When Sadie Kramer heads to New Orleans with her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, her sole expectation is a spectacular vacation. With fabulous music, exquisite cuisine, and rich culture, how could a week in The Big Easy be anything less than fantastic? And it is - until a customer at popular Chez Lisette Patisserie drops dead face-first in a raspberry-almond tart.
A competitive bakery, a newly-formed friendship, and even Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc’s luxurious accommodations offer possible suspects. As Sadie sorts through a gumbo of interconnected characters, will she discover who the killer is? Or will the killer discover her first?
Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible.
Sadie Kramer was likeable enough, I guess. If I ate as much food as she does I would be 300 lbs inside the same 6 days she was on vacation in NOLA. I've been to New Orleans and I didn't find the city as clean, interesting or wonderful as Sadie Kramer seemed to, although she mostly shopped and ate and I really don't think she walked her dog enough. I did like beignets and when I enjoyed them in New Orleans there were street mimes around in filthy costumes.
Ms. Garner writes well...cleanly, clearly but the story was, I'm sorry to say, boring. The interactions were rather stilted and Sadie was not a good listener at all and tended to jump to conclusions. The best part was at the end when it became obvious the detective Sadie interacted with had an interest in one another. I won't go back and read books 1 and 2, nor will I read any that come after this one. I'm sorry, Ms. Garner. I'm sure you have lots of other fans, but I am just not one of them. I was so very glad when this book ended.
This was an enjoyable cozy mystery read, from the setting of New Orleans to the colorful outfits for Sadie (and Coco) to the delectable food. In this story, Sadie is on vacation in New Orleans, traveling only with her precious pet, Coco, ever present in her large tote. Along the way, she strikes up a conversation with a fellow traveller and they agree to meet up again in New Orleans. This leads Sadie to yet another murder, this time as a front row witness. As she tries to enjoy her vacation, she becomes embroiled in the murder investigation, endangering not only her own life, but also putting Coco in peril. I am looking forward to the next Sadie adventure.
New Orleans provides Sadie a murder mystery along with lots of good food and interesting shopping. Sadie actually witnessed the death and then becomes embroiled in solving the crime.
I adore this series. I love Sadie Kramer and her traveling companion, Cocoa, a cute little dog. Sadie Kramer owns a boutique, Flair, in San Francisco with Amber as her assistant. Her neighbor, Matteo, who owns a chocolate shop,Cioccolata, near her boutique, supplies her with delicious chocolate treats. She is on her way to a vacation in New Orleans and meets Clotile Laurent, a co-passenger of the same age. They have a pleasant chitchat. Clotile asks Sadie about her lodging. She makes a weird face after learning that she had made her reservations at Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc. When Sadie presses her for information, Clotile tells her the group has its own cafe cum bakery, Bluette’s Beignets, which is a competitor for Lissette Patisserie. Clotile is a regular at Lissette's bakery. She reveals that Mimi Arnaud, the manager at Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc patronizes Lissette's patisserie because her family despised the LeBlancs. They exchange numbers after arriving at New Orleans. Clotile invites her to have breakfast with her at Chez Lisette Patisserie, the following day. Meanwhile, Sadie decides to go for a stroll and enters a fortune teller's shop to have her fortune read. The fortune teller, Gina, warns her that someone close to her might be in danger. Unfortunately,her prediction comes true as Clotile and Sadie witness Mimi choking to death after having her raspberry-almond tarts. The clouds of suspicion fall on Lisette and her pastry chef Julienne, is taken for questioning. Desperate to save Lisette, Clotile and Sadie discuss the case. Sadie has her fair share of trouble after someone tries to frame her Mimi's murder by placing the Whipped cream laced with cyanide in her room. Detective Broussard is convinced of her innocence as she tries to taste the cream without knowing that it's poisonous. Her precious Cocoa is dognapped but the police rescue her and return her to Sadie. She also finds Clotile's behavior rather suspicious after finding her interact with two men in Bluette's Beignets. Who are these men? Should she trust Clotile after receiving a text from her that their lives are in danger? Why was Mimi murdered and by whom? There are some amazing twists to keep us glued to the book. It's a highly entertaining book and a must read.
It was alright as far as storyline, but there were multiple times where something would be said or revealed and then later it would be said again as though it were all new information... that was pretty annoying, it seemed to happen quite a bit. For instance, in Chapter One, when on the plane, Clotile and Sadie have this conversation: "'Is Arnaud…' Sadie paused, thinking this through. 'Is that Lisette’s family name? Do the bakery families own the hotel?' More and more, it sounded like changing hotels might not be a bad idea. 'No, no,' Clotile said, shaking her head. 'Nothing like that. Mimi Arnaud is a regular customer at Lisette’s place, but Lisette isn’t related to either family.'” Then in Chapter Three when together again at the café this conversation: “'You said her name is Mimi… Arnaud? As in…?' Sadie left the question unfinished as Clotile had already begun to nod her head. 'Yes,' Clotile said. 'As in Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc, where you’re staying.'" This was the first occurrence of the weird repetition (and the easiest one for me to find in order to reference >~< ) but there are definitely others. At least once it is within just a few sentences, too. So that was kind of odd and put a damper on the reading (but it wasn't a spectacular read anyway, just so-so -- I mainly kept reading because I love NO and because the book was clean).
This is the first of Deborah Garner's books I have read, but it won't be the last. Mystery was never my favorite genre, but after reading several lately, I'm beginning to like the puzzle aspect of it. What makes this one a gem is the quirky MC Sadie Kramer, who is totally not my kind of person in real life, yet I find her fascinating enough to read an entire book about her. She actually reminds me of Miss Bianca (voiced by Eva Gabor in the old animated movie The Rescuers). Outwardly she appears to be merely another a wealthy California fashionista with a spoiled Yorkie she carries in a tote, but she has a good heart and a knack for unintentionally falling into situations--like witnessing the sudden death of the owner of her hotel at a nearby bakery when she's on vacation in New Orleans "to relax" from the pressures of owning a San Francisco boutique.
Even though this is the 3rd in a series, it is totally self-contained, and it actually makes me want to go back and read the other books. NOLA is colorfully and realistically portrayed. The supporting characters are all fully fleshed out and also colorful in their way. And the best thing was, I had NO idea who the murderer was, even though there were several I was sure HAD to be the one. What a fun book!
A Flair for Beignets shares another fun adventure of 60-something boutique owner, Sadie Kramer. In this installment of the mystery series, Sadie and her side kick Yorkie--Coco, head to New Orleans for a relaxing week vacation. On the plane to Louisiana she meets and befriends Clotile Laurent who shares a praline from Chez Lisette Patisserie located in the French quarter. After exchanging phone numbers with her new friend, Sadie heads to the Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc where she will be staying. The hotel has been in Bluette LeBlanc's family for three generations. Her Bluette Beignets shop just happens to be Lisette's biggest competition! While exploring the sites, Sadie and Coco have their fortunes told! Sadie later meets her new friend, Clotile, at Chez Kisette Patissere to enjoy some treats. While there, Mimi Arnaud unexpectedly dies. Although she didn't know Mimi, Sadie soon finds herself playing detective again. This time, she gets dizzy switching subjects so often. I smiled when I envisioned Coco being chauffeured in Sadie's tote, with the velvet lining and custom i-Pod system! I enjoyed reading about Sadie's visit to Cyril's Crazy Cajun Cookery, as my grandfather and father were named Cyril! Deborah Garner has written another entertaining cozy mystery!
Good story and made for an enjoyable read, except for one thing. What is it about some of these heroines who carry a poor little Yorkie around either in their purse or tote. The other one I am thinking of is the wedding planner who even takes the dog on a date and goes out on the dance floor with him in her purse. What is it with these sadist writers that they think that a Yorkie enjoys being subjected to a cramped, dark bag for a large part of its life. As with any dog, you give its food and drink , a nice cushion and some toys and you go out to dinner, leaving the dog comfortable and happy. The story was good on its own and most definitely did not need to have a long-suffering Yorkie being toted around, whose absence would, in no way, have diminished the story. Plus, just how did she get the dog through airport security. She had to put her tote on the conveyor belt that goes through a x-ray machine, so the dog would have been clearly seen. If she carried him through Security, they never would have allowed her to take the dog on the plane in her possession. She would have had to put him in baggage. Let's try for a little realism, shall we, not fantasy
When Sadie Kramer heads to New Orleans with her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, her sole expectation is a spectacular vacation. With fabulous music, exquisite cuisine, and rich culture, how could a week in The Big Easy be anything less than fantastic? And it is - until a customer at popular Chez Lisette Patisserie drops dead face-first in a raspberry-almond tart.
A competitive bakery, a newly-formed friendship, and even Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc’s luxurious accommodations offer possible suspects. As Sadie sorts through a gumbo of interconnected characters, will she discover who the killer is? Or will the killer discover her first?
Sorry, couldn't do it. Didn't like the character or her dog or the whole confusing caper. Got about 25% through it and couldn't bring myself to bother or care. I guess I am not much of the cozy mystery type.
This was a great cozy mystery. I loved Sadie, the 60ish-something character and Coco her pampered tiny Yorkshire terrier who she carries around in a tote bag and frequently consults out loud! They have left San Francisco for a vacation in New Orleans. A death (turns out to be murder) occurs in a patisserie where Sadie and her new friend Clotile are enjoying their cafés au lait and beignets. In spite of the death the book is a raucous bit of fun with the sites, sounds and tastes of New Orleans and with Sadie's often irreverent take on them. Oh, and by the way, she does solve the mystery (with the help of handsome detective Broussard)! I will definitely read more in this series (this was #3 but my first, and I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone mystery).
I'm looking forward to trying the included beignet recipe and having one with my morning cafe au lait.
I've enjoyed a couple of other books by this author and Ms Garner is a very good writer. However, I find this main character, Sadie Kramer, pretty ditzy. She does a great portrayal of the self-indulgent, rich widow, traveling for pleasure with her spoiled Yorkie. She carries her pooch around in a tote bag and feeds it junk food nibbles here and there.
Sadie seems to get her exercise jumping to conclusions, back and forth as to who's guilty and who isn't, and is wrong most of the time. She solves this mystery through happenstance rather than any intelligent deduction. The reader can't solve it, either, until a few missing details are explained after the arrest. Not much for detail about the city; Sadie's stay in New Orleans is focused on a small circle around her hotel and the two competing bakeries.
...To pass a few hours reading. I have read others in the Sadie Kramer series and found them enjoyable. Sadie and her little Yorkie Coco crack me up. Sadie is about my age and I can picture myself having her adventures, albeit not the murders. The pacing is good, editing likewise, and the author has good command of English. I admit I didn't know all the answers by the end, but there weren't a lot of clues for the one part I hadn't figured out. No bad language and no sex, and a great recipe for beignets at the end. There are worse ways to spend your time.
Sadie Kramer lives in San Francisco and owns a boutique called Flair. In this book she is heading to New Orleans for a much deserved vacation. Accompanying her everywhere she goes is her Coco, her beloved Yorkie. Having made a new friend on the plane Sadie is eager to get recommendations for things to see and do. Things go awry when a customer at the bakery she is at dies. Of course Sadie being Sadie sticks her nose in and does some investigating on her own. I love all the characters, especially Sadie! Great murder mystery! Delicious recipe is also included. Looking forward to reading more books in this series. I happily recommend this book!
This was a cute "cozy mystery" from a series I stumbled into the middle. Apparently the protagonist, Sadie, is a San Francisco resident, and her exploits with her portable Yorkie, Coco, take place there. In this book, though, Sadie and Coco are vacationing in New Orleans and stumble into a murder mystery. After meeting Clotile on the plane, Sadie meets her for breakfast at one of two busy patisseries across the street from one another... only to witness the dramatic death of a local hotel owner - due to poison. As the story unfolds, Sadie works to figure out whodunnit, suspecting everyone, even Clotile, until she helps unravel the mystery with a little help from a friendly police inspector. There is plenty of mild drama - Coco gets stolen and her travel palace wrecked! - and there are enough mentions of decadent pastries to make you hungry. A short, simple book, it was quick read and perfect for a rainy day or a lazy travel.
A fun cozy read by Deborah Garner. Sadie is traveling alone with her pup Coco to New Orleans and is looking forward to all the sights and food, especially the pastries! You have to love Sadie and her discussion with Coco and the side eyes she receives from anyone questioning her sanity. Sadie get involved in another mystery murder by being in the wrong place or is it right place at the exact time of murder! I enjoyed the New Orleans tours with Sadie and her companion recommendations! This is a series and I will proceed continue the cozy reads.
I love this series Sadie and Coco are quite a pair. She’s off to New Orleans this time, a little shopping, great food and of course the murder right in front of her. Sadie is looking for clues and the cute Detective Broussard is on the case. He won’t tell Sadie anything but she persuades him to let her help. She made an acquaintance on the plane Clotile, but after a few days she can’t be sure she can trust her. In the end the murder is solved with Sadie’s help and she leaves to go home with new purchases and enough sweets to hold her over. Highly recommend
A relaxing vacation in New Orleans is all Sadie and Coco want, sadly, it is not to be. Going to breakfast with a new friend, puts them smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery. Money, real estate, pastries, fortunes, and really good food are all a part of the mystery as Sadie helps the local detective solve the crime. I have to admit, I did not see the culprit until pointed out. Lots of fun and well written. Let the good times roll.
Sadie and Coco are off to New Orleans where they visit a fortune teller, look for glow in the dark skeleton head bracelets for her Flair shop, and assist in a police investigation. All while coordinating her outfit and Coco's. Wonderful cozy murder mystery in the French Quarter! Loved it!
Our main character the sixty something Sadie with her pet yorkie Coco is a fun character to read. In this book she and coco are on vacation in colorful New Orleans. Where she finds herself involved in a murder mystery. She does have a flair for flashing out the guilty party which you wouldn't guess. A receipt is included at the end.
I never tire of reading about Sadie. She has style and grace and so does CoCo! Her adventure in NOLA has to embroil her in murder. She has a flair for figuring out the motive and the killer. I would never have guessed the real killer. This was a wonderful read!
Sadie and Coco enjoy traveling ,but each new city becomes more of an adventure than expected. Murder, mystery and intreage becomes part of the Sadie's travels, come explore these murderous mysterys by acquiring the books in "the Sadie Kramer Flair Mysteries "enjoyable reads to relax with. ☺🙄😏 Kat
This was an absorbing plot, lighthearted but still complex enough to hold ones' focus Although set in New Orleans at drew echoes of Chicago. Plenty of suspicion and entertaining characters or all muddling the clues so that you thought first 1,and then another might have done it!. Fairly quick and quite entertaining read.
Sadie, the owner of a boutique, Flair, goes to New Orleans on vacation. She meets Cothulda on the plane and they decide to meet in the city. The adventure begins, as a murderer is loose. Sadie and her faithful dog, Coco, are definitely involved in discovering the guilty person. A nice look at New Orleans. I especially enjoyed the food descriptions. In all, a nice cozy mystery.
I just love Sadie’s flair. She and Coco are so adorable. I hope the Detective makes it into the next story line. I bet that would be a great romance. Thanks for the great book. Always each for the next.
Sadie’s world of fashion and chocolate. She loved a good mystery book, or the entertainment and mystery of the people who visited her shop. On vacation, that turns into investigation when her dog Coco is involved. A nice flowing story, give you the inside feel of pralines, jambalaya and beignets.
When Sadie Kramer heads to New Orleans with her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, her sole expectation is a spectacular vacation. With fabulous music, exquisite cuisine, and rich culture, how could a week in The Big Easy be anything less than fantastic?
A fun and easy to read mystery that takes place in New Orleans. The characters are interesting with a flair for eating, drinking coffee, and of course shopping besides being a bit snoopy!
Fun read about a dog and a murder. Not hard core murder. I have been to New Orleans so I knew where she was talking. She missed Cafe Monde which EVERYONE writes about so that was a nice change.