First line: The Mississippi riverboat cake tilted on the table in front of me, its fondant paddle wheel askew, gashes of lemony yellow cake gaping in its once-smooth white surface.
From the back cover: There aren’t many things pastry chef Rita Lucero hates more than losing. But two years after her marriage to fellow baker Philippe Renier fell apart, she’s still trying to get him to sign the divorce papers. Exasperated, Rita visits Philippe’s high-end New Orleans shop, Zydeco Cakes, to get his signature – and discovers that her marriage is already over when she finds Philippe dead with a chef’s knife in his chest.
Rita is shocked to discover the body, and overwhelmed to learn that since the divorce wasn’t final, she now inherits part ownership in Zydeco Cakes. But it’s a mixed blessing: the gorgeous shop is actually in financial trouble, and Rita’s windfall sets her up as a prime suspect in Philippe’s murder. Her former mother-in-law demands that Rita find out who killed her son, and his former employees don’t know whether to trust her. The feeling is mutual – especially since the real culprit is still out there, and Rita may be the next victim served…
My thoughts: This is the first in Jacklyn Brady’s A Piece of Cake Mystery series and I enjoyed it. I have really come to enjoy the whole cozy genre and I liked this one because we got an inside glimpse of the cake making industry.
Rita is in New Orleans hoping to get her husband to sign the divorce papers. However before he can sign he turns up dead and it’s up to Rita to solve the murder before she turns up dead. Of course, she’s initially one of the primary suspects, and in order to clear her name, and at the request of Philippe’s mother, Miss Frankie, she starts looking into things. As she’s investigating, she discovers that in addition to murdering Philippe, someone has been sabotaging Zydeco’s business – stealing cake designs, destroying equipment, and ruining the finished cakes. Rita is determined to uncover the guilty party, because as Philippe’s heir, she could be next.
The story moves along quite quickly and we get to know many of the characters who work at Zydeco. I also enjoyed the rich descriptions of the sights and flavors of New Orleans – it’s a place I have yet to go, but hope one day to visit. The other thing I liked was that Jacklyn Brady included some good recipes at the end of the book – I’ve already tried Aunt Yolanda’s Chocolate-Banana Coffee Cake – it was delicious and to quote my husband “one of the best desserts I’ve ever baked!” It’s definitely a keeper!
I am looking forward to seeing how this series pans out and will definitely be reading the next one in the series. Have you read this one yet?
(I purchased this book.)
Books in this series:
- A Sheetcake Named Desire
- Cake on a Hot Tin Roof
- Arsenic and Old Cake – due out Nov 2012
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I have this book on my wish list so it's great to hear that you enjoyed it.
It's a fun book – quick read, too!
This looks pretty nifty. I might just check it out.
It's a good start to what looks to be a fun series!
I haven't read this one. It sounds like you enjoyed it a lot. Have a great weekend.
It was good. Hope you are having a good weekend, too!
Cute title – glad to hear it's a keeper. I think it's on my TBR list.
It's definitely a quick, fun read!
I just saw this review and wanted to stop a moment to say that I'm so glad you enjoyed the book and that your husband liked Aunt Yolanda's coffee cake! You put a smile on my face.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!!! I love when authors take the time to not only read my review but leave a comment. I look forward to reading more of your books!