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Heaven Lee #6
Red Beans and Vice
Chef and restaurateur Heaven Lee has gotten into plenty of scrapes in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. This time around, she's cooking up trouble in New Orleans while visiting to help the Sisters of the Holy Trinity hold their annual benefit dinner. The convent is having financial problems and only Heaven Lee's culinary creativity can offer hope.
Unfortunately, before she can really get cooking, Heaven's old friend Mary's husband, HeavelkjTruely Whitten, coffee importer and native New Orleanian, is found murdered with Heaven's own knife. To make matters worse, the convent's sacred cross simultaneously turns up missing. When she becomes the prime suspect, Heaven has no choice but to put her pots and pans aside and pursue the villain in order to both clear her own name and get dinner on the table in time for the big benefit.
Heaven's smart, saucy attitude spurs her on in the search for the vicious murderer as well as for the perfect New Orleans dish to serve the Sisters. When all else fails, she finds the answers to both puzzles right under her own nose, saving the day and serving up a new signature Heaven Lee dish, Nola Pie. The delectable dessert is guaranteed to tantalize readers' taste buds and the satisfying mystery will leave them begging for seconds.
Unfortunately, before she can really get cooking, Heaven's old friend Mary's husband, HeavelkjTruely Whitten, coffee importer and native New Orleanian, is found murdered with Heaven's own knife. To make matters worse, the convent's sacred cross simultaneously turns up missing. When she becomes the prime suspect, Heaven has no choice but to put her pots and pans aside and pursue the villain in order to both clear her own name and get dinner on the table in time for the big benefit.
Heaven's smart, saucy attitude spurs her on in the search for the vicious murderer as well as for the perfect New Orleans dish to serve the Sisters. When all else fails, she finds the answers to both puzzles right under her own nose, saving the day and serving up a new signature Heaven Lee dish, Nola Pie. The delectable dessert is guaranteed to tantalize readers' taste buds and the satisfying mystery will leave them begging for seconds.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 17, 2001
3 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Lou Jane Temple
18 books33 followersLOU 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 1, 2021
Heaven Lee is in NOLA hanging with an old lawyer friend and cooking for the Sisters of the Holy Trinity's benefit dinner. Things get off to a rocky start when her friend's husband is found murdered by Heaven's own knife. An explosion down the street disrupts the dinner at the same time as the murder but Heaven seems to be the only one who sees it as a diversion. Heaven's sleuthing isn't welcome and she isn't taken seriously by many but as always she perseveres. Using her talent for solving murders she uncovers interesting tidbits that people have hidden as secrets leading her to question everyone and everything that's happening. Without her usual kitchen helpers from Kansas City Heaven's on her own this time. She has to figure it out....who's to blame? Is the murder related to the the problems going on with the sisters' dinner or is it related to the business of her friend? Who can be trusted? She doesn't know these New Orleans people very well and can suspect each one for different reasons but what's the right reason? Cajun recipes with seafood and spice add to the mystery.
July 4, 2021
Terrific! A story well worth reading.
April 27, 2025
Just okay.
October 30, 2011
Although this is not the first book in the series, it was easy to follow the already established characters. The character of Heaven Lee is a lady full of life and energy. She has a great relationshp with Hank who is much younger and makes no excuses for it. The mystery was good and the recipes interesting. New Orleans was well described. I am looking forward to reading more Heaven Lee books.
September 1, 2016
Just couldn't identify with the main character or her predicament. It was like being introduced to someone at a cocktail party, chatting for a bit, and realizing there must be others in the room with whom I have more in common. Nothing overtly annoying in the writing or storyline. I simply didn't connect.
February 23, 2015
Not much of a sleuth this Heaven Lee, and who in their right mind would change their name from Katherine O'Malley to that ridiculous moniker?!
A mildly amusing tale. Certainly better than Revenge of the Barbeque Queens by the same author.
Rated 5/10 at http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1....
A mildly amusing tale. Certainly better than Revenge of the Barbeque Queens by the same author.
Rated 5/10 at http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1....
March 5, 2022
Held my interest to the end.
July 26, 2011
A good mystery but the writing is pretty choppy. Takes place in New Orleans with a chef invited to cook at a charity dinner so recipes are included.
April 10, 2013
This is a cute murder mystery, complete with real recipes, written by a Kansas City author. The amateur detective, Heaven Lee, is entertaining, and the New Orleans setting is intriguing.
April 12, 2016
I really like Lou Jane Temple' mysteries, lots of twists, culinary information and a tricky plot
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews