A mystery novel with no graphic content is called a cozy, and a mystery novel that contains recipes is called a foodie. With that introduction, I proudly present a cozy foodie (or a foodie cozy?) novel by Joanne Fluke, starring her culinary heroine, Hannah Swensen, bakery owner and cat lover.
After being awakened every morning by a phone call from her quirky mother, Hannah has been collecting recipes for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook, a collection of tasty tidbits submitted by residents of her small town. These edible delights will be photographed and then served up at the annual Christmas buffet, and Hannah is anxious to see that everything goes right, down to using a special knife in the photographs to add that extra touch of elegance.
Btu all does not go as planned. The scandalous goings-on in the Dubinski family are brought to light in public when Martin, the recently-divorced Dubinski, shows up with his new girlfriend, fresh from her job as a Las Vegas showgirl. His ex-wife is less than pleased with the display. It’s hardly any surprise when later in the evening, Miss Las Vegas is found dead, killed with – what else? — the elegant cake knife.
No one can leave the dinner because of a blizzard, which makes it all the easier for the police to isolate the killer; it has to be someone still in the building. But that doesn’t help the atmosphere at the dinner. Someone in their midst is a murderer, and they don’t know who’s going to be next.
With a blend of suspense and comedy sprinkled with recipes, Joanne Fluke presents a mystery of delicious proportions, occasionally garnished with some mild language, but nothing I found offensive. I’ll be reviewing more books by this author at a later date; check with your local library or bookstore for availability.
(This book was published in 2004 by Kensington Books)
