Mimi Rousseau had always had a dream of opening her own bistro but she certainly had to take the hard route to finally see her dream through. Mimi hadn’t been able to attend culinary school so she got her training the hard way working herself up to being a chef. Mimi also saved every penny should could over the years but after her husband’s passing she found herself back to square one when it was found that he had them deeply in debt.

After Mimi had sold everything she could to pay the debts she was left with she returned home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley where a friend introduced her to entrepreneur Bryan Baker who saw something in Mimi’s dream and invested in her opening a bistro and inn. Mimi has found a bit of success and is working away to pay Bryan back and hosting the inn’s first destination wedding. Things were going as planned with the wedding activities until the morning Bryan’s body is found having been murdered and all clues point to Mimi.

A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is the first book in the new cozy mystery series, A French Bistro Mystery. This series is certainly one that the foodies will enjoy as the setting leads to plenty of delightful sounding founds to be described all throughout the book. Then as if the mouth watering food during the read wasn’t quite enough to satisfy there are also recipes included at the end of the book for readers to try some of the foods out on their own.

I would say the one thing that put me off a bit with reading Mimi’s story and really loving this book was the fact that the author chose to have the victim be someone fairly close to the main character. For the most part my experience with cozies the victim is usually and unknown or barely known person but it seemed a bit off for Mimi to immediately start chasing suspects to clear herself instead of grieving right away. Otherwise, the book has all the usual investigating and likable enough to characters to leave me rating this one at 3.5 stars when finished.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The first book in Gerber’s delicious new cozy mystery series is sweet and savory and offers up a well-rounded menu for a variety of tastes!

Mimi Rousseau makes for a heroine you’ll want as a friend, and in fact her friendships within the book are equally delightful. The bistro’s chef, the staff, Mimi’s best friend, her mom, and a bevy of friends and acquaintances from high school give the story flair and dimension. Additionally, her brewing romance with Nash adds just the right amount of sweet spice, and it promises to be an enjoyable facet of Mimi’s character as the series progresses.

The fictional setting of Nouvelle Vie, including the inn and bistro, will have you seriously considering a vacation to Napa Valley, and the food mentioned throughout the novel will leave your mouth watering! Helpfully, several of these recipes are included in the back of the book with notes from the characters to extend their delightful fictional world just that much longer. And within the actual body of the novel, Gerber achieves an ideal balance of including delectable dishes without stopping the story for a cooking lesson.

Bottom Line: A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is clean, fun, and well written. The characters are well defined without being caricature, and the recipes tempt even me to try my hand at a few. As far as the mystery, I had suspicions but I changed my mind several times about who I thought ‘done it’. The ending took me by surprise – which I always love – and I look forward to reading Gerber’s backlist while I wait for the next book in this series.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I really enjoyed everything about the book. The food, wine country, the female lead, the supporting characters, mystery but nothing gross. I'll definitely be looking out for the next in the series and will be recommending this book.

I'll begin this review with a confession: I pre-ordered the book the moment I saw it announced and NO I haven't cancelled that pre-order even though I was lucky to read an ARC of the book. That's how much I love the characters in the new French Bistro Mysteries by Daryl Wood Gerber. (And I know I'll want to read it again and try all the amazing recipes.)

Deadly Eclair introduces us to restaurateur and inn owner Mimi Rousseau, finally pursuing her dreams after the death of her husband, mostly thanks to an Angel Investor, Bryan Baker. When he's killed - and Mimi's debt is forgiven in his will - she must prove her innocence and get justice for her dear friend and mentor.

Filled with delightful characters, twisting turns, and scrumptious recipes, Deadly Eclair leaves the reader satisfied, like a delectable meal. I can't wait for more stories from Mimi and friends!

Mimi Rousseau is living her dream. Thanks to the generosity of her mentor, Bryan Baker, she has opened her own bistro in Napa Valley, California. Things are going great, and she is about to host her first destination wedding at her inn.

The bride is talk show host Angelica, Bryan's niece. Things are going great, until Bryan is found dead the morning after an out of towner's dinner with a jewel and an eclair stuffed in his mouth. At first the police suspect Mimi, and she has to do an investigation of her own to clear her name.

Full of an intriguing cast of characters and a wonderful mystery, A Deadly Eclair is sure to attract a loyal following.

Mimi is a wonderful protagonist, who has faced loss and betrayal in her life and is working hard to overcome it. She is lovable and so down to earth that I found her very relatable. I love books that have pets in them, and Mimi has a very unique one, fish named Cagney and Lacey that she talks to when she is at home.

I found A Deadly Eclair to be a real page turner, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Joining Mimi in this wonderful debut is a cast of characters that add to the charm of this book, from a wine-selling potential love interest to a friend who has been repeatedly abducted by aliens, and looks to them for advice.

All of this joins together to make a wonderful book that left me salivating for the next in the series.

“A Deadly Éclair” is the first in a new series by Daryl Wood Gerber. Mimi Rousseau is the owner (almost) of the Bistro Rousseau restaurant and the adjacent Maison Rousseau Inn, located in Nouvelle Vie, just outside Napa Valley California. The book is written as her first person narrative. We observe the daily chaos through her eyes as she struggles to make her mark in the culinary world and more importantly make enough money to keep the inn and restaurant from drowning in debt. Preparations are in full swing for the inn’s first celebrity destination wedding. Need I say it – things do not go well. A body is found in the kitchen, her financial backer in the restaurant and uncle of the celebrity bride.

The crime is done, but why was it done? The suspects are many, and answers are not forthcoming. Mimi is at the top of the list because she stands to benefit financially from the death. To clear her name, she must find the real murderer. Even the goldfish try to help her out. Clues pile up like crumbs after a meal, and like crumbs, separately they do not make a whole. Eventually they come together in a surprising conclusion.

The characters are interesting, complex, and entertaining. The pace will keep readers turning the pages to see what happens next, but without headache producing stress and trauma.

Gerber’s little details make the setting almost a character itself, a place that we want to visit to share the fabulous food and magnificent wine. As a bonus, there are recipes, including one for the “deadly” chocolate Éclair. It just does not get any better than that.

I received a copy of “A Deadly Éclair” from Daryl Wood Gerber, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review. This is an entertaining book, and it is easy to love the people who live and work at Bistro Rousseau. I am sure there will be more murders in their future.

Fantastique! A must read for francophiles, foodies, and cozy mystery lovers. I am a big fan of this author and was eager to read her newest series, starting with this book. Mimi is a character after my own heart, I felt an instant gal-pal feeling towards her. She was kind, and talented in the kitchen.
Not only do the characters feed the soul but so does the food, and this book has plenty of foodie moments. It is always refreshing to read cooking and baking scenes written by an author, who really knows their knives and pans, so to speak.

In "A Deadly Éclair", Mimi, who was leading a mostly quiet and placid life, is suddenly involved in a murder investigation when her investor is found dead in her bistro. As if that wasn't bad enough, she is seen as the prime suspect because there are some leads pointing her way and she seems to have a motive. To prove her innocence, she starts looking for clues herself - and soon finds out that every single one of her guests is hiding something.

Since Mimi does not work in law enforcement, I liked that the author gave her a plausible reason to get involved in the investigation. Not only is she VERY curious about everything, but she also doesn't want to go to jail for a murder she didn't commit. I could understand that she was trying to find the real killer and the way she went about it felt feasible to me as well. I did think it was a bit unrealistic that the people she spoke to told her as much as they did, but that's only a small point of criticism - especially considering that the characters objected to some of her questions or got angry when she was accusing them or loved ones. That behaviour felt very realistic to me and I liked that it made Mimi's investigation more difficult. What did not totally convince me was that she was more or less solving the case on her own; I hope the sheriff will cut a better role in the future.

The case itself is well written and not predictable. Every theory I had while reading proved to be wrong and I only noticed a lot of the clues that the protagonist put together at the end in hindsight. There were some clever false leads and the author made Mimi investigate in different directions, so the resolution surprised me, even though it fit the rest of the story. I also liked that while the crime dominated the plot, the lives of the characters and the work in the biestro were important too. It provided some balance.

I would rate "A Deadly Éclair" with 3.5/5 stars. It was not a hundred per cent realistic that Mimi could solve the case with relative ease, but that aside the detective work was well portrayed and definitely interesting. I'm just wondering how the author is planning to get her protagonist in future investigations since she can't always be directly involved. But I guess the next book will answer that.

Gerber, Daryl
A DEADLY ÉCLAIR
This book is a dessert buffet, with recipes. ;-) I might have to get a blow torch for brûlée.
Besides food and art references, I learned that a form of belly dancing is done in India “my something new” for today.
I liked the crossed fingers tapped with ones best friend’s — sweet detail.
Paired lovers at the end remind me a bit of Shakespeare’s comedies.

A Deadly Éclair is the debut of the A French Bistro Mystery series set in the Napa Valley of California featuring Chef and Innkeeper Mimi Rousseau. Having had to move back home after the unexpected death of her husband revealed that they were in serious debt, Mimi has opened a French Bistro and adjoining Bed and Breakfast with the financial backing of wealthy businessman Bryan Baker.

Anxious and yet excited to be hosting the wedding of TV personality Angelica Edmonton, Bryan's niece, Mimi has her hands full with underlying tension amongst the family members. When Bryan is found dead with one of Mimi's eclairs stuffed in his mouth along with a few precious gemstones, she is devastated to lose her mentor. Bryan's will reveals that all of the debt associated with Mimi and her business is to be forgiven and she quickly becomes a prime suspect. Determined to clear her name and save the Bistro and B&B, Mimi sets out with the help of best friend Jorianne, to investigate.

A fast paced storyline with likeable characters including Mimi's restaurant staff Chef C and the mysterious Stefan, and love interest Nash Hawke, local wine salesman. Many twists and turns will have you guessing whodunit until the end.

I received a copy of A French Éclair from NetGalley via Crooked Lane. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

This was such a delicious series debut! I had an absolute blast reading it! It was very well-written, and entertaining. I instantly connected with Mimi—it was fun being in her head, and I enjoyed her love for cooking and food. The way she described food….ah. It made me so hungry haha. I loved that she was smart, down to earth and relatable—I could see myself being friends with her.

One of my favorite things about this book was the secondary characters. They were all entertaining and interesting. Everyone was well-crafted and unique in their own way. I really liked everyone, especially Mimi’s friends and family.

The mystery itself was brilliantly plotted, and very captivating. The ending completely took me by surprising. I really wasn’t expecting it to turn out like it did. I’m usually good at predicting the ending, but not so much here, and I loved that!

Overall, a great start to a new delicious series! I’m really looking forward to the next one.

I have been a longtime fan of the various books that Daryl Wood Gerber writes, be it her cozy mystery series or her suspense novels. When I found out that she was debuting the first book in her French Bistro mystery series, I counted down the days until I could read it. The evening A DEADLY ÉCLAIR hit my Kindle, I poured myself a glass of wine and settled in to immerse myself in Napa Valley and get to know Mimi Rousseau.

The author has created a lovely location for Mimi to own and run Bistro Rousseau and Maison Rousseau, the inn on her property in the northern part of the famous wine country. While the town is fictional, the area is real and I enjoyed the bits and pieces of history about the region woven into the story. Mimi is a likeable character who is struggling to overcome doubts about her ability to run her business along with being a self-taught chef instead of a classically trained chef. However, she is surrounded by supportive, talented people who she can rely on, especially her benefactor and mentor, Bryan Baker. If it wasn’t for Bryan backing her business, she never would have been able to open or stay in business. Not only did he financially back her new venture, he is emotionally supportive of Mimi, something she needs. Bryan is known for his motivational sayings and I enjoyed some that he shares with Mimi: “Big risks reap big rewards;” “Life’s too short to wait for anything.” It gives a screenshot into the man’s mind and how he lives his life.

Unfortunately, Bryan’s life is cut short in the early morning hours, right before his niece’s wedding, which was being held at Maison Rousseau… with one of Mimi’s eclairs stuffed into his mouth. Mimi is devastated at the loss of her mentor but even more so when she becomes the number one suspect in the murder investigation. As the story unfolds and as Mimi starts looking into who could have wanted her mentor dead, numerous suspects come to light. There were plenty of twists and turns to the plot and all the while Bistro Rousseau kept guests well fed with delicious food that had my mouth watering. This charming new series will have me waiting on pins and needles until the next release!

With all the mentions of delectable dishes and desserts throughout the book, I was quite happy to see that Daryl has included numerous recipes at the back of the book. They all sound fabulous and I’ll have a hard time narrowing down what to try out first!

Darryl Woods Gerber writes a delightful cozy that centers around a celebrity wedding in the Napa Valley of California. With clearly outlined characters dealing with the death of a loveable uncle, I found this mystery easy to read and the pacing was excellent!

Talk about a culinary delight, this book is the pinnacle of deliciousness as I devoured all that was written in this exciting new series featuring Mimi and her friends.

This was a wonderfully light whodunit that had me involved in the various interactions between Mimi and those who visit her bistro. The mystery was nicely baked to perfection filling me with suspects and peppered with clues and a few twists that propelled this story forward. I did like that with each clue Mimi discovered, she went straight to the sheriff. The narrative was enticingly pleasing keeping me glued to the pages as I had to know how this was all going to end. All the main characters played pivotal roles that enhanced the telling of this tale. This book had everything, a nice little mystery, engaging conversation, camaraderie between friends, romance and the perfect setting of a French bistro.

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Pearl's review Sep 16, 2017 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: advanced-reader-copy, netgalley, mysteries

In Daryl Wood Gerber's new Napa Valley-based French Bistro series, we are introduced to Mimi Rousseau and her lively staff at the newly opened restaurant, Bistro Rousseau. Thanks to angel investor Bryan Baker, Mimi is finally living her dream. But as is common in Daryl Wood Gerber's series, things get complicated quickly when someone turns up dead. Did someone kill Bryan or was it natural causes? You'll have to read to find out....

This is the first in a new series. As I've come to expect from this author, there are lots of delicious food descriptions, colorfully personable characters, great scenic descriptions, and a protagonist determined to get to the truth. Mimi is not a perfect character, but that just means there is room for growth in future books. Those familiar with the author's previous work will enjoy this book; new readers will likely too if they enjoy a solid foodie cozy.

The only downsides for me are strictly personal taste: I had a hard time getting in the book at first because I really miss Charlotte and the other characters from the author's (writing as Avery Aames) other series, The Cheese Shop Mysteries. Some of the wedding party characters were a lot to take in (personality-wise); in addition, I thought the character Heather was a little too kooky, a bit unnecessarily so.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. To be honest, I am not a fan of the author's other series, but this new series really grabbed me.
This book had an engaging cast of characters and a well paced whodunit.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Mimi Rousseau has always wanted to open her own bistro, but her late husband’s debt chased the dream away until her best friend, Jorianne, introduces her to Bryan Baker, an entrepreneur who is looking for an investment. She starts working at a bistro and inn until she’s able to buy it and call it her own. Now, Mimi is throwing the inn’s first wedding ever for one of Bryan’s family members, Angelica, a famous talk show host. But, when Bryan is found dead with an éclair stuffed in his mouth, all eyes turn to Mimi. Her supposed motive: Brian forgives her entire loan in his will. Can Mimi find the truth before she is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit?

I absolutely loved this cozy mystery. When I opened this novel and started reading, I lost track of time because the plot and characters drew me in and wouldn’t let go. Ms. Gerber has a knack of making readers seem like they are walking next to the protagonist and figuring out the mystery with her. When the culprit was revealed, I was stunned because I thought it was another character. I can’t wait for the next French Bistro mystery. An advanced readers copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this first book in this cozy series. Mimi owns and operates a French Bistro in Napa Valley. When the body of her investor is found in the restaurant and a lot of clues point to her she sets out to solve the murder. The author has done a very good job with the Napa Valley and Bistro Setting. I really liked some of the characters. There are some budding romances. I liked it that she did work with the local Sheriff and did not intentionally put herself in danger. There are some delicious recipes in the back too. I look for word to reading more in this series. Enjoy

I really enjoyed this new series premier story. Mimi has moved back to the Napa Valley when her husband died and she had to sell everything to pay his debt. She meets Bryan Baker who helps her buy a bistro and an inn. They are having their first big event, Bryan's niece is getting married and it's a big event with the Hollywood elite. When Bryan is found murdered the morning of the Mimi becomes a prime suspect since his will gives her the inn and restaurant to her debt free. Mimi and her staff decide to "help" the police clear her name. I love cooking cozy's because there is usually a couple of good recipes included. This one has a nice selection at the end of this book with a lot of fun characters to star in the next books.

Daryl Wood Gerber has so many books that are in my “to be read pile” that I’ve been dying to dig into. I’m so glad that I picked up A Deadly Eclair because it was quite the treat!

This is the first book in the new French Bistro Mystery Series. Mimi Rousseau is fulfilling her dream of opening her own bistro in Napa Valley. However as the festivities for her first big event get underway, her friend and investor, Bryan Baker is found dead. Now Mimi has added solving Bryan’s murder to her ever growing list of things to tackle. Can she solve the crime and keep the bistro a success?

I really enjoyed this one. Here are my top reasons to read this book.

A Relatable Main Character

There were a lot of elements of Mimi’s personality that I appreciated. The way she took time out throughout the book to mourn the deceased, who was a friend and mentor of hers. She’s not a professionally trained chef and struggled with the feeling her worth in the restaurant business, but didn’t let it stop her from going after her dream. She was a character that it was easy to relate to and root for as the story progressed.

Mouth Watering Food

Chef C often reviews her menus with Mimi and your mouth will just water imagining all the delectable creations that are discussed. If you are one who likes to try out the recipes in your own kitchen, this book includes a generous list of options for you to create at home.

Wine Country Fun

I love when a book draws me into a culture and teaches me more about topics as I read. This book gives the reader not only a taste of fine food and wine, but also Napa Valley wine country. It made me long for a trip to California, winding through the hills until I came to a quaint bistro to sit for a glass of wine and a good book.

Daryl Wood Gerber has a new hit series on her hands!

If this book is any indication, I just know this series will be a hit. Fun, food, and a mystery that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to check out more of Mimi and her adventures in future books!