This book has all of the classical elements of a cozy mystery that will leave readers satisfied. The setting in Napa Valley is gorgeous and made me want to visits and the food descriptions left my mouth watering. The characters were well developed and likeable and the mystery was engaging and easy to follow. The only off putting thing was the fact that the main character was far more concerned with clearing her name than grieving her friend who had died. A little more emotion on her part would have made the story a bit more believable.

I am a fan of Daryl Wood Gerber's Cookbook Nook mysteries and also her Cheese Shop series (written as Avery Aames), so I jumped at the chance to read this first book in a new series! I'm glad I did! This book is a fun read with interesting characters, a great plot and interesting theme.

The basics -- Mimi Rousseau has always dreamed of owning her own french bistro, but personal issues and financial problems stood in her way. With the help of a financial backer, Bryan Baker, she was able to get enough capital together to open a bistro and inn in Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley. Now, she's working hard to pay back the money she borrowed to make her dreams come true. Baker tells her the best way to showcase the new inn is to host a celebrity wedding. The wedding of his niece, Talk Show Host Angelica Barrington, will be the bistro & inn's first destination wedding. Mimi needs things to go off without a hitch. If everything goes perfectly, her new business venture will get a great boost to help it grow during its first year. The wedding party arrives and all seems to be going well, despite the bride's father showing up drunk. Things take a dark turn, however, when Bryan is found dead in the bistro, an eclair shoved into his mouth. Mimi finds herself a murder suspect, and begins investigating to clear her name.

I know next to nothing about bistros and french cuisine, but enjoyed this book immensely! The story is well-written and moves along at a fast, but nice, pace. There are a lot of suspects and some neat twists before the end. I like Mimi as a main character. She is strong, intelligent and working so hard to realize her dreams. She doesn't fall apart when things go wrong, she just takes a deep breath and starts working to find out the truth. Nicely done! I am never disappointed by Daryl Wood Gerber!

A Deadly Eclair is the first book in Gerber's new French Bistro mystery series. The second book, Souffle of Suspicion will be out in July 2018.

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.darylwoodgerber.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Mimi Rousseau returns to her Napa Valley hometown of Nouvelle Vie to open her own French-style bistro and inn. Her mentor, entrepreneur Bryan Baker, has provided the funds to make it happen. Mimi is looking forward to hosting the inn's first wedding event for Bryan's niece, talk show host Angelica Barrington. But things start going wrong when Bryan's half-brother and Angelica's father Edison arrives drunk and rowdy at the out-of-towners’ dinner. The next morning, Angelica and Mimi find Bryan dead at the bistro with an éclair and aquamarine jewel stuffed in his mouth. When Sgt. Tyson Daly finds Mimi’s mobile phone in a nearby basil pot with a text message luring Bryan to the bistro, Mimi thinks she is being framed. When paperwork at Bryan's office shows that her entire loan is forgiven in Bryan’s will, Mimi's motives for murder increase in the eyes of the police and Mimi is determined to clear her name..

This is a tasty, strong debut cozy mystery. The cast of characters (the bistro’s chef, the staff, Mimi’s best friend, Jo, Mimi's widowed vineyard owner mom, and a brewing romance with a wine importer provide dimension to the story. The Napa Valley setting and the mouthwatering food and wine mentioned throughout the story are well placed. And there are several recipes at the end of the book,

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Mimi Rousseau is just months into her new venture of a French bistro and hotel in the heart of Napa County. This weekend, she is hosting her first event, the wedding of Angelica Edmonton, noted TV talk show host and the niece of Bryan Baker, Mimi’s benefactor and mentor. However, when tension at the pre-wedding dinner on Friday night leads to a dead body on Saturday morning, Mimi finds herself looking into the murder. What is going on?

It’s fun to find a series set in Napa County that doesn’t focus on wine, although wine is certainly present. The French food will definitely leave your mouth watering as you work your way through this good first mystery. The initial chapter has a bit of a data dump in it, but once beyond that, the mystery picks up and the pace never slows down again. The characters are outstanding, and the relationships between the series regulars is already strong. I’m looking forward to seeing that grow as the series progresses.

A Deadly Éclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is the first book A French Bistro Mystery series. Mimi Rousseau owns Bistro Rousseau and Maison Rousseau in Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley, California thanks to her mentor, Bryan Baker. Mimi is hosting a wedding at Maison Rousseau for Angelica Barrington and Lyle Ives. The out-of-towners dinner is going beautifully until father-of-the-bride, Edison Barrington arrives late and drunk. Mimi handles the situation and the event proceeds. The next morning, Angelica finds Bryan dead on the bistro patio. Unfortunately, the evidence points to Mimi as the killer. Mimi wants to clear her name and that of her establishment. Mimi uses her deductive skills to track down the real killer and clear her off the suspect list.

A Deadly Éclair is nicely written, contains good characters, and luscious food descriptions. Daryl Wood Gerber sets up a lovely backdrop for A French Bistro Mystery series. I appreciate the descriptions of Mimi’s establishments and the area. We are provided the backstory on Mimi and how she came to live in Napa Valley. I found Mimi to be a relatable (and likeable) character along with the other people in the story. I am glad that she is an intelligent woman running her own business. I did feel that readers are introduced to a few too many characters in the first couple of chapters. It was hard to keep track of everyone in the beginning. The pace of the book is a little slower that I usually like, but it does go with this story. The author is setting the stage for her new characters. I am rating A Deadly Éclair 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I wish the murder had been more complex. One clue (if you need it) gives the identity of the killer. The why takes a little longer to discern. I did like the author’s use of misdirection to throw readers off the trail of the real culprit. There are recipes at the end of the book for the dishes mentioned in the story. I am eager to read more stories in A French Bistro Mystery series.

A great start to a new series. It had all the typical cozy elements - a beautiful setting, interesting characters, and a good mystery. The reveal was a bit of a surprise. One thing that I really liked was that it was written in a way that made the French food easier to understand.

Delicious sounding food and wine, and a fun atmosphere, but ultimately forgettable. A Deadly Éclair is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, The French Bistro Mysteries, set in a fictional small town in Napa Valley.

Written by Daryl Wood Gerber, who also writes the Cookbook Nook mysteries, and also the enjoyable Cheese Shop Mysteries under the name Avery Aames, A Deadly Éclair was a good start to a series in that it sets up the setting and atmosphere very nicely.

Our main character is Mimi Rousseau, age thirty-five, who runs a French themed bistro in Napa Valley. Mimi was an okay main character. I don’t remember anything too outrageous or annoying about her in particular, but neither do I remember anything all that likable about her either.

A Deadly Éclair starts as Mimi is hosting a celebrity wedding, and someone ends up dead. The mystery aspect was fine, but there were so many characters that I had trouble keeping everyone straight. From the best friend, to the workers at the bistro, to the guests in town for the wedding, there were a few too many relations and characters to remember who was who and how they connected.

One issue I had with A Deadly Éclair is that when Mimi was focusing on the mystery, her thought process made me very tired. She’d think of so many questions, too many really, and there wasn’t any time for the reader to ponder these many questions. It was just one question right after another, all melding together, and I was left feeling tired and drained. Since this is a cozy mystery, which to me is a genre I read when I want something light that I don’t have to focus on too much, this book just made me tired.

So while I enjoyed the setting of Napa Valley, the mystery and characters were fairly standard and not all that memorable, so this book was a bit disappointing to me. I’m not sure that I will continue on to read more in this series, but I do enjoy the authors Cheese Shop Mystery series, so perhaps this series will get better with time.

Bottom Line: Fun atmosphere, but ultimately forgettable.

I enjoyed this new series about Mimi Rousseau and her fledgling inn and bistro in the Napa Valley area. The setting is perfect for the French themed business, complete a French chef and Monet inspired garden areas. The niece of Mimi’s business investor, Angelica, has scheduled her wedding at the Maison Rousseau, which could bring more high profile attention to the Inn and Bistro. After Angelica and Mimi discover investor Bryan dead, with Mimi’s cell phone nearby, we readily understand why Mimi would become so involved in discovering what happened to her benefactor Bryan Baker. There are a lot of business and wedding characters in the beginning of the book to wade through, but as I read, it became clear who would be the important ones to the story.

This is a great beginning to the series. Our sleuth, Mimi Rousseau is a self-taught, learn through on the job training and shear determination chef. She is only months into running her bistro and hotel. Bryan Baker is her benefactor who unfortunately winds up dead just after the out-of-towners dinner and before the first wedding to be hosted and the inn. So, who did it? There are plenty of suspects and most of them have some bad traits.
The characters are well crafted, the plot moves quickly, and there is some romance sprinkled throughout the story. At the end of the book there are plenty of recipes encase your mouth was watering during the reading.
I received an ARC in hopes that I would submit a review. I do so gladly and these are my own opinions
Looking forward to book number two in the series.

Mimi Rousseau, with the help of a financial backer, owns and operates a French Bistro, Bistro Rousseau, and the small inn, Maison Rousseau, that adjoins the bistro.

The novel opens with Mimi in the middle of chaos. An important wedding is scheduled for the next day and the staff is busy getting ready to host the rehearsal dinner in just a few hours.

This is the first in a new cozy series labeled A French Bistro Mystery. Someone is murdered the night before the wedding and Mimi becomes determined to find out who is responsible since she becomes an early suspect.

The mystery is well-conceived with enough twists to keep you reading. The pace is a little irregular - and I don't want to give anything away - but there are couple of developments that seem to come out of nowhere or are so coincidental as to seem a little contrived.

All in all it is a good but a little uneven read. Effort is taken to establish characters and relationships through background information. Actually, the book feels like it is an appetizer for an interesting multi-course offering that is forthcoming.

This is a great book; this is the first book in the French Bistro Mystery Series written by Daryl Wood Gerber. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

This mystery made me hungry! The food sounded divine and the setting - how soon can I make plans to spend at least a week there? Mimi knows how to make magic with her bistro and hotel combo in the heart of the Napa Valley - food, family, friends....and very foul play in the form of murder. Mimi wants desperately to find out who killed her mentor in the early morning hours on the grounds of her hotel. It was refreshing to read a cozy without a main character who sticks her nose into every bit of the crime and gets into trouble with the police. For Mimi, they seem to drift her way and she is very good at reading the clues - she listens, she watches and she ponders. She isn't one who thinks she can do it better than the police. Every one of the guests is harboring a secret and lies abound. Who in this crowd hated Bryan enough to kill him? Every facet of this excellent mystery is well drawn, no cardboard cutouts for people. Napa comes alive with vibrant sounds in the form of a jazz festival. I wanted to tour all of the wineries and finish up at the bistro with French onion soup, a rustic stew and floating island for desert...or maybe a Napoleon or, my childhood favorite, an eclair.

This is the first book in a brand new series by the talented Daryl Wood Gerber and I think that Mimi and her delicious recipes are an absolute delight. Mimi has always wanted to start her own bistro and thanks to a wealthy benefactor, Bryan Baker, she is able to make her dreams come true. The first wedding that she is booked for will be the talk of the town since the bride is a well-known talk show host and everything is riding on impressing the bride and her Hollywood friends. When Bryan ends up dead with one of Mimi’s eclairs in his mouth, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder and she better find a killer fast before she becomes the next victim on their list.

Such a charming start to this mystery series and I absolutely love culinary mysteries. The recipes are to die for and I enjoyed meeting this quirky cast of characters. A Deadly Eclair was a delicious and suspenseful mystery that will have you wanting more and I can’t wait to see what is up next for Mimi in the second installment of this series.

A Deadly Eclair is my first experience reading the works of Daryl Wood Gerber. Her Cookbook Nook series is on TBR shelf - I swear! I really enjoyed the story Ms. Gerber tells in A Deadly Eclair.

Mimi Rousseau always dreamed to open her own bistro but a series of unfortunate events never took her down the correct path to accomplish her goal. When she comes back home to Napa Valley and is introduced to Bryan Baker, who takes proteges under his wing, she finally gets to begin working on her dream. The inn and bistro she now manages will become hers one day when she is able to pay them off. Her excitement continues through the booking of a high profile wedding of someone related to Bryan.

The wedding is going smoothly until murder upstages the bride. Bryan is found dead and all signs point to Mimi as being the culprit. She knows she didn't do anything to hurt Bryan and now has to find a way to clear her name.

Wonderful writing, plot, characters, and world. Ms. Gerber writes fluidly and conversationally. There was never a dull moment in the book and I enjoyed every bit. I like the setting of the book and how Mimi was able to obtain her dream. The character development and world building was excellent.

Mimi's character is humble despite having her dream handed to her. She is likeable and easy to relate to as a person. Mimi is a hard worker and treats everyone she meets with respect. The secondary characters are wonderful, as well. The author describes everything in the book so well that I thought I was there.

I was engaged in this book from the beginning and the pacing was wonderful - not too fast, not too slow. I read it in one day because the book captured my attention and held on. A Deadly Eclair is full of twists and turns and the author did a great job keeping me guessing.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1235615-elaine?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Bquery%5D=daryl

This is an amazing new series. I loved the characters and the mystery had me guessing and wanting more. If you are a fan of Daryl Wood Gerber then you will love this book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This series is off to a magnificent (magnifique) start! Mimi Rousseau is living her dream of owning her own inn and bistro. She has collaborated with Bryan Baker for the financial backing needed for the purchase and the vast remodeling effort to get both places open. In fact, the story opens with Mimi and her staff getting reading to host it’s first wedding. Bryan’s niece, talk show host, Angelica Edmonton and her fiancé are excited to be married at the inn. Things start to go awry with Angelica’s father, Edison, arrives at the out-of-towners’ dinner, but when Bryan is found dead the next morning at the bistro with an éclair in his month, Mimi doesn’t think things can get any worse. Now her mentor is dead and she is a prime suspect.

I have been looking forward to the book since I first saw the cover pop up on Facebook and it certainly exceeded my expectations. As a fan of the author’s Cheese Shop Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries, I knew the characters would be strong and the food descriptions would have my mouth watering and I was right.

Mimi Rousseau has a lot on her plate but I knew right away she could handle it. She is strong and savvy and has hired a top-notch staff. Chef C. and sous chef Stefan keep the kitchen under control while Heather runs the dining room. The inn, a fancy bed and breakfast, is managed by Mimi’s BFF, Jorianne. Mimi oversees everything from the menus and wine to all the events happening at the inn and bistro. All of the characters are very well defined for the first book in a series but there is plenty of room for them to grow. The secondary cast, the wedding party, family and friends, are also very well crafted. I was drawn right in to all of their drama.

The story was very fast paced with some corkscrew twists and more suspects than I at first set my sites on. This author knows how to set the scene and have readers nibbling on each little clue as we follow Mimi in her investigation. The mystery is well plotted and so entertaining. I was enthralled from the first page until the last and then I wanted more.

Now let me talk about the food. Oh my! Thanks to the tantalizing descriptions I could almost taste and smell so many delightful dishes and even the unique flavors of the wine served. I love onion soup so every time it was mentioned my cravings stepped up another notch. Daryl Wood Gerber does share some recipes in the back of the book including recipes for Chocolate Éclairs and Onion Soup Gratinée. Both have been copied into my recipes file.

I am really excited about this new series and can’t wait for book #2, A Soufflé of Suspicion, coming in July 2018.

This book gave a nice start to the French Bistro Mystery series.

There are several things going on at once right before the murder happens which leaves you reeling with possibilities and questions, so it provided a nice sense of intrigue and mystery that kept the pages turning. The reveal of the killer took me by surprise because I was suspecting someone else entirely. Overall the mystery in the book was good. I can't be very specific without giving away spoilers, but I wasn't very happy with one of the character's reactions to who the killer turned out to be. That bothered me a little bit.

I enjoyed Mimi, Jo, and Nash's characters. You could feel the chemistry between Mimi and Nash and everyone needs a best friend like Jo. Other than, I didn't really care for any of the other characters. A couple of them had a "better than you" vibe that I just didn't care for.

Ultimately this was a nice read and I will definitely check out other series by this author sometime.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

If it is possible to gain weight by reading a book then this might be the book that could make it happen! The restaurant is a French bistro and the food is inspired by the French so you know it has to be good. The descriptions had my mouth watering and imaging the dishes being served.

The story flows along quite well and the cast of characters seems to be well fleshed out and adds depth and dimension to the mystery plot. I think my favorite character might be Jo, she is a force to be reckoned with as Mimi's manager and all around go to woman. She is a woman with a plan and doesn't stop to question what might go wrong.

The mystery itself has multiple layers and many moving parts. There were many people to suspect for various reasons and the how and why that was revealed at the end was a surprise (to me at least).

I think this is going to be a great new series and especially since there are many recipes at the end of the book for us to try.