Mia Spia spent her 20s in an alcoholic haze, but now she’s on the wagon and keeping everything together at the family olive oil concern. The olive grove, the oil manufacturing, and a collection of charming shops and eateries bring in the tourists and support the whole family… but there are a lot of secrets in the Spia family. They used to be a mob family, to put the situation at its simplest, and the release of one of the least-loved cousins from prison is the occasion for a big family party.
Mia’s BFF Lisa is the author of a series of books on survival for women, and her skills come in handy as Lisa and Mia try to unravel the mystery before anyone else gets killed, while also keeping the dishy detective from arresting any members of the family (for this murder or for any little peccadillos from the past). Meanwhile, back at the farm, the twists and turns of the complex family relationships are more than Mia can even keep track of, let along keep a lid on. Add a couple more handsome guys plus a definite spice of danger and it’s no wonder Mia’s finding it hard to resist her tempting neighbor and his winery’s tempting wines.
The story is fun, the characters are sassy and spunky, and there are several delectable olive-based recipes.
Mary Leo started out as a romance novelist, and it certainly shows in this book, but there is also a well-plotted mystery and enough depth to the story to make me look forward to the next installment in the series.