Slice of Murder

A Pizza Parlor Mystery #1

by Rosie A. Point

In this small town, eating the last slice of pizza is murder… After being kicked out by her cheating fiance, Gina Romano decides to return to her hometown of Lake Basil, New York. She needs a break from the city, and her uncle, Rocco, could use the help with his bustling pizza parlor. But when Gina arrives expecting a warm, cheesy welcome, she finds the pizzeria on the brink of closure instead. Desperate to help, Gina takes over and is forced to fire the head chef who refused to do things the “authentic” way. Until he winds up authentically dead. Outside the pizza parlor. With a slice of Uncle Rocco’s pizza clasped in his cold hand. With the cops closing in, Gina has to figure out who killed the head chef and save her uncle’s pizza parlor before it’s too late. Can she solve the case in time? Find out in the first in a brand new cozy mystery series by USA Today bestselling author, Rosie A. Point.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Contemporary, Food, Amazon

204 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2022

About the author

Rosie 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/

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice. Definitely needed a fun cozy mystery. I think I will keep up with this series. I like to keep them in rotation with the more grisly mystery books that I read. I thought this was great and the main character Gina is going to be fun to follow. I also laughed out loud several times while reading. At one point someone goes to Gina, "Well color me brown and call me a candy bar." I have no idea if this is a real saying, but I laughed for five minutes straight. This cozy also follows all of the well known tropes, amateur sleuth, murder victim who dies in a somewhat weird way, love interest of the detective in town, and a potential second love interest, etc. 

"Slice of Murder" follows Gina Romano who returns to her hometown of Lake Basil from "The City" (New York). She leaves after finding her ex-fiancée cheating which led to him ousting her from their place of work. She goes home in order to recover a bit. Going to her uncle's pizza restaurant, she finds him gone, the restaurant a mess, and a drunken chef (Nico). Gina fires him and then quickly learns her uncle has been ill and had no choice but to hand over the business to someone else. When Nico is found dead later in the restaurant, rumors stirred up by her high school nemesis has Gina worried she may be arrested. She starts to investigate and finds out that many people had a motive to kill Nico. 

I liked Gina. Some of the cozy mystery leads I have a hard time with since most of them just decide to start investigating things and end up making things worse. I thought Gina was written very smart and she didn't put herself in any dangerous situations. You also get the guilt she feels for leaving her uncle and aunt to run the business and not realizing they needed her help. Her budding friendship with Matilda was great. As was Matilda's cat Jumbo. 

The other characters I assume we will get to know more about such as Detective Carter, Jacob, etc. and I can't wait to continue to read about them.

The writing was very well done I thought. The book flow kept a nice even pace. Point did a great job of setting up places and the setting of Lake Basil and the stores and people that live there have definitely peaked my interest. 

The reveal of the murderer and why they killed Nico was a shocker too. I definitely was not expecting that. 

There's also a recipe for pizza in this, and I recommend not reading this if you are hungry. Between the pizza descriptions and the bakery descriptions, I kept wanting something to snack on. 

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Killed Chef Rocco ? . . .

When her life hits one of those road-bumps, finding her fiancé cheating and losing her job, the best thing Gina Romano can do is to go home to Lake Basil and start over. But even that choice is not without issues when she discovers her Uncle Rocco is home recovering from a fall and his pizza shop is closed and in bad shape. The head chef comes in when he feels like it and was so drunk he almost fell over. Inside, everything was damaged, dirty, or in bad shape. Gina fires the chef who was at least partly to blame for the loss of business and who had been in charge there for the past year and a half. He also handled all the money, which explains why the business was failing. He was obviously stealing money, just as Aunt Sofia had suspected, although Uncle Rocco would not believe that.

Gina went out for a drive after talking to her aunt and uncle. Now she is ready to get things going again. But as she drove past the pizzeria, the doors were open! She had locked them herself and took the keys from Chef Rocco. She ran into the pizzeria to see if it had been robbed and found the chef’s dead body on the floor with a slice of her uncle’s pizza half-eaten in his hand!

Detective Shawn Carter arrived, surprised to see his former classmate, Gina. Can she find the killer before she ends up being accused of the murder and having the pizza shop put in danger of being closed permanently? Grab your copy and see what clues Gina can find and if she will expose the real killer.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a new series and it was a delightful read. Gina Romano returns to Lake Basil after finding her fiancé cheating on her and losing her job. Arriving at her Aunt and Uncle’s house, she finds her uncle was recuperating from a fall and couldn’t run his pizza shop. Going to the shop, she finds it closed and in need of desperate repairs. Gina has no choice but to fire the head chef so ends up dead. Join Gina as she investigates the crime to clear her name and save the pizza [parlor.

Everything about this book appealed to me. The plot and characters were well-written, making you feel like you are friends. This was a perfect cozy mystery with just the perfect amount of humor, mystery, intrigue, and adventure that will keep any reader completely engaged. I highly recommend the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[AmBerGUR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cozy indeed.

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pizza & Murder

This is something I've had in my Kindle for some time and thanks to a reading challenge, I finally got around to this. This is a new-to-me author.

Likes:
~The fun cover sold me.
~Pizza and murder? Sign me up!
~The recipe at the end was a great touch!
~I was intrigued by the mystery enough to guess the culprit. (I won't say if I was right or wrong because I named my guess in an update)
~The smooth writing style was enjoyable, and the fast-paced plot kept me reading.
~Matilda turned out to be fun sidekick. I thought she was kind of weird at first.
~I liked the private investigator. Need more of him.

Dislikes:
~I wanted to like the MC, Gina, but I couldn't connect with her.
~Things were going great, and I was trying to solve the mystery when the most unexpected plot and solution came up. Matteo's Adoption In my opinion, it had nothing to do with the rest of the case and was so out in left field that I couldn't connect the dots.
~The ending with the new chef...meh. I did like the twist Brittany's brother-in-law but other than that, it felt too flirty and out of place.

Overall:
~3.5 stars! Not a bad read! The pizza parlor vibes were awesome, and I enjoyed the fast-paced writing.
~Recommended if you like small-town cozy mysteries and of course, pizza.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gina Romano is suffering from a broken heart after her fiance cheated on her. To add to her misery, she loses her job too. She decides to get away from it all by visiting her aunt and uncle in Lake Basil, New York. She figures her Uncle Rocco can always use some help in his pizzeria. It would definitely help to take her mind off her problems.

When she arrives in Lake Basil, Gina is shocked to find the pizzeria in disarray. The chef in charge refuses to do things the right away and is even late in opening the pizza parlor. She immediately fires him on the spot.

The chef ends up dead, holding a slice of pizza. The cops turn their suspicions on Gina and her uncle. It’s up to Gina to find the real killer and clear their names before they lose both their freedom and their pizza parlor.

This is the first book in a fun cozy mystery series. It’s a quick read with quirky characters. The storyline kept me guessing until the end.

I do have to add a warning, though. This book had me craving for pizza. LOL I’ll definitely be reading more of this series.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina Romano has decided to return to her hometown of Lake Basil, New York. She needs a break from the city, and her uncle, Rocco, could use the help with his bustling pizza parlor. When Gina arrives she finds the pizzeria on the brink of closure. Desperate to help, Gina takes over and is forced to fire the head chef who refused to do things the “authentic” way and then he winds up dead.

A great start to a new series with a great main character in Gina who stumbles along and only works out who did it by accident. That being said she is very likable and a good worker. It looks like there might be a love triangle, a cop, a chef and Gina.
The characters are all well written and descriptions of the town and the people were all very well done. A quick, fast moving read.

The one thing that I didn't like is the old nemesis again. The mean girl who hated Gina in high school is still in town spreading rumors and being mean now Gina has returned. I really never like the scenario why bother with it.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
✅ mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
✅ nothing memorable
🔲 gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
✅ takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
🔲 nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
✅ immersive
🔲 you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
✅ page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

The mystery was a bit too straightforward imo.

[Nicola Friar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted cozy murder mystery in which a woman returns to her hometown following the breakdown of her relationship and loss of her job in The City. Back home she realises that her uncle is hiding some secrets from her about his health and the threat looming over their beloved family pizzeria. Determined to fix things she uncovers more revelations at the pizzeria and then a corpse turns up which means even more secrets to be revealed if she can uncover them. A quick and easy read but the plotting and characterization are thin and a tad predictable. There are also some loose ends that are frustrating. Readers who are also fans of Hallmark style TV movies will enjoy this one.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book. Gina catches boyfriend cheating, loses job in NYC and runs home to her uncle's pizzeria. There she finds that her unclle has broken his leg, and in his absence the chef has let the shop run down and is stealing from him. When he ends up dead after Gina fires him, of course she has to find out who killed him.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina returns home to her Uncle and Aunt after a bad breakup to find they are in desperate need of her help. She fires the drunken chef who then turns up murdered and is the prime suspect. Determined to clear herself and get the pizza parlor back on track, she buckles down to both. With a little help she achieves both.
I received an ARC gratis to peruse and offer my opinion the same.

[Caitlin Bunting · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little palate cleanser, I really enjoyed reading this cosy mystery and loved the elements of the pizzeria. I love how short the book was and I really think this would be a great read if you are in a reading slump. Can’t wait to continue with this series.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute cozy mystery. It’s short and not perfectly edited, but I enjoyed it.

[Brett Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good find! And I am glad to find it. A good plot and great characters

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another Rosie A. Point series that I like. Also another one where the talk about the food is killing me!
Gina is cool. I enjoyed hanging out with her, and I'm looking forward to getting to know her and checking out some more mysteries.

[eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

short, solid murder mystery. perhaps just a bit too short for my liking, but im really liking the characters. looking forward to next in the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has several other cozy mystery series, and this book is the first in a new series. After a bad breakup and loss of her job, Gina has come back home to her aunt and uncle. But what she discovers is her uncle is bedridden, and his pizza restaurant is in shambles, thanks to a drunken and probably crooked chef, Nico. After firing him for showing up late and drunk, Gina sets about cleaning and reorganizing the restaurant, until the dead body of Chef Nico is discovered there. Can Gina restore the restaurant's popularity, despite rumors circulated by her high school nemesis that she was responsible for Nico's death? I enjoyed the new friendship between Gina and Matilda (and her cat, Jumbo), the owner of the local bakery. I also appreciated the hard look Gina takes at her own possibly negligent relationship with her uncle and aunt. After several false accusations, the murderer is finally uncovered. My only concern is I'm not sure there was enough build-up to the actual revealing of the murderer, but all in all, I think this will be an enjoyable series to follow. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book and all opinions are strictly my own.

[Tomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think she even solved the case? It basically solved itself in front of her. She didn't do anything apart from the questioning, but did nothing to confirm their answers. Also it's never explained how the police just showed up and figured it out.

For a 110 page book, I won't complain. But I won't read the following books. It was a fine standalone holiday read and I do recommend it.


Also I couldn't even suspect the true murderer because we only spent a short chapter with them. And sure, the backstory for the motivation is really unexpected, but how the climax unraveled felt really unrealistic.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a new series by Rosie Point and it is as much fun to read as all her other books. I love the start of this series. Our main character, Gina Romano is totally relatable. She returns to her childhood home in Lake Basil, NY to her aunt and uncle's home who basically raised her as a child. To Gina this is supposed to be a vacation from the city to get her act together since she was fired from her hospitality job in the city and bad mouthed thanks to her cheating and despicable ex-fiancee. When she goes to get a cup of coffee in the only cafe, she finds it is run by her old high-school nemesis who bullied her throughout school. Things weren't great there since Brittany, the bully is still a mean girl big mouth. The worst part is the cafe is across from Romano's Pizzeria. While waiting for her uncle to open the place up, she sees it's getting very late and sees a stranger there who when questioned works there and tells her the place is being managed by a drunk, loud-mouthed slob, Nico. Before she even sees her uncle, she sees that Nico has run down the parlor making horrible pizza as well as having everything dirty and disgusting so she fires Nico on the spot. She feels guilty since she found her uncle had a few fall accidents and is laid up so she tells her uncle and aunt that she fired Nico, but she will get the Pizza Parlor back up for them while she is there. She has befriended, Matilda who owns the bakery across the street from the shop and of course Matilda's adorable cat, Jumbo. Then when checking on the parlor because she sees lights on and an open door, she finds Nico dead on the floor. Her nemesis is spreading rumors that Gina is the murderer, and so the adventure begins. With so many suspects who all have alibis she has to find the murderer and clear her name. The detective on the case is also from Gina's high school and maybe there will be something there. I loved this book and will not divulge the incredible ending and now I really can't wait for the next one! I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Ambika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slice of Murder by Rosie A. Point delivers exactly what you’d expect from a cozy mystery, no more, no less. The premise is charming: Gina Romano returns to her hometown of Lake Basil, New York, after a breakup, only to find her uncle’s pizza parlor in crisis. When the difficult head chef she fires turns up dead outside the restaurant with a slice of Uncle Rocco’s pizza in hand, Gina must clear her uncle’s name.
The book’s strengths lie in its likable protagonist and cozy small-town atmosphere. Gina is relatable, and the pizza parlor setting adds a fun culinary element that food lovers will appreciate. Point writes with an easy, breezy style that makes for quick, comfortable reading, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
However, the mystery itself is disappointingly straightforward. The culprit becomes obvious fairly early on, and there are few genuine surprises along the way. The supporting characters feel somewhat one-dimensional, serving more as plot devices than fully realized people. The pacing drags in the middle, and some of the dialogue feels forced.
Slice of Murder is a decent entry point for readers new to cozy mysteries or those seeking light, undemanding entertainment. It’s comfort food in book form, satisfying enough in the moment but not particularly memorable. If you’re looking for intricate plotting or complex characters, you’ll be disappointed. But for fans of the genre who enjoy familiar tropes and predictable outcomes, this serves its purpose well enough

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series and it is wonderful. The characters are relatable and the storyline was well developed and fast paced. Highly recommend!

Gina Romano has returned to her hometown of Lake Basil, New York after leaving The City. Her ex-fiance was cheating on her, she lost her job because of him and she is in dire financial straits after using her money to help renovate their apartment. She stops in at her Uncle Rocco's pizza parlor only to find her Uncle has not been in to work in months, the place is dirty and run down, and the head chef Nico is late and drunk. She immediately fired Nico and closed the restaurant. After seeing her aunt and uncle, who is in poor health, she decided to get the restaurant back in shape before she leaves town. Driving by the restaurant she sees the doors open and goes to investigate only to find Nico dead on the floor holding a piece of pizza. Her high school bully Britany starts a rumor that Gina is the killer. Gina starts to question the other employees and family members to see if she can find the real killer.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good series starter!

Gina Romano is back in her hometown of Lake Basil, New York. It wasn’t what she had envisioned but everything else in her life has fallen apart so, why not? She planned to help her Uncle Rocco out at his pizzeria but when she arrives her uncle is unable to work and the shop is on the brink of closing forever because of his chef’s incompetence. The only thing for Gina to do is fire the chef and try to rescue the business. When the chef turns up dead in the pizzeria the next day, Gina is a prime suspect, thanks to an old enemy spreading gossip. Unless the case is solved, coming home may be her worse decision ever!

This is a fun read. It has all the elements of a good cozy; a small town, a snarky enemy, a cat, a possible future romantic interest, and a corpse. There are even recipes in the back for pizza dough and pizza sauce that I can’t wait to try. I love Rosie A. Point cozy mysteries and am looking forward to the next Pizza Parlor Mystery book. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun start to a new series, and I immediately liked Gina, her aunt and her uncle. I can see Gina and Matilda becoming good friends and future sleuthing buddies too. When she saw what a mess the pizzeria currently was, I felt bad for Gina but if anyone could bring that place back to what it once was, I think she's the lady for the job.

I got a kick out of Aunt Sofia and her matchmaking efforts with Gina and Shawn Carter. Not sure how the new pizza chef might factor in, but I'm hoping there won't be a triangle situation. Let Matilda have him, LOL! Then there's the required annoying and snarky person in the cozy in the form of rich girl Brittany. Hope she gets bored and quits the coffee shop or well, this IS a cozy, so anything can happen to annoying people hehe.

The showdown was pretty tense, although it wasn't really Gina in danger as much as someone else who was with the killer-she just happened to be listening. Shawn got it all diffused in a pretty crazy ending, what a wild twist! Can't wait to read the next book! Glad this series is in Kindle Unlimited too!

[Marco Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long story short, there was an achievement in the Kindle app that I wanted and it required that I read a work of fiction. I'm not one who usually reads fiction, but I was willing to set that aside for this achievement so here I am. To emphasis just how much I do not like reading fiction, I took my time to search for the shortest book possible and piquing my interest. When I came across this book I saw the cover art as cute and the title simple, I thought perhaps maybe this would be a fun little story, and it was. I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just quickly summarize the plot, the main character of the series is trying to bring her uncle's business back to life after having been in a state of deterioration. While trying to do so, one of her uncle's former employees is murdered in the restaurant, hindering its recovery. From there on out, it is about finding the person who committed the murder. Again, cute story and I liked the characters, but, as I mentioned before, I don't like fiction and I am glad that it is over.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slice of Murder is the first installment of A Pizza Parlor Mystery series by Rosie A. Point. The story begins when Gina returns to the small town of Lake Basil where she was raised. After dealing with personal struggles and a ruined career, she is hoping to spend some time with her family and help out at their pizza shop while deciding what her next move should be. Only, when she returns, she learns that her uncle is recovering from an injury and has left the pizza shop in the hands of a sketchy manager who showed up for work drunk. As the story unfolds, we watch while Gina meets new friends and reconnects with old friends, as well as old enemies. This mystery was short and moved quickly but did not lack anything because of it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters in this book and am already looking forward to reading the next title in the series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a bad breakup and a loss of employment Gina Romano returns to her home town of Lake Basil NY. She goes to her uncle’s pizzeria and finds things in quite a state. When the head chef shows up drunk and late she fires him. When he’s found later that evening murdered inside the pizzeria which should’ve been locked up she’s in a bit of a pickle. Her homecoming trip to relax, recoup and regroup is not going according to plan. As she comes up to speed and sets sights on reopening the restaurant Gina notices a lot of hinky stuff associated with the former chef Nico. Since suspicions hang over her and the restaurant she decides to investigate.
Fun, funny with a town full of quirky inhabitants. A quick, light read with a twisty plot to keep you guessing. A great start to a new series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slice of Murder is the first book in the Pizza Parlor Mystery Series by Rosie A. Point. Gina Romano has just returned home to Lake Basil, New York after losing both her job and her fiance. She comes home to find that her Uncle Rocco has had an accident and his pizza parlor is going downhill fast. On her first morning back home, she meets the drunk chef who is managing the restaurant in her uncle's absence and immediately fires him. Later that night, she goes back to the restaurant and find the chef dead. She must figure out who killed him or she may be forced to close the restaurant's doors for good. This was a really good story with a main character that I just fell in love with. Can't wait to read the next one!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice of Murder

Rosie A. Point knows what she's doing when writing a good cozey mystery with murder, the characters are vibrant, colorful and draw you you in wanting to get to know them better, as someone is scheming in the background covering their interests after committing murder .The mystery entices you even further into this intriguing clean cozey of who done it. While the plot continues throughout with subtle bits of humorous small town entanglements and that one nasty bully you just can't love to hate. This is truly one those cozey mysterys you just can't put down once you start reading you're hooked ,captivated needing to turn page after page until you've reached its rather unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire " Slice of Murder " today so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. Kat

[Elle Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ – A Cozy Read with a Nice Twist

I read Slice of Murder as a palate cleanser and it was exactly that: light, easy and fun. It has all the typical cozy mystery elements including a small town, a woman returning to her hometown, quirky locals and of course, a murder to solve.

The writing is smooth and fast-paced but never feels rushed. The author’s descriptive language brings the setting and characters to life, painting vivid scenes and capturing the charm of the town well. While the mystery followed a familiar cozy formula, the twist was unexpected but I didn’t mind.

Side note- for a story centered around a pizza shop, I found it amusing how often the main character talked about coffee instead of pizza. A minor quirk, but noticeable.

Overall, it's a fun, fast-moving mystery that's great for readers looking for something quick but satisfying.

[Roy Murry · Rating 4 out of 5]

SLICE OF MURDER
Rosie A. Point

Review by Author Roy Murry

SLICE is a fair setup for the series 'A Pizza Parlor Mystery Book 1.' There needs to be more minor character development to make the story interesting.

However, the reader gets to know Gina, the main character, a bit. The author needs to be more in-depth in book 2 for the series to move on.

Gina returns home and fires the chef in her sick uncle's pizzeria after determining the place is mis-run. The next day, the chef is found dead in the closed shop with a piece of pizza in his hand.

Gina becomes a sleuth to no avail, finding a note and coming close with gossip. The participant in the crime unveils herself after her son confronts her about an explosive event.

A short read, 110 pages.