When Chef Camille’s sister turns up dead in the kitchen, it’s up to Mimi Rousseau to tease the real killer out of a mélange of menacing charactersCrush Week in Nouvelle Vie is a madhouse—in a good way. Tourists pour into town for the pressing of the Napa Valley’s world-renowned grapes and all the town’s businesses get a nice lift, including Bistro and Maison Rousseau. Mimi is raising the ante … raising the ante this year with a Sweet Treats Festival, a wonderland of croissants, cakes, tarts, and soufflés crafted with expert care by the area’s top talents.
Chef Camille’s sister Renee is managing the festival with a cast-iron fist, upsetting everyone, including her sister. Which is bad for Camille when Renee turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen. Mimi is still building her business, so her first course of action is to whip up answers and catch the unsavory perpetrator before Camille takes a dusting and gets burned.
Fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke will want a succulent second serving of A Soufflé of Suspicion, Daryl Wood Gerber’s appetizing second French Bistro mystery.
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In this second book of the series Mimi and both her businesses are thriving and the future looks bright. Her Chefs sister, Renee, has left her husband and come to town where she is setting up the Sweet Treats Festival at Mimi’s Inn. Mimi decides to go meet Renee and finds out that she is a headstrong women who likes to be in charge. When Mimi receives a phone call at night from Chef C saying her sister is dead she goes to comfort her and see what she can do to help. Mimi realizes that Renee has been murdered, but who would have wanted to kill her and why? The police think it was her sister, upset that Renee was edging in on her man, but Mimi just doesn’t see it. Follow along as Mimi starts her own investigation hoping that she can clear Chef C’s name. While looking into the murder Mimi learns that there were several people who had issues with Renee, her soon to be ex-husband, the lady she bought the rights to the festival from, a local woman to name a few but did any of them have reason to kill her? The author delivers a fun whodunit that will have you looking for the killer in many directions the whole way through. The characters are well written and the scenic setting is a delight to imagine, and don’t forget about the wonderful recipes that she includes at the end (I look forward to trying many). I can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
Cheers to Daryl Wood Gerber on an outstanding book. Riveting and engaging it will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.
Sub-Themes
culinary cozy, small business owner, California wine country, cats, multi-generational family
Can You Start this Series in the Middle?
This is only book two in the series, so it would be easy to catch up if you like to start a series at the beginning. Both mysteries are stand alone, but book one provides a little history and insight into Mimi purchasing the restaurant, which is a good story in itself.
If You Like …
Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mystery Series, you’ll enjoy this book.
I really enjoy this series. I feel like I am transported to California wine country each time I sit down to read. Mimi is an example of a hard working and relatable protagonist. My mouth waters with the descriptions of all of her fabulous culinary creations! I can’t wait to see where Mimi’s adventures take her next.
Author Daryl Wood Gerber has been on my TBR list for ages, but I hadn’t gotten to reading from her collection in the past. When the second book, A Soufflé of Suspicion, in the French Bistro cozy mystery series was listed in a giveaway contest, I jumped on the opportunity. I was selected as a reader (yay!) and lined up the book for my late June reading list. I normally read series mystery books in order but I’m all out of time lately, so I just dove in to this cooking and killing edition. I’m now a fan and look forward to reading more from the author, especially given she has a few other series under different pseudonyms.
In this book, Mimi has just recovered from solving a crime in the last few weeks, and then another one happens. Renee, the sister of Mimi’s current chef, Camille, is found clobbered with a mixer in the kitchen. As details about Renee’s life unfold, there’s a possibility she was blackmailing someone, having an affair, or stealing information. Was she a good or bad person? We just don’t know… and at times, it seems like Camille had a few reasons to off her own sister, too. As a backdrop setting, it’s set in the delectable Napa Valley and it’s dessert week… so I was in love with the ambiance and the food/drink in this book.
I like the characters and see some long-term potential as they begin to settle into their roles as friends, enemies and in-between. Mimi as a lead is interesting, but its her connections to the rest of the town that provide all the great opportunities to be a sleuth. People just talk to her, yet she’s also constantly doing new things in the restaurant or meeting people to help re-build the town or her mom’s winery, so she has lots of relationships that can offer clues and secrets.
For me, this falls into the right spot for a cozy mystery. I like that the recipes are all listed at the end and not interspersed throughout the story, as I don’t enjoy having to flip tons of pages to find the next chapter. I really enjoyed learning about the restaurant business. Many of the names of places and some chefs are authentic, as I’ve been to the places when I visited Napa Valley in the past. I kinda wanna go back now and see exactly where some of these conversations and stores are in comparison to streets I’ve visited before. Kudos to the author for making it real. She’s undoubtedly been there, and I wonder if we’ve been to the same winery at the same time. Ha!
As for the mystery plot, it was in the middle in terms of obvious versus complex. There was more to it than I expected, but I pegged the killer from the beginning. There were a few strong red herrings and misleading side stories, but ultimately, it’s a classic story that works well in this background. I will definitely read more from the author and look forward to catching up on the first book in the series.
I absolutely loved this book. I received it for free and I voluntarily chose to review it. I’ve given it a 5* to this cozy mystery. An added plus, 14 recipes included.This really kept me guessing till the end.Plenty of twists and turns to keep me turning the pages.The heroine is run ragged and dodging attacks. There is even a few kitties around.
This was a fun book! It’s Crush Week in Napa Valley and in addition, Maison Rousseau, Mimi Rousseau’s inn is the location for the Sweet Treats Festival. When the festival organizer, Renee, who happens to be Chef Camille’s sister, is found murdered in Camille’s kitchen, Camille becomes the prime suspect. Mimi knows that Camille didn’t kill her sister, so she sets out to find a killer and clear her friend’s name. Lots of suspects ranging from the woman’s husband, the former festival organizer, and the local councilman and his wife. I really enjoy this series for its characters and charm as well as all of the delicious recipes included. I look forward to seeing what’s next for Mimi and see her relationship with Nash develop further.
This is second serving of the newest series by Gerber called, the French Bistro Mysteries, and it is just as delicious as the first.
Readers go back to this fun place of frivolity and incredible food. Unfortunately, the fun and happiness is tested by something extremely sinister this time around.
In Nouvelle Vie, “Crush Week” is upon everyone. Tourists are filling the town, the shops and Mimi’s Bistro and Maison Rousseau, partaking in the events that come along with the pressing of the world-renowned grapes that thrive in the Napa Valley. Mimi and the gang are busy beyond belief and she is even putting together a “Sweet Treats Festival” for the visitors so they can enjoy everything from cakes to croissants to the ultimate soufflés created by the masters who live in the area.
Mimi does have help, of course. In fact, it is Renee, the sister of Chef Camille, who is shouting out orders and turning into somewhat of a tyrant while taking the reins and ruling over the festival. Not only is her attitude a problem, but all may fall to ruin when Renee is found murdered in the chef’s kitchen.
Mimi is a woman still making a name for herself in the industry and building her clientele so that her business will thrive. Murder is the last thing she needs on her plate, so she immediately begins to investigate and try to solve things before they get too far out of hand to manage. Trouble is, because of the way Renee acted towards everyone, the list of suspects who had something against her is quite long.
When it comes to the word “appetizing” you automatically think of food. But when it comes to the literary scene, this series is well beyond appetizing. Not only are the foods incredible (make sure to check out the awesome recipes provided), but the characters and plot are equaling superb.
I enjoyed this second in the series. Renee, the sister of Chef C of Mimi’s Bistro, takes over the Sweet Treat Festival being held on the grounds of the hotel. She doesn’t seem to be making many friends. When she turns up dead in her sister’s kitchen, Mimi is drawn into looking for answers to help Chef C.
The story moves along quickly in the beginning and had me turning the pages quickly. I loved the characters, they are likable, I love Mimi’s mother, she is a big support without being a nag, she respects Mimi as an adult. The mystery was excellent, there were enough twists to keep me second guessing as to who did it. Clues were added at a nice pace. The setting sounds wonderful, easy to visualize and place that I would like to visit. I will continue on with this series.
*I was lucky enough to have received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
This is the 2nd Book in A French Bistro Mystery Series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. This is a fast-paced mystery with several twists and turns along the way. All your favorite characters from book one are back and few new characters being introduced. I really love how the main character, Mimi, is protective of the ones she cares about such as her Chef Camille. After the murder of Camile’s sister, Mimi takes her chef into her home and is determined to help find the killer. Mimi feels that if she can find the killer she will firstly clear Camille’s name of any wrongdoing and secondly help give Camille a little closure over her sister’s death. Author Daryl Wood Gerber is a wonderful storyteller. She has a way of describing the setting in such a way that you can see the flowers in the gardens and the delicious food that is being served in the restaurants. Speaking of food if you are a lover of French food there are several recipes of the food mentioned in the book included in the book.
I would recommend this book to cozy mystery and culinary mystery lovers. I also recommend reading the first book as this is a really good series. I know I am looking forward to the next book.
*** I received an ARC of this book in hopes that I would supply a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have in no way been influenced. ***
This was the second book in this series and I am lucky enough to have started with book 1. I’m lucky enough to be able to read this series in order which I don’t often get. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, it won’t spoil anything if you do. There are only references to the previous book with no spoilers. Because I’m such a fan of this author (under both her pen names), I challenged myself to find one thing that I could critique. I think that the officer was a bit off putting to the reader. I believe the intent was that he was taking a personal issue out on Mimi and her being roped into the investigation. Mimi was as respectful of his position as she was in the first book but he responded much differently to her. Of course, it could also be that he was juggling two major events as well as a murder investigation. However, as I was reading it, it just seemed natural progression in character development. We learned a lot about characters that make up the main crew of the book that we hadn’t learned before which I always enjoy. I truly appreciated how Mimi can genuinely come to like someone regardless of challenging aspects of their personalities. I also enjoy that she can be respectful of other people having different thoughts and opinions than hers without it becoming an issue. I think this is something that we need to see a lot more of in the literary world as it is something that has become so lacking in the real one.
Things are hopping at Bistro and Maison Rousseau. Tourists have flocked to the Napa Valley for Crush Week and the first Sweet Treat festival is being hosted on the grounds of the hotel. Mimi is thrilled that both hotel and restaurant are booked solid for the week. Things take a deadly turn when Renee, the festival organizer and sister of Mimi’s head chef Camille, is found murdered in Camille’s kitchen. Who had a reason to murder the woman?
It was nice to return to the Napa Valley with Mimi as our host. The book starts out strongly. While I did feel the pace lagged a time or two, these were minor issues. The puzzle was very good with some clues coming into play late in the mystery that I had completely missed, yet they helped make the resolution completely believable. I did have trouble buying Mimi’s relationship with her friend and police chief Tyson, but the rest of the characters were great. The food left me drooling, so the recipes are the back are a welcome addition to this fun mystery.
Festival time of year brings an abundance of tourists as well as getting the locals out and about. Called The Crush in this vineyard region, there is always something delightful and delectable going on. From wine tastings and castle tours to a sweet festival featuring a baked good competition, this book is jam packed with delicious descriptions and deadly deceit.
Disaster strikes when the festival organizer, who also happens to be sister to the head chef at Bistro Rousseau, is murdered. Was she the intended victim? Who hated her so much? Can Mimi Rousseau temper her curious nature and stay out of the sheriff’s way?
Filled with all sorts of relationships and motives, and so many activities going on all at once, this story believably goes in many directions. It has an energy humming through it.
The characters are wonderful and we get to know a bit more about their background and history.
There is a romantic element to the book but it takes a back seat to the mystery. And the food!
Even with the book having a murderous plot, there were moments of smiles and laughter as well.
While I had my suspicions about who the murderer was, I needed to wait for it to be proven.
I enjoyed my time in wine country.
A SOUFFLE OF SUSPICION by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Second French Bistro Mystery
Visitors are flocking to Bistro Rousseau. Not only is it Crush Week, when tourists descend on Nouvelle Vie as vineyards harvest their grapes and start to turn them into wine, but Maison Rousseau is the location for the Sweet Treats Festival. Chef C.’s sister, Renee, is the dynamo behind the event, running it like a well oiled machine. But not everyone is happy with Renee, including the woman who originally started the event and the husband she left. When Chef C. comes home to find Renee dead in her kitchen Mimi Rousseau knows she has to help solve another murder.
Sisterly love, spousal love and hate, budding romantic relationships as well as developing ones, relationships are at the heart of A SOUFFLE OF SUSPICION. I love the balance shown between them all, and I’m especially enjoying the growing relationship between Mimi and Nash. I also enjoy Mimi’s relationship with not only Cagney and Lacy, but Scooter and Scoundrel as well.
The mystery is an intriguing one. While most people seemed to like and respect Renee, there are some obvious suspects. Suspicious activity abounds, but is it related to the murder or something else entirely? I like how Mimi explores possibilities, while still keeping up with her business, and her romance. I also wonder how she still likes Willow!
Warmth, humor, a few chills, a soupçon of intrigue, and plenty of charm make for a great read. A SOUFFLE OF SUSPICION is a delectable entrée in the French Bistro Mystery series.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
Souffle of Suspicion by Daryl Wood Gerber is the second book in the Ms. Gerber’s A French Bistro Mystery series and was definitely a hard book to put down.
Ms. Gerber’s detailed description of Crush Week in Napa Valley and the Sweet Treats Festival being held at Mimi’s inn made me feel like I was there among the crowds. The delicious food being served at her Bistro made me hungry while I was reading, so the recipes at the end of the book were welcome. All of the characters are likable; and I was glad to be back in this charming setting once again. The plot was quickly paced with several suspects, twists and turns to keep me engaged until the end.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Warning do not read this book if you even remotely hungry because if you do you will find yourself running to the kitchen to find something to munch on as the story unfolds with them cooking all kinds of good stuff at the bistro. Of course there is also a murder that links directly to Chef C which makes Mimi start asking questions while trying to keep everything running as the bistro and the inn. Add a festival being held on the property and really mix things up a bit. I have to say the characters in these books really draw your attention making you feel like you have known them forever and the town feels like home as well. The cats added a nice touch in between plot twists going well with all the culinary details throughout. Wonderful writing that flows so smoothly you will find yourself on the last page before you know wishing the next book was out already. I highly recommend it to fans of culinary cozy mysteries. I really enjoyed it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Whenever I read this series I get hungry…probably from all those great dishes that the bistro serves! And I love it when the recipes are included at the end of the book…not that I will prepare them, but because I like to drool over imaging the dishes coming to life in my kitchen! Maybe one day I will be brave enough to try one out on my family.
Food aside, this cozy series set in the Napa area has a lot going for it – food, wine, compelling characters, and even a few pets. And of course, solving the mystery of who is the killer. There was something about this cast of characters that I was able to sort of figure out the guilty party, but not because it was laid out for the reader to easily discover the identity of the guilty party.
I really enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters – Chef Camille, Heather, Jo, Stephan, and even Allie. I think Allie could be a good fit for future books depending on what her character decides to do with her life.
There is also the continuing romance between Mimi and Nash. It takes a positive turn in this book but not for the lack of Nash’s ex-wife trying to throw roadblocks in their way. There is even an introduction of an old friend of Mimi’s. Will he be a potential roadblock for Nash? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
When I finished book one in this series, A DEADLY ÉCLAIR, I wasn’t sure how I was going to wait for the second installment. Now having read, A SOUFFLÉ OF SUSPICION, it was well worth the wait! But how do I last until the next one!
It was fun to be back in wine country with Mimi Rousseau and the great cast of characters in the French Bistro Mysteries. Author Daryl Wood Gerber has written them all in a way that makes me feel I personally know each one them. She has done the same for the setting. While reading, I can vividly see my surroundings. I can hear the sounds and smell the food.
As for the mystery in, A SOUFFLÉ OF SUSPICION, it was top notch, with a fair amount if suspects, as well as red herrings. Just when I thought for sure I knew who the killer was, another twist was thrown in to foil me.
You’ll also find an amazing variety of recipes to enjoy. I honestly think I gained weight just reading them!
Fans of the first book will love this second trip to Napa Valley. Haven’t read the first? No worries. You can read A SOUFFLÉ OF SUSPICION as a standalone (But get them both and read them back to back. More fun that way!).
A very fun read. I enjoyed everything about this book.
The storyline/plot was interesting and kept me turning the pages while trying to figure out Who Dun It?
Daryl does a great job of leaving little tid bits and leading the reader on a ride while trying to figure it out.
There are some subtle clues early on that kind of get swept away causing the reader and the characters to look for answers elsewhere.
This book and series has some delightful characters.
I loved Mimi’s character. I loved her name Mimi Rousseau so very french sounding. Mimi is one talented business woman owning the Bistro Cafe and the Maison Rousseau. Such charming places that almost come to life. I wanted to visit! MiMi spends
alot of time talking to herself and going over the clues and working things out in her head until finally she puts everything together
and figures out who really killed poor Renee. Everyone including this reader is a bit surprised at the out come and who the villain is.
As the story progressed there was no shortage of suspects.
But each are exonerated in due time as their alibi’s are covered.
There really are alot of characters running around. But it was
difficult to keep track of what was going on.
If I was to choose a favorite among them it might be MiMi’s mother. She was delightful and charming at ready and willing to lend a hand whether it was watching over Camille in the early hours after she discovers her sisters body. Or by bringing lots of diners to the Maison Rousseau for a dinner party.
As Souffle of Suspicion is part of the French Bistro Mystery
series there is lot of talk about food. There are some great sounding recipes at the end of the book.
Souffle of Suspicion is book 2 in the series and is written as a
stand alone. If you pic it up you’ll enjoy it and quite possibly have a hard time putting it down. I did. This was a fun and fast 5 star read for me. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
What a SWEET cozy! Daryl Wood Gerber has served up her readers a delectable mystery with fine characters and full-bodied story.
We arrive just in time for Crush Week and the brand new Sweet Treats Festival. Chef C’s sister, Renee is in charge of the festival and the chef is at Bistro Rousseau preparing meals and menus for all the tourists coming into town. Mimi is running between her bistro and her inn, where the festival is taking place trying her best to help out everywhere. That is until her chef arrives home to find Renee dead on her kitchen floor. Mimi can’t believe the police are actually looking at her chef as the prime suspect.
Chef Camille is taking some time off to mourn the loss of her sister and deal with the police, so Mimi steps in to manage the kitchen all the while trying to find the real killer. She realizes she is getting close to the truth when she seems to be the target of some unusual “accidents”. She needs to wrap things up quickly before something more than the grapes get crushed.
In this second book of the series, the author again sets a brisk pace. Readers are drawn into the story through two big events taking place. These events introduce us to some new characters like Chef Camille’s sister Renee and her husband Rusty. Renee tired quickly of Rusty’s new chicken farmer lifestyle and has purchased an event business. She has thrown herself into making the first event, the Sweet Treats Festival a huge success. The former business owner, Allie O’Malley, confronts Renee about their agreement and it doesn’t go well. Mimi considers them both suspects but she finds they are not the only ones that would have the motivation to bash the woman over the head.
I was very entertained following Mimi’s footsteps as she did her best to capture the killer. Especially because her footsteps went through the kitchen of the bistro and the grounds of the Sweet Treats Festival. We were treated to descriptions of the most scrumptious savory and sweet foods, my mouth was watering. I really appreciate the author for including several recipes at the end of the book.
This author is an amazing storyteller. She sets the scene, nurtures her characters and gives them dynamic dialogue, all while wrapping them in a masterful mystery. I have enjoyed every book she has written. I believe this new French Bistro Mystery is my new favorite. Like a perfect soufflé would impress your guests this story reached great heights to impress me and make it both a great and perfect escape.
A Souffle of Suspicion is book 2 of the French Bistro series by Daryl Wood Gerber.
Though it is only the second book, I love this series as Wood Gerber takes you to NapaValley.
When the sister of Chef Camille is found murdered in Chef’s home, Mimi is once again investigating.
Mimi knows Chef Camille could not have done it and there are plenty of suspects. With the Bistro holding The Sweet Treats Festival, it’s also crush week and this has Mimi constantly on the go.
There are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. You have mystery and a little romance, along with updates on Mimi’s friends and family.
I was kept guessing until the end.
There are also some yummy sounding recipes included.
I was given an ARC copy by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review.
In this second book of the French Bistro Mystery, Mimi is looking forward to all the tourists attending the Sweets Treat Festival, part of Crush Week in Nouvelle Vie. But when Renee, the festival’s manager turns up dead, Mimi realizes she needs to help with the investigation. Especially since her own Chef C, Camille, is also Renee’s sister. The action moves along at a nice pace, with several possible suspects and motives. I love the introduction of a new cat for Mimi (black!), as well as a possible changing relationship with Nash. I enjoyed the descriptions of the festival’s activities and contests, as well as the delectable foods served at Mimi’s Bistro…with these recipes included at the end of the story! Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book.