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    Hummus and Homicide
    Hummus and Homicide
    Hummus and Homicide
    Audiobook6 hours

    Hummus and Homicide

    Written by Tina Kashian

    Narrated by Rachel Dulude

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she's getting-the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family's Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn't on the menu . . .

    Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn't mind. She doesn't even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It's fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who's married to a cop now.

    She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she's just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen-where she's tallied up a whole list of bogus violations-she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it's homicide, and Lucy's the number one suspect . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 27, 2018
    ISBN9781541488380
    Author

    Tina Kashian

    Tina Kashian, previously published as Tina Gabrielle, is a bestselling author, an attorney, and a mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Please visit her website at www.tinakashian.com to join her newsletter, receive delicious recipes, enter contests, and more!

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    Reviews for Hummus and Homicide

    4/5

    35 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I just posted this on Goodreads and I absolutely loved this book. I loved the narrator, she's got a really good voice, she makes things understandable, and quick to get thru. I can't wait to continue the series.
    • 5/5
      A fun new-to-me cozy series. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. Kashian builds the world of the Jersey shore area beautifully. The cast of characters are fun as well as caring. Almost everyone was likeable, even the characters you weren't supposed to like. I enjoyed the ride to the end of the story and find myself rooting for Lucy and her family. I'm off to read book 2 in the series.
    • 2/5
      Lucy Berberian leaves her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia to return home, but hasn't told her parents the entire story. The minute she returns her mother expects her to help out at the restaurant - a place she hates and couldn't wait to leave; but when she comes across her old enemy Heather Banks - who made her miserable in high school - she realizes that it's not over when she finds out Heather is the new health inspector.To make matters worse, Heather finds all sorts of violations at the restaurant, when her father, the previous inspector, never found a single one in thirty years. Lucy knows it's only out of vindictiveness. But then Heather is found dead outside the restaurant, and she's been poisoned. Now Lucy is on the hot seat, suspected of killing her. She enlists the help of her best friend Katie to help her find out who killed Heather before she's sent away for the crime...I wanted to read this because it sounded from the blurb that it might be a great series to begin reading. However, there's things I couldn't get past and others I just didn't like. First off, calling Gadoo the cat her mother's pet is a little off the mark. The cat lives outside and her mother feeds it. Basically, her mother is feeding a stray cat. He comes around for the food. He isn't allowed in the home, and it doesn't appear that they care for him in any other way - no vaccinations, no place to sleep, etc. Just a stray cat that they've decided to name.Then, this is not a town I'd want to visit. Heather has apparently been holding a grudge against Lucy since high school, and decides to 'get even' by giving her parents a bad health inspection - which, I would think, they could challenge and have her fired for; after all, if they've passed every single other inspection in thirty years it would be pretty obvious to everyone who knows Heather and Lucy that it was out of spite and nothing else. Ditto for the Detective, Calvin Clemmons. He's holding a grudge against Lucy's sister Emma for breaking up with him in high school, and it appears that he's giving Lucy a hard time about being the main suspect in the murder because of it. Jeez. Who would live in a town where people can't move on with their lives?Then, and I quote, the author writes: "Lucy felt as if she were being sucked back into the fold like quicksand: no amount of professional accomplishments mattered. Family helped family, and their expectations could be stifling and overwhelming. It was partly why she'd fled years ago." This does not sound like a woman who's happy to be working in a restaurant she couldn't wait to escape from. And therein lies the biggest problem: I had a hard time reconciling the fact that she'd so willingly want to keep the restaurant she wanted to get away from. (She also stated that she can't cook, so why would she want to keep the restaurant otherwise?)There was a lot of repetition in sentences, and I really have to wonder if there is any other way to say someone is hungry or thirsty instead of constantly repeating "it made her mouth water." Every time I hear that phrase in any book, I picture the person with drool dripping from their mouth or sucking back saliva. I've never been so enamored of an aroma that that has happened. I find it annoying, and it was said more than once here. I also got tired of the 'mother cliché: get married! I want grandchildren! Yeah, nothing says love like pushing your daughter into marriage so she can pop out grandchildren for you; ignore the fact that she has the right to choose what she wants out of life. With a mother like this, I dread the rest of the books in the series.I also thought it was ridiculous that the detective would accuse Lucy of murder because of a bad health inspection at the restaurant. Honestly? She's going to kill someone because they gave her demerits? Yeah, that's believable. Truth to tell, I lost interest in the book around the 30% mark, but I trudged on anyway, hoping it would improve. It didn't. However, I will read the next in the series and hope for the best. Also, here's what I'd like to see in future books: Her mother to leave her alone to decide if - and when - she chooses to get married and stop harping on grandkids (nag the other daughter - she's already married, and in ten years has only produced one child); and Gadoo to become an indoor cat and be cared for properly, not to be left to fend on his own at night.
    • 4/5
      3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian is the first book in the new cozy series, Kebab Kitchen Mystery. This series introduces Lucy Berberian who has returned home to Ocean Crest, New Jersey after a major disappointment. She has recently been passed over as a partner in the law firm she works in after being stabbed in the back by a co-worker. She has returned home to regroup and figure out what direction she wants her career to go next. Lucy’s family runs a Mediterranean Restaurant called the Kebab Kitchen. When she comes home, Lucy finds that the family business is up for sale, and her parents need her to help out while they look for a buyer. Shortly after her return, the new health inspector, Heather Banks, visits and gives them a bad report with several trumped up violations, however, this does not stop her from eating before she leaves. When Lucy takes the trash out later that night, she stumbles over her dead body and when it is determined that she was poisoned, the restaurant is the suspected source, therefore Lucy's family is under the magnifying glass. As any good daughter would, Lucy decides to find the real killer.

      I enjoyed meeting Lucy and her hometown friends. Lucy and her family felt like very real people, and I enjoyed following along in Lucy’s footsteps as she searched for a killer. Katie is a wonderful best friend who is willing to help Lucy in any way, even though she is married to a local policeman. Enter Michael, the son of the local mobster, who makes quite the impression on Lucy. There’s a touch of romance mixed into the mystery, but the main focus of the story is on the mystery. We learn that Heather was not very well liked by a number of people and had a few vices that left her open to unsavory characters. It was hard for me to narrow it down to one culprit, until shortly before the reveal. I thought I had it all figured out, and once again, the twists showed me that I was wrong once again. I enjoy a story that keeps me guessing. Overall this was a very good story, but somewhat bland. There was not a lot going on, just a lot of questioning. I am sure that with this being the first book, there is a lot of character development as well as community building, but with this out of the way, I expect big things for the next book. If you love hummus, this book will have you drooling as they talk about the hummus bar and various flavours and recipes. Be sure to check out the recipes in the back of the book. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
    • 5/5
      A delicious start to a new series. HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE has me hungering for more!I just love starting a new series, by a new to me author, and before I finish page one, I’m hooked. And by the end of the first chapter, I can’t put the book down. Author Tina Kashian has done that with this first installment in her Kebob Kitchen Mysteries!I love that HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is set on the east coast. The little town of Ocean Crest, New Jersey reminds me of my summers at the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware. With the book’s opening talking about the smell of funnel cake, seeing the Ferris Wheel on the pier, and the mile long boardwalk, I was yearning to jump in my car and head to the beach! Protagonist Lucy Berberian is a wonderful new cozy lead. Her parents, and friends are a wonderful balance of personalities, that play well off of Lucy. And then there’s the mystery. I was so happy to see this victim get what was coming to her. Of course, Lucy investigates into why Heather was killed. I mean, she died after eating at Lucy’s parent’s restaurant. There are a lot of suspects that wanted the victim dead. But it took the reveal for me to know who the killer was, and why he/she wanted the victim dead. Fast moving, with a great plot, and yummy recipes in the back of the book, HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE is a book you’ll want to add to your reading list!
    • 5/5
      There are so many wonderful things I liked about this book, I'm not sure I contain my excitement. This is my first book I've read by the author and oh my is it delectable, delicious and down right amazing. I want to move to Ocean Crest and hang out at the Jersey Shore. The description of the place was so realistic I had no problem visualizing it. I could hear the screams coming from people on the roller coaster and smell the delicious aroma of food as I dashed off to the Kebab Kitchen. I am a huge fan of hummus and just reading about the different varieties made me want to run to the store. I confess I did have hummus and crackers while reading the book. The author has convinced me that I need to find a Mediterranean restaurant and take in the rich flavors and exception dishes they have to offer. Lucy is one great character. I loved that she came home to her parents when things didn't work out for her as a lawyer. It felt comfortable for her to be back home and be surrounded by an amazing family. Her parents were so sweet and gracious that I wanted them to adopt me. Rumors start to swirl that the family business is being put up for sale. I think that kind of shocked Lucy and made her start thinking of how important the restaurant is to the family. As in every cozy mystery there is always a murder and I try to figure out who the victim will be. The hints are there in the story but it sure does start an avalanche of trouble for Lucy and her family. I know if I had an inspection coming up, I would make sure everything was so clean you could eat off the floor. The inspection should be no worries for the Kebab Kitchen since they always pass with flying colors. What they are not prepared for is someone dying after eating at the restaurant. Lucy is determined to get her name off the suspect list and keep the restaurant open.I wont go into more details because you need to read the book to see how gifted the author is.I do want to mention one thing. The details of a poison in the story was like hearing it from an expert. The author's research is profound and I learned a lot about the subject. It was extremely fascinating and valuable to the story line. Her writing is outstanding as the murder investigation heats up. I really thought I knew who did it, but was so surprised when the guilty person was revealed. It is an adventure that takes you behind the scenes of how a restaurant works to the different shops in town that made the town so quaint. Is someone trying to give Kebab Kitchen a bad name? Will Lucy escape harm as her life is put in danger? I did really enjoy the hint of several interested men that have taken a shine to Lucy. It is a bit of a cliffhanger for me which I will be anxiously awaiting to be answered in the next book. I leave you with a high recommendation to grab this book, settle down with some snacks and get ready for an exciting journey. Don't miss the recipes at the end of the story. I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved Hummus and Homicide!! The completely convincing suspect list, sleuthing tactics and family dynamic; with the cultural traditions the Berberian family so tightly clinged to, elicited chuckles throughout the book. The pace never slowed, and the ethnic dishes that Lucy’s mother prepared in Kabob Kitchen made my mouth water!!And now a little summary of the book...When Lucy Berberian returns home to Ocean Crest, NJ, after her professional life in PA as a patent attorney takes a nosedive, her parents welcome her with open arms and a waitress uniform so she can get right to work at their family-owned Mediterranean restaurant, Kabob Kitchen. Before long Lucy bumps into former classmate and nemesis, Heather Banks, while hanging out with her best friend Katie. When Heather introduces her boyfriend, famous suspense writer, Paul Evans, to Lucy and Katie and then exclaims “Lucy’s parents are foreigners who own that Mediterranean restaurant,” Lucy is mortified by Heather’s tactless, erroneous designation and corrects her in front of Paul. The two women exchange words and Lucy later regrets the tiff after learning that Heather is the new health inspector, replacing her father who’d given Kabob Kitchen’s inspection a pass every year for the past 30 years. Heather visits Kabob Kitchen shortly thereafter and cites the restaurant for several infractions and demands corrective action within 7 days or she will shut Lucy’s parents’ beloved restaurant down. So Lucy is surprised when Heather comes back to Kabob Kitchen to eat one late afternoon, engulfing various varieties of hummus from the very hummus bar she’d verbally assaulted just a day earlier. But when she’s found dead in the restaurant’s parking lot, Lucy comes under suspicion and must act quickly before the negative publicity destroys her parents’ health and livelihood, and she gets put away. Highly recommended!
    • 3/5
      Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian is the first story in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. Lucy Berberian is returning home to Ocean Crest, New Jersey after quitting her job as a patent attorney in Philadelphia. Lucy’s parents own Kebab Kitchen and can certainly use her help in the restaurant since they are down a waitress. Lucy is happy to reconnect with her friend Katie Watson. Lucy is staying with Katie and her police officer husband, Bill while she is in town. Lucy is surprised to learn that her parents are contemplating selling the restaurant. They already have three potential buyers that include Lucy’s former boyfriend, Azad Zakarian. The one thing marring Lucy’s enjoyment at being home is Heather Banks. Heather was the mean cheerleader girl in high school, and now she is the new health inspector. She quickly learns that Heather has not changed one iota since high school. Heather comes to do an inspection of the premises before the restaurant can be listed for sale and, despite the cleanliness of the facility, she lists nitpicky (and bogus) violations. The next day Heather returns to eat from the new hummus bar (which she criticized the day before). After Heather departs, Lucy takes the trash outside and finds Heather dead in the back-parking lot. Detective Clemmons is assigned the case, but he holds a grudge against the Berberian family (thanks to Lucy’s sister). Raffi, Lucy’s father, wants her to investigate Heather’s death and find the culprit before their business is ruined. Lucy, with help from Katie, retraces Heather’s steps the day she was killed and delves into Heather’s life looking for suspects. Who disliked Heather enough to murder her? The bike shop owner, a restaurateur, the mob boss, the suspense author who was dating Heather, or the loan shark? Join Lucy in her investigation in Hummus and Homicide.Hummus and Homicide is nicely written and has a steady pace. I like that the author sets the stage for the series by giving us Lucy’s background and introducing us to her family and friends. The mystery was interesting, but the killer can easily be discerned early in the book (one detail is the key). There are some interesting suspects that Lucy questions. I just wish that there had been more action. If Lucy is going to continue to be a sleuth, she needs to work on her questioning technique. Her queries sounded more like accusations. Lucy also has a temper (triggers easily) and loose lips. You can tell that Tina Kashian (aka Tina Gabrielle) has written romance novels. We have Lucy’s ogling her romantic interests. She admires the attractive and handsome Azad (many times) and appreciates Michael Citteroni’s physique. The family kept pushing Lucy and Azad together trying to rekindle their romance. I prefer romances that progress slowly over the course of a series and for it not to overshadow the mystery element. As usual, there was repetitive information (Cooking Kurt’s show was mentioned five times for example). Hummus and Homicide was a typical cozy mystery where the main character returns home, someone dies, she investigates and solves the crime, there are love interests, potential sidekick, the amateur detective is inept in her questioning, and the main character realizes she likes being home and is going to stay. There are some nice cozy moments in the book. You can tell that Lucy’s family loves her and the mother is especially happy that her daughter has returned to Ocean Crest. My rating for Hummus and Homicide is 3 out of 5 stars. I will check out Stabbed in the Baklava when it releases in August. Hummus and Homicide is just the first book in the series, and I hope Tina Kashian ups her game in the next book in A Kebab Kitchen Mystery series. There are recipes (hummus) at the end of Hummus and Homicide.
    • 3/5
      I won a copy of this book from Goodreads.I don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries. I’ve always been interested in them and I have a lot of them on my wish list, but for some reason I rarely pick them up. Winning Hummus and Homicide was perfect because it gave me that nudge I needed. Also. I love hummus.Unlike the few that I’ve read, this one actually seemed believable. Lucy was a believable character. The plot was believable. The ending was believable. I really liked that. All of the characters were fantastic, and I loved the town. I’ve lived in a small town my whole life so I love when stories take place in small towns.I can’t say that the book blew me away, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Every single time I had to put it down, I just wanted to get back to it. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one, Stabbed in the Baklava.