Evidence in the Eclairs — Rose Betancourt

A delicious treat for fans of Ellie Alexander and Lucy Burdette, life at the bakery heats up when an éclair recipe falls into the wrong hands -- and murder is the deadly frosting.

Marci Beaucoup is loving life as the owner of a French-style patisserie in the small town of Paris, Kentucky -- but when newcomer Ellen Charles arrives, Marci's sweet surroundings suddenly turn darker than a mouthful of baker's chocolate. First, Ellen accuses Marci of stealing her éclair recipe. Then, Ellen is found dead in a dumpster behind the bakery, a box of éclairs clutched in her cold hands. Naturally, Marci becomes suspect number one. And when she starts receiving threatening messages written in French, it's clear that someone is out to put the final ganache on her business -- and maybe, her life.

Detective Maverick Malone has loved Marci since grade school, and doesn't believe she's capable of murder. But he can't ignore that the evidence against her is mounting. Ellen and Marci had been seen in an argument the day before the murder. The body was found behind Marci's shop. And an anonymous source claims to have overheard Marci threaten Ellen. But there are other potential suspects as well. Ellen's best friend, Marianne Spencer, was secretly stewing over a cookbook that Ellen was working on, contending that the recipes were really hers. Steamy Beans Coffee Shop owner Leanne James had a confrontation with Ellen as well. And an enigmatic figure named Matthew Dean has followed Ellen to Paris from her former hometown of Louisville, claiming that she owes him money and determined to get it at any cost.

But who's sending Marci the threatening letters? Someone who speaks and writes French -- but no one seems to have that particular je ne sais quoi. All fingers are pointing at Marci, and if she can't find the real killer, she could be on her way to prison -- or iced for good.