Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed on 2/18/2023 + 704 more book reviews

Dollycas's Thoughts

We are back in New Orleans and at Bon Vee Culinary House Museum where Ricki James-Diaz has her Miss Vee's Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, and it is hurricane season. Ricki gets nervous whenever the clouds get dark and rain moves in. These days she tries to keep busy with her shop hoping to be distracted by what is happening outside.

A fabulous distraction takes hold when several cases of old, valuable French wine are found on the premises. Trying to use social media to attract more visitors to the museum Ricki reveals the discovery in a viral post. It does bring in more visitors but it also brings in long-lost relatives of the home's builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet, all wanting to reap the rewards the wine will provide. It also attracts a murderer . . . or was the murderer already there?

The police place the head of the Charbonnet family, Eugenia Charbonnet Felice at the top of the suspect list. She definitely is hiding something but Ricki knows she is no killer. Ricki pours herself into proving just that as storms rage and family secrets are revealed. Hold on tight, this could be a doozy.

The incredible quirky cast of characters from Bayou Book Thief is back with gusto. They continue to develop so well. They feel true to real life and at times they are delightfully funny. Ricki is a strong protagonist and a worthy amateur sleuth. In this story, she is given an intern who is fantastic. Olivia is Eugenia's granddaughter and a sophomore at Tulane. She is totally addicted to her phone and social media but she teaches Ricki a thing or two. She is only supposed to be there for a semester but I hope we see a lot more of her. The other new characters are the Charbonnet âcousinsâ that seem to have fallen out of the woodwork wearing their greed on their sleeves. They are cleverly created to invoke the mood and emotions the author intended which was no surprise. Ms. Byron excels at character development.

The author takes her readers right to New Orleans, the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, Miss Vee's Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, and more. From the weather to the grounds, to the street out front, and to each room we visit, her descriptive style is amazing. Vivid pictures formed in my mind. It was almost like watching a movie complete with sound. I have never been to New Orleans but after reading everything this author has written it is on the top of my bucket list of places I want to visit.

I know hurricanes make Ricki nervous but the author has plotted a great tornado twister of a story. The pace is fast and filled with twists and surprises that kept me guessing the entire way. She entwined the main plot with several subplots, and they all come together to what I only can deem as a perfect ending.

I loved every minute of Wined and Died in New Orleans. Surprises and excitement abound within these pages. I totally escaped right into this book.

I highly recommend both books in this series and for maximum enjoyment, they need to be read in order. I have given Wined and Died in New Orleans my highest rating, âA Trip to Paradiseâ, the first of the year, and a spot on my Best Reads of 2023.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series and my next virtual New Orleans vacation.

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