"Rita Lucero, co-owner of New Orleans' Zydeco Cakes, is thrilled to be catering an annual ball at the Monte Cristo Hotel. Designing the high-end desserts is her priority -- until she stumbles upon a mystery at her shop. It's an ornate ruby necklace, hidden beneath her staircase and said to be cursed. After the appraiser drops dead and Rita is targeted by a menacing stranger, she's no longer laughing at local superstition. And when the necklace's past reveals layers of unsettling clues, Rita has reason to keep looking over her shoulder while she's frosting." --