Wined and Died in New Orleans

February 1, 2023
Ricki James-Diaz gets another crack at sleuthing when a horde of the owner's grasping relatives descends on New Orleans' Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. Pleased that Eugenia Charbonnet Felice, niece of Genevieve Charbonnet, the original Miss Vee, has allowed her to operate Miss Vee's Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop at Bon Vee, Ricki tries her best to show her gratitude to the grande dame by being a no-drama contractor. Too bad Eugenia's family doesn't treat her as well. Her cousins Hugo and Ralph have run Charbonnet's, Bon Vee's fine dining arm, almost into the ground with squabbling and mismanagement. And when handyman Mordant Adler offers her a lifeline by discovering a treasure trove of vintage Madeira squirreled away in a cellar, Charbonnets suddenly appear from all over the map to claim a slice of what the rare find is expected to fetch at auction. Blessed Charbonnet Vandeventer of the Texas Charbonnets flies in from Dallas. Gary Charbonnet Hodey, representing the Panhandle Charbonnets, drives over from Florida and pitches a tent on Bon Vee's lawn. But it's Jean-Louis Charbonnet, a distant French cousin, who causes the most grief, first by demanding not only part of the wine proceeds, but a piece of the late Genevieve's fortune and then by getting himself killed on the Bon Vee grounds. Now Ricki must pivot from no-drama to no-stone-left-unturned as she seeks to save Eugenia from becoming the No. 1 suspect in Jean-Louis' murder. Plenty of suspects and plenty of fun in this wholesome Southern romp.

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Starred review from February 1, 2023

Family takes center stage in the sequel to Bayou Book Thief. The Bon Vee Culinary House Museum has the same financial woes as other New Orleans mansions, but the Charbonnet family is determined to continue operations. During some repairs to the home, crates of wine are uncovered, buried there over 150 years earlier by the first owner, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki James-Diaz, who runs the mansion's vintage cookbook shop, uses the discovery to promote the shop, posting on social media. This brings family members out of the woodwork, pushing claims on the house and any inheritances, including the proceeds from an auction of the wine. Eugenia Charbonnet Felice, president of the Bon Vee Foundation, isn't the only one to express anger at the newcomers. But when one of the claimants is murdered, Eugenia tops the suspect list. Ricki feels guilty about her media post and turns amateur sleuth to protect the woman who gave her a second chance. A hurricane is bearing down on New Orleans, but it could be family turmoil that destroys Bon Vee's and Ricki's futures. VERDICT Byron, author of the award-winning "Cajun Country" mysteries, combines setting, vintage cookbooks, recipes, and family drama in another delectable cozy.--Lesa Holstine

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