A CRIME OF PASSION FRUIT

Who killed the stowaway?

Juliet Capshaw has left behind years of traveling the world as a pastry chef on a cruise ship to return to her beloved hometown of Ashland, Oregon, as manager of Torte, her mother’s bakery. She’s also left behind her sexy Spanish husband, Carlos, also a chef. But when he calls to beg her to stand in for a few days until their new pastry chef arrives on the Amour of the Seas, she can’t resist, especially when he throws in double pay and a free trip for her mother and her mother's boyfriend, a detective everyone calls the Professor. All goes swimmingly until Juliet discovers a body floating in the ship’s pool. Although Juliet had seen the unidentified young woman with both the cruise director and a sultry dancer with designs on Carlos, she was most likely a stowaway, and everyone claims not to know her. When it’s determined that the death was no accident, the captain asks the Professor for assistance, and Juliet, who’s helped the Professor solve other crimes (Fudge & Jury, 2017, etc.), tries to lend a hand in what little spare time she has. Although Juliet still loves Carlos, she’s unwilling to give up her life in Ashland, and she isn’t sure Carlos would be happy there even if he were willing to give up his wandering ways. Though Juliet has a knack at getting people to confide in her, she’s so busy creating perfect pastries that detection is way down on her list, leaving the Professor to carry the load in ferreting out the killer.

Just reading the descriptions of delectable desserts (and the appended recipes) can pile on the pounds, leaving the slight mystery to languish.