FRENCH ROAST
by Sandra Balzo
A reunion between long-parted spouses goes horribly wrong.
When her barista, Amy Caprese, announces that she has an appointment with a psychologist, Wisconsin coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen senses trouble. Not only does Amy whip up a tasty latte, but her constant good humor helps keep Maggie and her business partner, Sarah Kingston, on an even keel. Could a romance with Maggy's cousin Jacque [sic] Oui, the irascible owner of Schultz’s Market, be enough to send even sunny Amy running for the nearest therapist? Amy knows about Jacque’s previous wife, the late Naomi Verdeaux. But when an even earlier spouse named Paulette Badeaux surfaces, Amy freaks, especially since the first Madame Oui claims that her divorce from Jacque was never made legal. Paulette camps out in Jacque’s apartment above Schultz’s while Jacque moves in temporarily with Maggy and her fiance, Sheriff Jake Pavlik. That night, Schultz’s burns to the ground, leaving behind two charred bodies: one male and one female. Maggy awakes to find Jacque missing. Did the temperamental grocer perish in a midnight assignation with his ex? Did Paulette’s plans for a romantic reunion get too hot to handle?
The body count rises quickly as Balzo’s quirky cozy turns darker than a freshly brewed espresso.