Falafel and Fatalities

Jessica's toughest case yet: organized crime has come to Dashwood, and it's already claimed one victim.

Life has found a new normal for Chef Jessica Vasquez. Her relationship with Officer Kyle Rafferty is deepening, eight-year-old twins Ivy and Dove are adjusting to life in her care alongside their sister Shayla, and The Crock Pot continues to thrive. Then Samir Saad, owner of the Spicy Fig Bistro and Jessica's friend, is murdered in his own restaurant, shot by a professional hitman who vanishes without a trace.

The police have few leads: no fingerprints, no murder weapon, only grainy security footage showing a shadowy figure and an untraceable bullet. But when Samir's widow Fatima arrives at The Crock Pot with a USB drive containing that footage and a desperate plea, Jessica can't refuse. Samir had told Fatima if anything happened to him, Jessica would know what to do.

As Jessica digs into Samir's murder, she uncovers something far more sinister than a simple killing. There's an organized crime operation in Dashwood, a sophisticated scheme using equipment leasing companies and investment firms to prey on restaurant owners. Avery West Equipment Rental is at the center, but the conspiracy reaches higher, protected by layers of legitimate-looking paperwork and shell companies.

The suspects multiply: Mike, the creepy salesman from Avery West. Penny Klein from the investment firm, whose presence makes Fatima visibly uncomfortable. Anwar, Samir's son and business partner who helps run the Spicy Fig, spotted on James Street, Dashwood's dark underbelly where drugs and illegal betting flourish. And then there's the possibility that someone from Samir's secret military past in 1980s Lebanon has finally caught up with him.

When another restaurant burns and one of her employees is killed, Jessica realizes the hitman is still active. When threats arrive at her own doorstep and danger closes in on her makeshift family, the case becomes devastatingly personal. With Rafferty bound by professional ethics and unable to share what the police know, Jessica must navigate this investigation carefully, organized crime doesn't forgive mistakes.

As Jessica visits her father in prison for insights, consults with unlikely sources, and pieces together the puzzle with help from her tech-savvy employee Cullen and loyal friend Vee, she discovers that taking down a crime syndicate requires more than solving a murder. It requires exposing an entire corrupt system, and that makes her a threat to some very dangerous people.

Can Jessica dismantle an organized crime operation before more innocent restaurant owners pay with their lives? Or will standing up for justice make her the hitman's next target?

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who crave:

• Organized crime conspiracies in small towns
• High-stakes investigations with professional killers
• Found family bonds tested by danger
• Restaurant industry drama and corruption
• Amateur sleuths facing their most dangerous case

Falafels and Fatalities is Book 6 in the Alphabet Soup Mysteries series. While it can be enjoyed standalone, it's best read in order to fully appreciate Jessica's evolution from chef to the "Crime Fighting Chef" and her growing family with Shayla and the twins.