Book excerpt: Jerrilyn Farmer′s #1 LA Times bestselling Madeline Bean Culinary mysteries continue to prove to be scrumptiously hip, savoury, and irresistible. In this mass market reprint of her second hardcover, Mad Bean is at it again as a search for the perfect sax becomes deadly. The dazzling Jazz Ball for the prestigious Woodburn School of Music promises to be event planner Madeline Bean′s greatest triumph to date. All the rich and mighty of L.A. society′s fund-raising crowd seem to be seriously enjoying the festivities. Of course, then everything goes straight to hell. Having to contend with a heap of celebrity trash, a ranting vocal coach, his rabid bitch of a girlfriend, and duelling preteen music prodigies is bad enough. But when the furious bidding war for the prize item to be auctioned off -- a one-of-a-kind, sterling silver Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone -- almost results in bloodshed, and the perfect sax subsequently vanishes, Madeline can′t help but wonder what else could possibly go wrong. Well he could arrive home to discover a dead body in her bedroom. Her ex-beau LAPD Detective Chuck Honnett could start making insistent "take me back" noises. And then there′s the red-haired stranger who seems to be stalking her. All in all, the lethal looniness surrounding the theft of a priceless instrument is threatening to drive Mad quite mad. With the jazz cool, the sax "hot," and the martinis smoking, it may drive her quite dead.