Case of the Curved Staircase

Macaroni on Wheels Mystery, #2

by

S.K. Derban

Faith-forward cozy murder mystery with a delectable culinary theme.

Case of the Curved Staircase is the second book in author S.K. Derban's delectably culinary-themed and faith-forward Macaroni on Wheels Mystery series, featuring San Diego's Little Italy community chef Terza Tiepolo and her best friend, Hawaiian transplant Moheenie Lakalaka Brickman. Terza and Mo are compelled to investigate when Terza discovers the wife of one of their clients dead from an apparent fall down her home's magnificent staircase on the morning after her surprise birthday party, and the officers on the scene disregard obvious clues that her death was no accident. 

Terza Tiepolo is a hard-working, conscientious young woman, dedicated to making her catering business a success. She's part of a large, extended Italian-American family, and I loved her continuing and nurturing relationship with her parents and how she maintained close ties with her older siblings and old friends. Her best friend, Mo, is warm and fun-loving, bringing her own feeling of ohana to the story. Her marriage to lifeguard/bartender, Ranger Brickman, seems like a match made in heaven. 

This second book in the series focuses heavily on friendships, family, and Terza's two possible romantic interests, with the women's detective work squeezed in between cooking and catering jobs. I liked how Terza enlisted the assistance of Ian, the computer guru, who lived in her client's neighborhood. Single and working from home in an older neighborhood, I could imagine the attention he garnered from the older people on the street, especially the widows. In real life, he'd been certain to have a freezer full of ready-to-heat casseroles and a steady supply of sweets he'd received in exchange for helping the neighbors with phone and computer problems. Miss Marilyn was THAT quick to sic Terza and Mo on him! But he was seriously sweet and good-natured and really came through for the two women with the information they needed. 

While the investigatory storyline was fun, the narrative felt a bit heavy with random details about Terza's daily life, which I thought took away from the mystery's momentum. Terza has a nice morning routine, but it was described in detail several times, with little variation and no advancement of the plot. It did vividly cement the loving relationship she had with her parents and demonstrated her dedication to her spiritual life. 

Terza and Mo outline the facts of their case on a murder board in the Macaroni on Wheels kitchen, and they start with a couple of possible suspects, but I felt that clues in the narrative clearly pointed to the culprit well before the resolution. Still, Terza is such an engaging character, with so much going on in all aspects of her life, that I didn't want to put this book down until the big reveal confirmed my solution and ironed out Terza's romantic dilemmas. 

I recommend CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a faith-forward story, culinary-themed mysteries, and tales of warm and strong family relationships. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.