Local Author Leslie Karst Visits Scotts Valley Library
The afternoon of August 12 found our Fireside Room filled with excited readers ready to meet local author Leslie Karst, author of the six-book Sally Solari mystery series and debut memoirist. Karst discussed her memoir Justice is Served: A Story of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG and A Sense for Murder, the latest release in her cozy mystery series featuring chef Sally Solari set in the beautiful city of Santa Cruz.
Equal parts engaging and funny, Karst first shared a bit about A Sense for Murder, Sally Solari’s sixth and final appearance as local chef and amateur sleuth solving the dual mystery of precious stolen cookbooks and a murdered restauranteur and homeless advocate. A Sense for Murder is a fast-paced, super fun culinary cozy mystery that will have your brain working and your mouth watering right up to the last page. A bonus for us locals is being able to identify Karst’s inspirations for many of the key locations Solari visits on her adventures.
Karst’s memoir is based on events that occurred several years ago when she was still a lawyer. Having recently completed culinary arts training at Cabrillo College, Leslie jumped at the chance to cook an intimate dinner for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Yes! That RBG!), Ginsberg’s husband Marty, Karst’s parents, and her partner Robin. Karst tells how she developed the menu, tested the recipes, and built an evening that would create lifetime memories. She also shares how this process and her interactions with RBG led her to embrace what she always knew: Law was not her passion. She saw how RBG and her father (also a constitutional law expert) lived their lives engrossed in their profession while Karst found it unfulfilling. She wanted what they had! And, she had a good idea what would fill her life in the same manner. This experience finally convinced Leslie to leave the law and become a writer. One more reason for us to be thankful for RBG!
Karst wrapped up the afternoon with a taste for what’s next. While Sally Solari may be hanging up her detective’s fedora, there’s a new book with a new protagonist and a new location! It’s due for release in April 2024, and Leslie has already promised she’ll visit our library again in the Spring!
The Friends of the Scotts Valley Library thank all who came out, participated in the conversation, and bought books. We especially thank Bookshop Santa Cruz for generously providing those books.