barn.
To help cater the party Rita has brought her
son’s best friend mother on board. His mother
has just been released from prison and this job
will help her get back into the community.
The road goes off then the men proceed to the
barn to raid the supposed still. Instead they
find a dead body in the dairy barn.
The dead body belongs to the local drug dealer.
Who wanted him dead???
An interesting array of well created, colorful and
vivid characters. The story is fast paced and
the murder mystery kept you guessing especially
after the confession of one character that Rita
decided was innocent.
Rita is also trying to figure out who the person is
writing the new column “The Dude” while being
a mentor for the teenage columnist.
A fun read plotted to keep the reader on their toes.
A delicious read with recipes included at the end.
This is book # 3 in the Rita Calabrese Mysteries
series. It can be read as a stand alone.
This is the first book I have read in the series but
will be reading more as this one was so enjoyable.
I volunteered to read Murder in the Moonshine.
Thanks to the author and publisher via the Cozy
Mystery Review Crew. My opinion is voluntary
and my own.

[Michele]

Rita Calabrese's realtor twin, Rose, is tasked with selling the Van Dusen mansion. The problem is the mansion has been vacant for ten years with a troubling history. Rita comes up with the clever idea to throw an exclusive party highlighting the hidden bar built when the home doubled as the local speakeasy during Prohibition. The party is a rousing success...until rumored drug dealer, Jason Baker, turns up dead. Of course, there is no shortage of suspects including Rita's friend Fran Zefferrelli, who is trying to get her life back together following a stint in prison.

Murder in the Moonshine by Maureen Klovers is a solid little mystery with lots of twists, maybe a few too many at the end. I had difficulty keeping track. I love the setting - an old abandoned mansion with secrets. Unfortunately, I did not love the characters. In fact, I hated Rita. She is a pushy, self-centered, self-described Italian momma who is also the star journalist in her small New York town. I tossed the feeling around thinking maybe I was just in a Scroogy holiday mood until the moment in the book where she barged into a lawyer’s office during a client consultation. Rita justified her action by telling the client he was guilty, not going to get off anyway, and the lawyer took off to do her bidding. That clinched it – I definitely despised her

. I received a complimentary ARC from The Review Crew, so there may be recipes in the finished copy. From the descriptions in the book, Rita is a fabulous cook so recipes would be a terrific addition. I gave Murder in the Moonshine 4 stars for storyline, 3 for characters, and rounded the 3.5 to a final four stars.

[Alicia Kozak]

Although I hadn't read the previous books it didn't take long for me to get into this one. I like the historical tie-in. I'd hoped the crime be linked to the house's history, but that wasn't the case. Would have liked to have more time given to the stories about the house, but I appreciated the historical note at the end. Rita is very take-charge, sometimes to the point of  being a little pushy, though usually with good intentions. There are many possible suspects in the murder of a teenage drug dealer, with and without obvious motives, liberally sprinkled with red herrings. I also enjoyed the complexity of the characters- the author has made the victim and suspects three-dimensional, multilayered people, making it easier to feel sympathy for some otherwise unsavory individuals. The mysterious identity of The Dude is a fun subplot. Though I guessed early on, the journey to the reveal was still worth it.  All loose ends are tied up by the end, showing the great thought put into every aspect of the plot. And I can't wait to try the raspberry pancakes and other recipes included.

[Celia]

Murder in the Moonshine (Rita Calabrese Mysteries Book 3) is the first book that I have read in this series and it definitely won't be the last. Rita, the mother of three grown children and wife of Sal, is a reporter for her small-town newspaper with a knack for a story. She knows just about everyone in her small town and consequently has many sources for her stories. My favorite source of hers in this book was an octogenarian widow who goes to the cemetery daily to read the newspaper to her late husbands (yes, husbands!). Like Rita and the widow, the characters in this book are richly drawn, and there is no shortage of suspects in the murder mystery that kept me guessing until it was solved.

I liked all of the Italian touches in Murder in the Moonshine -- family, food and language, and it was great to have some delicious recipes included at the end. This book is an enjoyable read, and while it is the third in the series, it can definitely stand on its own.

[Kelly]

This is the first book that I have read by Maureen Klovers and I enjoyed it immensely. I loved the characters and how Rita switches from English to Italian throughout the book. Rita is from a small town and is a reporter for the local newspaper. She has numerous sources in town, especially an old widow that can be found in the cemetery each day reading the newspaper to her dead husbands. The mansion and it's hidden room were intriguing as was the mystery. And the addition of the recipes and the historical note at the end were a nice touch. I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in this series as well as the other books that Ms. Klovers has written.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Cozy Mystery Review Crew. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Pamela Mitchell]

This entertaining series continues to get better with engaging characters and a well-executed mystery that I couldn't put down because I had to know what was going to happen. I really like Rita Calabrese and enjoy her dynamic with the citizens of Acorn Hollow and her tenacity to find out who killed the drug dealer when everyone is pointing a finger at her son's best friend and his mother. The suspects, intrigue, twists and turns really enhanced my reading pleasure and I love the bonus of delicious Italian recipes! I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review. I liked it so much I purchased a copy for my Kindle.

[Melissa Lowrie]

Murder in the Moonshine by Maureen Klovers is the 3rd book in the Rita Calabrese Culinary Mystery series, and the first one that I have read. Personally, I found it difficult to become engaged in some of the characters, although I enjoyed the storyline. If I had read the prior books in the series perhaps I may have felt more bonded to the characters. I felt that the "whodunit" plot of the book was full of twists and turns to keep you guessing up until the end. Overall I enjoyed the book and found it to be well written.

[Bonnie]

Rita is back and better than ever. What starts out as favor for her sister and Rocco's mom turns into a mystery that only Rita can solve. Fun characters plus a feisty heroine plus good recipes equals a good time. I would suggest reading with an Italian-English dictionary so you can understand the moments of Italian that Rita lapses into, in order to get the full affect. Rita should be the definition of the modern Italian mom. And the surprise with Sal is just too much fun. Who would ever believe he could be so wise. New characters add more spice and fun. I am really enjoying this series and I can't wait for more. And the recipes are very tasty and a great bonus!!

[K.A. Davis]

MURDER IN THE MOONSHINE is the third book in the Rita Calabrese Mystery series by Maureen Klovers. I adore that the protagonist, Italian matriarch Rita Calabrese, is a more mature woman than the usual protagonists, and is still accomplishing much in her life. Not only does she tend to and harvest from her vegetable garden, she whips up amazing meals, and is an investigative reporter for the Morris County Gazette in Acorn Hollow. Rita isn’t one to sit down and let life pass her by. Instead she grabs life and takes the reader on a whirlwind ride. I also enjoyed the Italian phrases Rita spills out during her interaction with other characters. While I didn’t understand all of them, the context of the scene assisted in figuring out what she was saying and gave an authentic feel to the protagonist and her family.

Rita is a kind and caring woman who reaches out to those in need by providing not only a listening ear but tangible assistance, even if it’s not convenient for her. This trait pushes her into figuring out who killed the local bad boy during the roaring twenties-themed party that Rita planned with her twin sister. The plot and subplots have a fast pace and held my attention long after I needed to turn the lights off for the night. Not only were there plenty of suspects to keep me guessing, Ms. Klovers deftly weaves in the heartbreaking issues of domestic abuse and the drug epidemic amongst teens, without distracting from the mystery. While these are heavy subjects, the author treats them with sensitivity and doesn’t swerve from the guidelines that mark books as cozy reads. MURDER IN THE MOONSHINE is another strong addition to a delightful series!

Like I mentioned above, Rita is an amazing cook and loves sharing food with her family, friends, and those in need. She’s not above bartering her cooking for information as she investigates either. I greatly enjoyed the research the author put into recipes for food served during the jazz age that Rita served at the party, and the she has included several recipes at the back of the book.

[Laurie Pinnell]

I enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit to get really into it but I think that could be because I hadn't read the previous ones in the series. Once I got into the story I was finding it harder and harder to put down. Rita is a force to be reckoned with. She has her work cut out for her proving that her friend is innocent of murder since she is newly released from prison and is everyone's favorite suspect. When her friend confesses to take any suspicion away from her son, this makes Rita's job harder. How do you prove that even though they say they did it, they didn't? Well Rita sets out to do just that. Expect all kinds of twists, turns and dead ends as Rita leaves no stone unturned and no lasagne uncooked. Rita uses her wits, contacts and of course, her culinary skills to get the help and the information to help her friend. Great story!

[Nicole]

I love Rita Calabrese! Acorn Hollow's favorite reporter returns in Murder in the Moonshine, and her newest mystery is just as wonderfully written as the first two in the series -The Secret Poison Garden and A Secret in Thyme. Rita's realtor sister, Rose, is having trouble selling an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town, and once Rita learns the history of the house she devises a plan to help, but unfortunately the raging Prohibition themed party she stages ends in murder! With assistance from her pals ranging in age from 16 (teen reporter Ana) to who-knows-how-old (The Widow Schmalzgruben), Rita is on the case! With twists and turns throughout and lots of suspects, author Maureen Klovers' Murder in the Moonshine was an absolute joy to read! A+++

[P.S. Winn]

Although this is listed as the third book in the series, I don't think you have to read the others to know what is happening. The author does a great job, so you may just want to pick up the whole series, though. Rita, is helping to market an old house, and along the way finds murder, mystery and a lot of mayhem. There is a lot of reference to food, drinks and celebration that brought the story alive. I also enjoyed the connection to the old house and FDR, an added touch, that is fun.

[Della]

Really enjoyed this book. Had a great start. Hooked from the beginning. Well written. Well plotted. First time I've read this author. I will be reading her again.

[Suzanne Richardson]

The mystery in this one was intriguing with some well developed red herrings.

Will continue this series as the character development is nicely done

[Fran]

The historical premise is a fun addition to this story. The family dramas continue to build around the vivid characters. The interrogation recipes naturally rise to match the characters. And we continue to see the generations interact in productive ways, from the cryptic ancient widow to the brash young editor.

[Lori]

Loved it