In Cavender's delightful sixth Pizza Lovers mystery (after 2012's Killer Crust), the residents of Timber Ridge, N.C., including Eleanor Swift, owner of A Slice of Delight, the local pizzeria, and her sister, Maddy Spencer, have spent weeks preparing for Timber Ridge's largest annual celebration, the Founders Day Festival. On the day of the fair, Maddy's ex-husband, Grant Whitmore, shows up and picks a fight with Maddy's fiance, Bob Lemon. That evening, someone stabs Grant in the heart with a barbecue skewer, as Eleanor and Maddy later learn from police chief Kevin Hurley, who fingers Bob as the most likely murder suspect. When the sisters set out to clear Bob's name, they discover that plenty of others had motives for the crime. Each suspect is a distinctive character, and, as usual, Cavender does a fine job capturing the feel of a small North Carolina town and its people. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The sixth outing (after Killer Crust) for the North Carolina pizza-baking sisters gets personal when a killer with a barbeque skewer stabs Maddy's ex-husband. Cavender is a pseudonym for the multiseries writer Tim Myers. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

An unwelcome ex brings trouble to sisters, who must investigate his murder to clear the names of those they love. When she hears yelling in front of her pizza place, A Slice of Delight, the last people Eleanor Swift expects to see arguing are her sister Maddy and her ex-husband, Grant Whitmore. It's no surprise that Maddy would be mad at Grant, whom she divorced after he cheated early in their marriage; it's just that Grant hasn't been a part of their lives for many years. Though it's obvious to both sisters that Maddy has washed her hands of men like Grant, especially now that she's engaged to her longtime boyfriend, lawyer Bob Lemon, it's not clear why Grant would come to Timber Ridge to try to win her back. The sisters don't give much thought to the run-in, preferring to enjoy the Founders Day Festival in peace and noting that Grant has already picked a fight with a different adversary, before they go to meet Bob and Eleanor's boyfriend, David, back at Eleanor's place. When Chief Kevin Hurley comes by to report that Grant's been murdered, the sisters' surprise turns to shock when they discover that Bob is high on the suspect list. Though he doesn't approve of their informal investigation, Chief Hurley knows the two will do what they can to clear Bob's name, even if it means wading through layers of enemies in Grant's past. Deep into this series (Killer Crust, 2012, etc.), Cavender hits his stride with a balance between ongoing plot and situational mystery, though longtime readers should have no trouble sussing out the guilty party.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In the latest in Cavender's Pizza Lovers series, Maddy, co-owner with her sister, ­Eleanor, of the Slice of Delight pizza shop, is concerned when her ex-husband, Grant, returns to Timber Ridge determined to get together with her. When Grant's body is later discovered, the police suspect Bob, Maddy's fiance. The sisters begin by asking questions of an attractive singer in a band who seemed to be friendly with Grant. The police also want to know why Grant's mother left Maddy something in her will, a bequest that was news to Maddy. In between running the pizza shop, Maddy digs deeper into Grant's life and business associates, prompting a hostile reaction from Grant's sister. This series remains delicious fun, with a well-developed cast and enough red herrings and possible motives strewn about to puzzle readers focused on whodunit. The pseudonymous Cavender, who writes the Donut Mystery series as Jessica Beck, will continue to draw food mystery fans with her appealing blend of crime, recipes, and, of course, pizza.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2010 Booklist