Relationship: Irene’s billionaire French lover

Oui. I am Chance Charpentier of Aix-en-Provence. Excuse me, but I must fix Irene’s patisserie. She will waken soon, and she wants coffee and raspberry jam as soon as she wakes. Excusez-moi? Yes, yes, I am a billionaire, several times over, but I am living now in this third-floor walk-up in Chicago with the love of my life, Irene Foxglove. I am waiting patiently for her to be ready to return to France and marry me.

You see, some twenty-plus years ago we had an affair. We were young and passionate and foolish. We had a child, but I abandoned Irene, married her off to my American friend Howard Foxglove, and went off to sew my wild oats. Now I regret that, and I try to make amends. The daughter? She married foolishly and lives in Texas. If I knew then, what I know now, I would not have left her to Irene and Howard. But, right now, protecting Irene is my only thought every morning, from the time I wake up.

You must understand. There is no one like Irene—she is bold, curious, bright, and beautiful. She can be warm and loving and compassionate. But she is also temperamental, demanding and … what’s the term you American use? A diva. I find her endlessly fascinating.

Why, you ask, does she need protecting? Ah, my friend, Irene can get herself into trouble without even trying. And she is foolhardy about it. She thinks she is invincible. Take right now. She insisted on kidnapping—there is no other word for it—her brother’s granddaughter, because the girl’s father was, ah, shall we say, treating her badly. So now the father is stalking Irene and has sworn to kill her to get his daughter back. Irene? She shrugs it off, but I wake every morning knowing I must outwit this man. He is what you call one bad dude. And Irene has put her close friends in danger—not only me but Henny James, her former sous chef, and Patrick, Henny’s husband. And my childhood friend, Jean Claude, who has certain necessary skills.

A ghost kitchen? Yes, it is Irene’s ghost kitchen that keeps us in Chicago for the time being. She serves take-out—no catering, just some things people might want with their meal. Irene has an arrangement with Toby Chastain, owner of a marvelous café, La Petite Folie, to offer what they don’t, like rabbit gibelotte. She makes their liver paté and crème brûlée and other French delicacies. But, alas, it is not a stable arrangement. French tempers flare. I must intervene. You see, taking care of Irene fills my days.

Irene in a Ghost Kitchen, An Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery Book #5
Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery
Release: June 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Faux French chef Irene’s back in her beloved Chicago, after a mayhem-filled Christmas in Texas. When she opens a French-inspired ghost kitchen, she ignites a fierce competition with her friend and colleague, Toby of La Petite Folie. When she rescues three abused children, she stirs up old family anger and resentments. And when a stalker haunts her, she is dismissive of danger. A rock thrown through the ghost kitchen window, a shadowy figure on the street late at night, Chance’s chauffeur beaten as he tries to flush out a stalker—the fear escalates. Something dark and threatening is lurking in the shadows, but Irene is dismissive of danger, refusing to take precautions. Can Chance and Henny keep everyone safe, especially Irene?

About the author
After an award-winning career writing historical fiction, Judy Alter turned to mysteries and never looked back. She is the author of four series: Blue Plate Café Mysteries, Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, Oak Grove Mysteries, and the current Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries. For almost thirty years, Judy was director of the TCU Press. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Guppies subchapter, the Texas Institute of Letters, and Story Circle Network; she is listed in the Halls of Fame of Literary Texas and Western Writers of America. She is also the author of two cookbooks and a cooking blog, Gourmet on a Hot Plate.