Fatal Ingredients — Caroline Burnes

Murder is hard to swallow

On the first day of the cook-off Ginger Peko organized at the fabulous Sea Brim resort on Florida's gulf coast, one of the competing chefs swallowed a fatal forkful of Sacher torte. And Ginger had reason to believe that murder had been suddenly put on the menu.

Years before, Ginger's career had been sabotaged by a cooking-school classmate. Had culinary rivalry gone mad once again? Or was one of the starchy food critics meting out his version of just deserts?

Ginger couldn't afford to stop the proceedings, though she ruled out only one suspect. Chef Timothy Spicer was turning up the heat on their long-simmering romance -- and Ginger was sure his motives came straight from the heart.

But Ginger and Timothy had only had their first taste of death...