The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)
by Maria DiRico

About The Witless Protection Program


The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – New York
Kensington Cozies (March 26, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496744624
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496744623
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9W8W668

Mia Carina has steered her Italian-American family’s Astoria, Queens, catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, into becoming the borough’s premiere party site, and nothing could make her happier—except her boyfriend proposing. There’s just one presumed-dead obstacle in the way . . .

A strong, independent woman and respected entrepreneur, Mia never imagined she’d pine for a marriage proposal. Yet lately, with her beloved Shane, she’s on tenterhooks. It’s especially surprising, considering Mia’s first husband, Adam, was a philandering grifter, assumed lost-at-sea after a boating disaster. But everyone knows what happens when you assume . . .

While working a huge wedding expo in Manhattan, Mia is shocked to spot the man who nearly destroyed her life. The one who’s supposed to be sleeping with the fishes. But she loses him in the crowd. And when it happens again the next day, it’s time for an emergency meeting with the family—and the Family. Because if Adam is alive, Mia is still married . . .

Everyone wants Adam dead. Everyone except Mia. She’s dealt with enough police for a lifetime. Mia needs to be a divorcée, not a widow. But someone out there disagrees, and if Mia doesn’t discover who, she may never be free to marry Shane—or anyone else . . .

Italian recipes included!

About Maria DiRico

Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award-winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is a first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father’s side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother’s family in Queens and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She’s a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.

Author Links – Website Chicks on the CaseFacebook Twitter 

Purchase Links – AmazonB&NKoboBookshop.orgKensington

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💋 𝓒𝓞𝓥𝓔𝓡 𝓡𝓔𝓥𝓔𝓐𝓛 💋

Shoot Me Cupid by @author.samantha.barrett

Malovent Sinners Book 2

🔗 Pre-Order Now! ➤ https://tinyurl.com/mpmepxc3

𝓑𝓛𝓤𝓡𝓑  

Forgive me. Cupid, I was a bad girl for daddy.

I don’t care if you object to me wanting more than one man and think it's wrong I want daddy and his sons.

Cupid, they named their MC club after you, Broken Cupid Brotherhood and their last name is Valentine. They have shot me with more than an arrow to the heart, they shoot me up with pen!scillin every night.

I don’t want forgiveness Cupid, I’m a Malevolent Sinner and I’m good with that.

From your naughtiest girl always,

Taylor xx

SamanthaBarrett CoverReveal ShootMeCupid

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💋 ARC SIGNUPS OPEN 💋

🔗 Link in my bio (under street teams)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 & 𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧

by @iam_a_em

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛

She’s a girl fresh out of juvie, and he’s a boy who never got to speak. Together, they are forbidden, and while he is finding his voice, she discovers her peace.

Broken, and branded a lost cause, with fire in her eyes and a spirit that refuses to die, she is handed a second chance she doesn’t want. She’s adopted into a house with a picture-perfect family. But inside those walls lives an imperfect eighteen-year-old son, who is mute. With no friends and no freedom, the only things he loves are his bike and the long roads.

He doesn’t need words to haunt her. He doesn’t need to speak to watch her every move. Behind his silence, he is chaos wrapped in ruin, and in her, he sees the same.

They are not blood, but they are forbidden. Together, they are dangerous, drawn by a hunger that shouldn’t exist. When engines roar and secrets come to light, their world becomes something violently alive.

“𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚎. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚜. 𝙴𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚢… 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎’𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.”

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤
👫🏻 Adoptive Siblings
💋 Forbidden Romance
🔪 Knife Play
🩸 Blood Play
🃏 Unhinged Fmc
😈 Masked Stalker
🗣️ Mute Mmc
💔 Broken girl x Broken boy

Pre-order now! RELEASES JANUARY 21st‼️

🔗 https://books2read.com/u/bzl28Z

Chaos&Ruin ARCSignUps AeMAuthor

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I can't believe I made it. I loved each one of the books I read this year, some more than others. I had an incredible journey through each book.

#endofyear #goodreadschallenge2025

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9 1
💋 ARC SIGNUPS OPEN 💋

🔗 Link in my bio (under street teams)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 & 𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧

by @iam_a_em

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛

She’s a girl fresh out of juvie, and he’s a boy who never got to speak. Together, they are forbidden, and while he is finding his voice, she discovers her peace.

Broken, and branded a lost cause, with fire in her eyes and a spirit that refuses to die, she is handed a second chance she doesn’t want. She’s adopted into a house with a picture-perfect family. But inside those walls lives an imperfect eighteen-year-old son, who is mute. With no friends and no freedom, the only things he loves are his bike and the long roads.

He doesn’t need words to haunt her. He doesn’t need to speak to watch her every move. Behind his silence, he is chaos wrapped in ruin, and in her, he sees the same.

They are not blood, but they are forbidden. Together, they are dangerous, drawn by a hunger that shouldn’t exist. When engines roar and secrets come to light, their world becomes something violently alive.

“𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚎. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚜. 𝙴𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚢… 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎’𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.”

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤
👫🏻 Adoptive Siblings
💋 Forbidden Romance
🔪 Knife Play
🩸 Blood Play
🃏 Unhinged Fmc
😈 Masked Stalker
🗣️ Mute Mmc
💔 Broken girl x Broken boy

Pre-order now! RELEASES JANUARY 21st‼️

🔗 https://books2read.com/u/bzl28Z

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48 3
The Dollmaker and Wee, Wee, Wee, As You Burn 

by @ashlynnauthor

🔗Order yours today! ➤ https://tinyurl.com/2cwmacte

#ashlynnauthor #thedollmaker #weeweeweeasyouburn #erotichorror

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𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭?

The second book in the Dark Lanes series is scheduled for release on 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟳𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. I am getting so excited for this, it's crazy! You have to read the first book in the series, Fatal Collision, to get to know Jessica and Kane. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱.

Midnight Chase by @author_harleighbeck

Book 2 Dark Lanes series

🔗 Pre-Order ➤ https://books2read.com/u/3Lz95D

Blurb

Jessica’s world is falling apart.
Her mother is slipping away. Her brother is unraveling. And every choice she makes pulls her deeper into Bleakmoor’s shadows.
She should walk away from Kane Ravencourt.
He’s reckless, possessive and consuming.
But when he touches her, she forgets why she ever tried to run.

Kane has already decided. Jessica is his.
She thinks she can stay away.
She can’t. Not from him.
Jessica is his, no matter what it costs. His father’s threats, his friends’ warnings, her family’s hatred… None of it matters.
Because he’ll burn every rule, every enemy, every fucking boundary to keep her.
Being noticed by him is dangerous.
Being wanted by him is ruin.
And together, they’re headed for their Midnight Chase.

❓️ What are you having for Christmas dinner?

For future collaboration posts and LWT engagement, check out @smuttybookbabes

#comingsoon #MidnightChase #HarleighBeck #darkromancereader #erotica bookrecs

...

41 4
💋 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 & 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 💋️

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 by @iam_a_em

Pre-Order Now 🔗 https://books2read.com/u/m0pe0Y

#newbook #themindheleftbehind #aembooks

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55 6
🏒 CryBully: A MM Hockey Bully Romance By Ashlynn

🧨Pre-Order Now: https://a.co/d/3rFkohc
🏒 Release Date: Jan 2026

BLURB:
They were never meant to be more than a secret.
One reckless summer.
A mistake that burned too hot to survive daylight.
When Bastian walked away without a word, Lyzander told himself it didn’t matter. He learned how to bury want beneath bruises, discipline, and the weight of leadership—until anger sharpened into something meaner. Something easier to control. Now Lyzander is captain—untouchable, respected, feared.
And Bastian is back.
Same university, same elite hockey team, same cramped dorm.
Every shift on the ice is a power play.
Every practice is punishment disguised as leadership.
Every cutting remark, every extra drill, every public correction reminds Bastian who holds the power.
To the team, it’s authority.
To Bastian, it’s personal.
Lyzander calls it discipline—control, armor. Because if he breaks Bastian down first, maybe he won’t break himself. But resentment curdles into hunger. Every brush of skin is a threat. Every look dares the other to remember what they were—and what they still want.
Because in a world built on violence, loyalty, and silence, wanting the wrong person isn’t just dangerous—it’s unforgivable.
And this time, it could cost them everything.

CryBully is a MM Hockey Bully Romance. This book is intended for readers 18+. Please see the author's website for full 

#bullyromance #hockeyromance #mmromance #spicyromance

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Ever think about the games we played growing up? Well, get ready for an adult take on a classic.

Simon Says is a dark romance cosplaying as a suspense thriller, and it can’t wait to play with you.

Coming March 24, 2026.

by @sbrogueauthor

Are you ready?

#letsplay #simonsays #darkromance #sbrogue

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💕𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆 by @author_harleighbeck  💕

coming January 7th!

𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒’𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑐𝑒.

Jessica’s world is falling apart.
Her mother is slipping away. Her brother is unraveling. And every choice she makes pulls her deeper into Bleakmoor’s shadows.
She should walk away from Kane Ravencourt.
He’s reckless, possessive and consuming.
But when he touches her, she forgets why she ever tried to run.

Kane has already decided. Jessica is his.
She thinks she can stay away.
She can’t. Not from him.
Jessica is his, no matter what it costs. His father’s threats, his friends’ warnings, her family’s hatred… None of it matters.
Because he’ll burn every rule, every enemy, every fucking boundary to keep her.
Being noticed by him is dangerous.
Being wanted by him is ruin.
And together, they’re headed for their Midnight Chase.

🩶🩶

**𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙞𝙨 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙀𝘿 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙈𝘾𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙.**

Preorder Now! 🔗 https://books2read.com/HBmidnightchase

#harleighbeck #midnightchase #darkromance

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Naughty or Nice

by @author.samantha.barrett

?¿ Have you been naughty or nice this year?

BLURB

Forgive me, Santa, I have been a naughty, naughty girl.

I don’t care if my stocking is filled with coal. I’d gladly stay on the naughty list as long as they keep filling me with their release every night.

Oh, Santa. They may dress like you, fill my bedroom with naughty little treats, and make all my secret Christmas wishes come true, but I have one last request...

Help me uncover who the three masked men are. The ones that chase me through my office, stalk me like I’m their prey, and make my body hum with pleasure like they own every inch of me.

Your naughtiest girl always,
Holly xx

🔗 Grab your copy now ➤ https://books2read.com/u/mYXzrw

Available on KU

#samanthabarrett #naughtyornice #darkromance #darkanddirtyqueensstreetteam

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🪢 Do you love art? 🪢

Sign up for I.V. Shady's newsletter and feast your eyes on a masterpiece by the insanely talented Veenus @gentle_veenus.

And guess what? There’s a NSFW version too 👀

❗Sign up for @shady.ivy.author Newsletter and get a digital art SFW/NSFW art print.❗

🔗 http://tiny.cc/4jiw001

🔥 Bound — by I.V. Shady 🔥

Out on Amazon $.99 and Kindle Unlimited

 A quick, one-handed MF tale pulsing with desire, dominance, and a delicious shift in control 💋🔐

❗STREET TEAM ALERT — The Shady Squad is still open for applications for the next story Monster 💌

🔗 Link in my bio (under street teams)

💎 Question of the Day 💎

What content do you prefer in a newsletter?

#EroticFiction #EroticRomance #SteamyReads #DarkRomance #SpicyRomance #RomanceBooks #BDSM #Bondage #Kink #Submissive #Mistress #Femdom #PowerExchange #SubmissiveMen #NSFW #ShortStories #Erotica #IVShady #ShadyIvyAuthor

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