Crime Brulee — Nancy Fairbanks

Forty-something homemaker Carolyn Blue is through with cooking and cleaning. She's finally decided to throw in the dishtowel--and take on a dream job as a food writer. Now- -her plate is filled with exotic locales, delectable loads, and even a dash of crime=-to taste. She could very well bet used to this....

It was a perfect arrangement. Carolyn had already planned to accompany her husband to an academic conference in New Orleans--an event that meant visiting old college pals. So why not use the opportunity to write a story about Cajun cuisine? But just as she gets a taste of Creole, she gets a bite of crime . ... Her friend julienne disappears at a dinner party. True, she had been fighting with her husband, but this only worries Carolyn more. Now, she has to put her taste-testing aside to search for answers--and the trail leads her right to an alligator swamp. Carolyn better act fast, because in these parts, it's eat or be eaten ....