Rita Lafitte enjoys her life in Santa Fe working as a
chef for Tres Amigas Café and visiting occasionally with
her landlord Victor. Unfortunately, Victor is soon found
dead and the police, including Rita's ex-husband Manny,
suspect it was suicide. Rita and her boss Flori refuse
to accept that it was a suicide and are determined to
find the murderer, no matter what kind of snooping it
will require.
BREAD OF THE DEAD is the first book in the Santa Fe
Café Mystery series. I have to admit that I double
checked this fact several times as there were references
made to previous snooping by Flori and Rita that made me
suspect this wasn't their first investigation together,
although perhaps it is their first murder mystery. In
fact, I can easily envision Flori as the lead in her own
series as she has quite the personality!
Ann Myers makes the setting come alive in BREAD OF THE
DEAD. From the various foods to the tranquil atmosphere
of Victor's garden, each and every aspect of the setting
made me want to visit. I want to taste Flori's pan de
muerto while relaxing in Victor's garden. Ann Myers
breathes life into this cozy town, making Santa Fe
practically a character itself.
BREAD TO THE DEAD is a fun and tasty start to the
Santa Fe Café Mystery series. Ann Myers creates
memorable characters, from the oh-so-nosy Flori to the
ex-husband Manny who needs his comeuppance, and places
them in a lovely setting that just begs to be visited
over and over again. I can't wait to see how the Santa
Fe Café Mystery> series progresses and just what
further trouble Rita will get herself into!
Trick or treat—and murder—are on the menu in this first
in a new culinary mystery series
Life couldn't be
sweeter for Tres Amigas Café chef Rita Lafitte, decorating
sugar skulls and taste-testing rich, buttery pan de
muerto in anticipation of Santa Fe's Day of the Dead
bread-baking contest. That is, until her friendly landlord,
Victor, is found dead next door.
Although the police
deem Victor's death a suicide, Rita knows something is
amiss. To uncover the truth, she teams up with her
octogenarian boss, Flori, the town's most celebrated snoop.
The duo begins to sift through long-buried secrets and to
take full measure of duplicitous neighbors, but the clock is
ticking and their list of suspects is growing ever longer.
Just as the clues get hotter than a New Mexican chili, one
of their main suspects winds up dead. Rita fears that the
killer is dishing out seconds—and her order might be up.