Title:	Wined and Died in New Orleans
	Author:	Ellen Byron
	Published:	February 7, 2023, Berkley
	No. of Pages:	285
	Cover Price:	$8.99 Paperback, $8.99 Kindle

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The second installment of The Vintage Cookbook series by bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Byron, Wined and Died in New Orleans finds Ricki James-Diaz, owner of Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop located in the historical Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, investigating the murder of a relative of Eugenia Charbonnet Felice, president of the museum Foundation board and niece of the late owner of Bon Vee, Genevieve Charbonnet. Distant relatives of hers are coming out of the woodwork to claim part ownership in a stash of rare French wine (120 bottles) from 1857 that had been hidden under the house by the original builder of the house. One cousin came from France and filed a lawsuit claiming he should be part owner of the wine. When the murder weapon is found under Eugenia’s desk, she becomes a suspect, and Ricki, who is an amateur sleuth, must find the real killer before Eugenia is arrested.

Byron is an excellent storyteller, and this novel flows, with plenty of twists and turns, as well as sub-plots that will keep readers on the edge. The author also does a good job of developing her characters, and Ricki is a viable protagonist. The supporting characters are also well-developed – some are likeable and some not – and it is difficult to know who-done-it before the dénouement at the end. Byron captures the ambiance of New Orleans, and makes readers want to visit soon.

One fun aspect of this series is that there are recipes from old cookbooks included, and there are plenty of food-focused scenarios in the book. This is a fun novel, and most readers will want to read the previous book as well as the subsequent that are to come.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.