THE FRAGRANCE OF DEATH

What could be worse for a chef than to lose her sense of smell and taste? Wait and see.

Sally Solari is stricken with a head cold just as she’s competing in the annual Artichoke Cook-Off in her hometown of Santa Cruz. Among the competitors are her father and Neil Lerici, the brother of her high school bestie, Grace, who’s running his parents’ artichoke farm. Neil once again wins the People’s Choice award, but any enjoyment he might take in his honor ends when his body is discovered with a gash in the head and an artichoke stuffed in his mouth. Since breaking off a romantic relationship with Eric, her closest friend, Sally’s been dating Det. Martin Vargas, who, knowing that she’s had a hand in solving other murders, asks her to keep her eyes open. All right, maybe Sally gets a little carried away when she renews her friendship with Grace and becomes involved in the family’s problems. Their father, who seems to be having memory issues, had been thinking about dividing the farm among Neil, Grace, and their older brother, Ryan, a real estate agent, but their mother’s and Neil’s opposition to the idea had stirred up bitter feelings within Ryan, who already had a buyer in mind. Mrs. Lerici used to date Sally’s dad in high school, and she gets a funny feeling about their relationship after Mr. Lerici makes a vague reference to someone not being his son. Juggling all these problems with her attempts to cook without any sense of smell, Sally learns enough to alienate Vargas, who thinks she’s gone too far.

Lots of suspects and even more food.