The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery, 5)

Welcome to Monterey County, California, the artichoke capital of the world. Author Leslie Karst’s fifth mystery starring Sally Solari is another satisfying read. Sally is a dedicated chef with a restaurant of her own called Gauguin. Her father, Mario, the owner of Soliari’s, is highly competitive, even when it comes to his daughter!

Wherever there’s destination dining, serious competition among restauranteurs is inevitable. In this case, Sally is pitted against her father and many other fine chefs in a Monterey Peninsula cooking contest with artichokes as its theme—no surprise here. This scenario is ripe for a ghostly murder with a few unexpected plot twists.

Sally has a mighty handicap going into the contest. She has lost her sense of smell due to a viral infection. She’s a real trooper and goes ahead with planning for the contest. Along the way, Sally reconnects with a high school friend whose brother has a booth adjacent to her own. Of course, there’s a murder at the contest. Saying anything more about this story could ruin it.

Karst also generously includes five recipes for yummy dishes and a cocktail featured in this cozy mystery.