A Crust to Die For: A Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery

In LoTempio’s tepid second cozy featuring Austin (after Eat, Drink and Drop Dead), the former chef turned restaurant critic has her hands full organizing the Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off in her hometown of Branson, Ga. Shortly before the amateur chefs can start rolling out their dough, one of the contest’s celebrity judges bows out. After some scrambling, he’s replaced by Bartholomew Driscoll, a local restaurateur and food critic who’s become famous after appearing on several reality TV shows. He’s also a suave ladies’ man with a grudge against Tiffany for a bad review she gave one of his restaurants. Before the first pizza is out of the oven, Driscoll has already exchanged tense words with some of the contestants. A short time later, he disappears. Tiffany goes looking for him and finds his body in the competition’s kitchen with a chef’s knife sticking out of his throat. After Tiffany’s love interest, Detective Philip Bartell, arrives on the scene and acknowledges that Tiffany is indeed a “murder magnet,” she teams up with her best friend, Hilary, to suss out the culprit. LoTempio paints by numbers here, offering little wit or panache to elevate this above standard cozy fare. In a crowded field, this fails to stand out. (Jan.)