San Francisco pastry chef Mary Ryan is back teaching at her old alma mater, trying to straddle the worlds of both her original mentors and her contemporaries. To make matters worse, Homicide Detective O’Connor has enrolled as a student, claiming to be on disability from the San Francisco Police Department. In the middle of this turf war, Mary is confronted by the dean Robert Benson, who tells Mary she must either force Coolie Martin to leave the school or lose her job. Why would Coolie’s father, a member of the Board of Directors, allow this? But when faculty and staff begin dying, Mary thinks that Coolie’s forced exit might only be part of a larger, more sinister plot. Acting on a hint from O’Connor, Mary contacts the only person who can help her: her nemesis, Thom Woods. Will Mary and Thom uncover the truth before another chef bakes his last pie?
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"A murder mystery that had me laughing out loud. What a great combination!"
— Jacque (4 out of 5 stars)
“Johnson’s best Mary Ryan novel yet! Roux Morgue is a sacher torte of a book, delightfully layered with prose, plot, pace, and character. Dig into Roux Morgue immediately! And order anything this terrific cozy writer whips up in her highly talented and well-stocked literary kitchen.”
— Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of One Was a Soldier“Superior…This enjoyable romp should gain Johnson new fans.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Williams’ breezy tone offsets the tension of the mystery and heightens both the mouth-watering kitchen scenes and the back-alley murder settings…provides the listener with a feast of adventure and a soupçon of romance. Pick up a fork and indulge.”
— AudioFile“Food Channel addicts will enjoy the inside details on cooking-school politics, while fans of quirky mysteries will like the outrageous adult behavior on display.”
— Library Journal“Johnson wraps her story with details of kitchen lore, and the twists and turns of the plot leave readers guessing.”
— Booklist“Sexual tension, cooking tips and a neatly packaged mystery. All in all, a tasty tale.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Not fond of this one. Disappointing. Have to agree with Allison. The "heroine" is not someone I would care to know. "
— Barbara, 11/8/2011" What was the writer thinking, having a love interest who is married, Catholic, with kids?? Ugh! "
— Lois, 11/3/2011" since i love to read this was a very quick read. i am taking classes to learn to be a chef!!!!!this book was a fun read "
— Erin, 8/6/2011" What was the writer thinking, having a love interest who is married, Catholic, with kids?? Ugh! "
— Lois, 11/13/2010" since i love to read this was a very quick read. i am taking classes to learn to be a chef!!!!!this book was a fun read "
— Erin, 1/23/2009" Not fond of this one. Disappointing. Have to agree with Allison. The "heroine" is not someone I would care to know. "
— Barbara, 8/4/2008Claire M. Johnson completed the California Culinary Academy’s program for professional chefs in 1983 and worked as a pastry chef in San Francisco and Oakland for eight years. Her first novel, Beat until Stiff, won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writer’s Grant. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, two children, and numerous animals.
Christine Williams is a singer and actor based in Ashland, Oregon. Her performance credits include productions at regional theaters and on concert stages across the country and around the world, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Barbican Centre in London to the Aspen Music Festival and the Grotowski Institute in Poland.