If you know anything about me, I dislike deep dish pizza. It’s just overly saucy for my taste but I’m willing to try anything once. Okay, not even remotely true but this cozy mystery has me wanting to give deep dish another try. Six Feet Deep Dish is set in the picturesque town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, just an hour and a half drive from Chicago. It’s here we meet Delilah O’Leary, former fine dining chef extraordinaire, who convinced her fiancé, Sam Van Meter, a tech startup multi-millionaire, to move there so she can start her own deep dish pizza restaurant. She’s hired her best friend, Sonya, also a former fine dining chef, Daniel, a Puerto Rican bartender (speaking of Puerto Rico, make sure to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Fiona!), Melody, a wholesome farm girl, and Carson, a flaky teenager to assist her. On her soft opening, she gets into a major fight with Sam, someone calls her business a hobby (we all know how that is 🙄), and suddenly someone is shot and killed just a few yards away from her business. One of the other reasons she decides to move to Geneva Bay is to take care of her ailing aunt, Auntie Biz. The book takes you on a rollercoaster ride dealing with drugs, elder abuse, relationship/communication issues, murder, drinking, and beautiful lakeside views.
Even in fiction novels, the real world shines through. Here are my takeaways:
This is the first book in the series but it doesn’t read like one.
Delilah seems like a real person who struggles with some big issues, which isn’t normal for your typical cozy. I like this.
The recipes are customizable and suited for a reader's taste.
Making pizza dough is hard but worth it.
Never let someone control all of the finances in your relationship, friendship, business, etc. I’ve done this and it did not end well. Trust the experience of myself and this fictional character; you do not want!
Murder will and can happen anywhere. To quote one of my favorite movies, “Murder is basic.”
Take care of your elders y’all. Delilah makes the mistake of trusting a caregiver who does not have her aunt’s best interest in mind. This leads to murder and a drug overdose.
Running and owning a restaurant is hard. Find a team that makes it easier and will stick with you because they believe in the brand and YOU.
Relationships are hard. Communication skills are the most important thing you can learn to better your relationships. Resentment is real. Whoever your person is, make sure to talk about the things that each of you want to accomplish outside of your coupling. Make a plan to ensure you both get what you want and need. Losing your identity in a relationship is not something you want or need.
Fiction books can give you mad insight. Six Feet Deep Dish gives us a glimpse into some real life situations with a somewhat satisfying end. The ending is more like the real world, which is nice to see.
I hope y’all take the time to read this book and delve into someone else’s troubles, if only for a few days. It can put your life into perspective. Fiction books put you in others' shoes. They help you grow and become better humans. Invest in stories; they need you and you need them. And maybe enjoy them over a slice of Chicago style deep dish pizza.
Until next time,
Xoxo~Christilisa
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