This fourth installment of the Deep Dish Mystery series is my favorite yet–and likely my favorite culinary cozy of the year so far!

Delilah O’Leary has come a long way since first opening her gourmet pizza restaurant in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Once an uptight control freak hanging onto a relationship with a great guy she didn’t actually love, she’s mellowed out considerably over the last few months—in large part due to learning how to truly build community with her local family and friends. Sure, she does sometimes flip out at her new boyfriend, police detective Calvin Capone, but that’s usually when he’s (unwisely, in her opinion) investigating someone she loves for murder.

You’d think that wouldn’t happen very often in their small town, but Delilah’s been involved in investigating a surprising number of homicides, even though she just wants to keep her head down and literally mind her own business. Her latest commercial venture actually involves catering a Chrismukkah celebration for some of Geneva Bay’s wealthiest residents. So she’s pretty surprised when her brother-in-law Jonathan shows up at the party with his college-aged daughter Piper in tow. It isn’t just that Jonathan is hardly in the same income bracket as the rest of the guests. Her brother-in-law and niece live in California with Delilah’s sister Shea, who has once again demurred on visiting Delilah for the holidays due to conflicting schedules. To add insult to injury, Jonathan and Piper are just as surprised to see Delilah as she is to see them. Apparently, Shea never even told them that Delilah had recently moved to Geneva Bay from Chicago in order to open her own restaurant.

The Chrismukkah shindig ends earlier than expected when tensions boil over between some of the partygoers and Delilah’s crew gets caught in the middle. Delilah just wants to clean up and get paid and has no interest in figuring out why one of the guests left their coat behind at the end of the evening. When that guest is found dead in a pile of snow intended for a sculpture contest the next day, Delilah is horrified but still determined to stay out of the investigation–even if one of her employees has been acting with uncharacteristic unreliability since the night of the catering gig.

Things get worse when suspicion for the missing guest’s murder falls on Jonathan, and Delilah’s perfectionist sister is forced to make an appearance in Geneva Bay. Will Delilah be able to navigate the awkward conversations that inevitably ensue without losing her hard-earned cool? Perhaps, more importantly, will she be able to find the real killer before one of her loved ones is falsely imprisoned for homicide?

I don’t know whether the extent of Delilah’s growth will feel as meaningful to readers who haven’t followed along since the beginning of the series, but I was certainly moved by what a thoughtful, mature person our heroine has become since we were first introduced to her. It’s been a genuine delight to see her personality develop for the better as this series has progressed. She’s also become a better investigator with experience, as she figures out the solution to the mystery that unfolds in this volume with both suspense and pathos.

There were four delicious Chrismukkah recipes included in the book, and I decided to try out this one, lightly edited here for space:

Tear-and-Share Christmas Tree Pizza Bread

Ingredients

7 mozzarella sticks

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough

Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup grated Parmesan

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into a thin chiffonade

Marinara, warmed (for serving)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces and set aside.

On a floured surface, divide pizza dough into two equal pieces. Stretch and roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle, then cut the dough into 2-inch squares (you’ll need 30-35 squares).

Wrap a dough square around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball.

Arrange the balls seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree. You can, of course, make other shapes if you prefer. Brush egg wash on those doughy little balls and bake them until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter, Parmesan, garlic butter, and Italian seasoning. Brush your balls again! This time with the butter mixture. Sprinkle the basil on top.

It’s important to serve this warm so that the cheese will have maximum gooeyness. Add a side of marinara for dipping.

My kids love pizza rolls and were super thrilled that I chose this recipe! I wasn’t sure how closely to place the balls on the baking pan and could probably have crowded the thirty I rolled closer together (especially since the mozzarella did leak out), but they came out tasting delicious regardless. I did substitute in Asiago I had left over from last week’s Alfredo recipe for the Parmesan and thought that turned out nicely. Just keep in mind that when the recipe calls for mozzarella sticks, it is referring to string cheese mozzarella and not the breaded kind that you fry.

Next week, we travel to the Northeast to whip up a delectable pie while investigating a devious poisoner. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: Fondue or Die by Korina Moss