When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . .
Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.
She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . .
Lucy has been passed over at the law firm once too often, so she has quit and has headed home for a month or so to decide what to do next, she is staying with her best friend (and her husband who is a local police officer) and she will be helping out at the family restaurant. Her first day back and she and Katie have headed for a beer and a catch up when Heather Banks arrives and she promptly manages to get right in Lucy's face (mainly by saying that her parents are not legal immigrants), the problem then arises that she has taken over from her father and is now the Health Inspector and that afternoon Heather comes to inspect the Kebab Kitchen and promptly writes it up for various violations. If that isn't enough she then comes back the next day for lunch (so she isn't that bothered about the violations it seems!)
That would seem to be the end of it until Lucy stumbles across Heather's very dead body and the detective in charge of the case has a gripe against the Berberian family (thanks to Lucy's older sister Emma, who dumped his rather dramatically in high school), now it looks as though Lucy is headed to be a dish washer in Prison unless she and Katie can find out who really hated Heather enough to kill.
A nice gentle start to what will be another good cozy series, Lucy's mother is a hoot and although we don't see much of the other members of staff at the restaurant they (and other members of the town) are nicely written and are all believable characters. I am looking forward to reading more!
Crafts and Life 
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