CULINARY MYSTERIES...

THE GREAT CULINARY MYSTERY SERIES...

Food, of course, has been in literature from the beginning. Eve served a scrumptious Pomme d'Eden appetizer to Adam that would make history. That story taught many lessons -- for professional chefs it was "check out your supplier!"

Fairy tales are full of food -- just ask Hansel and Gretel. As is Chaucer. Shakespeare. Austen. Good old Dickens.

And mystery fiction, which deals with our lives at the most fundamental levels, certainly is.

Sherlock knew his food -- and Watson surely enjoyed it. Lord Peter Wimsey was a true believer in the gourmet life. Nero Wolfe had his own personal chef. Stout's TOO MANY COOKS is a classic culinary mystery.

Virginia Rich may have created the first culinary mystery series with a continuing character, Faith Fairchild, with THE BAKED BEAN SUPPER MURDERS in 1983. Nancy Pickard continued the series ten years later with THE 17-INGREDIENT CHILI CON CARNI MURDERS.

Find just about every title mentioned on this page at AbeBooks!

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	Author Title Keyword ISBN

John Irving -- LAST NIGHT IN TWISTED RIVER 

Cathie John -- BEAT A ROTTEN EGG TO THE PUNCH

Claire M Johnson -- BEAT UNTIL STIFF

Sharon Kahn -- FAX ME A BAGEL

Josi S Kilpack -- LEMON TART

Peter King -- THE GOURMET DETECTIVE

Cecile LaMalle -- APPETITE FOR MURDER

Janet Laurence -- A DEEPE COFFYN

Cynthia Lawrence -- CHILL BEFORE SERVING

Shelby Lewis -- DELICIOUS

Nan & Ivan Lyons -- SOMEONE IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE

Peter Mayle -- ANYTHING CONSIDERED

G A McKevett -- COOKED GOOSE

Amy Myers -- MURDER AT PUGS PARLOR

Tamar Myers -- TOO MANY CROOKS SPOIL THE BROTH

Katherine Hall Page -- THE BODY IN THE BELFRY

Joanne Pence -- SOMETHING'S COOKING

Nancy Pickard -- THE 17-INGREDIENT CHILI CON CARNI MURDERS

Virginia Rich -- THE BAKED BEAN SUPPER MURDERS

Phillis Richman -- WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA HAM?

Alexandra Roudybush -- A GASTRONOMIC MURDER

S J Rozan -- BITTER FEAST

Michele Scott -- MURDER UNCORKED

Steve Sherman -- MAPLE SUGAR MURDERS

Sharon Short -- DEATH BY DEEP-DISH PIE

Julie Smith -- THE SOURDOUGH WARS

J B Stanley -- CARBS & CADAVERS

Lou Jane Temple -- DEATH BY RHUBARB

Emily Toll -- MURDER PANS OUT

Livia J Washburn -- MURDER BY THE SLICE

Janice Weber -- DEVIL'S FOOD

Melinda Wells -- KILLER MOUSSE

Ruthie Wornall -- MURDER IN GUANAJUANO 

(Okay -- I know.  The Bourdain, Gadol and Irving titles aren't the first volumes in ongoing series.  But they SHOULD be.  They're that good.)

MONSIEUR PAMPLEMOUSSE AND THE FRENCH SOLUTION -- by Michael Bond  

When Monsieur Pamplemousse got an urgent summons from the Director of Le Guide, he knew that there was trouble at the top. His faithful canine companion, Pommes Frites, noticed it too.

But neither of them expected that the trouble would involve a nun who was in the habit of joining the Mile High Club or a full-scale smear campaign targeting Le Guide's credibility as France's première restaurant and hotel guide. Someone has been spreading worrying rumours among the staff and infiltrating the company files - awarding hotels prizes for bedbugs and praising egg and chips signature dishes. Even Pommes Frites has become a victim of the assault.

It could all spell the ruin for Le Guide, but Pamplemousse is on the case...

MONSIEUR PAMPLEMOUSSE AND THE CARBON FOOTPRINT -- by Michael Bond

When Le Guide, France’s premier gastronomic bible seems to be failing to whet the appetites of American readers, Monsieur Pamplemousse is tasked with the job of addressing the problem.

Though he has the help of his faithful bloodhound Pommes Frites, everything rests on Jay Corby, revered and feared American food critic. However, disaster strikes and Pamplemousse is the only one who can save Le Guide’s transatlantic reputation as well as save Corby from the Mob. Once again he can rely on Pommes Frites, though their only lead is some flimsy undergarments…

Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful dog Pommes Frites are true and original comic inventions.  Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, has proven to be a master of the culinary mystery.  During World War II Michael served in both the Royal Air Force and the Middlesex Regiment of the British Army. He began writing in 1945 and sold his first short story to a magazine called London Opinion. This experience helped him decide that he wanted to be a writer.

CORKED BY CABERNET -- A Wine Lover's Mystery by Michele Scott

Nikki Sands is exactly where she wants to be as the Manager of the Malveaux Estates in Napa Valley—and ‘shacking up’ with the owner, her boyfriend Derek Malveaux. But she starts to lose control when some self-helpers arrive and steal her peace of mind…

Nikki couldn’t be happier settling into the vineyard with her boyfriend Derek. But when a guru and his followers check into the winery’s boutique hotel and spa for a retreat, she feels far from enlightened as she’s forced to take on the role of event coordinator. Their first outing on the famous Napa Valley Wine train reinforces her doubt when a member goes missing. The guru’s devotee is found in the wine storage car where someone quite literally—and fatally—put a cork in him. It’s up to Nikki to stop a killer who’s developed a real taste for murder…

Goldy Schulz is thrilled to be catering a holiday breakfast feast for the staff of the Aspen Meadow Library. But little does she know that on the menu, alongside the Great Expectations Grapefruit, Chuzzlewit Cheese Pie, and Bleak House Bars, is a large helping of murder.

While setting up at the library, Goldy spots a woman lurking in the stacks who bears a striking resemblance to Sandee Brisbane—the Sandee Brisbane who killed Goldy's ex-husband, the Jerk. But Sandee is supposed to be dead. Or so everyone believes.

Goldy's suspicions mount when the body of Drew Wellington, a former district attorney, is found in a corner of the library with a map worth thousands of dollars stashed in his clothing. She's convinced that Sandee is involved.

But the holiday madness is only just beginning for Goldy. Soon she's drawn into the dangerous, double-crossing world of high-end map dealing. And like the ghost of Christmas past, Sandee keeps making an appearance. Could she be out to prove that revenge is sweet?

Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz encounters bridezilla—and murder—in another delectable novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Revenge, Dark Tort, and Double Shot

It's been a long, rainy summer for Goldy Schulz, who is engaged in planning wedding receptions for what seems to be all of Aspen Meadow. It's bad enough that Billie Attenborough, the bride from hell, has changed her menu six times and the event date twice. Now she wants to move the location to the Gold Gulch Spa just a scant two days before tying the knot to her doctor fiancé.

Then Doc Finn, beloved local physician and the best friend of Goldy's godfather, Jack, is killed when his car tumbles into a ravine. At least that's what appears to have happened. But Jack thinks Doc was murdered because of the research he was doing at the spa—allegations that are confirmed when Jack himself is attacked.

So Goldy dons chef's whites and goes undercover at the spa, where coffee is outlawed in favor of calming smoothies, and the fruit cocktail doesn't include fresh fruit. Add in the obstreperous owner, who years ago tried to sabotage Goldy's fledgling business, and she's got her hands full.

Above all, there seems to be a clever killer on the spa grounds, watching her every move. After what befell Jack, Goldy knows that she might be next. Catering weddings, and cooking low-fat food, could be killing her—literally.

"When is Goldy's Culinary Mystery #16 coming out?" became a mystery in itself.  For most of her releases, when last year's Goldy appeared in paperback, we could snatch up her latest hardcover appearance.  Sometimes there was that two year wait.  But for a while there was no mention of #16.  Dianne made no reference of it on her site.  No mention of it in her interviews...  Then came the announcement: "Goldy will be back in 2011 in CRUNCH TIME."

Now here's an interesting twist - in Claudia Bishop's last few Hemlock Falls mysteries, the publisher has added a note: "The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written.  The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision.  The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book."  This caution might explain why Claudia's TOAST MORTEM was a while finding it's way to the bookshelves.  Could it explain the latest delay of Goldy Schulz?

My wife Mary Lee and I have accumulated hundreds of cookbooks, not to mention personal notebooks and cards containing traditional East Coast recipes and our own personal creations (I go for local entrees - Mary Lee for creating desserts).  So we're not ones to test many of the recipes in our favorite Culinary Mysteries.  But are fans following our favorite authors' recipes - with perhaps more deadly results?  In this litigious age, I hope this doesn't endanger the Foodie Whodunit!  They're way too much fun. 

CRUNCH TIME -- by Diane Mott Davidson 

Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz cooks up big trouble as she tries to help her longtime friend and fellow chef Yolanda Garcia. When the rental house shared by Yolanda and her irrepressible aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson, the pair move in with cop-turned-PI Ernest McLeod. But then Ernest is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Goldy, Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies that Ernest had recently rescued from a puppy mill.

Concerned for her friends, Goldy invites them to stay with her while the sheriff’s department investigates. Yet even Goldy’s house isn’t safe, and after a failed break-in by an unknown intruder a cop is sent to keep an eye on things. Then a second body is found...

Winter in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is the perfect time to curl up by a cozy fire with something—and someone—sweet. But while bakery owner Hannah Swensen can provide herself with the confections, cuddling will have to take a back seat to sleuthing when her sometime-squeeze becomes a murder suspect...

With the launch party of her mother’s novel around the corner, Hannah has a dress to fit into and a date with her sister, Andrea, at Lake Eden's new health club, Heavenly Bodies. Dragging herself out of bed on a frigid Minnesota morning for exercise, of all things, is bad enough. Discovering a dead body floating in the gym’s jacuzzi? Okay, that's worse. Nor does it help that there's a plate of The Cookie Jar’s very own cream puffs garnishing the murder scene. The fact that they were purchased by none other than Hannah's part-time flame, Detective Mike Kingston, is simply the icing on what's shaping up to be one very messy cake...

Mike may be the prime suspect in the murder of man-eating bombshell Ronni Ward, but he's by no means the only one. Ronni, a fitness instructor at both the Sheriff’s department and Heavenly Bodies, made a nasty habit of throwing her own heavenly body at every man, eligible or not, who crossed her path. Plenty of Lake Eden’s ladies won’t miss Ronni, including her ex-fiance’s former girlfriend, the angry mother of one of her would-be conquests, and even the mayor’s wife. Could any of them have wanted her gone badly enough to make it happen? Mike’s recruited Hannah to find out, and, as any suspended, suspected detective would, he’s micromanaging her every step of the way...

Between trying to narrow the list of Ronni’s enemies down to fewer than half the town’s female population and resisting the urge to remove Mike from the running by throttling him herself, Hannah has her plate full. Trouble is, when it comes to cookies—and to murder—there's always room for one more...

APPLE TURNOVER MYSTERY -- by Joanne Fluke

It's June in Lake Eden, Minnesota, and for Hannah Swensen, that means bridal showers galore, plus a massive fundraising event in need of confections--not to mention a killer who never learned that charity begins at home...

Early summer brings plenty of work for Hannah, even before Mayor Bascomb's wife drops by The Cookie Jar to place an order ...for eleven-hundred cookies! Stephanie Bascomb is organizing an elaborate three-day event to support local charities, and though it's a worthy cause, Hannah almost flips when her business partner, Lisa, suggests setting up an apple turnover stand. Hannah's never made a turnover--but, pushover that she is, she places her faith in Lisa's mother-in-law's recipe and agrees to be a magician's assistant in the fundraiser's talent show...

Dozens of pastries and one hideous purple dress later, Hannah has to admit that stepping out of her comfort zone has been fun as well as profitable. The only snag is the show's host, community college professor Bradford Ramsey. Hannah and her younger sister Michelle each had unfortunate romantic relationships with Ramsey, and when the cad comes sniffing around between acts, Hannah tells him off. But when the curtain doesn't go up, she discovers Ramsey backstage--dead as a doornail with a turnover in his hand...

Now, to protect her reputation and Michelle's, Hannah must get to the bottom of the professor's bitter end. There are plenty of scorned suspects, including an ex-wife who feels cheated in more ways than one, and a prominent local who may have been using Ramsey to avenge her own randy spouse. But who was unstable enough to snuff out Professor Love? A killer who's flakier than puff pastry--and far more dangerous... Includes Over Ten Cookie and Dessert Recipes!

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE MURDER -- by Joanne Fluke

These days, everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is buzzing with activity, and Hannah Swensen is no exception. But no matter how busy she may be, Hannah can always find time to help a friend in need—especially when he’s been murdered…

Hannah Swensen has to admit that her life is pretty sweet. Things are going well in the romance department, and her bakery’s delectable confections are selling almost as fast as she can bake them. Even her good friend Claire is on Cloud Nine, head over heels with her new husband, Reverend Bob Knudson. If only they could find time to take their honeymoon!

When Bob’s childhood friend, Matthew Walters, comes to town, it seems like divine intervention. Matthew, like Bob, is a Lutheran minister with a stubborn sweet tooth. Since he’s on sabbatical, Matthew is happy to fill in for Bob while he and Claire take that long-awaited honeymoon. It sounds like the perfect plan—until Hannah finds Matthew in the rectory, face-down in a plate full of Devil’s Food Cake, a single bullet in his head.

Determined to find out who killed Matthew, Hannah starts asking questions—and discovers that the good Reverend wasn’t quite the saintly fellow he appeared to be. But could the gold Sacagawea coins in Sunday’s collection plate hold the key to solving the crime? Or is the murder connected to that big jewel heist out in Minneapolis? Is it possible that Matthew’s love of chocolate somehow led to his downfall? It will take some more digging to find out, but Hannah is sure of one thing: even the most half-baked murder plot can be oh so deadly…

A PLATEFUL OF MURDER -- by Claudia Bishop 

The first two Hemlock Falls mysteries — a winning recipe for mystery lovers!

A Taste for Murder takes readers to the festival at Hemlock Falls, featuring a reenactment of the 17th-century witch trials. But this year the mock execution becomes all too real when a guest at the Inn is crushed under a pile of stones. The killer has not been identified—yet.

In A Dash of Death, Helena Houndswood is the epitome of class when the cameras are rolling. Behind the scenes, this expert on style is a snob with a heart of stone. She’s furious to hear that the decidedly déclassé women of Hemlock Falls have won her TV show’s design contest. When one winner goes missing and the other is found dead, Helena falls under suspicion. Murder can be so tacky.

DEATH IN TWO COURSES -- by Claudia Bishop 

Two Hemlock Falls mysteries — together for the first time!

In A Pinch of Poison, newspaperman Hedrick Conway is making news in Hemlock Falls, but he’s making enemies even faster. His current exposé: an in-depth look at plans for the local mini-mall, in which several prominent people have invested a great deal of money. Hedrick thinks something funny is going on, but nobody’s laughing when two of his relatives turn up murdered…

In Murder Well-Done, The Inn at Hemlock Falls has the misfortune of hosting the wedding rehearsal dinner of Alphonse Santini. The ex- senator, looking to get reelected, has brought big-time politics to the little town. And while politics make strange bedfellows, the dead fellows being made are even stranger.

TOAST MORTEM -- by Claudia Bishop 

The Inn at Hemlock Falls reopens for readers!

The crankiest cook in haute cuisine, Chef Bernard LeVasque, has opened a multi-million dollar cooking school in Hemlock Falls — and has even stolen customers from Sarah and Meg Quilliam’s Inn. But someone finds the infamous chef too bitter — and takes him off the menu for good.  And Meg Quilliam is the prime suspect.  A mysterious scrap of a long-lost recipe may be the first clue to getting Meg out of this vigilante vichyssoise.

DREAD ON ARRIVAL -- by Claudia Bishop

The seventeenth entry in the Hemlock Falls Bed & Breakfast mystery series. 

Two male guests at the popular Hemlock Falls Inn fall out at their first meeting.  Sparks fly between an aristocratic Englishman and a "loud, foul-mouthed American," rival antiques dealers.  And then one of the dealers is discovered deader than antique farm machinery.  And there is an abundance of suspects.

OOLONG DEAD -- A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

Laura Childs is a pseudonym for Gerry Schmitt, former owner/CEO/Creative Director of a marketing/advertising firm in Minneapolis. She's putting that knowledge to good use for extensive self-promotion. Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop mysteries and also launched her first scrapbooking mystery, KEEPSAKE CRIMES in May 2003.

Theodosia Browning is the owner of Charleston's beloved Indigo Tea Shop, and an amateur sleuth who can't seem to stop solving crimes. A wild steeplechase through the Carolina low-country brings Theodosia face to face with a dead woman--and sparks the return of a boyfriend she never thought she'd see again.

While riding her horse in a race through the South Carolina Lowcountry, Theodosia Browning finds her arch nemesis, Abby Davis, dead. What's more, the victim's brother is Theodosia's old flame.

Who'd have guessed they'd be reunited through cold-blooded murder? Theodosia's investigation takes her from the Lowcountry thicket to the backstage maze of a darkened theater where a maestro of murder waits for the next cue. All proving that when it comes to high drama, Theodosia can give Verdi a run for his money.

BLACK BEANS & VICE -- by J B Stanley 

The Flab Five's creative new strategy to slim down? Hypnotherapy! And James has new motivation for laying off the Krispy Kremes: his adorable son Eliot and a re-kindled romance with his ex-wife. But someone doesn't approve, as evidenced by the gruesome "messages" threatening the happy family.

On top of this, two sudden deaths have occurred: a councilman and a young animal rights advocate. With guiltless grasshopper parfait to sustain them, the Flab Five team up to solve another delectable, food-filled mystery.

A cozy "village" mystery, Black Beans & Vice is the sixth book in the warm and wonderful Supper Club Mystery series.  Other Supper Club mysteries are Chili Con Corpses and The Battered Body.

Raised an antique-lover by her grandparents and parents, J B (Jennifer) Stanley also worked part-time in an auction gallery. An eBay junkie and food-lover, Stanley now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two young children, and three cats.

HOLLY BLUES -- A China Bayles Mystery by Susan Wittig Albert

It was not until she created the plucky China Bayles and her savory mysteries that Chicago-born Susan Wittig Albert developed her trademark series. She created China Bayles, a sleuth who jumped off the fast track at a big law firm to open a herb shop. Now Albert has written twelve China Bayles mysteries. Each book is named after a favorite herb.

"Herbs are about coming home, putting down roots, making connections," Albert reflects.

An avid gardener, she cultivates her own herbs, both culinary and ornamental, and never writes about one she hasn't grown. Also an avid researcher, Albert enjoys delving into ancient lore, medicinal uses and symbolic associations surrounding each "signature" herb. She then weaves intricate narrative tangles for her star sleuth and supporting cast of colorful characters.

The stress of working in a high-powered law firm in Houston started to get to China Bayles. So she packed her bags, moved to Pecan Springs, Texas, and opened an herb shop. But China learned that even small towns are spiced with murder.

In NIGHTSHADE, (#16) in Berkley (Prime Crime) series featuring China Bales, China is still reeling from her father's death and has no interest in her halfbrother Miles's investigation. But when fate forces her to get involved, China realizes it's time to bring the past to light--or else it will haunt her forever. Then she discovers that Miles may be keeping secrets himself. How deep do the layers of secrecy go? And who has a stake in concealing a long-buried truth? Now, one fresh murder and several cold cases will force China Bayles to face her dark past.

In WORMWOOD (#17), China's friends and family are urging her to get some rest--and a Kentucky Shaker village seems the ideal place for it. At Mount Zion, China can assist with some herbal workshops--while absorbing all things Shaker, from their furniture to their peaceful ways.

But the restored modern version of the village, striving to become a popular tourist attraction, is plagued with misfortune and strife-- some of it the likely result of sabotage. China and her friend Martha are hoping to get to the bottom of it.

However, much like Shaker history itself, the case appears simpler at first than it is. There is tension behind the serene exterior. And after a shocking death occurs during her stay, China will plunge into the archives of another time to connect the sins of the past with a modern-day murder.

In HOLLY BLUES (#18) China Bayles is fit to spit when her husband's troubled ex-wife, Sally, shows up at her herb shop, claiming to be broke with nowhere else to turn. China isn't sure if it's the goodness of her heart or the scent of Christmas wreaths, but she invites Sally to stay.

Then China starts receiving menacing calls from an "ex" of Sally's, who seems to have a connection to the murder of her parents nearly a decade ago. With her P.I. husband out of town, it's up to China to weed out the truth behind whatever it is Sally's running from before danger catches up to all of them....

THE PUMPKIN MUFFIN MURDER -- A Fresh-Baked Mystery by Livia J. Washburn 

Phyllis loves to spend quality time with her grandson. She'll be taking him to a festival with hopes of winning the baking contest-now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow is actually a dead body in disguise, it's Phyllis's sleuthing skills that are needed.

The dead body is that of the festival's organizer- and his wife, Carolyn's friend, falls under suspicion. Carolyn turns to Phyllis for help, because who's better at dishing out some justice than a baker extraordinaire who can handle the heat...

DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS -- A Memphis BBQ Mystery by Riley Adams

Welcome to Aunt Pat's barbecue restaurant, which serves up Memphis fun with a side order of murder. Named in honor of Lulu Taylor's great aunt, Aunt Pat's family-run Memphis restaurant is known for its ribs and spicy cornbread. But now the Taylor family will be known for murder...

Rebecca Adrian came to Memphis to suss out the best local BBQ for a prominent Cooking Channel Show. Trouble is, a mystery ingredient has killed her-and now all fingers are pointing to Aunt Pat's restaurant. Horrified that her family is being accused of murder, Lulu fires up her investigative skills to solve the crime before someone else gets skewered.

Recipes included.  First in the Memphis BBQ Series.

THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE -- A Cheese Shop Mystery by Avery Aames

Welcome to the grand opening of Fromagerie Bessette. Or as it's more commonly known by the residents of small-town Providence, Ohio-the Cheese Shop. Proprietor Charlotte Bessette has prepared a delightful sampling of bold Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, delicious tortes of Stilton and Mascarpone, and a taste of Sauvignon Blanc-but someone else has decided to make a little crime of passion the piece de resistance.

Right outside the shop Charlotte finds a body, the victim stabbed to death with one of her prized olive-wood handled knives.

BONE APPETIT -- A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines

In the midst of a cook-off at a posh spa, southern PI Sarah Booth Delaney gets embroiled in a juicy murder in the latest mystery from Carolyn Haines.

For many years Jitty, Dahlia House’s resident ghost, has dreamed that Sarah Booth Delaney would have a child to inherit the family’s ancestral home. Sarah Booth has always had reservations about being a parent. There was her work as an actress and PI, taking care of the house, not to mention finding the right man. But when Jitty’s dream finally looks like it’s going to come true, Sarah Booth is crushed when it doesn’t. Depressed, unable to act or investigate, Sarah Booth finally allows her best friend to whisk her away for a luxurious weekend vacation at a special spa and cooking school.

The pampering and food go a long way toward making her feel like her old self, but there’s another welcome distraction—there’s a beauty contest/cook-off going on to find the spa’s next spokesperson, and watching the drama really takes her mind off of her woes. Sarah finds the backbiting to be great fun—until the heated competition boils over, the top contender is poisoned, and the prime suspect hires Sarah Booth to clear her name.

Between swimsuit competitions and soufflés, Sarah Booth Delaney and her best friend and partner, Tinkie, must find out which of the ambitious young ladies is to blame in Bone Appetit, the latest in Carolyn Haines’s delightfully Southern cozy mystery series.

THE GRAVE GOURMET -- A Capucine LeTellier Mystery by Alexander Campion

In Alexander Campion’s witty debut, chic Parisian policewoman Capucine LeTellier plunges into a uniquely Parisian affair of gastronomic delights and bureaucratic intrigue to close a case that could make her career—or kill it…

After dining on such delicacies as oyster sorbet and avocado soufflé, Jean-Louis Delage, président of automotive giant Renault, has been found dead in the freezer of Le Diapason, a restaurant owned by Chef Jean-Basille Labrousse, a renowned restaurateur extraordinaire.

Capucine is uniquely suited to the case, as her husband Alexandre is a food critic well-connected to the culinary world. In between sharing sumptuous meals and fine wine with Alexandre at some of Paris’ finest eateries, Capucine struggles to win the respect of her new squad of detectives and crack both the case and the guarded secrets of the restaurant staff.

From the Champs-Élysées to the twinkling banks of la Seine, THE GRAVE GOURMET is a thrilling mystery gastronomique, combining the allure of the Parisian haute cuisine restaurant scene with corporate espionage and political scandal in a dish that is très magnifique!

Born in New York, living 35 years in Paris where he was a restaurant critic, now living in Toronto, Alexander Campion is planning more gastronomic thrillers, with THE GAME GOURMET released in 2011.

A PIZZA TO DIE FOR -- by Chris Cavender

Although it’s an unseasonably chilly October in Timber Ridge, North Carolina, Eleanor Swift is warm and cozy in A Slice of Delight—her scrumptious pizzeria. But when snooty Judson Sizemore breezes into town to open an upper-crust pizza parlor nearby, Eleanor’s biggest worry is that her beloved restaurant’s days may be numbered…until she hears Judson’s days have come to a most gruesome end…

Since half the town saw Judson causing a ruckus in A Slice of Delight before he expired, Eleanor and her saucy sister, Maddie, are the prime suspects. The only way out is to prove their innocence. Soon, a little surreptitious sleuthing reveals that the dough behind Judson’s impending pizzeria came from Timber Ridge’s resident recluse: crusty oddball millionaire Nathan Pane. It turns out he’s Judson’s long-lost uncle…and someone is after him, too.

As Eleanor digs deeper, her suspect list grows longer than the local soccer team’s pizza order—and life in the once quiet town heats up like Maddie’s five-alarm Volcano pie. Could it be Judson’s gold-digging sister? Or her secret boyfriend? Between working on the case, keeping her customers happy, and even finding time for an old flame, Eleanor’s plate is full. But with an unhinged murderer closing in, she’ll have to move very quickly—and very carefully—because the killer is already much closer than she thinks…

Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she begins closing the agency on weekends, she remembers that when she has plenty of quality time, she doesn’t know what to do with it. So it doesn’t take much for the vicar of a nearby village to persuade her to help publicize the church fete---especially when the fair’s organizer, George Selby, turns out to be a gorgeous widower.

Agatha brings out the crowds for the fete, all right, but there’s more going on than innocent village fun. Several of the offerings in the jam-tasting booth turn out to be poisoned, and the festive family event becomes the scene of two murders.

Along with her young and (much to her dismay) pretty sidekick, Toni, Agatha must uncover the truth behind the jam tampering, keep the church funds safe from theft, and expose the nasty secrets lurking in the village---all while falling for handsome George, who may have secrets of his own.

BUSY BODY -- An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M C Beaton 

Agatha Raisin has never been one for enforced holiday cheer, but her friendly little village of Carsely has always prided itself on its traditional Christmas festivities.

But this year the bells will not be ringing out Silent Night as Mr John Sunday, an officer with the Cotswold Health and Safety Board, has chosen Christmas as the time to crack down what he sees as gross misconduct by every man, woman, and child in the vicinity. The village shop is told it can no longer have wooden shelves which have been there since the time of Queen Victoria 'in case someone is inflicted with a splinter'.

The village school is ordered to leave lights on at night 'to prevent unauthorized intruders from tripping in the dark'. And children are warned to not play with 'counterfeit banknotes' after passing around toy money in the playground. But finally Mr Sunday goes too far when he rules that there cannot be a Christmas tree atop the church tower this year. Soon after the decree and just before Christmas, Agatha is sipping a cup of tea and trying to stay awake as minute by minute of the Carsely Ladies Society meeting at the vicarage drones on when a sudden scream wakes her from her stupor.

The ladies rush out of the building and into the garden to find Sunday lying face down in the petunias, very much dead. Agatha is instantly on the case, but with so many people having threatened the life of the victim, it's almost impossible to know where to start.

WICKED APPETITE -- A Diesel & Tucker Mystery by Janet Evanovich

Lizzy Tucker has just moved to Boston's North Shore from the Big Apple.  With a new job as pastry chef at Dazzle's Bakery in Salem, and an old house inherited from her Aunt Ophelia, her life is pretty much on track -- until it's suddenly derailed by a guy named Diesel, a rude monkey, a ninja cat and the Seven Deadly Sins.  You know what the Big Seven are, don't you?  Pride, greed, lust, envy wrath, sloth and gluttony.  Oh yes, and everybody seems to be looking for the Seven Deadly Stones, each one representing a Sin.  Janet Evanovich mixes mystery, romance, suspense and offbeat humor in this first of a new series.  If you haven't already read it, look for the sassy red cover on your book racks...

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And see... 

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Novels: A Complete List  If you love good mystery novels -- especially Cozies in the Agatha Christie mode with a modern edge -- here's a look at one of Mystery's Top Sellers.  RECOMMENDED!

THE GREAT AUTHORS OF NORTH-WEST MOUNTIE FICTION  A review of the writers who gave us the best Mountie Fiction of the North-West Mounted Police: Ian Anderson, James Oliver Curwood, T Lund, Ryerson Johnson, James B Hendryx and others...

DOGS IN LITERATURE & HOLLYWOOD   From Jack London's THE CALL OF THE WILD to David Wroblewski's THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, a review of the great classic realistic dog stories...

CHEFS, DOGS, MOUNTIES & DREAMSTUDY: The Complete Articles of Brian Alan Burhoe

 

 

 

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