The Culinary Art of Murder — Heather Haven

A DETECTIVE AGENCY WITH HEART. MOM, CATS, AND AN UNCLE WHO'S FALLEN IN LOVE!

It's a rough day for the PI firm to the stars of Silicon Valley when their own star goes undercover at a culinary arts school to find out who did in one of the teaching chefs in the dry pantry. Nasty, nasty.But it's surely not her uncle's new lady-friend, now under arrest for the crime!

So on the case and disguised in a ghastly, itchy wig and wearing fake buck teeth, ace detective Lee Alvarez poses as the new “pearl-diver” or dishwasher, and tries to ignore her ruined manicure and dishpan hands in order to find the real culprit. When her manicurist sees what Lee's done to her nails, there just may be one more dead body on the pile!

But worse, sleuthing at the institute proves to have more pitfalls than whipping up a chocolate soufflé. Even with the help of the family �" that would be her bro, mom, uncle, and delicious new hubby �" it seems every student and teacher has more to hide than just dirty dishes. And she's dealing with more secrets than sauces. Is she a dead duck?

But Lee just can't leave the more ‘mature' couple to the fickle finger of fate. She must solve this crime. But is she up to a near-death experience, even if it is slathered in chocolate? Well! Does she like a good piece of pie or what?

Author Haven again rolls out all the warm and fuzzy delights a cozy fan could wish for -- in the form of a charmingly eccentric, usually squabbling, yet thoroughly loving detective family, each with his or her special talent, beginning with its matriarch. Lila possesses all the WASPy refinement of Princess Grace, in cool contrast to her spirited half-Latina daughter Lee. (her daughter will have the wedding of Lila's dreams, and that tells you so much!)

Completing the quintet is the adoring chef uncle (who is creating the wedding cake of the century for his niece) and the genius bro' who made the firm famous with his brilliant cyber-detection, and now awaiting the birth of his first child any minute, and lastly, the drop-dead gorgeous Navy SEAL who has won Lee's heart. Trust us, this series has everything but tea and cookies.

Fans of PI stories, cozy mysteries, and women sleuths will love Book Five, especially if they love sharp funny female protagonists like Sue Grafton's witty Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovich's lovable Stephanie Plum. Aficionados of Lisa Lutz's family series, The Spellman Files, will get a special kick out of the Alverez's.

Step right up and meet the Alvarez clan!