Wined and Died in New Orleans

by Ellen Byron · 2023

When hurricane season rolls into New Orleans, vintage cookbook aficionado Ricki James‑Diaz is more focused on keeping her beloved Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop afloat than on the looming storms. But a routine renovation at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum uncovers crates of centuries‑old French wine hidden by the original builder, Jean‑Louis Charbonnet. Ricki’s social‑media post about the find goes viral, drawing a swarm of distant Charbonnet relatives eager for a share of the treasure. The excitement turns deadly when a body is discovered among the shop’s festive fall decorations, and the police zero in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice, the family matriarch with the most to gain. Determined to clear her mentor’s name, Ricki dives into the town’s tangled history, uncovering secrets that have been bottled for generations. In this second installment of Ellen Byron’s cozy mystery series, the charm of vintage cookbooks meets the intrigue of a wine‑stained whodunit, all set against the sultry backdrop of New Orleans.