Murder is on the menu: A celebrity chef poisoned. A bay town reeling. A sleuth pursued.

Real estate rule #2: How to sell a house fast: Offer a drop-dead kitchen.

When real estate pro Helen Morrisey’s bombshell daughter, Lizzie, a popular home-shopping network host, invites her to meet an internationally famous chef, Helen jumps at the chance. What woman doesn’t want to shake hands with a celebrity and do a little shopping at the same time?

Even more intriguing, this culinary superstar is about to sell his waterfront mansion, and it’s her opportunity to talk business. After all, he couldn’t choose a sharper agent than Helen, could he? That’s a job that comes to a dead halt when she walks onto the TV kitchen of “Cooking with Roberto” to find his blood dripping bright red into his signature dish and her daughter collapsed beside him.

Detective Joe McAllister arrives to take charge and is none too pleased to find Helen asking his questions. Their on again, off again, romance might sour when she ignores his warnings. Undaunted, Helen calls on the personalities and special skills of her Detection Club of famous sleuths to stir this investigation pot.

It doesn’t take long before the explosive ingredients of off-camera jealousy, competition, and nasty rumors create a recipe for disaster. Helen has to solve Roberto’s murder before more tempers boil over and they all get burned.