As you can see in the cover image below, the publisher claims that The Witless Protection Program was written by Maria DiRico, even though we all know that it was written by Ellen Byron. This, of course, must be because Ellen Byron entered the Witness Protection Program some years ago and therefore had to change her name.

Well… actually that’s a lie.

The truth is much more prosaic: “Maria DiRico” is merely one of Byron’s pseudonyms — the one that she uses for her Catering Hall series, including The Witless Protection Program, the fifth and last in the series. Both the title and the cover photo clue you into what type of mystery this is: clearly a cozy. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading it. Unless you’re hypersensitive, you will too.

Why, you wonder, would hypersensitivity be a block to enjoying this novel? Only because Byron’s background might provoke stereotyping, starting with her chosen pen-name. Here are a couple of sentences from the publisher’s description of the author:

Born in Queens, New York, she is 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.

IMHO, a sense of humor and a willingness to accept a substrate of complete realism even when specific events are unlikely will combine to overcome any sensitivity to stereotypes about the Mafia and Italian-Americans in Queens, but your mileage may vary. Enjoy the characters and the story — even if you can’t help worrying about convicted felons who are originally from Queens. Not mentioning any names.

Categories: Books