Annette H. (sfnativegal) - reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 98 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I like food, catering, restaurant mysteries so this was a good read. Easy to follow story - surprise who done it.
Kathy J. (KathyJ) reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
good culinary mystery... no recipes though :(
Sharon (ShareBear) -
Helpful Score: 1
This book is about a Los Angeles caterer Catherine "Cat" Deean. She is extremely nervous when her boss and partner Nick Dellacasa hires a new chef. The talented accused murderer Hippolytus "Polley" Arbusto recently owned an upscale San Francisco restaurant that was closed down after poisoned quail was served at a dinner Polley gave in Perry Framboise's honor.
Right after Polley starts cooking for Dellacasa's, Cat gets a package with headless fowl and an ominous warning. She later gets a near-fatal dose of tainted porcini mushroom oil. What is going on here? Is there someone out to get Polley or is he a recipe for murder? The answers leads Cat back to San Francisco, to a pharmaceutical company.
I really enjoyed reading this book. A quick read.
Right after Polley starts cooking for Dellacasa's, Cat gets a package with headless fowl and an ominous warning. She later gets a near-fatal dose of tainted porcini mushroom oil. What is going on here? Is there someone out to get Polley or is he a recipe for murder? The answers leads Cat back to San Francisco, to a pharmaceutical company.
I really enjoyed reading this book. A quick read.
Helpful Score: 1
Good mystery with logical progression - wimpy ending though. I like the main character.
Holly L. (luvstoread) reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 228 more book reviews
A mystery for food lovers
Fun mystery.
if u like waitress stories with a twist of supense u will love this book
Enjoyed it!
Very interesting cozy. Thoroughly enjoyable. I wish there were more books by this author.
Pamela M. (Pyan) reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 106 more book reviews
Publisher's Weekly Review:
In Lawrence's second clever and amusing culinary mystery to feature Cat Deean (after 1993's Take-Out City), the capable, hardworking caterer finds herself in hot water when her boss, L.A. restaurateur Nick Dellacasa, hires a noted but nasty chef, Hippolytus "Polley" Arbusto. Polley left San Francisco under suspicion of having poisoned his restaurant patrons. Is the chef crass but charming, or mean and murderous? When the bodies start to pile up, Cat narrowly misses joining the victim list after receiving a bottle of poisoned porcini oil. Our sleuthing heroine follows the murder trail between L.A. and San Francisco, consulting friends in the gay community, her ex-husband, her new reporter lover, Aunt Sadie with her new interest in organic foods and natural remedies, a suave Chinese-American detective and a red-faced bear of an inspector. The author portrays all with quips and quirks-and nearly everyone has reason to hate Polley. Ultimately, Cat confronts a large pharmaceutical company with its aggressive marketing head, chatty receptionist and questionable ethics. Cuisines dipped into include mouthwatering Asian, Argentinean, Mexican and Italian, with spices and seasonings, appropriate wines and various coffees. Readers will be licking their chops right up to the thrilling denouement at a remote desert park.
In Lawrence's second clever and amusing culinary mystery to feature Cat Deean (after 1993's Take-Out City), the capable, hardworking caterer finds herself in hot water when her boss, L.A. restaurateur Nick Dellacasa, hires a noted but nasty chef, Hippolytus "Polley" Arbusto. Polley left San Francisco under suspicion of having poisoned his restaurant patrons. Is the chef crass but charming, or mean and murderous? When the bodies start to pile up, Cat narrowly misses joining the victim list after receiving a bottle of poisoned porcini oil. Our sleuthing heroine follows the murder trail between L.A. and San Francisco, consulting friends in the gay community, her ex-husband, her new reporter lover, Aunt Sadie with her new interest in organic foods and natural remedies, a suave Chinese-American detective and a red-faced bear of an inspector. The author portrays all with quips and quirks-and nearly everyone has reason to hate Polley. Ultimately, Cat confronts a large pharmaceutical company with its aggressive marketing head, chatty receptionist and questionable ethics. Cuisines dipped into include mouthwatering Asian, Argentinean, Mexican and Italian, with spices and seasonings, appropriate wines and various coffees. Readers will be licking their chops right up to the thrilling denouement at a remote desert park.
Jan W. (Paperchick) reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 153 more book reviews
New series to me. I liked it a lot.
Deanna S. (cozylady) reviewed Chill Before Serving: A Mystery For Food Lovers on + 125 more book reviews
A mystery for food lovers. Los Angeles caterer Cat Deean is more than a little nervous when her boss and partner hires a new chef, with a history.
Caterer Cat Deean is mervous when her boss and partner hires a new chef. A talented and notorious ex-owner of an upscale San Francisco eatery that was closed after poisoned quail was served at a dinner.
