by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Chef Sally Solari inherited the French-Polynesian restaurant, Gauguin, after the death of her aunt. Her father was none too pleased that she left the family’s Italian seafood restaurant located on the historic Fisherman’s Wharf. He’s got another gripe now—customers don’t like stepping over homeless people who are sleeping in the doorways and hurting business.

When a fundraiser is set up to help the unhoused and seniors, Sally is happy to help. The event is a farm-to-table dinner at the hot new restaurant and culinary bookstore, Pages and Plums. A highlight of the evening is the auction. One hot item up for bid is a signed boxset of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It’s kept inside a locked case so bidders can see but not touch.

There’s a rather ugly argument but it’s settled quickly—or at least, it appeared to be. Sally goes into the restaurant for more supplies and finds the manager dead on the floor and the locked case empty. Julia has left the building.

The question is, was Julia worth killing for. The item was likely to bring in a couple thousand dollars but that hardly seems to be sufficient motive. When Sally finds the autographed pages loose in the alley, it really becomes a puzzle.

In the meantime, Sally’s boyfriend, Eric, is on enforced rest after a run-in with a surfboard. He is not the type to sit quietly and watch daytime talk shows. He’s unhappy in his job but loathe to make a change—or accept suggestions.

Eric and Sally were a couple, then not, and are now together again. This time it looks like it could be for good. Sunday dinners with Nonna and the rest of the family, the camaraderie in the kitchens, and Sally’s dog liven up the pages.

At the back of the book are recipes for Salad Nicoise, seared bok choy with Asian-inspired glaze, risotto with chanterelles and peas, grilled steak and veggies with creamy garlic-lime sauce, and grilled peaches with balsamic plum black pepper reduction.

This is book six in the series. Between the characters, the current events storyline, and the recipes, you’ll be hungering for more.

To enter to win a copy of A Sense for Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “sense” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 14, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.