Roux The Day

In the latest mystery from the author of Toasting Up Trouble, the Culinary Capers dinner club is back in business when a charity casino event makes a real killing… Event planner Jennifer “J.J.” Tanner is planning a cruise ship casino night—and she’s really going overboard. She even arranged for radio DJ Connor Mac and TV personality Miranda Myers to help the good times roll. But the party comes to a screeching halt when Miranda is found dead on the main deck... With a boatload of suspects, the police focus in on J.J., who, though recently linked with Connor, never knew he was once engaged—to Miranda. With Half Moon Bay’s gossip mill running full tilt, J.J. turns to her fellow dinner club members to help fish for clues and keep herself out of hot water... INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES

In the sultry heart of Louisiana, amidst the vibrant chaos of Mardi Gras, a seasoned hitwoman finds herself drawn back to the tangled roots of her past. In the heart of New Orleans, Charli Babineaux, a skillful hitwoman, finds herself entangled in a web of corruption, murder, and family secrets when she returns home for her grandmother's funeral. As she navigates the dangerous underworld of her past, Charli uncovers a chilling conspiracy that claimed her father's life and now threatens her own. With the help of her ex-lover, Lenny, a devoted ER doctor, Charli begins to unravel the sinister connections between the powerful Gaspard crime family, corrupt politicians, and her own family's hidden history. As the body count rises and the threats against her escalate, Charli must confront the demons of her past and the shocking truths that lie buried in the bayous of Louisiana. From the gritty streets of the French Quarter to the haunted swamps of the countryside, Charli races against time to expose the mastermind behind the conspiracy and avenge her father's murder. But with every step, she finds herself drawn deeper into a deadly game of cat and mouse, where the lines between friend and foe blur, and the price of justice may be her own life. In this gripping tale of mystery, romance, and revenge, an intricate plot filled with twists, turns, and shocking revelations that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, explosive conclusion. “Roux the Day” is a thrilling novel that marks the beginning of an electrifying new series featuring the unforgettable heroine, Charli, and her quest for truth in a city where secrets never stay buried for long.

Murder, madness, and Cajun mayhem follow the detective to New Orleans For five generations, the Belvedere family restaurant has been a Louisiana landmark. Unfortunately, the Belvedere clan inherits more than a talent for cooking from each other—they also have an unfortunate tendency of becoming insane. When the latest Belvedere patriarch loses his mind, his son attempts to take over the business, only to find that the ancient family cookbook has vanished—and with it the priceless recipe for the world famous Oysters Belvedere. The Crescent City will never be the same. A bookseller claims to have found the family heirloom, and attempts to sell it at auction—a daring Creole gambit that draws the attention of London’s famous gourmet detective. The sleuth visits the bookshop, but when he finds a corpse at the desk, he must lead a chase for the murderer and the stolen cookbook. One false step, and he’ll end up like a crawfish at a boil: in mighty hot water.

When a Crescent City culinary dynasty loses its family cookbook, the London-based detective is on the scene “in this whimsical and entertaining mystery” (Library Journal). For five generations, the Belvedere family restaurant has been a Louisiana landmark. Unfortunately, the Belvedere clan inherits more than a talent for cooking from each other—they also have an unfortunate tendency of becoming insane. When the latest Belvedere patriarch loses his mind, his son attempts to take over the business, only to find that the ancient family cookbook has vanished—and with it the priceless recipe for the world famous Oysters Belvedere. The Crescent City will never be the same. A bookseller claims to have found the family heirloom, and attempts to sell it at auction—a daring Creole gambit that draws the attention of London’s famous gourmet detective. The sleuth visits the bookshop, but when he finds a corpse at the desk, he must lead a chase for the murderer and the stolen cookbook. One false step, and he’ll end up like a crawfish at a boil: in mighty hot water.

The life - and life behind the scenes - of one of Britain's best-known chefs. The Roux family is the most influential family associated with food in Britain. Through their various restaurants (Le Gavroche, Waterside Inn, Brasserie Roux) and catering services they have trained many of Britain's top chefs. Albert and Michel Sr brought French high cuisine to Britain in the sixties, much of the produce being brought twice weekly from France by Michel's mother in the family car. Michel grew up in an environment of respect for fine food and ingredients, of never settling for second best, and of traditional French family excursions to find wild food. He tells the story of what it was like to grow up as part of this close-knit family. He left school at 16 to start his first apprenticeship with Maitre Patissier Hellegourarche in Paris. He then worked with Alain Chapel at Mionnay before doing his mililtary service at the Elysee Palace cooking for Presidents Giscard d'Estaing and Francois Mitterand. After a stint cooking at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong and catering in London, he took over the running of Le Gavroche in 1994.

Within the inner circle of haute cuisine, a detective witnesses a delectable murder They call him the gourmet detective; the only thing sharper than his mind is his palate. When chefs need a rare ingredient, an ancient wine, or simply a new idea to gain that extra Michelin-star boost, they come to the detective’s cozy London office and plead for his help. For top-notch cooking, he is always happy to lend his taste buds to the cause. Now Raymond Lefebvre, executive chef at one of London’s finest French restaurants, has asked for the detective’s help with a bit of kitchen espionage. Lefebvre’s crosstown rival is winning international accolades cooking a dish called Oiseau Royal, and Lefebvre wants the recipe. Getting it takes the detective deep into the Circle of Careme, where the most elite chefs in Britain gather to swap recipes, techniques, and gossip. But when the chefs of Careme start to die, the detective starts to salivate. There is no finer appetizer than murder.

In fiction one plays a strange game with ugliness and fear.

An "outlaw of conscience" flees his French mountain village in 1914 rather than report for the war mobilization. He takes to the hills and is shunned by the rest of the population.