A Deadly Éclair: A French Bistro Mystery

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. (Nov.)