Kirkus
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Joining forces with their neighbors brings both rewards and challenges for the staff at Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. It’s hard to imagine a celebration better suited to showcase the essence of New Orleans than Halloween, whose antic revelry digs deep into the city’s historic multicultural roots. And it’s hard to imagine a better guide to that celebration than Miracle Fleur de Lis James-Diaz. Born in New Orleans but raised by an adoptive family in the San Fernando Valley, Ricki returns to “The City That Care Forgot” to work at Bon Vee, in the Garden District, where she discovers a birth-family connection to Genevieve Charbonnet, Bon Vee’s original owner. As Ricki prepares for the massive collision of drinking, partying, and spookiness that mark Halloween in her new hometown, she runs into a traumatic reminder of her life in California. Actor Blaine Taggart, who took part in an internet stunt that led to the death of Ricki’s husband, moves into Duncan-Sejour, the mansion next door to Bon Vee. Ricki struggles to balance her resentment of Taggart with her appreciation of his boundless energy and willingness to partner with Bon Vee’s efforts to take Halloween in New Orleans to a whole new level. Even the murder of his assistant, Miranda Fine, can’t dampen Taggart’s gung-ho spirit. Ricki’s attempts to merge the Bon Vee gang with the Taggart clan have more ups and downs, especially when they shine new light on her mysterious family origins. Byron’s heroine navigates a bumpy road with grace and panache. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.