Food Crimes

Food Preneurs, one of the hottest cooking shows on TV, has decided to feature Jewel Bay in an upcoming episode, and everyone in town is preparing for their close-ups, including the crew at the Glacier Mercantile, a.k.a. the Merc. Not only is Erin Murphy busy remodeling her courtyard into a relaxing dining area, she's organizing a steak-cooking competition between three of Jewel Bay's hottest chefs to be featured on the program.

Beneath the gloss of star chefs and crystal-laden tables, the truffle supply chain is touched by theft, secrecy, sabotage, and fraud. Farmers patrol their fields with rifles and fear losing trade secrets to spies. Hunters plant poisoned meatballs to eliminate rival truffle-hunting dogs. Naive buyers and even experts are duped by liars and counterfeits. Deeply reported and elegantly written, this exposé documents the dark, sometimes deadly crimes at each level of the truffle’s path from ground to plate, making sense of an industry that traffics in scarcity, seduction, and cash.

This box set includes the first three books in Lucy Burdette's cozy culinary Key West Food Critic Mystery series: An Appetite for Murder, Death in Four Courses, and Topped Chef.

In the charming coastal town of Seagrove Harbor, the annual Harvest Festival is a celebration of community, food, and friendship—until tragedy strikes. When beloved organic grocer, Maria Alvarez, collapses after sampling her famous salsa, the idyllic atmosphere shatters, leaving everyone questioning the innocence of their cherished traditions. Lila McAllister, owner of the Seagrove Bakery & Café, can't shake the feeling that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. Teaming up with Maria's niece, aspiring detective Izzy Alvarez, the duo dives into a web of secrets, jealousy, and ...

Whiskers, Witchcraft, and Whodunit: Join BMC on a Psychic Purr-suit to Unravel a Tail of Mystery! When BMC, a psychic talking Maine Coon cat, loses his beloved human, Gertrude, he vows to protect her daughter, Amelda. But when Amelda mysteriously disappears after a fight with her villainous boyfriend, BMC's life is thrown into chaos. Trapped in a small town with only a quirky pug named Bugsy to count on, BMC must use his newfound light-witch abilities to navigate a web of lies and danger. As BMC and Bugsy team up to unravel the truth, they encounter meddling ghosts, psychic frauds, and ...

During the week between Christmas and New Year's, the year-round population of Key West, Florida, faces a tsunami of tourists and snowbirds. It doesn't help that outrageously wealthy key-lime-pie aficionado David Sloan has persuaded the city to host his pie-baking contest. Every pie purveyor on the island is out to win the coveted Key Lime Key to the City, and Key Zest food-critic Hayley Snow is on the scene to report it. Meanwhile, Hayley's home life is turning more tart than sweet.

Blackmailed by a bestie. Quarreled with an ex. Ruined by a spell, and it isn’t even noon. Three years ago, after discovering her ex-husband in bed with playmates one-third his age, Alyssa moved home, throwing herself into her new pet food business. Working day and night, she clawed her way toward success. Today, she intended to fetch the brass ring. Instead, magic rolled her island, exposing a secret and uncovering a dead body. Facing financial ruin and the threat of death, Alyssa must cage her resentment and bond with the ex-fiancé who shredded her heart long ago. Together, they must ...

City Developer Murdered at Historic Castle Anna's Cafe is flourishing. But the town of Dolphin Bay is in uproar as a city developer proposes new construction on the scenic Coastal Walk. Locals flock to the town meeting to protest. Hours later, the man is dead, stabbed to death in a room full of people. The police face a big challenge since everyone present had a motive to kill. When Anna’s friend and local resort owner Charlie Robinson becomes the top suspect, she reluctantly steps in to help. Can she ignore his sordid reputation and trust he is innocent? New secrets are revealed and ...

Champion Cyclist Falls to Death It's spring in Dolphin Bay and a big cycle race is passing through town. Anna's Cafe sets up a stall with snacks and drinks for the participants. When a well known cyclist crashes to his death in the woods, the police blame the lemonade. Suddenly, Anna's granddaughter is the top suspect because she was seen handing out drinks to the dead guy. Anna and company are stumped because the victim was a total stranger who didn't know any of them. The new detective in town wants to close the case soon and time is running out. Meanwhile, the mayor and her minions ...

THE GRAND FINALE - the Last book in the much loved Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery Series 5 stars - ' Best of the best....reading...OMG wonderful' Dolphin Bay Mayor Bashed to Death The coastal California town of Dolphin Bay has fall fever. When the vicious mayor is found dead in the hay bale maze, there is no dearth of suspects. Anna and the Firecrackers aren't surprised that very few people in town are grieving the poor dead woman. Clues and red herrings abound but it's not easy to figure out who killed her. Series fans are in for a roller coaster ride with twists and turns that will keep them ...

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason to stop by... The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers' pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to forgotten memories and future happiness.

A summer cruise. Horseplay and hijinks. And DEATH on the high seas! Starry eyed intern Meg Butler has embarked on her dream job, only to be thwarted at the first step. No, she didn't mean to poison the guests at the Sail Away party. Her boss thinks otherwise and is ready to send her back home. When a healthy young man is found dead in his cabin, Meg thinks its murder! But who will believe her? Flanked by a motley group of interns and crew members, Meg stumbles her way across Alaska, separating the clues from the red herrings, determined to find the guilty passenger. Meanwhile, things are ...

In the bustling heart of Chicago, where deep-dish pizza meets cutthroat business, Ivy Rowe thought her biggest challenge would be landing the next big marketing contract. She was wrong. When Ivy's client and friend, Celeste Green of Chicago Dogs, is found murdered at a high-stakes Blackhawks game, the savvy marketing executive finds herself thrust into a world of danger she never expected. With the police eyeing the wrong suspect, Ivy knows she must uncover the truth – but at what cost? As she digs deeper, Ivy unravels a conspiracy that goes far beyond a simple business rivalry. From the ...

For millennia, fresh olive oil has been a necessity - for food, medicine, beauty, and religion. Today's researchers continue to confirm the remarkable, life-giving properties of true extra-virgin, and "extra-virgin Italian" has become the highest standard of quality. But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt?

Take an armchair trip to the Mexican Riviera! Runaway Bride Abandons Cruise Wedding The Butler women are on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera to attend a shipboard wedding, looking forward to sipping margaritas in the sun. When Cassie's friend, a rich heiress goes missing before the wedding, chaos ensues. Was it just wedding jitters or did something sinister happen to her? Anna sets her grief aside and goes sleuthing again, accompanied by her debonair gentleman friend. Neither wedding guest nor family member escapes her scrutiny as she struggles to find a motive. The stakes are raised when ...

Good Samaritan Shot Dead5 stars - 'Each book is better than the last.' A heartwarming cozy mystery series about family, friendship and a crusade for justice. Dolphin Bay is celebrating Founder's Day with great pomp and show. Anna's cherry lime cupcakes impress the patron of the year, a retired doctor who has generously sponsored the local food bank. The next morning, the whole town reels in shock at the news of his death. When the police arrest Anna's employee for murder, her criminal past is revealed. There is trouble in paradise as Anna realizes her gentleman friend kept secrets from her....

On October 12, 2005, a massive fire broke out in the Wines Central wine warehouse in Vallejo, California. Within hours, the flames had destroyed 4.5 million bottles of California's finest wine worth more than $250 million, making it the largest destruction of wine in history. The fire had been deliberately set by a passionate oenophile named Mark Anderson, a skilled con man and thief with storage space at the warehouse who needed to cover his tracks.

For fans of Hallmark Christmas movies - a light hearted holiday story to get you in the spirit of the season. Jenny King is trying hard to raise enough money for the local children's home. When a confused old man arrives on her doorstep, she welcomes him with open arms. Is Jenny's guest a trickster like her boyfriend suspects, or is he just a lost soul, looking for a warm haven? Curl up with this short cozy read this season and share it with your family and friends. **Candy Canes and Christmas is a light hearted short story set in the town of Pelican Cove. This is a bonus read for fans of ...

In the glittering heart of Vancouver, inside a lavish hotel, the quest for eternal youth takes a sinister turn. For four individuals, the looming dread of aging becomes an obsession, fueling their desperation for Jeanine Bouchard's revolutionary skin cream – a miraculous concoction promising not only to reverse the ravages of time but to heal any wound. But how far would one go for a second chance at youth? As rivalries intensify, the line between ambition and madness blurs, turning desire into a deadly game. With a stellar ensemble of characters and a twist you won't see coming, this ...

Alan Woolsham was at the top of his game. He was an acclaimed television star in England and had come to New York to film four special TV shows dealing with British antiques. The shows were to be taped at the Whitney Museum, and Alan hoped to open up a whole new viewing audience for his wildly successful show. But things didn’t go as planned. Murder does have a way of changing things. So much for stardom in the States. Marty and her husband, Jeff, were in New York City for what the hype promised to be a television and museum extravaganza about British antiques. Marty, an art and antique ...