A Soufflé of Suspicion: A French Bistro Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (July 10, 2018)
Hardcover 296 Pages

Synopsis

The buoyant mood at Bistro Rousseau deflates when Chef Camille’s sister, Renee, turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen, and Mimi Rousseau must tease the real killer out of a mélange of menacing characters.

Crush Week in Nouvelle Vie is a madhouse—in a good way. Tourists pour into town for the pressing of the Napa Valley’s world-renowned grapes and all the town’s businesses get a nice lift, including Bistro and Maison Rousseau. Mimi is raising the ante this year with a Sweet Treats Festival, a wonderland of croissants, cakes, tarts, and soufflés crafted with expert care by the area’s top talents.

Chef Camille’s sister Renee is managing the festival with a cast-iron fist, upsetting everyone, including her sister. Which is bad for Camille when Renee turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen. Mimi is still building her business, so her first course of action is to whip up answers and catch the unsavory perpetrator before Camille takes a dusting and gets burned.

Review

Whenever I read this series I get hungry…probably from all those great dishes that the bistro serves! And I love it when the recipes are included at the end of the book…not that I will prepare them, but because I like to drool over imaging the dishes coming to life in my kitchen! Maybe one day I will be brave enough to try one out on my family.

Food aside, this cozy series set in the Napa area has a lot going for it – food, wine, compelling characters, and even a few pets. And of course, solving the mystery of who is the killer. There was something about this cast of characters that I was able to sort of figure out the guilty party, but not because it was laid out for the reader to easily discover the identity of the guilty party.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters – Chef Camille, Heather, Jo, Stephan, and even Allie. I think Allie could be a good fit for future books depending on what her character decides to do with her life.

There is also the continuing romance between Mimi and Nash. It takes a positive turn in this book but not for the lack of Nash’s ex-wife trying to throw roadblocks in their way. There is even an introduction of an old friend of Mimi’s. Will he be a potential roadblock for Nash? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

We give this 5 paws up!

About the Author

DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California. As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense: Days of Secrets and Girl On the Run. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.

Find Daryl here: Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Find Avery here: Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

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