Murder in the Upper Crust (Deep Dish Mystery 6), by Mindy Quigley

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Ever since I finished book 1 in Mindy Quigley's Deep Dish Mystery series, Six Feet Deep Dish, I've been hooked on these books. Most importantly, I keep coming back to the main characters who feel like friends. The mysteries are also well-crafted and engaging. I can't complain about the mouth-watering talk about pizza too.

In the sixth installment, Murder in the Upper Crust, gourmet pizza chef, Delilah O'Leary, has agreed to cater an event at an upscale wellness retreat. What could possibly go wrong at an event designed to foster serenity and relaxation? 

It turns out, a lot. 

Soon after a guided meditation, a dead body is found. Delilah can't help getting to the bottom of this murder mystery, but she must do this while her business is short-staffed. Can she work with the authorities to bring the killer to justice?

This is a cozy mystery, so we already know the answer to that question. However, I still enjoyed the journey. Some of the main characters were away for a good portion of the story, which was fine. In real life people do travel and Delilah's staff is no exception. Having them absent for some of the story, especially in the beginning, allowed other characters to become more fully developed, and because of that, we get to know them better. 

Once of the characters introduced in this installment, is the new chief of police. I loved her interactions with Delilah. The new chief sure does love to eat and she makes it known. Those scenes provided some very entertaining comic relief. I loved how her dialogue was woven into the spaces between her bites of food. I also enjoyed the way she accepted help from Delilah while working on the case.

When talking about characters, I must mention Delilah's cat, Butterball. He is one of my favorite cozy companions in the genre. He's not just Delilah's pet. He plays an integral role in the Deep Dish series, and this installment is certainly no exception. He adds coziness, humor, and excitement to the mysteries.

The mystery was well-crafted with several viable suspects who had opportunity and motive. There were enough twists and turns to me guessing until the big reveal. When the big reveal did come, I was on the edge of my seat as everything was unfolding. 

In addition to great characters and a compelling mystery, the atmosphere created in this book made me feel like I was there. The descriptions are vivid enough to pull the reader in without taking away from the flow of the story. The juxtaposition of the serene setting combined with a heinous crime made for the perfect murder mystery setting. 

I prefer cozies to be completely clean. There is some mild language in this installment that took me out of the story at times. I would have enjoyed it more without the language, but it didn't take me long to get back into it because the mystery was so good. Thankfully the mild language was infrequent.

This is a culinary cozy and there's plenty of foodie talk over the course of the story. That is what I love most about culinary cozies - the conversations about food incorporated into the book.  There are also mouth-watering recipes at the end that you can try at home.  

Murder in the Upper Crust is set in May leading up to Memorial Day, but it can certainly be enjoyed anytime of the year. As with most cozies, it is a self-contained mystery and it can be read as a standalone, but to follow the character development of the main cast, it's best enjoyed starting with book one, Six Feet Deep Dish. 

Murder in the Upper Crust releases in late October. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with a free eARC of this book.