Rita Lafitte enjoys her life in Santa Fe working as a chef for Tres Amigas CafΓ© 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 CafΓ© 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 CafΓ© 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 CafΓ© Mystery series progresses and just what further trouble Rita will get herself into!
Trick or treatβand murderβare on the menu in this first in a new culinary mystery series
Life couldn't be sweeter for Tres Amigas CafΓ© 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 secondsβand her order might be up.
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