I’m truly not all that competitive. Really, I’m not. But something about my father tends to bring out that not-so-lovable trait in me whenever the two of us are together. Maybe it’s because I have unresolved issues with being an only child and not having experienced your typical sibling rivalry to get it all out of my system when young. Or perhaps it’s because at age forty, I have yet to be in a long-term romantic relationship, and so I’m simply taking all my bottled-up emotions out on my poor old dad.

But to tell you the truth, I think I think the real reason is because he’s so darn competitive. So, c’mon, what’s a daughter to do?

In any case, it’s now the morning of the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and both Dad and I are competing in the event. Dad came in second last year, and this time around he’s gunning for it all. This is my first time competing, and although I have no expectations that I’ll win one of the thistle-shaped winners’ plaques, I’m dearly hoping that I’ll at least best my father in today’s competition.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my dad dearly. He’s one of my very best friends. But it would be worth it to beat him just to see his ridiculous attempt to sound earnest and happy when he congratulates me on my magnificent win.

However, an enormous spatula has now been thrown into the works. I woke up this morning with no sense of smell. And I mean NONE. I can’t even detect a slight whiff of coffee as I grind the usually overpoweringly pungent beans for my much-needed morning fix of caffeine.

I know what happened. I had a particularly vicious sinus infection last week, and although I thought yesterday that it had finally cleared up, I turned out to be sorely mistaken. The pounding in my head might have finally subsided, but I was greeted today with a far worse plight. Because as a restaurateur, I rely on my sense of smell—and taste—in order to work the hot line, tasting sauces and sautés to gauge how much salt or lemon or Sriracha to add to a dish. Having no sense of smell thus spells disaster for someone in my line of work.

And not only that, but today I have to whip up Artichoke Salad with Lemon Aïoli for two hundred people with no ability to taste or smell what I’m preparing.

Okay, Sal, you can do this. I gamely drink down my tasteless coffee and stuff a slice of reheated pizza down my throat. Yesterday it positively reeked of garlic and basil; today it smells—and tastes—more like cardboard. But nothing is going to keep me from doing my absolute best today.

Dad, I’ve got you in my sights. No matter what, that thistle-shaped plaque is gonna be mine!

The Fragrance of Death, A Sally Solari Mystery #5
Genre: Cozy
Release: August 2022
Purchase Link

Restaurateur Sally Solari has a nose for trouble, but when her sense of smell goes missing, it’s not just her career on the line . . . it’s her life.

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she’s noticed her nonna’s friends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to her woes, a sinus infection has knocked out her sense of smell, making cooking on the hot line difficult, indeed. Nevertheless, Sally is determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her work.

But then her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and her powers of investigation are called into action once more. Could Neil have been killed by the local restaurant owner who took his winning spot at the competition? Or maybe by one of his siblings, who were desperate to sell the family farm to a real estate developer?

Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows – including the dapper Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it’s not only her restaurant and tentative new relationship that are on the line – it’s her life . . .

The Fragrance of Death is a non-stop fun cozy mystery that will keep your mind buzzing and your mouth watering, and contains a selection of delicious recipes to cook at home.

About the author
The daughter of a law professor and a potter, Leslie Karst learned early, during family dinner conversations, the value of both careful analysis and the arts—ideal ingredients for a mystery story. Putting this early education to good use, she now writes the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari Mysteries, a culinary series set in Santa Cruz, California. Her newest book in the series, The Fragrance of Death, releases today.

All comments are welcomed.