Pudding Up With Murder

No one wants to think her food has caused someone to die, but that's the predicament Lilah Drake finds herself in. Through her company Undercover Dish, she prepares food for other people to call their own. In Pudding Up With Murder by Julia Buckley, Lilah has prepared a rice pudding casserole for her friend Ellie Parker to deliver to Marcus Cantwell's birthday party.

Marcus is a gruff and unfriendly person, but his five children seem to want to outdo each other with their gifts to him, possibly in the hopes of a large inheritance. Lilah's rice pudding casserole is his favorite and almost everyone enjoys a taste of it. Marcus asks to eat the last few spoonfuls in the bowl, but pitches forward into the bowl and collapses unconscious.

Terrified that her food had poisoned Marcus and possibly everyone else, Lilah remembers he had been drinking something when she first met him. Detective Maria Grimaldi is on the scene and she collects the rice pudding casserole remains and the drink.When Marcus dies in the hospital, Lilah is drawn into the murder. It turns out someone ground a nut in the drink even though Marcus had a severe nut allergy.

Among the suspects is Marcus' son Cassius or Cash who wants to quit school and join the Peace Corps, but his father opposes it. Also in the line of suspects is the motorcycle gang look alike boyfriend of daughter Prue.The other siblings all have cause to dislike their father.

With the help of Detectives Jay Parker and Maria Grimaldi, Lilah discovers who hated Marcus Cantwell enough to kill him at his birthday party.

For other books by Julia Buckley, click here.