Limoncello Yellow

Franki Amato Mysteries #1

by Traci Andrighetti

Francesca "Franki" Amato is a straight-shooting rookie cop in Austin, Texas, until an embarrassing 911 call prompts her to take a job at her best friend’s PI agency in New Orleans. But Franki soon learns that solving crime in The Big Easy is no Bourbon Street party. Case in point, her first investigation involves the murder of a beautiful boutique manager who was strangled with a cheap yellow scarf, and her primary suspect is her client. When Franki’s not on the clock, she hopes to get cozy with a handsome bank executive named Bradley, but her meddlesome Sicilian nonna has other ideas about who she should date. As Mardi Gras approaches and the boutique mystery deepens, Franki must decipher the odd ramblings of a voodoo priestess, or she could end up single—and the next strangling victim.

Limoncello Yellow is book 1 in the Franki Amato Mysteries, but it can be read as a standalone. If you like zany characters and laugh-out-loud humor with a splash of suspense, then you’ll drink up this fun series by USA Today Bestselling Author Traci Andrighetti. Cheers!

FRANKI AMATO MYSTERIES:
Limoncello Yellow (book 1)
Prosecco Pink (book 2)
Amaretto Amber (book 3)
Campari Crimson (book 4)
Galliano Gold (book 5)
Marsala Maroon (book 6)
Valpolicella Violet (book 7)
Nocino Noir (a novella)
Tuaca Tan (book 8, coming in 2023!)

To find out what Franki’s up to between the books, join Traci’s newsletter at traciandrighettidotcom to get the Franki Amato Mini Mysteries for FREE!

"Andrighetti’s dialogue is genuine yet uproarious, and her glowing characters animatedly leap off the page. Her sparkling wit keeps the hijinks brimming with merriment."
~ Long Island Book Reviews

"Traci Andrighetti's Franki Amato Mysteries have me tickled pink! Her smart, sassy heroine, wacky cast of characters, and vividly original settings had me glued to the page. I can’t wait to read more from this author!"
~ Gemma Halliday, New York Times bestselling author

"Traci's writing is sharp and funny; the world she paints leaps off the page and makes the reader laugh out loud…. A thoroughly enjoyable voice in fiction!"
~ Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Humor, Ebooks, Contemporary

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2014

About the author

Traci Andrighetti is the USA Today bestselling author of the Franki Amato mysteries and the Danger Cove Hair Salon mysteries, and she is a co-author of the Killer Foursome mysteries. Her latest release is 4 SLEUTHS & A BACHELORETTE, Franki's first co-investigation with the sleuths of Leslie Langtry, Arlene McFarlane, and Diana Orgain. Right now Traci's plotting TUACA TAN, Franki Amato 8, about the members of an all-female Mardi Gras krewe who keep dropping dead. Next off the press is Franki’s second investigation with her new “krewe,” 4 SLEUTHS & A BURLESQUE DANCER, about a washed up dolphin dancer found dead in the water. LMAO (the initials of Langtry, Andrighetti, McFarlane, and Orgain)! :D

Reviews

[Monica (is working the heck out of · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’ve found my new imperfect but addictive, almost favorite series here.

Limoncello Yellow, book one of Traci Andrighetti’s Franki Amato series, is your conventional romcomystery, complete with fluff, zany supporting characters, inner turmoil, freak accidents, fur-babies, and a love interest.

Twenty-nine-year-old Francesca “Franki “Amato is not a happy woman. A newly minted officer of the law, she’s been partnered up with a flatulent, patronizing and obtuse keystone cop who isn’t qualified to clean a police uniform, let alone wear one. Picture Chief Wiggum with a Texas accent and you’ve got this guy to a tee.

Meanwhile, her family is preoccupied with her marital status, so much so that her grandmother has taken to setting up and "Catholic" (Andrighetti) guilting her into going on a series of blind dates.

One day, her partner’s bowels betray him in the field, leaving Franki to confront the angry Dutch wrestler with whom her boyfriend has just been…wrestling. One spanking (an honest to goodness spanking on her bare butt), some body slams, and a sprained knee later (one really shouldn’t tangle with angry wrestlers thrice one’s size) Franki decides it’s time for a change, especially because her family, her Sicilian Nonna in particular, won’t take their feet off of her neck about home, husbands, kitchens, and babies.

Cut to Franki’s fresh start in Nola and various adventures with voodoo priestesses, ex-stripper landladies, grave-dancing teens, Mardi gras beads, allergic reactions and... uh, killing killers who kill and try to do more killing.

Franki is a hilarious combination of Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) and Gertie Hebert (Jana DeLeon); fans of those series will immediately recognize bounty hunter Plum’s “luck” and Gertie’s unfortunate relationship with heights and inanimate objects and for her unfailing ability to anger people twice her size.

Why four stars? Andrighetti employs a romance cliché that, while entertaining in a familiar kind of way, nonetheless cost her some points, even if you can make the case for irony. A PI letting a misunderstanding like that go on without even trying to figure things out is ironic enough, but not all that funny, especially when I figured out what was going on almost immediately.

Also, I wasn’t especially crazy about the perpetual body wangst and calory intake anxiety. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head when Franki opted to skip dinner because she’d eaten four pralines earlier that day. I suspect this was about making her relatable to the target audience, but not all women are counting calories or suffering for the sake of beauty.

To continue, Franki, ever the victim of slutty boyfriends, displays the irritating habit of attributing their cheating to herself. Cue more eye-rolls.

All that said, in the end, Franki learns that it’s ok for women to eat what they want and that the cheating is more about the cheater than about her.

All in all, this series is fun and, more importantly, exactly what I need right now. Four stars.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian Louboutin, the world-famous French footwear designer, has quoted about "heels" as:

The higher the better. It's more about an attitude. High heels empower women in a way.

You must be wondering that I'm going to tell you about a book which portrays about women and their high-heels. Well, you're wrong! Traci Andrighetti, an Italian author, has penned her debut book, named, Limoncello Yellow which is about female private investigators with a lot of Italian flare, glamour, glitz and some bad-ass actions.

Synopsis:
Francesca "Franki" Amato is a tough-talking rookie cop in Austin, Texas—until an unfortunate 911 call involving her boyfriend, Vince, and a German female wrestler convinces her once and for all that she just isn't cut out for a life on the police force. So Franki makes the snap decision to move to New Orleans to work at her friend Veronica's detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. But Franki's hopes for a more stable life are soon dashed when Private Chicks is hired by the prime suspect in a murder case to find out what really happened to a beautiful young boutique manager who was found strangled to death with a cheap yellow scarf. When she's not investigating, Franki is hoping to seduce handsome bank executive Bradley Hartmann, but most of her time is spent dodging date offers from a string of "good Italian boys"—make that not-so-good aging Italian men—that her meddlesome Sicilian grandma has recruited as marriage candidates. As Mardi Gras approaches and the mystery of the murdered shop girl gets more complicated, Franki must decipher the odd ramblings of a Voodoo priestess to solve both the murder and the mystery of her own love life.

Well you must be wondering, then why I've used the famous Christian Louboutin quote! Because Franki and Veronica- the two bad-ass PI rocked the murder investigation by doing a lot of digging around, wearing their highest of high heels along with their leopard print dress! Can you imagine that right now? I mean these two chicks are the coolest fictional PI that I've ever read about, apart from the famous Veronica Mars, and who doesn't love Veronica Mars? This book is somewhat similar to a Veronica Mars kind of mystery, but it has lots of ROFL moments and some kick-ass narration style which can't be found in the latest Veronica Mars book.

For a first time author, Traci has painted the picture of New Orleans in a bright and colorful way and the resultant canvas of New Orleans looks very striking to me. From coffee shops to voodoo parlors to MardiGras festival to everything that the author has written about the town is something very lush and eye-catching. The dialogues, mostly the narration between the protagonist and the characters vary from dangerous-to-stomach-hurting-ly-funny.

Her main protagonist, Franki! You'd just fall in love with that gal! She's brave, intelligent, '0' fashion IQ, fearless and heart-broken! Well who wouldn't be heart-broken if you catch the love of your life with another woman on your bed!!? Franki tried to hide the broken side of hers under her tough-bad ass-cop demeanor. The funny moments in Franki's life are when her grandma frantically tries to set her up with some Sicilian/Mexican crack-head guys, and how Franki tries to avoid those guys.

There's even some growing chemistry between Franki and a bank guy named Bradley and the inevitable attraction between them is written quite strikingly and passionately! So there is also a promising love story unfolding slowly behind the revelation of the mystery.

Her partner- Veronica! That was the disappointment for me. I really loved that woman, but I wish, I could get to know her more. The author has not laid out about Veronica's demeanor intricately. I mean there was lot of descriptions about her behavior but still I felt like I didn't get to know her clearly and my mind got clouded with her image due to all irrelevant information about her.

Traci's style of writing this book is flawless, edgy and very chic with lots of intriguing and brain-twisting complexities and that makes the book one hell of a page turner. I was totally bowled over by the real killer's identity- totally didn't see that coming! Traci kept her mystery well hidden under wraps.

Verdict: A very promising mystery book! A must read for all cozy mystery books fans!!

Courtesy: I feel very grateful to the author, Traci Andrighetti, for sending me over a copy of her book, in return for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the series I have read. It was great fun and very reminiscent of Stephanie Plum. I would definitely read another.

[Tracie Banister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was instantly intrigued by the title, cover art, and blurb for this book, so I downloaded a copy, not even bothering to read the sample first, and I was rewarded with a fun, fast-paced story that was an absolute blast to read! Honestly, I haven’t enjoyed a debut novel in a mystery series this much since One For the Money by Janet Evanovich. Franki Amato, the heroine of Limoncello Yellow, is every bit as sassy, entertaining, and calamity-prone as Stephanie Plum.

When the book opens, Franki’s a cop, working a beat, with her comically flatulent partner, in Austin, Texas. After having a humiliating experience on the job, which involves finding out her boyfriend’s a cheat, Franki decides that she’s sick of being on the police force, sick of living in Austin, and sick of her interfering Italian family who will not get off her back about her perpetual singlehood. So, she picks up stakes and moves to New Orleans to work at a detective agency run by a friend that’s called “Private Chicks, Inc.”

I've always been fascinated by New Orleans and the culture there, so I really loved the local color provided by the author in this book. As I was reading it, I felt like I was transported to the French Quarter where I could hear the jazz music playing and smell the spicy Creole food. New Orleans provides the perfect sultry and mysterious backdrop for the investigation that Franki and her boss, Veronica, embark upon as they try to clear their client of murdering his girlfriend in the fancy boutique where she was employed. Along the way, Franki crosses paths with an attractive bank manager/potential love interest who appears to be hiding something, a voodoo priestess who enjoys issuing cryptic warnings, a sulky goth, an overeager nun, and a host of other strange folks who may be thwarting Franki more than helping her. The case takes several interesting twists and turns and is resolved in a very unexpected way that’s both suspenseful and amusing.

Kudos to Traci Andrighetti for creating such a vibrant and enchanting world, peopled with characters that I will not soon forget (I snort laugh every time I think about Franki’s ex-stripper landlady, Glenda, and her very, ahem, flamboyant wardrobe.) I anxiously await the second book in this series, Prosecco Pink, which is due out in the fall.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not super sure about the start date. It took me a long while to get through this.

I found Franki to be incredibly annoying. How old is she supposed to be??? 16? She seems incredibly naive and small minded. She got uncomfortable with anything unfamiliar to her and didn’t display a spark of interest in anything new. Her only reaction to new experiences ranged from discomfort to disdain.

The mystery also wasn’t all that satisfying. The author went for the surprise twist at the end but I didn’t get that “it’s all falling into place” feeling. It was purely shock value.

I didn’t rate it any lower because it wasn’t outright offensive. But it was incredibly annoying and uninteresting.

I bought the set of the first 3 books so I may go through the second book eventually if I don’t have anything left to read. But I definitely won’t be purchasing any more.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a roller coaster of a good mystery! When the solution came, it hit me out of nowhere as I had no idea who the perp would be, definitely was not the person I was thinking.

Franki Amato has left the police force to go work with her friend Veronica at her Private Chicks Investigation firm. After all, she's an ex-cop, so how hard can it be to investigate divorces, cheating husbands and stuff like that?

She finds out how hard when they get involved solving a high profile murder case which is filled with so many funny moments from Franki hearing occasionally from her Italian grandma who worries about her being a spinster at age 29 to just some hilarious slapstick involving Franki. There was also the usual danger involved and suspense as well but I enjoyed the lighthearted scenes too.

I thought it was a well written mystery and loved the splashes of fun along with a plot-twisting case. There were even a couple of minor cases that got solved as well. Of course the ending was happy so I know I will continue reading this series

[Harmony · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. I really wanted to like it because of the setting. However, I couldn't get past how silly and juvenile everything was. The MC is a bumbling idiot. I still can't believe that she's a 28 year old former cop. The characters are incredibly immature. I made it to about the 50% mark and just gave up.

The book is well reviewed and I always feel bad leaving a bad review for a book like this. However, if I can't finish the book then it gets a 1-star rating. Sometimes, I wonder if perhaps I'm reading a different book. I didn't find the bathroom humor in the beginning or the degradation of the MC funny, I knew then that this was probably not going to be the book for me. I did attempt to keep going but it just didn't get better.

What I did like, OK I LOVED, was the Louisiana setting. The author clearly is knowledgeable about New Orleans and it showed in her writing. There are so many books set in this city that are clearly written by authors who have never been there. The New Orleans that you read in a tour guide or research online is completely different from actually being there and immersing yourself in the culture. Authors who venture outside the tourist areas to get a real feel for New Orleans, it shows in their writing. This author achieved that.

A few things bothered me about this book and it's why I couldn't finish it.

1 - The MC's height. I've never met an Italian woman who is 5'10". That doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I don't know all Italian women, naturally. However, it really stuck out to me. So, I did a little net search and the average height of Italian women is 5'3" according to world data info. The MC being so tall is an aberration. I think I would have liked her better if she wasn't so tall and gangly. It didn't fit with the whole Italian vibe the author was attempting. The reason I fixated on this is because it's indicative (to me) of how many things were just off and wrong about this book.

2 - The best friend. I really didn't like her. She's shallow with all her talk of shopping, etc. She also makes her pay for an expensive scarf out-of-pocket. She should have been reimbursed that. It bothered me. She just doesn't seem like a very good friend.

3 - The author had an obsession with the MC's weight. She split her pants. She eats pralines and sugary food nonstop. It felt like fat shaming. She gained an extra fat roll in about a week of eating the junk. I could go on and on about the fat shaming.

4 - That a cop could have her gun kicked out of her hands. Then was beaten by an unarmed and naked female wrestler. I know the author did it for the laughs and to set the stage for where Frankie ended up but still. Come on. At 28 years old and having joined the force out of college, that means she's been there about 6 years. She's hardly a rookie. Either explain where she's been or don't make her such a bumbling idiot who doesn't know the first thing about gun safety.

I feel bad leaving a 1-star rating. However, according to the Good Reads rating system that means I don't like the book. Since I didn't like it enough to finish it? Anyways, others love it so give it a try. This is just my opinion.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not funny. A heroine who is constantly humiliating herself and letting others humiliate her is not the least bit funny. Franki's disturbing behavior and personality made this book very unpleasant to read and made following the mystery aspect impossible.

[Moondance · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I surveyed the scene of what looked eerily like the Bates Motel, I was shaking so badly from the cold and fear that I was afraid the gun in my holster would fire on its own.

Francesca "Franki" Amato is a cop with the Austin Police Department. She and her partner are called to an apparent domestic situation that turns out to be her boyfriend involved with a female wrestler in a very compromising situation. Franki has never felt supported by her coworkers and decides to move to New Orleans and work with her friend, Veronica. Veronica is an attorney running Private Chicks, Incorporated. Franki feels that her police training will benefit the private investigation firm. The first client Franki meets is a suspect in his girlfriend's murder. Veronica thinks the police have missed something and takes on the case.

This is a very good start to the series. The characters are well rounded and believably portrayed. Franki's landlord, Glenda is a retire stripper. Her outfits are only overshadowed by her interior design. Franki's apartment is decorated in early brothel which delighted me to no end.

Franki meets a lot of interesting people in Nola including a bank manager that she is immediately attracted to. Her I Love Lucy moments around him are laughable.

Franki's fear of cemeteries and all things Voodoo add to the storyline. Her trips to the Marie Laveau shop are vividly told. I understand that a movie is in the works for this book. I certainly hope this shop is shown in all its glory.

The murder victim has many secrets that take a bit of digging to understand. An old murder becomes a focal part of the current case. There is an interesting twist to the murderer that I wasn't quite expecting.

Franki's nonna is one of my favorite characters. I love that she has declared Franki a zitella"old maid" at 29. Her attempt to find a good Sicilian boy for Franki is a hoot!

Cute dogs, a handsome man with secrets, a hoot of a retired stripper and New Orleans. What more can you ask for!

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When police officer Francesca “Franki” Amato finds her boyfriend in bed with another woman during a 911 call, her whole world turns upside down. With her cop partner not very helpful, she decides police work isn’t for her. She leaves her family, her job and Texas and heads to New Orleans. Her best friend Veronica offers her a job in her private detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. Much to her family’s dismay, Franki sees this as the perfect opportunity to change her life around and far away from them.

Of course things don’t go quite as smoothly as she plans. First, her grandmother plays a long distance matchmaker sending Italian suitors Franki’s way. They aren’t exactly the best candidates, but after all, zitella’s (Italian word for “old maid”) can’t be too picky. However, Franki has met a handsome banker and intends for Bradley to be part of her life.

Franki and Veronica’s first case involves the murder of a young woman, but it turns out to be more complicated than they thought. They come up against a Voodoo priestess, the victim’s arrogant boyfriend, and the craziness of Mardi Gras. They quickly realize, all is not as it seems.

I absolutely loved this story! What a fun and enjoyable read! Franki Amato is my new favorite heroine! She’s feisty, strong and had me laughing throughout the entire book. I can’t tell you how many times I LOL. The mystery itself was very well crafted and took many twists and turns. I totally loved every minute of this book. I can’t say enough about this one. It made my week! Chick lit and cozy mystery all rolled into one fun story - what more can I ask?



FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Margaret Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Samantha March at ChickLitPlus.com for inviting me along on this Book Tour.......

Franki Amato is a PI working for her friend Veronica in the wonderful city of New Orleans. Private Chicks Inc. has all kinds of clients. Suspecting Spouses, missing dogs and a murder suspect hoping to clear their name. All in a days work for the girls! Franki has left behind her life in Texas, her job on the police force, her cheating boyfriend and her overpowering Sicilian family who are dead set on finding her a nice husband.
A change of venue is just what she needs. It also helps that she seems to have found a new handsome man, with a steady job and an interest in getting to know her more. All is good, right?

This is one funny book - full of quirky characters, great location and laugh out loud moments throughout. A great piece of light fun, perfect escapism at the end of a stressful day. Franki's landlady, Glenda, is a scream with her crazy stripper outfits and penchant for men. I love that to balance out Veronica's love of designer clothes and fast cars, Franki wears Forever 21 and eats junk food while lazing at home. The investigation of the murder does not overtake the comic element and while I thought I had guessed the ending a few times, I was still surprised. Great, fun read. Grab it for your next holiday.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little chick lit, a little cozy, a little romance. Throw in a few dogs and you've got me. (There's even voodoo, a stripper, and some sleazy men.)

A delightful debut and I can hardly wait until she writes another!

[FangirlNation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca “Franki” Amato is fed up with the way her partner is treating her, and then she finds her boyfriend in bed with a female wrestler, so she abruptly quits her job as a cop and joins her best friend, Veronica, in the private detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. in Limoncello Yellow by Traci Andrighetti. Soon after Franki arrives in New Orleans from Austin, TX, the pair get hired to investigate the murder case of a manager of a high-end fashion store strangled with a cheap yellow scarf. Franki goes undercover at the store to talk with the employee who discovered the body. With the help of the computer specialist, they discover that there is much more to this murder than anyone expected, with the murdered woman having a fake identity and a history connected to a previous murder.

Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie wants to get out of being a cop. So she decided to go to New Orleans where Frankie best friend lives Veronica and becomes PI . PistachIos Inc. They're first case is with a guy that say he did not murder his girlfriend. So they think I might of been him. If you like New Orleans wild life you will love the books

[K-BRC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Limoncello Yellow portrays feisty ex-police officer Franki Amado as she moves to New Orleans to escape her cheating husband & overprotective Italian family in an entertaining & humorous way. The characters are so full & vivid, they appear ready to step off the page, ready for life. Glenda, retired stripper, is not the good witch of the North, maybe a Southern naughty witch. She has a heart of gold, but the taste of a street walker with a drag queen's wardrobe (on a thin, aging body). Nonna's phone calls delight while making one cringe in sympathy for Franki. Dare we hope that the family leaves the deli for a French Quarter visit? I howled with laughter over every phone call from the deli. Now, what's the the future of Franki & Bradley? Does she calmly accept her man's possible lying, cheating ways or is the family spunk instilled in her too ingrained? What colorful characters will appear in another caper of drink-color installment of the Italian sleuth?

[Chelsea Drescher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's highly entertaining, fast-paced and a wonderful read! It's funny, realistic, and the characters were great.

The plot wasn't predictable and was realistic and fun. I loved the story but also loved how it was written. I highly recommend this book, you won't be able to put it down!

[Karen Meggyesy-Latimore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this cozy mystery series, but I found the main character, Franki, so annoying. My thought throughout the book was someone needs to just slap her. I don’t think I will be reading the remainder of the series.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

An instant "hit" with me! The author has a GREAT way of telling the story and you will laugh your ass off reading....

[Sharon Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice

I liked the start and the finish. In between was very good. Can't wait to read the next one. Great read.

[Jo-Ann Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed from the first page to the last. A hilarious romp. Loved it.

[Lindsay Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Need a funny cozy murder mystery? Look no further! Reads like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mary Higgins Clark.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a lemon for sure

Was a funny enjoyable read love the dialogue and the translation of the Italian words . What will happen to her next .

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, interesting and intriguing
read. You get to be in on the action immediately
as Francesca "Franki" Amato, an amateur cop
for the Austin police department finds herself on
a disastrous 911 call. Her partner has a gaseous
and flatulent problem leaving her on her own as
he rushes into the bathroom. Franki is faced with
German wrestler who was in bed with her
boyfriend. After this event, Franki decides to leave
Austin police department, dump her boyfriend ,
take Napoleon her brindle cairn terrier and start
a new life in New Orleans. An old college friend
has started a Private Investigation agency called
Private Chicks, Inc.
The first case at the agency is a murder case. It
has a lot of twist and turns. The reader will meet
Franki’s new partner, Veronica Maggio and her
Pomeranian dog Hercules; Glenda, the landlady
who was a former stripper but still dress the part;
Corinne who is a bank teller with a stolen bichon
frise dog named Bijou; Bradley Hartman who
is the bank president with a cairn terrier and
potential dating person for Franki; Ryan Hunter
who is the murder suspect; Odette Malveaux
who is one of the finest priestesses in all of
Louisiana when it comes to matters of the heart
and a descendent of Marie Laveau plus a
young Goth girl whose sister was murdered;
her sister, a nun and acquitted man, Stewart
who cannot be put on trial because of the double
jeopardy law.
Franki’s nonna is a trip. She is also trying to set
Franki up with her older Italian friends relatives.
Franki’s Mom & Dad run a delicatessen.
The author takes the reader on a tour of New
Orleans. It is vivid and detailed. You will learn
about Italian families, the world of fashion, Saint
Expedite (the Voodoo Saint), La Marca, a skull
beads that looks like it is from Marie Laveau’s
House of Voodoo , New Orleans cemeteries with
their creepy assortment of tombs, obelisks,
gothic statues and sarcophagi.
Then learn how to make Limoncello and Limoncello
Margarita.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traci Andrighetti’s Limoncello Yellow is a hilarious and fast-paced cozy mystery packed with quirky characters, zany antics, and a splash of suspense. The first book in the Franki Amato Mysteries series, it introduces readers to Francesca “Franki” Amato, a former Austin cop who ditches her frustrating police career for a fresh start as a PI in New Orleans. But crime-solving in the Big Easy is anything but easy.

After a humiliating call exposes her boyfriend’s infidelity in the worst way possible, Franki quits the force and joins her best friend Veronica at Private Chicks, Inc. Her first case? A boutique manager strangled with a cheap yellow scarf, with the prime suspect being their own client. As she dives into the investigation, she encounters a colorful cast of characters, including a retired stripper-turned-landlady, a voodoo priestess with cryptic messages, and her meddling Sicilian nonna, who is determined to find her a “proper” man.

In between dodging murderers and Mardi Gras beads, Franki finds herself drawn to a handsome banker, Bradley—but her luck in love is as questionable as her ability to stay out of trouble. Her fear of cemeteries, voodoo, and her unfortunate tendency to attract chaos make for laugh-out-loud moments, particularly when her nonna declares her a “zitella” (old maid) at 29 and insists on matchmaking.

Andrighetti delivers a delightful mix of humor, mystery, and romance, reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. The New Orleans setting, with its rich atmosphere and eccentric locals, adds an extra layer of charm. The plot twists keep readers engaged, and while some tropes—like the romantic miscommunication—feel familiar, they don’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

With witty dialogue, outrageous situations, and an engaging mystery, Limoncello Yellow is a fun, feel-good read that will leave readers eager for the next installment. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of sass, this one’s for you!

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this so much more than I expected to. I actually loved the silly characters and the plot development and think I would try another in the series.

[Wendy Jo Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t care much for the voodoo stuff in book. I enjoyed Nonna in the book trying find wacky boyfriends for Franki.

[Debbie Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read anything from this author and really enjoyed it. I loved the main character "Franki". She is always having something happening to her and most of the time it will keep you entertained till the end of the book. There is twists in the book and the author kept me guessing on who committed the murder.

If you enjoy the Stephanie Plum series you will enjoy tlhis book.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing detective story

An amusing tale of a police officer turned private investigator and her fellow PI as they search for the murderer of a local fabric designer.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I have been wanting to read this series for quite some time but other things kept me from it. I am glad that I waited as I can now read all of the books in the series without waiting for the next one to be released. I was completely shocked by ego the killer was in this one. I just didn't see that one coming. I love the characters and the storyline. So exited to read the rest of the series.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Limoncello Yellow is the first book in the cozy-murder-mystery Franki Amato Mystery Series. The protagonist, Francesca (Franki) Amato, is a first generation Italian-(Sicilian)-American in the United States. She grew up in Houston, Texas, with her parents, brothers, and her very-Sicilian paternal grandmother. All that wonderful Italian ethnicity enriches Limoncello Yellow.

The private detecting firm that Franki joins is run by Franki's old friend, Veronica Maggio, another hyphenated Italian. The two women bonded in college over "all things Italian", and they enjoy joking together about their ethnicity.

The cover of the book is very cute, as is the title Limoncello Yellow. The review-copy e-book I read had a very clear layout and is well-edited, with distinct paragraphs that begin with indents.

Franki's parents and grandmother (nonna) like to play an active part in Franki's life, especially her love-life. When Franki informs the family she is moving to New Orleans, nonna likes the idea of her spinster (a zitella at twenty-nine) grand-daughter going to the city where nonna lived previously: "There are still a lotta nice Sicilian boys in New Orleans..." Italian culture has a central role in Franki's and Veronica's identities.

Cozy murder mystery romance humor chick-lit: all these terms fit Limoncello Yellow, a promising start to a fun Italophile series.

Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...