Title: Getting Skinny by Monique Domovitch
A Chef Landry Mystery Book One
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 81,000 words
Book Rating: B
Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Owning a restaurant is as crazy for Nicky Landry as an alcoholic owning a bar. But despite having to cram herself into a body shaper to look decent in a dress, life is pretty good. She’s throwing the party of the year for her graduating doctor boyfriend, Rob, who she’s sure is going to propose–until his new girlfriend shows up at the party.
After ordering Rob to get his stuff out of her house and get lost, Nicky finds him faceup with her expensive Chroma knife sticking right out of his cheating heart.
As the prime suspect, Nicky is in hot water. And no matter how hard she tries to clear her name, her problems only mount. She’s convinced she can solve the murder–if only she can figure out the identity of the skinny person seen walking away with Rob after the party.
Getting “Skinny” won’t be easy for Nicky, but she never imagined it would be life or death…
81,000 words
The Review:
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, then you do not want to miss Monique Domovitch’s Getting Skinny. This first book in the Chef Landry Mystery series is a superb murder mystery and with a suspect list a mile long, it will keep you guessing the killer’s identity for a good portion of the story.
Life is going pretty well for Nicky Landry. She and her best friend Toni have just opened their dream restaurant Skinnys on Queen. To celebrate her boyfriend Rob’s graduation, Nicky is throwing him a huge party. She is convinced he is going to pop the big question after the celebration, but she instead discovers he has been cheating on her. When she discovers Rob dead in her background, Nicky becomes the chief suspect in his murder. Convinced the police are not really looking for the real killer, Nicky and Toni decide to investigate the case themselves.
The characters in Getting Skinny are fun and well developed. Nicky is charming, witty and full of self-deprecating humor. Toni is the money behind their business venture and she is a wonderfully supportive friend who has a cliché for just about any occasion. But the supporting character I enjoyed the most is Nicky’s dog Jackie Chan. She is too cute for words and Nicky’s scenes with her just cracked me up!
The mystery aspect of the story is also very well done. Ms. Domovitch’s excellent use of red herrings cast suspicion on a long list of suspects and it kept me guessing the killer’s identity for quite some time. While I did eventually figure out whodunnit, I could not quite figure out the motive. And I have to admit that when the reason behind the murder was finally revealed, I was pretty sympathetic to the murderer.
Getting Skinny by Monique Domovitch is an entertaining and fast paced mystery. The cast of characters is superb and the murder mystery is quite intriguing. It is a fabulous first installment in the Chef Landry Mystery series and I cannot wait to see what is next for Nicky, Toni and the rest of the gang at Skinnys on Queen.
