Thursday 11 June 2020

Book ~ "French Fried" (2017) Kylie Logan

From Goodreads ~ The Statue of Liberty is 130 years old, and for the struggling residents of Hubbard, Ohio, any opportunity to bring in tourists is reason enough for a celebration. Laurel Inwood and her aunt, Sophie, are pitching in. Sophie’s Terminal at the Tracks, a former greasy spoon turned charming ethnic eatery, will be offering French cuisine for the entire week. 

For expert help with their quiche and escargot, the ladies turn to Raquel “Rocky” Arnaud, a former French chef and friend of Sophie. What looks like a match made in heaven turns rank as quickly as buttermilk on a summer’s day. Rocky turns up dead and when her nightly red wine shows notes of oak, cinnamon, and poison, Laurel turns from soufflé to sleuth.

When Laurel was fired as the personal chef to a megastar, she had nowhere else to go so headed to a small town in Ohio to help Sophie, her aunt, run her restaurant while she had knee surgery.  Six months later, Laurel is still in Hubbard, waiting for her opportunity to leave.  Secretly she has applied for a job as the personal chef for a senator and she's hopeful and confident she'll get it and then she's outta there.

In the meantime, the restaurant has implemented ethnic themed cuisines and this week's is French.  Sophie's friend, Rocky, is originally from France and has been helping with the menu and music.  This week too is the celebration of the Statue of Liberty turning 130 years old and there are festivities and Rocky is especially excited.  Unfortunately, Laurel and Declan, Rocky's lawyer and the manager of the Irish store down the street, find Rocky dead the night after the parade of an apparent suicide.  Laurel, Declan and Sophie know that Rocky wouldn't have killed herself and they are determined to find out what really happened.

This the third book I read by this author and I thought it was okay.  It is written in first person perspective in Laurel's voice.  It's a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity.  It is the second in the Ethnic Eats series (it works as a stand alone) and I look forward to reading the next one.

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