Pizza Lovers Books

Not too much happens in the sleepy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina--which is fine with pizza-purveyor extraordinaire Eleanor Swift. The spunky owner of A Slice of Delight is trying to mend her broken heart and could use a little quiet time. But when a late night delivery customer turns up dead, she's in for just the opposite in this delicious mystery series debut, featuring pizza as the prima character . . . "Pizza lovers will relish Cavender's delightful first in a new cozy series." – Publishers Weekly "Cavender introduces a promising cast of characters." – Booklist "The camaraderie of the Timber Ridge, NC, sisters is reminiscent of Nancy Martin's Blackbird siblings." – Library Journal "A delightful mystery--as filling as a big slice of warm pizza." – Armchair Interviews "As warm and satisfying as a pizza straight from the oven. I can't wait for seconds!" --Laura Levine

For once, it seems, no one is trying to pin a murder on Eleanor Swift, owner of the scrumptious pizzeria A Slice of Delight in the quiet little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina. But someone has to answer for that body in her kitchen. . .and it looks like the final stop for Greg Hatcher, her deliveryman, may be the state penitentiary. . . Eleanor knows Gregg would never have lethally bashed his own brother in the head with a pizza-rolling pin. Sure, Wade was greedily claiming far more than his fair share of their family inheritance. And Gregg did catch his ex-girlfriend Katy smooching on the couch with Wade. It's no wonder that Timber Ridge's police chief--and Eleanor's ex-sweetheart--has his sights set on finding and arresting poor Gregg. But as Eleanor and her saucy sister Maddy dig a little deeper into the mystery, they find Wade's enemies begin to outnumber the slices on a large pie. This is one mystery that's made to order, and if Eleanor and Maddy don't find out who killed Wade, Gregg's delivery days are over. But while finding the killer is one thing, escaping alive to dish the goods to the police is quite another. Includes delicious pizza recipe!

Though it's a chilly October in Timber Ridge, North Carolina, Eleanor Swift is warm and cozy in A Slice of Delight, her scrumptious pizzeria. But she feels a shiver when snooty Judson Sizemore blows into town to open an upper-crust competitor. Worse, he has the nerve to get murdered right after he's seen causing a ruckus in Eleanor's restaurant. Now she and her saucy sister, Maddie, are the prime suspects. As Eleanor digs for clues to prove their innocence, her own suspect list grows longer than the local soccer team's pizza order--and life in Timber Ridge heats up like Maddie's five-alarm Volcano pie. . . Includes delicious pizza recipe! Praise for Chris Cavender and Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder "The small-town setting, the small-business focus and the relationship between sisters Maddy and Eleanor are all reminiscent of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries." – Booklist "Cavender is an ace at writing cozies. His characters are believable, especially the relationship between Eleanor and her sister, and his plots are rock solid. Sure to appeal to fans of food cozies." -- Library Journal "Scrumptious. . .this entertaining series will continue to gain fans with its clever plotting and small-town appeal." – RT Book Reviews

Cozy towns like Timber Ridge, North Carolina—the home of Eleanor Swift’s delectable pizzeria, A Slice of Delight—don’t take well to prima donna celebrities. So no one is particularly pleased when TV host and famous chef Antonio Benet roars into town for a book signing and manages to insult Eleanor, her deliciously saucy sister Maddie, and everyone else within earshot. Insults are one thing, however…but a cold dish of murder is quite another… Eleanor knows she’s on the menu of suspects who would bury a kitchen knife between the rolling-in-dough chef’s shoulders. But so is Cindy, the owner of the bookstore, who may have some deep secrets to dish. Or Benet’s personal assistant, who very well may have had it with pampering his blowhard boss… and may even have some pie-in-the-sky ambitions of his own. And then there’s the TV producer—is it true the crusty chef was bellowing about going to another network before he reached his premature expiration date? With her freedom—and even her looking-good-for-a-minute-there love life—on the chopping block, Eleanor’s got a seriously full plate. The only way out of this mess is a pretty tall order: deliver the real killer before she finds a knife in her back. Includes delicious pizza recipe!

Eleanor Swift isn't amused when Laughing Luigi--the sketchy frozen pizza dough baron--walks into her Timber Ridge, North Carolina, pizzeria, A Slice of Delight. But the contract for his pizza-making contest seems made-to-order, especially with $25,000 in first-prize money up for grabs. However, when the pizza dough king fails to rise after being murdered with a slice of poisoned pizza, Eleanor and her sister Maddie are peppered with suspicion from all corners. Faster than a 30-minute delivery, they're going to have to juggle seriously surreptitious sleuthing with pressure-packed pizza-making performances. . .before the real killer dishes them their own slices of death! Includes delicious pizza recipe! "Another fun pizza romp." -- Publishers Weekly

The only thing Eleanor Swift loves more then A Slice of Delight--her Timber Ridge, North Carolina pizzeria--is her sister Maddy. So when Maddy's cheating ex-husband Grant shows up with some pie-in-the-sky idea to win Maddy back, Eleanor is happy to see her sister swiftly show him the door. But they both know Grant isn't done yet. . . Especially when he picks a fight with Maddy's fiancée Bob in front of the whole town at the annual Founder's Day Festival. Naturally, when Grant is later found stabbed in the heart with a barbeque skewer, Bob is featured on the police chief's menu as Suspect #1. And when it turns out that Maddy stands to gain a different kind of dough--and lots of it--from Grant exiting this world, she and Eleanor know it's up to them to cook up an investigation to find the real killer. Was it that female singer at the festival who wanted a word with the recently deceased? Or maybe Grant's haughty sister, who's colder then a day-old pizza? Or Grant's "business partner," who seemingly had the opportunity, means, and motive to mortally skewer Maddy's ex-husband? Only one thing is for sure: Eleanor and Maddy need to turn up the heat and deliver this killer. . .or their next scrumptious pizza may be their last! Includes a delicious pizza recipe!

THIN CRUST KILLERS When the local bank is held up, one of its security guards is murdered during the robbery. Things get even more complicated when the note from the robber is discovered to have been written on a brand new menu from A Slice of Delight. Eleanor and Maddy must dig up the truth before it comes back to haunt them!