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Star Billing for Namur

The former St. Mary of the Snows church in Namur, now home of the Belgian Heritage Foundation, is the principle setting for the plot in the new mystery novel, Five-Alarm Fudge, by Christine DeSmet.

The novel is the third in the national-bestselling Fudge Shop Mystery series set in Door County and starring Ava Oosterling and her grandfather Gil. They operate Oosterlings’ Live Bait, Bobbers & Belgian Fudge & Beer on a harbor in a local fictional village.

DeSmet is part Belgian and a frequent visitor to Door County. The acknowledgments’ page in the new novel gives a nod to several local residents who helped with her research.

The new mystery novel is about a divinity fudge recipe that might have been hidden in the Namur church back in the 1800s when Sister Adele Brise traveled the area as a teacher. Sister Adele is a real historical figure who reported getting visits from Mary, the mother of Jesus. A shrine in Champion, Wisconsin, commemorates the history of the only Marian sighting sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the United States.

In Five-Alarm Fudge, the plot has a Belgian prince asking the Oosterlings to unearth a legendary and priceless 1800s divinity fudge recipe prior to the prince’s visit. Grandpa Gil says sure. Grandpa’s eagerness to help bring Belgian royalty to Door County fans the flames of foul play, with murder marring his grown granddaughter’s Cinderella dreams.

Other titles in the mystery series from publisher Penguin Random House include First-Degree Fudge and Hot Fudge Frame-Up.