Fatal Fishing: Miss Fortune World (A Sinful Mystery)

By J L Johnson

*** 'Fatal Fishing' takes place in Sinful, Louisiana, a charming little town created for the 'Miss Fortune' series by Jana DeLeon.

When a small domestic disaster prompts a memory from Gertie, she and Ida Belle entertain Fortune by recalling an unusual case that happened in the summer of 1993.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J&R Fan Fiction
• Release date: Aug 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386432555

J L Johnson

J L Johnson has an absolutely beautiful and charming, highly intelligent daughter.  She also has two brilliant, extremely handsome sons, both US Navy Officers.  Her daughters-in-law are two of the most delightfully sweet, stunningly gorgeous young women in the world.  And to top it all off, she has three of the brightest, cutest, most genuinely gifted grandchildren on the planet.  Some people have told her she might be a wee bit prejudiced on the subject, but she very sincerely doubts it.  She was born in Montana where she grew up with a love of books and reading. Feel free to contact her at [e-mail].

Book preview

Chapter 1

Okay, cards at my house tonight, after dinner though. I plan on eating a salad, a very small, dry salad, Fortune told her two elderly friends as she rubbed her stuffed tummy. They were walking home from lunch at Francine’s, where she’d made the mistake of ordering the Mortal Sin.

Now she understood why Francine had named it after one of the major sins, but she might as well have named it for what it was... Gluttony, no question. It had been good, but she couldn’t believe she’d eaten the entire meal.

She’d agreed earlier they could splurge on lunch if she could burn off some of the calories by walking to and fro. Her metabolism didn’t work as well as Gertie’s or Ida Belle’s. Those two could eat anything and never gain a pound; they both looked like they’d blow away if a slight wind hit them.

Fortune sighed after revising her calculations in her head, she’d have to walk to Baton Rouge and back to negate the calories from that feast... Maybe Miami.

I’ll bring the cough syrup, Ida Belle said, refocusing Fortune’s thoughts.

What should I bring? Gertie asked.

I don’t suppose you have anything recently baked, anything chocolate? Fortune asked, and chuckled when she realized she wasn’t sticking very well to her previously pious intentions. She knew she’d relent sooner or later anyway, though. Anything Gertie baked was always worth the extra calories.

How’s Poke cake sound? Gertie asked. I started one this morning. It should be done by tonight.

What’s Poke cake? Fortune asked.

You’ve never had Poke cake? Ida Belle raised her eyebrows at Fortune. Gertie has the best recipe in the Parish, although I will admit mine isn’t too bad either.

It doesn’t have anything to do with that Poke Salad stuff I hear you singing about in that song on the radio, does it? Fortune asked, wrinkling up her nose. Salad and chocolate don’t sound like they’d compliment each other...

No, there’s no pokeweed in Poke cake. It’s called Poke cake because you poke it and then fill in the holes, Ida Belle chuckled, wouldn’t be very good if you just poked it. Or, maybe it would... Depends on the cake, I suppose. Gertie’s chocolate cake would probably taste fine if you just poked it, but it tastes even better when she fills the holes.

What do you fill the holes with? Fortune asked.

Different people use different fillings, like spice cake with caramel and applesauce, or white cake with various fruit fillings. I like the chocolate version. I use hot fudge, chocolate pudding, caramel, and then more chocolate, Gertie answered.

Chocolate is my favorite version too, Ida Belle added, nodding her approval.

It takes awhile to make. You make a plain chocolate cake in a long pan and poke holes all over the top of it with a big wooden spoon. Then you fill the holes with hot fudge sauce, let it cool in the fridge, and pour dark chocolate pudding over the whole mess. You let that cool, and poor caramel sauce on top of the pudding. Dark chocolate shavings spread over the top finishes it off nicely, and again, back in the fridge to let it cool.

Sounds delicious, Fortune swooned. And it sounds like it has enough chocolate for even me.

Some people, Gertie said disdainfully