A Deadly Eclair

September 4, 2017
Sour notes overwhelm sweet in this culinary cozy series launch from Gerber (Grilling the Subject). Chef Mimi Rousseau has fled San Francisco after her overspending husband’s death. Back home with her widowed mother in Napa Valley, she meets benevolent entrepreneur Bryan Baker through her best friend, Jo James; Bryan underwrites a Monet-themed bistro and inn for her to develop. To boost the property’s wattage, Bryan persuades his celebrity niece, food show host Angelica Barrington, to hold her wedding there. At the out-of-towners’ dinner the night before, Bryan praises jittery Mimi, but she’s getting bad vibes from groom-to-be Lyle Ives. Early the next morning, Angelica discovers Bryan’s body with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. When Sgt. Tyson Daly finds Mimi’s mobile phone in a nearby basil pot, Mimi is scared. Can she save herself while fostering romance between Tyson and Jo? Alas, Mimi’s brashness with a handsome wine rep plays better than her bluntness as a sleuth—for instance asking Lyle if Angelica might be the killer. Recipes, including gluten-free pastry, are a plus. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency.

September 1, 2017
Wedding plans go awry with the death of a treasured relative.With the help of entrepreneur Bryan Baker, Mimi Rousseau owns Bistro Rousseau and Maison Rousseau, a charming inn in the Napa Valley. Now that Bryan's encouraged her to spread her wings even further, she's hosting the destination wedding of his niece, talk show host Angelica Barrington, to Lyle Ives, who manages his family's high-end jewelry store in LA. Cracks soon appear in the joyful celebration. Lyle's father, David, and his sister, Paula, both express doubts about the marriage. So does Angelica's father, Edison, a problem gambler who arrives at the pre-wedding dinner drunk. When Bryan's body is found with an eclair stuffed in his mouth and gems scattered nearby, Mimi's old friend Sgt. Tyson Daly catches the case. Things look bad for Mimi, whose cellphone is found on the scene. And they get worse: a letter from Bryan absolving her of debt for the bistro and inn upon his death is discovered among his papers. Although Tyson keeps telling her to butt out, Mimi knows she has a better chance than the police of worming secrets out of all the other suspects. Much to Edison's distress, Angelica inherits Bryan's estate, and when she and Lyle marry, Mimi wonders if Lyle is after her money. Fortunately, everyone on Mimi's loyal staff is willing to help her out, and she's comforted by a new romantic interest: hunky wine expert Nash Hawkes, a recent divorce whose gorgeous ex-wife seems understandably reluctant to let him go. Although Mimi's questions apparently get too personal for someone, the threatening warnings she receives don't deter her from continuing her search for the killer. On the evidence here, Gerber, who writes several other series (Day of Secrets, 2016, etc.), has aimed this new one at foodies who'll appreciate the cooking lore and appended recipes enough to overlook the unremarkable mystery.

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