Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron

Series Name: Vintage Cookbook Mystery #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: February 7, 2023
Format: Print, Digital, and Audio

The second in a fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum.

Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale.

When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it.

In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee.

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Dru’s Short Musing:
There is no sophomore slump for this series, and I applaud the author on how well this story was being told.

Solid foundation that catered to the eclectic cast of characters, a New Orleans atmosphere and murder lurking to be committed before the adventure takes hold in this well-written drama that I could not put down. Found wealth always brings out family you never knew existed and that is what happens at Bon Vee and when said person is found dead, the proprietress becomes the primary suspect. Ricki knows that Eugenia is innocent, despite her acting weird and that is another subplot, and begins an investigation to find the guilty party. As to the subplot, it explains Eugenia’s action which was a bonus in all that was going on. Ricki deals with a list of suspects who have stronger motives while uncovering clues to support those motives and the more she digs, the more someone doesn’t want to be exposed. This was a finely tuned mystery with engaging dialogue, a likable cast of characters, some who had a pivotal role, that would eventually lead us to the killer. This was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see where we go next with Ricki and her friends.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.