Leslie Karst schöpft aus einer einzigartigen Mischung von Einflüssen, darunter Familiendiskussionen, die sowohl sorgfältige Analyse als auch die Künste schätzten, und verfasst fesselnde Kriminalgeschichten. Diese grundlegende Ausbildung wendet sie in ihrer Arbeit an, indem sie eine kulinarische Krimiserie kreiert, die in Santa Cruz, Kalifornien, spielt. Als ehemalige Anwältin mit Abschlüssen in englischer Literatur und kulinarischer Kunst prägt ihr Hintergrund ihren unverwechselbaren erzählerischen Ansatz. Karst widmet ihre Zeit verschiedenen kreativen Tätigkeiten, vom Kochen und Singen bis zum Gärtnern und Schreiben, und verleiht ihrer Arbeit eine reiche, vielschichtige Perspektive.
When a head cold knocks out restaurateur Sally Solari's sense of taste and smell, at the same time her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Artichoke Cook-Off, she plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows. But soon it's not just her restaurant and her friendships on the line - it's her life ...
Sally Solari quits her job as an attorney to help her recently widowed father run his restaurant. When her aunt is found murdered and her sous chef is the prime suspect, Sally is determined to clear his name and find the real murderer.
Chef Sally Solari has - to her own bewilderment - built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps tripping over dead bodies. But getting mixed up in the curious case of a cookbook killer threatens to be the final chapter in not just her investigating career . . . but her life.It's the height of the tourist season in Santa Cruz, California, and Sally Solari has her hands full, both juggling crowds of hungry diners at her French-Polynesian restaurant Gauguin, as well as appeasing her father, who's distressed at the number of homeless people camped out in front of Solari's, the family's Italian seafood restaurant out on the historic fisherman's wharf.Nevertheless, when Sally gets the opportunity to volunteer at a farm-to-table dinner taking place at the hip new restaurant and culinary bookshop Pages and Plums, she seizes the chance. Not only is it a fundraiser for an organization aiding the homeless and seniors, but up for auction at the event is a signed boxset of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Sally's hero, the renowned chef Julia Child.But then the Pages and Plums dining room manager turns up dead - the locked cabinet containing the precious books now empty - and the irrepressible Sally once again finds herself up to her neck in a criminal investigation. She may have a sense for murder, but can Sally outwit a devious killer with a taste for French cooking before the villain makes mincemeat of her, too?A Sense for Murder is a fast-paced, super fun culinary cozy mystery that will have your brain working and your mouth watering. And if you haven't met sleuthing chef Sally yet, it's safe to jump right in.
A glimpse of a melting corpse at the foot of a volcano leaves amateur sleuth and food enthusiast Valerie Corbin shocked. How can she investigate a murder when there's no evidence the victim ever existed? Set in tropical Hilo, Hawai'i, this cozy mystery introduces a fun LGBTQ+ couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing. Retired caterer Valerie and her wife Kristen are on the Big Island for a well-deserved vacation, seeking distraction after Valerie's recent loss. One morning, the couple and their friend Isaac head to see an active lava flow. Valerie is captivated by the shifting mass of orange and red until she spots a boot in the distance. As she approaches, horror strikes when she realizes the boot is attached to a leg being engulfed by lava. Convinced a murder has occurred, Valerie is determined to prove what she saw, but as the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, she faces disbelief. Launching her own investigation, she navigates a Hawaiian culture far removed from the typical tourist experience, fearing she might become the next victim entombed in black rock. With amiable characters, a stunning backdrop, and culinary delights, this cozy mystery offers a tropical vacation twist, complete with recipes for local dishes.