This 16th installment of the Domestic Diva Mystery series might be my favorite yet!

It starts out calmly enough, as our heroine, Sophie Winston, is heading with her best friend, Nina Reid Norwood, to a charity luncheon meeting for A Healthy Meal. The organization provides meals for Old Town Alexandria’s less-fortunate children and is chaired by the recently widowed Gerrie Stansfield, a wealthy socialite and powerhouse hostess who enjoys organizing elegant meals for the ladies on the committee.

Unfortunately, her latest soiree—held in her own beautiful, four-story Federal home—is swiftly marred by the discovery of a dead body in her dining room. With members of the committee panicking or fleeing the scene outright, it’s up to Sophie and Nina to take control until emergency services can arrive. As they do so, the two sleuths can’t help but note several worrying details that point to the involvement of several people they know.

One of these details is a box of cookies emblazoned with the name of Sophie’s best frenemy, Natasha Smith. Apparently, the dead man was delivering a box of treats from Natasha’s most recent enterprise, a ghost kitchen selling exclusively cookies. When another delivery man is found assaulted, Sophie can’t help but wonder whether the crimes are linked—both to each other and to the conference on ghost kitchens she’s currently helping to run. The more she investigates, though, the more deeply buried Stansfield secrets she digs up—and the more criminal attention she attracts. Will she be able to figure out what’s going on before she or anyone else gets hurt?

In addition to the excellent relationship developments in this book, I loved so much that we finally got to meet the infamous Eddie Wong, the ex-husband of one of OTA’s best police officers. Officer Wong kept her husband’s last name after the divorce, and in this installment, we find out why.

On a personal note, I really appreciate how Eddie was such a change of pace from the Asian characters I usually encounter in cozy mysteries. While it’s awesome to have Asian sleuths and casts with plenty of Asian characters, it’s also refreshing to read about a devastatingly handsome Asian American man with a loose interpretation of morality. This unusual but very welcome bit of representation reinforces the realism of a series set in one of my favorite actual neighborhoods.

I also enjoyed the plethora of recipe options included here, with 13 different food and drink options for me to decide between. Since I haven’t made an entree in a while, I decided to try out this one, lightly edited for space:

Salmon and Portobello Mushroom Salad with Lemon Dressing

Serves 2-3 depending on serving size

Salad Ingredients

1 pound red or pink salmon fillet

1-2 portobello mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 red pepper

Baby spinach greens

1 red onion

6-9 black olives

Lemon Dressing Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons whole grain or Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Wash the salmon and dry. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top and on the bottom. Lay on baking sheet skin side down.

Wash and dry the portobello mushroom and cut into ¾-inch-wide slices. Brush with olive oil and place on baking sheet.

Wash and dry the red pepper. Slice in wide sections and place on the baking sheet. You can use separate baking sheets for each, if you prefer.

Bake 15-20 minutes. If you prefer salmon that is not baked through, then bake it a shorter time.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Pour the oil, lemon juice, honey, and mustard into a small bowl. (Krista’s hint: I like to use a Pyrex type-glass measuring cup because they have spouts!) Mix vigorously with a fork or a whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mound the baby spinach leaves on each plate. Cut the onion in thin slices and arrange 3 on top of the spinach leaves. Drizzle with a little bit of dressing.

When the salmon is done, slice it in inch-wide strips (eyeball it) and place the strips on top of the spinach and onions on each plate. Add the portobello mushroom strips. Cut the red peppers into strips and add them. Add 2-3 olives as garnish. Drizzle with the dressing.

Save leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

I was a little skeptical of the fact that none of the protein or vegetables were seasoned before cooking, though I can understand how limiting salt to the dressing alone makes for an overall healthier dish. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome, however, as everything came out so deliciously when assembled as a salad. The flavor profiles are well-balanced, and you can always add more salt and pepper as needed (or just more olives, as I like to do). This recipe actually made about five guilt-free portions in my household and tastes just as good the next day.

One tip for saving a smidge of time: you can buy pre-sliced portobello mushrooms at the store as I did. Overall, this is a fantastic sheet pan (plus mixing bowl) recipe that I’ll probably be making again and again over the upcoming summer months.

Next week, we head to the Midwest to make the most delicious candy I’ve ever managed while solving a murder at the county fair. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J Chow