When a visiting European prince asks Ava Oosterling to unearth a priceless,
1800s divinity fudge recipe, the request fans the flames of foul play, with
murder marring Avaโs Cinderella dreams.
In
FIVE-ALARM FUDGE, Book 3 of the
Fudge Shop Mystery
Series by Christine DeSmet, Ava and her Grandpa Gil are again mixed up in a
fun fudge felonyโthis time involving romance, royal relatives, and revenge.
The series is set in fictional Fishersโ Harbor on Lake Michigan.
Ava and her Grandpa Gil operate Oosterlingsโ Live Bait, Bobbers & Belgian Fudge
& Beer. Their shop is in Wisconsinโs Door Countyโthe Cape Cod of the Midwest.
Grandpa has taken it upon himself to invite the prince of Belgium to visit.
Grandpa insists the prince is a shirt-tail relation but far enough removed
through several generations to qualify as marriage material for Ava.
Ava is beside herself with Grandpa. Sheโs in the midst of a rekindled romance
with her ex, Dillon Rivers, who is refurbishing the Blue Heron Inn in order for
Ava to take it over. In the meantime, Ava lives in a rundown rental cabin with
an ever-present field mouse with attitude.
Grandpa has promised the prince that Ava will find a long, lost divinity fudge
recipe supposedly hidden in a local historical church by a Belgian nun during an
1871 fire.
This series focuses a lot on true history of the area, including the villages of
Brussels and Namur, named after Belgian cities.
Clues for the
FIVE-ALARM FUDGE murder mystery are rooted in the history of
the very real Great Fire of 1871. On the evening of October 8 and into the
morning of Sunday, October 9, of that year the fire took an estimated 1,500 or
more lives in the region. The tragic event occurred the same day as the famous
Chicago fire that took about 300 lives.
This novel also brings readers the real history of Sister Adele Brise, who hid
in a church southwest of Namur that fateful day when the fires swept the
territory. Itโs considered a miracle that she and the wood church were spared. A
shrine now exists in Champion, Wisconsin, to honor her memory. Thousands visit
the site each year.
In the novelโs adventurous fictional story, Grandpa and Ava surmise the nun must
have made good Belgian confectionsโsuch as an early form of fudgeโfor the
children that she taught in the rural homes. In the beginning of the novel, Ava
scours the local church for the recipe, but instead she finds a dead body and a
fire.
More fires ensue. The dangers of this arsonist and murderer put Prince Arnaudโs
visit in jeopardy.
For sleuthing help, Ava calls upon her friends Pauline and Laura, as well as
Dillon and his dog, Lucky Harbor.
Things get complicated when they discover that many people close to them have
secrets concerning the murder victim and the fires, including Grandma Sophie,
Avaโs nemesis Mercy Fogg, and the church ladiesโwho are eager to see Ava put on
that glass slipper at the ball.
The heat is on Ava in this fast-paced adventure that includes original recipes
for divinity fudge and more tasty confections.
About Christine DeSmet
Christine DeSmet writes the
Fudge Shop Mystery Series (Penguin Random
House/NAL/Obsidian). Sheโs also an award-winning scriptwriter and teaches
writing at University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies where she directs
the annual June Write-by-the-Lake Writerโs Workshop & Retreat. You can write to
her at UW-Madison, cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu or find her on Facebook or at her
website.
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