"A SHEETCAKE NAMED DESIRE," by Jacklyn Brady, Penguin, $7.99, 304 pages (f)
“A Sheetcake Named Desire,” which comes out in the begining of August, is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries by Jacklyn Brady.
The plot centers around Rita Lucerno, a classically trained pastry chef, who has recently come to New Orleans in the hopes of getting her ex-husband Philippe to finally sign their divorce papers.
Once in the city Rita finds that many things have changed over the last two years. Philippe is the owner of a successful cake shop called Zydeco Cakes and has a new girlfriend. When he is found dead in the rose garden, it leaves Rita as the next in line for his estate, the shop and the ire of his killer. Miss Frankie, Philippe’s grieving mother, asks Rita to stay on to figure out who killed Philippe and to keep Zydeco from being run into the ground.
This book is a fun, fast read with a clever who-dun-it mystery thread, a hint of romance in the interactions between Rita and the investigating office Detective Sullivan and loads of chocolate cake and butter cream.
The characters in this piece are very well developed, and it is fun to read about each character with his or her individual back story and reasons for being involved in the shop and in the plot. The author has included a recipe section which will leave you craving jambalaya and cornbread or ready to bake a cake by the time you’re finished.
While this is a murder mystery the content of “A Sheetcake Named Desire” is very tastefully handled and reader friendly. There are a few minor uses of cursing and some accepted drinking and smoking. References are made to a couple living together and there are some romantic overtones, but nothing detailed and it is all very cute.
The detailed descriptions of the murder are left to the imagination, much more focus given to the mystery surrounding the death instead of guts and gore.
The focus on relationships be they romantic, family or friendship and the ins and outs of the plotting make this book suitable for teenagers and older readers. It’s a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon and a cozy kick off to an enjoyable new series.
Jana Brown is an avid reader who yearns for more bookshelves. She can often be found in the kitchen, on Twitter @cornabys or at cornabys.wordpress.com talking family and food.