enjoyable ( )

The sisters find the killer of another victim at the Slice. I enjoyed once again the antics of Eleanor and Maddy. This was an enjoyable addition to the series. ( )

This is not ths best book in the series. I was put off by the crime not occuring until a third of the way into the story. The victim was not sympathetic character and the plot moved too slowly. ( )

Not a huge fan of this one. Characters were funny and somewhat appealing, but I just had trouble getting into it. Didn't really care who did it! But the settings were nice and it was well written. Just not my cup of tea. ( )

I recently ate an 8 part pizza all by myself and I discovered that this food, however well prepared, is not my favorite meal. The pizza lovers mysteries though agrees with me extremely well. This is the fourth book of Chris Cavender about Eleanor Swift of Timber Ridge, and like its three predecessors it gets its five stars. A very juicy cozy mystery, that's what this book is.

I read an Amazon review some while back saying that the main character isn't detailed enough. That was never a problem with me. From the first three books, I had a strong imagining of who the heroine was and how she looked like. The same went for her sister and acolyte, Maddy Spencer, who I sometimes imagine as the red clad courtesan from Sin City. From meager descriptions I easily fell at ease with the mystery, the slow build up, the murder, the amateur sleuthing and the rest. But now in the fourth book, Rest In Pizza, there is significant change and character development, so much that the investigation takes a backseat throughout most of the story.

Eleanor Swift finally starts to find closure from her premature widowhood. In the third book, the David Quinton guy courting her without fulfillment leaves Timber Ridge, and this plus a change in his attitude not to mention approach, makes him finally desirable, if only faintly, in the eyes of our pizza parlor owner. What I didn't expect was that David's change of personality arrived just in time for Eleanor's own change. It's strongly suggestive that one change precipitated the other. By the way I always imagined David Quinton as John Stewart. He would have been perfect for the role. David and Eleanor share quite a few kisses in the book. Most of them instigated by Eleanor. Heh.

Other books that receive less stars from me lack the heart that this book has in spades. There's a very vague blueprint of some random town from North Carolina that was brought to life in this book. And I don't ask for more. I'm usually not in the mood for detailed description. For me it adds nothing to the narrative and I feel the author is cheating or stalling or nursing a severe case of writer's block. Following that, I'll also keep my review short. I have read one other book by Chris Cavender, but as Tim Myers, in a candle making mystery. I have to say that Tim Myers doesn't - cannot - duplicate the magic that Rest In Pizza possesses. I have to, indeed trot out the time worn verdict that the Pizza Lovers series is greater than the sum of its parts.

One thing I could not figure out. Art Young's exit from the book very early on. I felt confident that this checkov gun was to appear later in the book. Not so, not here. That character is not my favorite, and it neither adds nor subtracts from the book's appeal. But I do feel that not repeating Art's helping out Eleanor brings variety to the table. I think that he'll have a bigger role in what hopefully would be the next pizza book. There are less characters this time around. The focus is on the three shops; the pizza place, the bakery, and the library. I always rue that imagining locations in detail is not my forte. I don't live in America so though the description of the town brings atmosphere to the mystery, I don't get the full picture. But the reading experience in this book is exceptional.

Now, let me tell you how I guessed the murderer's identity. From my experience with the previous books in the series I got to expect the expected. Firstly all criminals have been women. Then, all of these women are suspected somewhat, but no rigorous investigation is conducted against them. So, no men, plus no focus. Then another distinction, if not requirement, is that the woman is nasty and mean, and not shy about it. That happened in all previous books. Finally the gal has to be from out of town. Always. Not the locals. Always the stranger. Piece of cake. ( )