KILLING ME SOUFFLÉ

When an unpopular Oregon resort manager is murdered, there are plenty of suspects on the menu.

Jules Capshaw, pastry chef and owner of Ashland’s Torte bakeshop, has traveled with her husband, Carlos, and his son, Ramiro, to Whaleshead Resort on the Oregon coast. Jules had spent happy days in the little beach town growing up, but this trip is to support two of her former employees, Sterling and Steph, who are managing the formerly moribund SeaBreeze Bistro. Upon their arrival, they find the chefs a jittery mess since their boss, Erik Morton, seems bent on sabotaging their efforts. Among the people unhappy with Erik is the fish supplier, who’s not getting paid, and plenty of locals, who don’t want the old-fashioned establishment turned into a mega resort. The cabins on the property are privately owned, and the owners are planning a vote to sell the place. The real estate agent is naturally eager to see the deal sealed, but people like the handyman, whose salary includes a cabin, and a local painter who enjoys free use of a place to live and work are furious. When Jules, who’s pregnant with twins, goes out to pick some vegetables, she hears a scream and carefully walks down a trail to discover Erik’s dead body, which has fallen from a cliff. Suspecting that the fall was no accident, she’s delighted when her stepfather, who’s a detective, turns up to help her investigate.

A foodie’s delight that includes an enticing look at Southern Oregon’s beauties and appended recipes.