Little Italy, 1946
Sophia Mancini would have enjoyed the grand opening celebration of her family’s private detective agency if the volatile chef at Vincenzo’s Ristorante had actually survived the meal. But before Sophia’s chilled spoon hit the spumoni, someone plunged a knife into Vincenzo’s back and the word on everyone’s lips went from mangia to murder.
Sophia soon finds herself trailing crime boss Frankie Vidoni, chatting with his mouthy mistress Maria, and dodging henchman Mooch DiMuccio. She’s suspicious of Vincenzo’s widow, Stella, and his assistant chef, Eugene, because they don’t appear the least bit dismayed by Vincenzo’s passing.
There is no conversation Sophia won’t eavesdrop on, no question she won’t ask, and no danger she won’t face to find the killer.
Review
Post-war, Sophia's not only dealing with her father's attitudes about a woman's place, but she needed to come up with a business plan to help her brother, an injured vet, maintain custody of his son. Maybe a murder wasn't the place to start, but when Vincenzo is killed, the detective agency she and her brother just opened has its first case. And the crime boss hired them to solve the murder. Her brother is rehabbing and the nephew is cheering Sophia on, as her father berates her for working.
Sophia is spunky, assertive, and a force to be reckoned with. She loves her brother and nephew and is determined to make the agency work. Mooch's character develops slowly, but he's a keeper. Then there's the crime boss, his girl friend, Eugene, and Stella to consider. The plot has the requisite twists and turns, and moves at a steady pace. It was a fun read with the detective showing up at odd times, sometimes cold, and sometimes? There may be a romance in the offing. Definitely a cozy historical mystery worth curling up with.
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