by Linda Barnes
First published 1989
Michael Spraggue receives an urgent summons from his wealthy aunt Mary Spraggue Hillman. At an elegant New Orleans culinary banquet featuring the city's top chefs, rising Cajun cook Joseph Fontenot lies dead with a French knife through his heart. All evidence points to Dora Levoyer, the talented chef who works for Spraggue's eccentric aunt. The actor turned private detective must navigate the heated rivalries and fierce competition of New Orleans' culinary world. As Spraggue digs deeper into the case, he uncovers simmering tensions between established chefs and newcomers fighting for recognition. The investigation leads him through kitchens where professional jealousy runs as hot as the spices. Spraggue faces a puzzle where every suspect has motive and the truth hides behind layers of deception. He must clear Dora's name while discovering who really wanted Fontenot dead.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, culinary
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, deception
Setting: New Orleans
259 pages · Hardcover · Curley Pub