I enjoyed the first book in one of my favorite series. I totally went at this series backward. But aside from knowing that one of the suspects was in the clear, (they show up in other books), you can read this out of order. I love the characters and the setting in this series. The mystery in this one was well done. I didn’t see it coming. There are three tasty recipes included. One, of course, was for non-deadly, delicious hummus. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )

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! ( )