Hummus and Homicide (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
by Tina Kashian

When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . .

Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.

She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . .

Recipes included!

Hummus and Homicide starts out like a typical culinary cozy, but with a nice twist on the standard bakery or coffee shop setting (which I love, don’t get me wrong). Lucy’s family runs an Armenian eatery, the Kebob Kitchen, in a small Jersey shore town. When she comes home temporarily after losing her job in the city, Lucy finds that the family business is up for sale. After the new health inspector ladles on a heap of trumped-up violations, she’s found dead and suspicion is cast on Lucy’s family. As any good daughter would, Lucy decides to find the real killer.

Lucy and her family felt like very real people, and I enjoyed following along in Lucy’s footsteps as she searched for a killer. It was a good start to a new series with just enough personal drama to add to the mystery, but not distract from it.

I also really enjoyed the food descriptions in this one. I love hummus, and would love to find a place with a hummus bar like the Kebob Kitchen! If you are interested in making your own, be sure to keep reading. Tina Kashian has been kind enough to share her hummus recipe with us.

Hummus and Homicide is the first book in the new Kebob Kitchen cozy mystery series.

About the Author

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sand castles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit www.tinakashian.com and join her Newsletter to enter free contests to win books, get delicious recipes, and to learn when her books will be released.

Author Links

• Website: tinakashian.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16902011.Tina_Kashian

Purchase Links

• • Amazon
  • Barnes & Noble
  • iBooks
  • Google Books
  • Kobo

Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card plus a print copy of Hummus and Homicide (US ONLY)

As a special treat, Tina has shared her Hummus recipe with us! I love hummus, and can’t wait to give this recipe a try.

Tina Kashian’s Award-Winning Hummus Recipe

This is my own secret recipe and I make it weekly at home for the kids and the husband. It can be served as a dip with wedges of pita bread or vegetables, and goes well with broiled or grilled meat. It can also be used as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise on sandwiches.

1 can (15 ounces) chick peas

3½ teaspoons tahini (sesame seed puree)

3 cloves minced garlic (1½ teaspoons)

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Drain can of chick peas and reserve ¼ cup fluid. Mix tahini thoroughly before using to incorporate oil that separates during storage. Using a food processor or blender, combine and blend all ingredients until smooth. If hummus is too thick, add a few tablespoons of reserved fluid from chick peas and blend again. Pour into serving platter. Enjoy!

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