Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier: The Bush Tea Murder
Debut
Short story writer Ashley-Ruth Bernier’s debut proclaims those roots – this sweetly moving novel is told via short episodes. The episodes connect, and are longer than the typical short story, packing more of a punch, and by the end of the novel, the ends are neatly tied up. Our heroine is culinary TV star Naomi Sinclair, who tells stories through her reporting on, and love, of food.
Naomi is from the island of St. Thomas, and it’s her Crucian heritage that shines through on every page of this novel. As the book opens, she and a fellow host on EAT TV are pitching their true crime-food episodes, and Naomi is leaving her audience in suspense. She has a great story to tell and her audience of TV producers are hanging on her every word to find out the solution to the long ago murder of Ursula Merchant, a well known island chef and entrepreneur.