The Cornbread Killer

Heaven Lee #5

by Lou Jane Temple

Kansas City chef Heaven Lee is one tough cookie. Not only can she slice, dice, and julienne the finest food in town, she's got nerves of steel to match her culinary skills. From deadly barbeques to bodies in dough, one things for Heaven Lee can outsmart and outcook them all.

Heaven Lee is tackling the world of soul food and jazz . When a big jazz festival comes to town, the chief organizer is murdered. Of course Heaven Lee was around for the murder and gets fingered as a suspect, along with many other Kansas City residents who also seemed to dislike her. But the festival must go on, so Heaven and the rest of her crew have to cook and get the music started all while avoiding becoming the killer's next target.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1999

About the author

LOU JANE TEMPLE, the former owner of Cafe Lulu in Kansas City, wrote about food and entertaining for Kansas City Magazine, and was the author of the Heaven Lee mysteries, a series of culinary thrillers.

Lou Jane moved to Kansas City in the late 1960s and was a 50-year resident of Kansas City, Mo., and a creative force in the city.

Reviews

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heaven Lee gets involved in another situation when she prepares for the Kansas City Jazz festival coming to celebrate the neighborhood surrounding her restaurant. 18th and Vine is an historical area with a rich history in jazz. Bringing soul cooks together for a feast that highlights their finest recipes should have been an easy task but Heaven soon finds out that egos are big in the soul food world. Ella Jackson, new chef bringing her chain of soul food restaurants to the district isn't welcomed by the other soul food restaurants. The Harlem Soul Food Queen has another agenda for coming to the jazz fest....looking for her estranged father and maybe half sister. The event planner, Evelyn Edwards is found to have been getting kickbacks and she's made enemies of everyone. Heaven's history with musicians kicks in with a long lost "love" coming to town. At first it seems to be a God send since Heaven is in desperate need of a musician to fill out the festival committee....but does he have alterior motives? A love triangle with Boots Turner, Samantha Scott and her baseball star husband Lefty creates heat. Heaven's snooping, being overworked, general interest in what's going on and trying to solve the mystery make her a target. The background of jazz and soul food with enticing recipes included make for a good read.

[Katie Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining look at mayhem threatening to break out during the dedication of a historic jazz district in Kansas City -- 18th and Vine. Restaurateur Heaven Lee helps police sort out the suspects while juggling duties for the celebration.

[Bob McLeavy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyline!

Liked all the diverse characters. Enjoyed the baseball history and of course the food angle and recipes!
I didn’t want the last page to be the end.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love reading a story set in Kansas City!

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of fun. Enjoyed the Louisiana recipes in Kansas. A little too casual about violence.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

abandoned...language and content not to my liking

[Linda Famous · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book at a book sale. It was ok. I didn't get a real feel for the characters.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently this is a series of books with the main character named Heaven Lee. In the past she was an attorney, but did something illegal and lost her license to practice law. Now she owns a resturant in downtown Kansas City,but really is an ametur sleuth. In this book, Kansas City is celebrating a re-invention of the jazz center of the town.
Early in the story, the event planner is murdered.....but it could have been an accidental death by electricity.
Lou Jane Temple does a nice job of having real jazz players and characters who are jazz playes who are not real. That adds an interesting dimention to the book.
If you have ever been around any kind of event and know the planning and people it takes to carry off such an event, you will find this an interesting story. (especially when you consider there
is a murder and some possible other crimes thrown into the mix)
This is also one of those mystery books that contain receipes. The book has 13 receipes from various types of food.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jazz! Baseball! Love from the past! And, of course, food! Another "okay" mystery, the 5th in the line of Heaven Lee novels. I don't really see what the murder had to do with "cornbread," and I feel like there were some loose ends. Hank, Heaven's much-younger boyfriend, is absent in this tale, except for a few phone calls. But other characters we know and love - Bonnie, Joe, Chris, Murray, etc. - are all here. These are just fun, cozy mysteries that you can curl up with and be done in a matter of hours. I love all the KC references - there's even a mention of the Nelson Atkins art museum.

[Drew- Pickleball Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lou Jane Temple keeps it real! Not only does she use real locations, but she talks about realistic cultural events. This time it's the Kansas City's 18th and Vine Historical District dedication. Even Charlie Parker's plastic sax comes into play! Yes, Charlie Parker did have a plastic sax. You can see it at the 18th and Vine Jazz Museum.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, easy to read murder mystery set in Kansas City. The recipes at the beginning of each chapter are great!

[Shirley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like it at all, though I usually enjoy the "food" women mystery writers. This one, though I could not get into, although a recipe for sweet potato pecan pie did look good.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes included.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun read. Love the Kansas City connection since I'm from just outside KC and know the area so well!

[Pam Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a favorite series of mine since it is a culinary mystery set in Kansas City. Good characters and an interesting plot, plus a setting with which I am familiar. It's a good cozy read.

[Paige Kuether · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun mystery, takes place in Kansas City

[Rogue Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cover image looks like Trump. Nice cozy with a good feel for Kansas City Missouri ethnicities and food.