C’est fantastique!

I’m always excited, yet a little apprehensive when I start a new series. Especially if that series is by an author I already love to read. What if I don’t like it? Well, I had no reason at all for concern with author Daryl Wood Gerber’s first book in her French Bistro Mysteries. As with all of her past books, I was quickly drawn in, and totally absorbed it this wonderful tale!

Right from the start I was rooting for protagonist, Mimi Rousseau, and her new bistro. Through author Gerber’s magnificent writing, I felt Mimi’s emotions along with her. Her excitement and nervousness over making the bistro and inn a success, her heartbreak when she discovers her mentor dead, and her angst at being the suspect in his murder. I’ve never felt so many emotions in just a few chapters of a book!

A DEADLY ÉCLAIR got better and better with every word. With a magnificent plot, great characters, and fabulous setting, I didn’t stop turning pages until the story was done. Even then I went back and re-read the exciting reveal. I was as stunned as I was the first time I read it.

Also included in A DEADLY ÉCLAIR are 15 amazing recipes, some of which include the gluten free versions!

If you’re looking for a new series to start, get yourself a copy of A DEADLY ÉCLAIR. It is magnifique!

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

This was such a fabulous debut and definitely one that you are going to want to pick up if you are a fan of culinary cozies as well!

From the feisty protagonist, Mimi, to the eclectic and suspicious cast of characters each with their own motives for murder, there is so much to love about this book. All of the people that make up Mimi's staff are so endearing and have created a heartwarming and welcoming place for visitors. It was such a treat to be in their company and move through the story along with Mimi as she tries to solve the case. I especially loved how much investigative work Mimi conducts herself; however, very few clues are revealed as the story unfolds, ultimately creating a truly well layered and plotted mystery that has to be read to the end in order to find out who the killer is. Her amateur sleuthing skills are far more competent and ambitious than Tyson's, the law enforcement officer charged with finding out the truth. And despite this scenario being the case in all cozy mysteries, it was incredibly well done and came across as highly believable, providing some light humor into their interactions with each other.

The author's descriptive style beautifully captures the setting and paints a lush and inviting place you would want to visit on your next holiday. And all the talk about the French food served in the bistro will leave your mouth watering! So make sure you have some snacks available while reading or cook up some of your own versions using the provided recipes at the end of the book! Maybe one day I'll get some time to recreate them myself!

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read this great start to a series that I will now be on the look out for and highly recommend! I definitely look forward to returning to Napa Valley in order to experience more adventures with Mimi at her bistro, but for now, I'm adding the author's backlist to my TBR while I wait!

Until she met Bryan, an entrepreneur who invests in new businesses he finds promising, Mimi's dream of opening a bistro seemed out of reach, especially considering the circumstances under which she returned home to Napa Valley. Bryan not only encouraged her, but made it possible for her to fulfill her dream, even to the point of engaging the bistro to host the wedding of his niece, a famous talk show host. But when a guest is found dead the day before the wedding, and Mimi moves to the top of the suspect list, everything changes.

I recently learned that this author also writes books under the name of Avery Aames, whose cheese shop books have been among my favorite food-related cozies for quite some time, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Probably because this is not the author's first-ever book, this one did not suffer from the usual issues I encounter with so many first-in-a-series books.

The writing was well done, and the descriptions of the setting made me want to book a trip to Napa Valley, stay at Mimi's inn and book a table at her bistro. Many of the characters – the residents of the town and the visiting guests – reminded me of people I've met in various stages of life, and with all of their quirks, there are lots of possibilities to explore in future books in this series. The mystery itself kept me guessing up until the reveal near the end of the book, and I loved the inclusion of so many recipes! I can't wait to read the next book in this series, and to look for other series from this author.

A DEADLY ECLAIR by Daryl Wood Gerber
The First French Bistro Mystery

With the help of a benefactor, Mimi Rousseau's restaurant and inn are starting to thrive. When the benefactor, Bryan Baker, suggests she cater to destination weddings, he provides the first one, his niece, a local celebrity. While everything goes smoothly in regard to food and service, fissures in the family start to fracture and tensions run high at the out-of-towners' dinner. Still, nothing could prepare Mimi for the shock when the bride to be wakes her in the early hours of the morning having found Bryan dead. As Mimi copes with another loss she also realizes she's a prime suspect.

Daryl Wood Gerber has set her new series in a prime location, a small enclave in Napa Valley amidst vineyards and upscale shops. Protagonist Mimi Rousseau owns, not only a restaurant, but an inn, both easily providing ample prospects for suspects and murders, as well as wonderful recipes.

Themes of loss and trust are explored in this mystery. While many of the suspects are overdramatic in their reactions to Mimi, the core cast is stable with interesting aspects that I hope will be explored and developed in future installments.

A DEADLY ECLAIR serves up a delicious blend of characters, setting, and mystery in the first French Bistro Mystery.

I saved reading this book until October, knowing that I’d be writing my review to go live on Halloween, and I ended up reading it while watching the wildfires in California decimate a significant amount of the Napa valley and surrounding areas, which made this lovely, cozy mystery feel just a little bit bittersweet. I can’t help but wonder if the author, Daryl Wood Gerber, will use the fires in future entries into this series.

Brutal reality aside, I really enjoyed this book. Cozy mysteries can sometimes feel too saccharine, but Gerber’s writing is witty and on point, and her plot moved at the perfect pace. True, a wine country wedding in a French bistro is inherently frothy, but she made sure most of the froth was in coffee drinks and on dresses.

Bistro owner-cum-amateur detective Mimi was likeable from the first page, though I felt that some of her interactions while in sleuthing mode were a little bit abrupt. Overall, however, the balance of cooking and questioning was a good one, and the wedding background was the perfect choice for a series opener.

I also really liked Heather, whose no-nonsense style was the perfect counter to Mimi’s self-doubt, Jorianne, her best friend, and Bryan, who, sadly, becomes the victim of the eponymous eclair.

“Go big or don’t go at all,” Mimi is advised by entrepreneur (and uncle of the bride), Bryan Baker, but it would seem that Daryl Wood Gerber received the same advice, because she’s certainly gone big with the launch of her new French Bistro series, giving us a great story full of lively, interesting characters as well as a collection of the recipes used in the novel (as much as I love eclairs, I’m most interested in the onion soup).

Goes well with espresso or cappuccino and either a raspberry sour cream tart (see the book for recipe).

I am extremely fond of the cozy mysteries by Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames so when her other series ended, I was thrilled to see a new one on the horizon. Luckily, for me I received a copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I don't know if I can be honest but I loved it!

Mimi Rousseau has been lucky enough to be sponsored by entrepreneur Bryan Baker who has helped her to realize her dream - a bistro in Napa Valley where she can cook to her heart's content. Bryan arranges for his niece to have her wedding at the bistro but after the rehearsal dinner the night before, Mimi is awakened by the bride early on the day of the wedding crying that her uncle is dead at the bistro with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. Mimi seems to be a prime suspect since it is revealed that Bryan forgave her debt in his will. Determined to clear her name from any suspicion and keep her dream alive, Mimi works to uncover the real murderer.

The characters that seem to be the main core for the new series were fun and multi-dimensional and I look forward to meeting them again. The obvious background research into the Napa area flooded me with memories of my own visits there. I only wish that Bistro Rousseau really existed so that I could go next time I'm in California Wine Country.

What a wonderful start to a new series. The author has mesmerized me with her exquisite meals served at the beautiful restaurant our main character runs. The French Bistro and Inn was becoming quite the place to eat at. I found myself feeling like I was sitting at a table watching Mimi as she ran her business with precision. The way the author describes the menu makes you want to run in a French Bistro and order all the food in the book.

Mimi is a delightful character with strong opinions and has a backer that has helped get her established. Bryan Baker has had a special place in his heart for Mimi and wants to be sure she succeeds. He reminds me of a grandfather who has all this money and lavishes it on his favorite granddaughter. Mimi is like an energizer bunny and seems to take on a lot to make her business successful.

When a famous talk show host books her wedding at the Inn, everyone is on high alert. Mimi knows this wedding could put her on the map. The chef has to have the perfect menu and everything has to be picture perfect . Will the bride and groom be happy with the setting for their wedding? Can the menu the chef has prepared live up to their expectations?

Sometimes we don’t always get what we want and Mimi finds herself in panic mode when several guests get drunk and start to get out of hand at the evening party. As the evening winds down Mimi hopes to sleep and get a jump start on the next day. What she finds the next morning will put a damper on the wedding and make her a suspect. Her beloved mentor is found dead with an eclair stuck in his mouth. Ok I did find that a bit funny. That’s one of the things I like about the authors writing. She puts humor in her story at just the places to lighten up the mood a bit .

The story has some delightful characters that I found to be interesting. The list of suspects are many and poor Mimi is on the top of the list. Her sleuthing skills were very well thought out and I have to say she could easily get a job as a detective. Now the big question is who killed Bryan? He is very well off, and helped Mimi get her business off the ground. Does Bryan have family members that are willing to kill to get his inheritance? Or perhaps it is a jealous person that despised him for his success? The story is well written and kept me guessing till the end. Once again I didn’t figure out who the killer was. I love it when an author can write a mystery and fool her readers and surprise them at the end. I am looking forward to more books in this wonderful series.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

Daryl Wood Gerber has a definitive cozy hit in the new French Bistro series set in the spectacular Napa Valley.
Mimi Rousseau’s dream has been to open a French Bistro. She has returned home to Napa Valley and the Nouvelle Vie Inn in Napa Valley.. After she receives help from a investor and entrepreneur Bryan Baker with a agreement to pay him back, she sets up her Bistro and works at the Inn . She decides to cater a high society Napa wedding to establish her business.. At the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding many are drunk and the night is fraught with problems for Mimi. In the morning after her investor is found dead with one of her pastry's stuck in his mouth. As the one who benefits the most from his death, she is immediately considered suspect number one. Now she must clear her name so she can restart her business and not lose everything she has.
This is a wonderful story and the backdrop of the alluring beauty of Napa makes this story stand out . The sleuth is very well crafted and left this avid mystery fan guessing until the end. I love the smart independent talented protagonist . The supporting characters all add depth to the story and are entertaining. I love this series and look forward to the next in series. All in all this is a wonderful successful debut series !
Thank you with gratitude for the ARC which did not influence my review.. Cross posted to Amazon.

Great start to a new cozy series! This one not only features the Napa Valley, it's also got recipes :). Mimi is a terrific character. Undeterred by her personal financial and other problems, she pushes forward to create a new business line, wedding planning. Of course there's a murder and of course Mimi needs to clear herself because the dead man has forgiven all her debt in his will. She's got a good crew of people to help her out. The writing is clear and crisp, the mystery not to twisty, and it's nicely atmospheric - I really want to go out to Napa soon! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Another fun new series from Daryl Wood Gerber.

This author is pretty much at the top of my, "Will read anything by her" list, so when I saw she had a new series coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it.

It didn't disappoint. Mimi has always wanted to open a French Bistro, but crippling debt after her husband's death sent her back home. There she met an entrepreneur willing to invest in her dream and now her bistro and inn are open, hosting the wedding of a famous talk show host. Things go downhill fast when Mimi's investor is found dead in the bistro and Mimi looks like the perfect suspect.

This book, like all of the author's books, has just the right amount of good food, mystery, and a dash of romance. I look forward to more in this series.

A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is the 1st book in A French Bistro Mystery series and a great beginning. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next and first book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Deadly Eclair is the first book in the new French Bistro Series by Daryl Wood Gerber.
A fast paced storyline with well developed characters, drew me in from the first page. As the plot unfolded there was no shortage of suspects and plenty of motive. I was sure I knew who dunnit .. until the author made me change my mind.
Being a lover of culinary cozys, my favorite part of this book, was the food! The descriptions were amazing! I could almost taste the food the author did such a wonderful job. I love the included recipes at the back of the book and can’t wait to try some.
If you are a fan of culinary cozys you are sure to enjoy this one!

Wine country cozy. Loved it! The murder mystery kept me guessing. The location kept me wanting to visit. It also reminded me of the fires currently going on in the Napa area. Our beautiful wine country has been decimated. I know it will recover. A little wine was consumed during the reading of this book. Wish I had someone to prepare all the delicious sounding food, so I could keep reading. Also because I can't cook, not like that anyway.

Mimi Rousseau was lucky to have a man who believed in her abilities and became her benefactor and helped her launch her bistro and a inn that went with it. She really thinks of him as sort of a father figure and cares about him a lot.

The bistro is hosting its biggest affair as a TV personality and her husband is going to get married there and her guest are staying there as well. They were having an out-of-towner dinner for a few of Angelica’s and Lyle’s guest and Mimi wants it to all go well because Angelica is Bryan’s niece.

Things were going pretty good and then Angelica’s father shows up and causes a scene and then Mimi witnesses some interesting conversations between Bryan and some of the guest and by early morning Bryan is found dead. Mimi looks to be the most likely suspect because they find her phone summoning him though she swears she didn’t do it and often left her phone in the kitchen. It also doesn’t help that he left papers that in the event of his death Mimi’s debt was forgiven so she will not owe anything on the bistro.

The detective that is in charge went to school with Mimi and her friend Jo and doesn’t really think she did it but he can’t just dismiss things. Mimi must try and figure out what happened and since those with motives are still around and can’t go home she does a bit of snooping.

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked Mimi and thought she was really good at getting people to talk. I loved her friend Jo, especially when it came to how she handled Tyson. The poor guy has such a crush on her but she doesn’t seem to notice so when she jumps on him about proving her friend didn’t kill Bryan he always gets all flustered.

Since I knew who was getting killed from the blurb I went into this gathering up my suspects and by the end had it narrowed to two and one of them was the culprit. I just wasn’t sure which one until the reveal so I thought it was a good mystery.

If you are a fan of cozies then I think you will enjoy this one and it has a lot of yummy looking recipes in the back! Great for all who love foodie themes!

Award Winning author Daryl Wood Gerber (Avery Aames) has a new series. A Deadly Eclair is the first of her French Bistro Mystery series. Mimi Rousseau has opened a new bistro/inn in Napa Valley. Thanks to her investor Bryan Baker she has booked her first wedding, Bryan's niece, Angelica. Things take a bad turn when tragedy hits in the early morning hours of Angelica's wedding day and we soon find out they are not all one big happy family.

The author does an excellent job of using descriptive words to help us get to know all the new characters and "see" the setting. In addition the story is filled with mystery, good food (recipes included), wine, romance and humor. It is different from the usual cozy mystery in that the victim is a known and likeable character before he meets his demise.

An ARC was provided to me by NetGalley for a honest review.

A Deadly Eclair is the first book in the A French Bistro Mystery series.

Another exciting food-related series Daryl Wood Gerber.

Mimi Rousseau is beginning to live her dreams, with the financial backing of Bryan Baker, she is about ready to open Bistro Rousseau and Maison Rousseau. To get her venture started she is hosting a party for the out-of-towners who will be staying at the inn for wedding Baker’s niece, Angelica and her groom, Lyle Ives. Things are going well until Angelica’s father comes, appearing intoxicated and ends up having words with his stepbrother. What is to be a happy event ends up with both families claiming that each other is interested in the monies of the other family. Early the next morning, Angelica was about to head out for her usual morning run and find the body of Baker on the patio of the Bistro with an eclair stuffed in his mouth. Mimi soon becomes a person of interest as there is a text on Baker’s phone asking him to me her on the patio. Mimi’s role as prime suspect gets reinforced when the police read Baker’s will and find that the entire debt will be forgiven upon his death. So, with the help of some of the staff at the Bistro, Mimi sets off to learn the killer's identity Not only to clear her name but to obtain closure for the death of her benefactor.

The story is well-plotted and told story and includes a cast of very enjoyable and believable characters. I particularly enjoyed Chef C and her sous chef Stefan and their banter with Mimi and each other. I’m looking forward to more and learning more about them. It will also be interesting to learn more about Mimi’s mother and wine salesman, Nash Hawke.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included.

I will be eagerly be watching for the second book, A Souffle Suspicion due out in July of 2018.

Mimi Rousseau is preparing for a celebrity wedding at her bistro and inn, but before things can really get underway, her mentor and financial supporter is found dead on the premises. With him gone, Mimi is under no obligation to repay the funds he had lent her to get her business started, so that makes her look mighty suspicious in the eyes of the law. Afraid that she’ll lose both her business and her freedom, Mimi decides to get to the bottom of things.

Daryl Wood Gerber (aka Avery Aames) is one of my favorite cozy authors, so I jumped at the chance to read the first book in her new mystery series. I was not disappointed. Good food, great friends, and plenty of intrigue keep this story moving along. It’s a well-plotted mystery with lots of delicious sounding recipes included at the end. Culinary cozy fans will not want to miss this one.

NOTE: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book.

A yummy start to a new cozy series, A French Bistro Mystery.

After the death of her husband, Mimi has opened a French restaurant and inn in the heart of Napa Valley with the help of a close friend. During her first big event, her close friend is murdered. Mimi is heartbroken and promises to find his killer. As she works with her close knit staff to keep her customers happy, she investigates the murder as well as her future love life. Will Mimi find the killer or will the killer find her first?

The scenery descriptions are great. I felt like I was in Napa Valley sitting right there with Mimi, Jo and Heather eating the delicious food Chef C prepared. I've learned that I need to learn more about French food. When the author gives the French name for the dish I was happy she continued with the description if what it was the diners were eating.

I will be looking for the second book in the series.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review based on my own thoughts and put in my own words.

Mimi Rousseau had always had a dream of opening her own bistro but she certainly had to take the hard route to finally see her dream through. Mimi hadn’t been able to attend culinary school so she got her training the hard way working herself up to being a chef. Mimi also saved every penny should could over the years but after her husband’s passing she found herself back to square one when it was found that he had them deeply in debt.

After Mimi had sold everything she could to pay the debts she was left with she returned home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley where a friend introduced her to entrepreneur Bryan Baker who saw something in Mimi’s dream and invested in her opening a bistro and inn. Mimi has found a bit of success and is working away to pay Bryan back and hosting the inn’s first destination wedding. Things were going as planned with the wedding activities until the morning Bryan’s body is found having been murdered and all clues point to Mimi.

A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is the first book in the new cozy mystery series, A French Bistro Mystery. This series is certainly one that the foodies will enjoy as the setting leads to plenty of delightful sounding founds to be described all throughout the book. Then as if the mouth watering food during the read wasn’t quite enough to satisfy there are also recipes included at the end of the book for readers to try some of the foods out on their own.

I would say the one thing that put me off a bit with reading Mimi’s story and really loving this book was the fact that the author chose to have the victim be someone fairly close to the main character. For the most part my experience with cozies the victim is usually and unknown or barely known person but it seemed a bit off for Mimi to immediately start chasing suspects to clear herself instead of grieving right away. Otherwise, the book has all the usual investigating and likable enough to characters to leave me rating this one at 3.5 stars when finished.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The first book in Gerber’s delicious new cozy mystery series is sweet and savory and offers up a well-rounded menu for a variety of tastes!

Mimi Rousseau makes for a heroine you’ll want as a friend, and in fact her friendships within the book are equally delightful. The bistro’s chef, the staff, Mimi’s best friend, her mom, and a bevy of friends and acquaintances from high school give the story flair and dimension. Additionally, her brewing romance with Nash adds just the right amount of sweet spice, and it promises to be an enjoyable facet of Mimi’s character as the series progresses.

The fictional setting of Nouvelle Vie, including the inn and bistro, will have you seriously considering a vacation to Napa Valley, and the food mentioned throughout the novel will leave your mouth watering! Helpfully, several of these recipes are included in the back of the book with notes from the characters to extend their delightful fictional world just that much longer. And within the actual body of the novel, Gerber achieves an ideal balance of including delectable dishes without stopping the story for a cooking lesson.

Bottom Line: A Deadly Eclair by Daryl Wood Gerber is clean, fun, and well written. The characters are well defined without being caricature, and the recipes tempt even me to try my hand at a few. As far as the mystery, I had suspicions but I changed my mind several times about who I thought ‘done it’. The ending took me by surprise – which I always love – and I look forward to reading Gerber’s backlist while I wait for the next book in this series.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)