Souffle of Suspicion

It's Crush Week in Nouvelle Via in the Napa Valley and tourists are flocking in to Maison Rousseau and the Bistro. In A Souffle of Suspicion by Daryl Wood Gerber, the week-long Sweet Treats Festival is about to begin and the kitchen is busy.

Chef Camille or Chef C as she likes to be called, is hard at work  in the kitchen and her sister Renee is heavily involved in the festival. Two altercations first, with Renee and the former festival planner Allie and second, with Renee's husband Rusty occur before the festival begins. Both are angry with Renee about the festival and the tension rise.

When Chef C returns home and finds her sister dead on the floor of the chef's house, Mimi swoops in the try to solve the murder. With her fledgling business growing slowly, an incident like a murder could have a damaging impact on business. Trying to return Chef C to Maison Rousseau's kitchen and find the killer are vitally important.

Although Renee left her husband Rusty Wells, a local chicken and egg farmer, he insists he is still in love with Renee, even though she left him.
The other person looking like a suspect is Allie O'Malley, the former festival coordinator. Renee had big plans for the festival and her social media interactions were encouraging many more people to attend. Allie was angry and claims she had been cheated out of the event.

While Mimi investigates, Rusty slips into the role of festival organizer and appears to be doing a great job. Against her better judgment, Mimi hires Allie to help in the kitchen, still unsure who killed Renee and why.

Another entertaining mystery with loads of terrific recipes from Maison Rousseau. I made the Poulet Dijonaise and it was so wonderful, we forgot to take a picture until after we had eaten the entire meal (as you can see by the photo).

A Souffle of Suspicion will be released on July 10.

Purchase link