I like the characters and reading about New Orleans always makes me want to go visit. They mystery was interesting and it kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was wonderful to be back in New Orleans and at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, but especially at Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, which is located on the premises and owned by Ricki, in Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron.

We meet up with the characters we’ve met before, along with many new ones. Of course, there are murders, crimes, some shady characters, good food, and better wine which had me turning the pages to see what would happen next!

Ricki is an amateur sleuth who seems to stay one step ahead of the local police in helping to solve the crimes committed. The whodunnit wasn’t obvious to me, which is always a plus when reading a cozy mystery.

There are so many twists and turns to the story, along with multiple storylines revealed. Some subplots are just as important as the main ones and really held my interest. I liked the friendships that crossed generations and how Olivia doing her internship with Ricki, really flourished and grew up as a result. The number of vintage cooking gadgets, cookbooks, foods, and wine just added another layer of fun to the story.

There’s some romance mixed in with the mystery. There are lovely and vivid descriptions of the neighborhood, the businesses, the homes, and even the unpredictable weather. The story even takes us to the panhandle of Florida to gather clues.

I loved the cover, and the title of the book was playful and spot on. The recipes at the back of the book and some historical facts about the cookbooks they came from were a nice touch and tied into the story nicely. I can’t wait to see how Ms. Byron tops this book and continues the series.

Wined and Died in New Orleans is a cozy mystery with wonderful characters set in a picturesque location that had me looking forward to what unfolded next.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This was a fast-paced, fun, and intriguing mystery! My lack of culinary know-how didn’t matter a bit; it is a delightful “foodie” and vintage recipe focused series. I enjoyed many of the characters; they were described with excellent word pictures and conversations. Reading about hurricane “season” was eye-opening as far as the length of the season.

Ricki was born in New Orleans and abandoned by her teen mother in the hospital. Her adoptive mother, Josepha, was a NICU nurse who had helped care for her. When Josepha married Luis, a man in the film industry, he adopted Ricki and they moved to California where she grew up. She has only been back in New Orleans for a few weeks and has made several friends. Her proposal to open her dream vintage cookbook and kitchen gadgets shop had been accepted at Bon Vee.

Vee Charbonnet had owned Bon Vee for many years and was a legendary restauranteur in New Orleans. Having had no children, she left the property to her beloved niece, Eugenia Charbonnet Felice. Eugenia, who is also Ricki’s mentor, turned the gorgeous old home into a house museum dedicated to culinary arts. Her cousins, Ralph and Hugo, own the historic Charbonnet’s restaurant, and her nephew, Theo, is the director of community relations of Bon Vee.

Eugenia’s granddaughter Olivia, a phone and social media obsessed college student, is an unpaid intern at Bon Vee for the semester. Eugenia asked Lyla, Ricki’s boss, and Ricki, to take Olivia under their wings in their respective areas and oversee her internship. Olivia would rather be anywhere except the museum and shops. Ricki needs to become social media savvy to increase sales for her walk-in and online shop. While Olivia learned about the shops, she showed Ricki how to make attention-getting posts.

A staff member found ten long-hidden cases of an 1853 Madeira wine that was still sealed with the original wax! Badly in need of cash for the house museum and Charbonnet’s Restaurant, a master sommelier/ auctioneer was found who knew he could easily start bids at $1,000 per bottle. Ricki used her new skills to post the find with news of the upcoming auction. The first Charbonnet cousin, Jean-Louis, came from France after seeing her post. He was the descendant of the man who had hidden it over 170 years ago, returned to France, and never returned. Jean-Louis came to get his share of the proceeds.

Two more cousins arrived, both of whom had questionable pasts. Within days, Jean-Louis is found dead after filing a lawsuit against Eugenia to get his portion of the wine and the entire property. Ricki has already helped solve a murder and hopes to help find another before her mentor is taken away in handcuffs. Then a major clue is found that may seal Eugenia’s fate.

I felt I knew Ricki and several of her co-workers within a short time. I was introduced to and quickly invited to join the gang for anything from lunch, to preparing for the auction, then a road trip to some of the worst dive bars in Florida. Ricki is one of the most “normal” people, along with Eugenia and Virgil. I liked them and Zellah and grew to really like Olivia. Iris, continually popping out of bushes, was quite the card, and the cousins who arrived for anything they could get – it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they went to prison, but not killed.

Plot twists escalated the pace of the story even as Ricki continued to seek clues. The laugh-out-loud humor calmed more than one tense scene, and friendships among Ricki and the Bon Vee crew were wonderful to see. Doors of understanding were opened about how justice is different for different people. It was enlightening to see how many businesses are currently operating on a shoestring, especially from the pandemic and past hurricanes. It was heartwarming to see the staff working together to find the real killer, and how family is more than those we are related to by blood. I was somewhat surprised at the real killer, very pleased with the ending, and I highly recommend it!

WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS by Ellen Byron
The Second Vintage Cookbook Mystery

Hurricane warnings have Ricki James-Diaz flustered even more than the low sales at Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop that she runs at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. The exciting discovery of wine hidden under the mansion since the mid 1800s could solve the historic home's financial woes. Facing her fear of social media, Ricki posts about the find, hoping to lure prospective buyers for the auction. Instead she lures shady Charbonnet relatives, all looking to cash in. When the head interloper in murdered on the property with vintage kitchenware from Ricki's shop police aim their sights at the New Orleans Charbonnet clan. In order to prove Eugenia's innocence Ricki will have to look into the Charbonnet family history and the financial problems that may have created a killer.

The weather isn't the only thing that's stormy in the second Vintage Cookbook mystery when family and romantic relationships collide with murder! The mystery was clever with several motives, sketchy characters, and lots of avenues to explore. I like how Ricki's relationship with NOLA PD is improving, indeed how a friendship is forming. I'm also pleased with the different romantic relationships slowly evolving.

WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS rocks. Seedy relatives arriving like leeches, an annoying Gen Z who turns invaluable, and an assistant with a black heart all assail Bon Vee and add plenty of drama and fun. The characters are really coming into their own in this second outing. They're more vibrant and less flighty. I'm still not a fan of Cookie, but I don't dislike her as much, and I enjoy seeing the other friendships grow. Clarissa was a good addition, making trouble for Ricki and being a good villain. Ricki showed more restraint for dealing with her that I would have!

WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS is a fast paced New Orleans adventure with troubled families, rare wine, and devious behavior all mixing under the threat of a hurricane.

3.75 Stars

When crates of 19th century French wine are discovered under the Bon Vee Museum, long lost Chardonnet cousins make an unwelcomed visit to New Orleans to stake their claim to the profits. Did greed lead to murder?

Highlights:

• An unexpected culprit.
• Intriguing family secrets!
• New Orleans atmosphere makes a fabulous backdrop for a cozy mystery.
• Many mentions of vintage cookbooks, cookware, and curious recipes, like gelatin and aspic molds.

WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS is a solid mystery, though Ricki's main goal was cooking up other suspects for the police to focus on instead of her boss, Eugenia. By not reading the first book, I felt like I was missing some backstory details, but not so much that I was lost. There were quite a few viable suspects, and in the end the killer was someone I had not considered. A large, diverse cast of characters and plenty of humor made this a delightful cozy mystery.

4.5 stars

Wined and Died in New Orleans is a delightful follow-up to Ellen Byron’s first book in the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries – Bayou Book Thief. Like its predecessor, this book too is full of vibrant, diverse characters (including the city of New Orleans itself) and a layered mystery that had me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end.

Ricki remains a wonderful protagonist, and I keep rooting for her to succeed professionally and personally (hello, swoony chef neighbor). Her new ‘assistant’ Olivia and their interactions (particularly related to social media) provided plenty of opportunity for humor but also a lot of heart. I really enjoyed this addition to the supporting cast around Bon Vee, especially as their closer connection is revealed. Hold on to your hats, though, because a bevy of impossible-to-like distant branches of the Charbonnet line come out of the woodwork after a rare wine find means potentially mega bucks for the family coffers. These tertiary characters have very few, if any, redeeming qualities (they’re not supposed to) but they do provide some extra comic relief as well as additional tension related to the mystery plot – it certainly wouldn’t have been the same without them.

I really enjoyed book one in this series, and there were a couple of subplots that I was eager to see developed further in the next offering. Wined and Died in New Orleans gave me exactly what I was hoping for with regards to those subplots and even teased some more development for them in book 3. I love story arcs that continue across a series, and Ricki’s discoveries/mysteries about her biological family as well as her brewing romance with hottie Virgil keep me solidly invested in the series, apart from the enjoyable characters and solid plots which also keep me coming back for more. I also love her relationship (part antagonist, part friendship) with Detective Nina, and this sentence from Ricki to Nina made me laugh out loud:

“You’re about to get a new suspect, along with a lack of specific proof and a heavy dose of my imagination.”

haha! Isn’t that true of every good cozy amateur sleuth? And that’s why we love them, right?

Bottom Line: Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron is a fun way to spend a few hours, wrapped up in the stormy Louisiana setting and a house museum full of endearing characters. Readers will love Ricki from her personality to her vintage cookbooks & accessories, her dogs, and her nearly Luddite approach to social media, not to mention her dogged pursuit of the culprit – or culprits – behind the variety of crimes going on in her purview. The mystery is expertly crafted and full of surprises, so settle in for another great read!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Everything is not as it seems; there are multiple surprise reveals that will keep you glued to the pages.

Having family from south Louisiana, I always love a book with that setting. This is the second in this series set in New Orleans and features a family that some might consider nobility in certain circles of N'awlins.

In the second installment of this series, cases of rare wine are discovered under Bon Vee, which sets off an influx of "family" that state that they have a claim on the proceeds. Greed has a way of bringing out the worst in people, especially family members. These characters keep Rickie, Eugenia, and the rest of the gang on their toes while they sort through the details.

I loved the book from start to finish. I find Rickie's shop to be quite intriguing. I love to cook and have many cooking gadgets myself, but nothing antique, but I do love roaming through cooking stores and imagine that I could spend hours rummaging through Miss Vee's store.

A new family addition is Olivia. She is Eugenia's granddaughter and something of a typical Gen Z., but that also brings about a multitude of talents that Rickie can use, from posting tips to videos and images. While Olivia might seem a bit surly at times, I grew to love her character and hope we see her more in the future.

I had to chuckle at Carissa, who has the hots for Virgil (but I'm pretty sure he likes Rickie), and her antics. Never come between two people and their dogs! It will never end well for you.

I will not reveal any spoilers, but this is becoming a new favorite from this author. I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.

We give this book 5 paws up!

Being from New Orleans, I have to say I love the setting. The story line in this one was very compelling as I always enjoy mysteries within mysteries. The character development is strong. I love the personalities of the cast and the new members introduced.

Ellen does a fantastic job capturing the vibe of both the city and the people. I had to laugh a bit. Some not familiar with hurricanes and hurricane season may not have understood the significance of the named storms. If the storm names are at the end of the alphabet, it's been a rough year for sure (which actually happened when we went in the Greek alphabet a few years ago).. Ricki putting masking tape on the windows was a blast from the past. My entire childhood, I had no idea what else it was used for, I kind of still don't lol.

Such a great book and series and I cannot wait to continue the journey.

3.5 Stars

Ricki James-Diaz recently moved back to her hometown of New Orleans after spending several years in Los Angeles. She loves her job running the vintage cookbook and kitchenware gift shop within a historic home and museum. Ricki is getting used to dealing with hurricane warnings and up-and-down sales but still enjoys her job and spending time with her new friends. She and the other employees of MIss Vee’s museum are excited by the discovery of valuable 150-year-old wine discovered in a crawl space of the home, but the added publicity brings long-lost relatives of the family who owns the museum out of the woodwork, as well as a murderer.

This book is the second in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series. I fell in love with the premise and the setting of this series after reading the first book. I had mixed feelings about the main character, Rikki, who is sometimes wise beyond her years and sometimes very immature, and I felt this way again in this book. This second book works fine as a standalone since plenty of background information is given, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first. The setting is still wonderful and the information about vintage cookbooks and gadgets is just as interesting, but unfortunately isn’t as big of a part in this book. Rikki is more likable this time around, but still acts immature much of the time, ironically usually when she’s trying to impress the much older man she is attracted to.

The returning side characters from the first book, who are friends and colleagues of Ricki, are easy to like. However, the plot of this book, which calls into question the inheritance of the museum’s namesake and original owner of the home, Miss Vee, brings in several new characters. They all say they are relatives and make various claims upon the estate. Even with the list of characters at the beginning of the book, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. One of the new characters that did make an impression on me is Olivia, the college student who is interning at the museum. She and Ricki work well together and I hope they team up again in future books. The moments of humor throughout the story helps to elevate the book. The murder investigation gets complicated, and Ricki needlessly puts herself in danger to try to solve the case. However, the book ends dramatically but positively, and I am curious to know what happens next in Ricki’s life.

~ Christine

What a fantastic and completely entertaining addition to the series. I enjoyed reading every bit of this story. Be it the characters, the setting, the mystery or the writing - simply perfect!

When a very old and valuable French wine belonging to the original owner of the Bon Vee house is found, people from various corners of the world turn up claiming to be a Charbonnet. Although the Frenchman Jean-Louis is legit, the same cannot be said about his intentions. It finally leads to his murder and evidence points to one person. But Ricki is quite sure the 'suspect' is innocent.

The mystery deepens, leading Ricki to unearth a series of secrets - including the one that Eugenia's been hiding. Speaking of hiding, we have the hottie handsome chef Virgil who co-parent Thor and Princess (Chihuahua and German Shepard) with Ricki. Virgil has a new assistant named Carissa. There's a hostile situation here - Carissa is jealous of Ricki and Virgil's friendship. She probably sees herself as Virgil's next wife or something - and makes sure Ricki suffers for 'trying to interfere.' Well, Ricki has no interest whatsoever... ahem, she finds him handsome, though. *wink*

The mystery behind the murder kept me guessing till the end. Multiple red herrings made it impossible to identify the killer before Ricki could. The killer's identity was unexpected and shocking. Thinking of the events and how it finally connects to the killer, I must say this is a mystery well-written.

The recurring characters and their side stories made the story extra enjoyable. We have two new characters this time - Olivia and Iris. Olivia is Eugenia's relative and currently interns with Ricki. She plays a significant role in the story and I cannot wait to see how Olivia will blend in with the Bon Vee crew. On the other hand, Iris is a classic example of the cringe employee who sings praises and more of it about their employer. Ugh, even Eugenia was nauseated by Iris' behavior.

Overall, Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron was a totally engrossing and entertaining read. Eclectic mix of characters, vibrant setting, and a mystery to keep one guessing for more - what else does a cozy mystery lover need?

Wined and Died in New Orleans is the second book in Byron's A Vintage Cookbook series. It's fun and interesting, well-written, and nicely paced. I enjoyed the characters, the mysteries and storyline, there's enough red herrings to keep a reader guessing, and the city of New Orleans and the stately Bon Vee manor are like characters as well. The author's descriptions of them add a rich depth and realism to the story, and make me want to visit the city, tour the mansions, ride a trolley, eat a beignet. I'm already anticipating the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Oh my goodness! I love this series so so much! Yes, Wined and Died in New Orleans is only the second book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series, but with characters like this and an author like Ellen Byron, you know the rest will be just as wonderful. You can jump in here if you haven't read the first book, Bayou Book Thief, but I highly recommend that you do read it! It's amazing and you get to meet all of the characters for the first time! So much fun!

In Wined and Died in New Orleans, we're back at Ricki James-Diaz's shop Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. I honestly can say that I am not a fan of cooking...anymore. I think that by the time you get to be my age and you've cooked more meals than you can count, you get a little tired of it. I know that there are exceptions, but I also know I'm not alone in this!! However, I would totally shop in Ricki's shop. Just because I don't want to cook doesn't mean that I won't. If the mood or recipe strikes, I'm all in. If you've seen "vintage" (I have a hard time thinking the 70s era in which I was born...right on the cusp of the decade) 1960s/70s cookbooks that were part of a series by a popular publisher, you will recall that they have a LOT of weird jello salads and other nasty looking salads, so I'd totally skip those! But give me a cookbook from the 40s/50s and I'll bake you a meal Mrs. Cleaver or Donna Reed would be proud to serve. Yes, this got a little long....but you can tell, I adore Ricki's shop!

I don't just love Ricki's shop though! I love the whole New Orleans setting. Even though I've never been, I can travel there through this series. Like Ricki, I'd be totally freaked out by the bad storms worrying about hurricanes. I do live in Ohio, but we hardly ever get bad storms anymore! It is nice listening to moderate storms if I'm safe inside and the tornado siren doesn't go off. It's kind of cozy. But Ricki's a Cali girl, and this is her first New Orleans storm season. She gets a bit hysterical, and the other characters tell her it's just a little rain. Yeah. The setting is awesome.

And the characters...they are hilarious and quirky and marvelous. They jump off the page and drag you right into their world. I love these new friends who have taken Ricki right into their little circle. The crazy side characters add just the right amount of flavor. I adore the latest character who has joined the cast. Her name is Olivia. She's Gen Z. She's hooked to her phone and social media all..the..time. She's Ricki's unpaid intern. I just love her, and I think you all will too.

Of course, the mystery is very well-plotted and believable, has lots of red herrings, and has the Bon Vee crew investigating. And Ricki's detective "friend" doesn't even complain too much about Ricki's nosiness. She's another character that I love and can't wait to see how her story develops. Oh! And, Ricki's crush will most likely become one of your book crushes (if you're into the whole fictional boyfriend thing).

Basically, I'm telling you to READ THIS BOOK! It's got the best characters, a setting that's to die for (literally in this case...), and a mystery that will keep you guessing. And it's written by an author who makes her books come alive! You'll be flipping the pages of Wined and Dined in New Orleans and staying up until 3 AM (I may or may not be speaking from experience) just to finish this exciting and spectacular book!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I'm absolutely loving this series and this book might've been better than the first! Poor Eugenia seemed to have relatives coming out from every woodwork wanting to contest Aunt Vee's will. One might be the real deal, but are the others fakes? And one relative wasn't even interested in the will, just having a little shell shock at the moment.

Speaking of relatives (legit ones that is!) I just loved Olivia's character as Eugenia's granddaughter and hope she hangs around for the rest of the series (which I hope is at least as long as Cajun Country was). She's fresh and funny and even taught Ricki and her Grams a thing or two. It's hard to not spill secrets while I gush over loving this book, so I'll just say to let the good times roll and read this awesome book to learn some fun secrets. It's super satisfying when the ones set out to do wrong get what they deserve! In true NOLA style, family and friends celebrated with all their fave foods and drinks.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Ellen Byron’s second book in her Vintage Cookbook cozy mystery series, Wined and Died in New Orleans, picks up soon after book one. It features twenty-eight year old widow Ricki James-Diaz. Her husband died doing a stunt and her boss was a criminal (unbeknownst to her) so she decides to move from Los Angeles to New Orleans, the city of her birth.

Ricki has turned her avocation of collecting vintage cookbooks into a job by establishing a gift shop in the late home turned museum of Genevieve (Vee) Charbonnet, who ran one of the city’s finest restaurants before she died. Ricki’s gift shop features vintage cookbooks and kitchenware. When repairs on the property unearth crates of very old and valuable French wine buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet, Ricki is initially thrilled when her post about the discovery goes viral. However, when distant Charbonnet family members start arriving demanding a cut of the wine’s sale, the situation rapidly goes downhill.

Ricki is a likeable person that makes friends easily, but she has trust issues due to her backstory. That backstory in book one gives readers insight into Ricki’s thoughts, behaviors, and actions towards others. There are a large number of characters, but there is a character list at the front of the book for reference. Readers will enjoy guessing which characters are dangerous and which are merely quirky.

Diverse characterization deepened the conflict while great world-building details and the internal dialogues pulled this reader into the inner world of the characters. The author captures the characters, as well as the cultural lifestyles and traditions of New Orleans and brings them to life. It was great to see how the dynamic characters responded to events as they unfolded. There was only one action taken near the end of the book that seemed at odds with Ricki’s character.

The well-plotted and beautifully executed story gradually builds momentum until it reaches the astonishing conclusion. There were some twists and turns along the way and one of the threads left open in book one’s epilogue was unraveled. I enjoyed the humor that was interspersed within the novel, as well as admiring how multiple threads were brought together effortlessly. The descriptive narrative transported me to New Orleans. However, the very ending was a little too much “tell” versus “show” for me.

At the end of the book are some recipes from a variety of vintage cookbooks as well as some information about the cookbooks themselves. Themes in the novel include death, theft, family dynamics, friendship, trust, greed, and much more.

Overall, this was an engaging novel with humor, suspense, action, and the possibility of romance. If you enjoy sleuth mysteries, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next in New Orleans and I want to check out this author’s other series.

Berkley Publishing Group and Ellen Byron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 7, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I went in to this book with somewhat mixed expectations. In the previous book I loved the setting and the side characters but Ricki drove me absolutely bonkers. I was so glad to see that Ricki has adjusted a bit more to her new home (though still doesn't have the local general nonchalance about hurricanes) and is really starting to find her feet running her store. In addition to the entertaining and varied group of side characters we met in the first book the author added in Iris, the overly enthusiastic tour guide, Olivia, Miss Eugenia's very teenage granddaughter, and a whole host of Charbonnet family members of varying degrees of eccentricity and nefarious schemes. Add in the complication of one gorgeous but not so nice Charbonnet relative just happens to be the assistant to Ricki's massive crush and co-dog parent Virgil, and Ricki has a lot going on. And that's before she has to start collecting other suspects to keep Eugenia from being the prime suspect in a murder.

This was a fun read. The author clearly knows her way around New Orleans and I enjoyed being able to really visualize the places that Ricki explored. I had a good time trying to guess which New Orleans institution Charbonnet's was based on (my guess in Antoine's as Brennan's has ridden changes in times a bit better) as well as trying to guess just what chaos was going on within the Charbonnet clan. The mystery kept me guessing and reading and I loved that we got some new information into the mystery of Ricki's backstory.

If you're looking for an entertaining read with a great setting and a likable cast of side characters you can't go wrong with this book - though I do recommend reading the first book first so you know all the whos whos.

This second Vintage Cookbook mystery is every bit as entertaining as the first. I enjoyed reading about seasoned New Orleanians' reactions to hurricane season as opposed to newbie Ricki's, and I certainly enjoyed tagging along as she bought stock for her shop. As someone who's always hated cooking, you'd think that I wouldn't touch a series with a theme of vintage cookbooks and kitchenware, but I find myself a bit enchanted with it. Perhaps it's because Ricki and her stock bring back memories of my mother and grandmother. Who knows? But this series isn't solely vintage-- I also appreciated Eugenia's granddaughter's crash course in using social media to boost sales.

Speaking of Eugenia, the head of the Louisiana Charbonnets, another source of entertainment was watching all the distant relatives scuttle out of the woodwork when the cache of extremely valuable wine was uncovered. I never knew when a new branch of the family would pop up next (or where it would be from).

There are a lot of family dynamics in Wined and Died in New Orleans, and it doesn't just concern who's going to get a share of the wine profits. Byron's series is shaping up to be one of my favorites because, not only does it have a strong, interesting main character, but it also entertains and educates. Who could ask for anything more?

"Wined and Died in New Orleans” the 2nd instalment in A Vintage Cookbook Mystery series by Ellen Byron. What a great follow up to book one!

I absolutely loved this story, full of family secrets, vintage wine all while overcoming her fear of hurricanes.

I really like Ricki, Zellah, Lyla, Eugenia and newest employee Victoria. Once again I enjoyed the interaction between Ricki and Detective Rodriguez. The author is great at building a community you become invested in and you want to be apart of it.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down. I also liked how the author left the ending making us wait in anticipation for book 3.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book three!


I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Berkley Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ricki James-Diaz is on hand when a great discovery is made at Bon Vee - crates of a valuable and old wine. The hope is that they can sell it to raise much needed money. However, the discovery starts bringing long lost relatives to New Orleans. When one of them turns up dead, Ricki jumps in to figure out what is really going on. Can she solve the case?

It was great to be visiting these characters again. I enjoyed the growth that Ricki and several of the other characters, both new and old, got here. Yes, we do see more from the cliffhanger at the end of book one here, and I loved how it contributed to the story in this book. The plot took a bit of time to set up before the murder took place, but that time wasn’t wasted. We had lots going on to keep us engaged on the way to the great finale. The author’s love of New Orleans comes through on every page without slowing things down. There are five recipes at the end adapted from vintage cookbooks. This is a fun second book in a delightful series.

After some crates of what could be very valuable wine are discovered hidden at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, Ricki starts looking for ways to combine the upcoming auction with promotions for her vintage cookbook shop. Those bottles of wine could generate a small fortune, money that will definitely help the museum, and she's eager to help. Even if that means venturing back onto social media, something she's shied away from since her husband died while filming a prank video. News of the auction brings distant Charbonnet cousins to town, all hoping to claim what they see as their share of the windfall and seemingly willing to do anything to make that happen.

I loved this one, with its quirky characters and the atmospheric backdrop of New Orleans. This murder mystery could only have happened at this museum with these people and I can't wait to see what happens to Ricki and her friends next.

Ricki James-Diaz runs a vintage cookbook/kitchen gadget shop inside the stately Bon Vee Culinary House Museum in New Orleans. Everyone is on hurricane watch when news comes that some old and very valuable French wines once belonging to the home's builder are unearthed on the property. Trying to drum up business, Ricki posts about the wines, and the story goes viral. But, unfortunately, this brings long-lost descendants of the first owner out of the woodwork and trying to stake a claim. So when a dead body is found at Bon Vee, and Ricki's boss/mentor is the prime suspect, Ricki sets out to find the real killer.

There is so much to love in this clever whodunnit! Engaging writing, the fabulous New Orleans setting, eccentric and memorable characters, long-held family secrets, witty dialogue, peacocks on the loose, and lots of humor. Byron has worked as a tv comedy writer, including on The Fairly Odd Parents, and she definitely dishes up the fun here! The best lines belong to Nina, the detective who responds with good-natured wisecracks every time amateur sleuth Ricki calls her with leads or information. I laughed every time they interacted! The mystery is satisfying and well-paced, and one subplot leads to a big twist. I really cannot wait to see where Byron takes things from here! Finally, recipes from vintage cookbooks are included, adding a final fun touch. From start to finish, an entertaining read! Cozy mystery lovers, you'll want to pick this up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!