KILLER CRUST

Two sisters get into trouble when the pizza-making contest they’re involved in leads to murder.

Pizza-maker Eleanor Swift isn’t expecting much—much good, that is—when Laughing Luigi asks to meet with her at her shop, A Slice of Delight. The unpleasant mogul of frozen dough has had run-ins with Eleanor and her sister Maddy in the past, but his pitch this time may work to the sisters’ advantage. Luigi plans to hold a contest of pizza makers in Timber Ridge, and he offers Eleanor and Maddy the last slot in his competition. The other three teams of cooks are a mix of friendly allies and fearsome competitors, all with their eyes on the $25,000 prize. When Luigi (nee the ethnically challenged George Vincent) is murdered halfway through the battle, Eleanor and Maddy resolve to find out who had a motive to off the moneyed mogul or who hadn’t. Instead of trying to deter them, local police chief Kevin Hurley surprisingly spurs them on, suggesting that they may have a unique ability to probe the other contestants without rousing suspicion. And the girls know they have not only the law, but their guys— Maddy’s fiance, Bob, and David, whom Eleanor’s finally learning to trust—on their side.

A bit more abrupt in its pacing than Cavender’s usual (Rest in Pizza, 2012, etc.), but that just proves that it’s good to get to the point. The recipe following the story reads like product placement.