SCENE FROM MURDER BY THE MILLIONS, the 2nd Literary Dining Mystery
By Daryl Wood Gerber
As I was paying, the ponytailed barista said, “Allie, I was about to call you. If you have time, the boss said we could use two dozen lemon cheesecake bars pronto. Like three hours from now. Can you do it? The Potter’s Palette next door wants to have them on hand for this afternoon’s art party for adults.”
Could I do it?
From Allie:
Yes, I could do it. Although many of the recipes I prepare for literary dining parties are from the era of the book we’re featuring—for example, Pride and Prejudice takes place during the Regency Era and I made trifle; The Great Gatsby occurs during the Roaring 20s and I made pineapple upside down cake—I still have a regular clientele who require deliveries ASAP. I do my best.
Thankfully, I have a few go-to recipes, like chocolate crinkle cookies, blueberry arts, lemon cookies, and a variety of cakes and scones. My clientele has a distinct sweet tooth!
The requested lemon cheesecake bars for Potter’s Palette are super easy to make, and they cool quickly, so I can turn a delivery around in a matter of hours.
Being a caterer takes planning ahead and going with the flow. Being a planner for a literary dining party takes imagination. I’m so thankful I have my partners in crime, Tegan and her half-sister Vanna, to bat around ideas. For The Great Gatsby party—our upcoming party—you would have laughed at Vanna’s suggestions. She called all the food on the menu I’d created pedantic. Well, guess what? Back in the Roaring 20s, pineapple upside down cake was popular, Campbell tomato soup cake was big, and deviled eggs . . . downright delicious. Oh, and anything with orange juice was a great seller because orange juice was the rage. Why? Because oranges could travel well by rail without spoilage.
Being a caterer takes imagination. Luckily, I have that in spades. Planning literary dining parties takes lots of preparation and research. Thankfully, I’m very organized. Phew.
RECIPE
Here you go. Enjoy!
Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed *may use gluten-free graham crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8” square pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
Crush the graham crackers and pour into the prepared pan. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir with a spoon. Make flat. Set aside. (*Use gluten-free graham crackers if you are gluten-intolerant.)
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until blended. Add the eggs and mix again until smooth.
Pour the cheese mixture onto the graham cracker crust. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the center is almost set. Cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Best if stored in refrigerator overnight.
Cut into small squares.
*My recommendation for gluten-free graham crackers are Pamela’s brand. Perfection. Sometimes crumbly but for this recipe, it doesn’t matter.
Murder by the Millions (A Literary Dining Mystery)
by Daryl Wood Gerber
About Murder by the Millions
Murder by the Millions (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher : Kensington Cozies
Publication date : October 28, 2025
Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496748204
ISBN-13 : 978-1496748201
Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1496748225
ASIN : B0DX58P859
Audiobook ASIN B0DW5MKYKZ
Audio CD ISBN-13 : 979-8228545793
In a beautiful mountain community near Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients’ favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success—if a murderer isn’t a killjoy . . .
If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie’s business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await . . .
Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie’s best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan’s prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie’s tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it’s the cat’s meow.
Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she’s summoned to his estate for a meeting—and finds him dead.Once again Allie’s landed in the middle of a crime scene. Worse, one of her earrings is later discovered near the body. And when police learn she was upset about the mall, she’s suspect #1. Allie’s blossoming sleuthing skills once cleared Tegan’s name, but can she save herself—before a killer writes her a not-so-great Gatsbyesque ending . . .
About Daryl Wood Gerber
Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, the French Bistro Mysteries, and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, as well as the Cheese Shop Mysteries written under the name Avery Aames. She also writes standalone suspense novels and the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense. Prior to her career as a novelist, she was an actress with roles in television shows including “Murder, She Wrote,” and she wrote for the popular TV sitcom “Out of this World.” Originally from the Bay Area, she now lives in Southern California, where she likes to cook, garden, and spend time with her frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky.
Author Links
WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber
BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber
YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber
GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber
TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@daryl_wood_gerber
AMAZON: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page
NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/
Purchase Links
AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSHOP.ORG KOBO MYSTERIOUS GALAXY
GIVEAWAY LINK: https://kingsumo.com/g/3l55el1/murder-by-the-millions-a-literary-dining-mystery-by-daryl-wood-gerber
Hours of fun for Jane Austen fans of all ages: This literary card game features simple and satisfying gameplay with a beautifully illustrated deck full of favorite characters from all of the novels.
Hold on to heroines like Emma Woodhouse and Anne Elliot to win the highest dowry as you gossip with Mrs. Bennet to gain insight into another player’s hand, send an opponent’s card eloping with John Yates to remove it from play, or use Mr. Darcy’s refusal to dance to skip the next player’s turn. Whether you steal, snub, trade, or quadrille your way to the end of the round, try not to be left with the Old Maid!
LITERARY TWIST ON CLASSIC CARD GAME: Marriage is the name of the game in this Jane Austen-inspired game of trading, stealing, and claiming cards. Never be satisfied with less: Claim the highest dowry to win!
GREAT FUN FOR LITERATURE LOVERS: This smart, elegant card game has Jane Austen trivia built in, with Dowry cards and Action cards inspired by each character’s role in Austen’s literary universe and a booklet full of character fun facts. Endeavor to keep company with the likes of Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, or Fanny Price to gain access to a valuable dowry sum. Border on rudeness with Frank Churchill, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, or John Thorpe to shake up the gameplay. Or fan the flames of scandal by ‘eloping’ with another player’s card, in the vein of George Wickham or Penelope Clay. There’s endless fun to be had.
Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, having tea parties, and chauffeuring her four kids. She teaches World Literature at Brigham Young University. Her young adult fiction books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections and her historical romances are published around the world. She also writes murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen that Publisher’s Weekly called “wildly enjoyable.”
Ruff Drafts 