Home of the Braised (White House Chef Mysteries, #7)

Home of the Braised
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★★½
isbn: 9780425262382
Series: White House Chef Mystery #7
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Tensions are running high as the White House staff adjusts to a new chief usher and prepares for a high-stakes state dinner, where everything must be perfect. But as the date for the event approaches, things go disastrously wrong when the secretary of defense is found dead in his home, seemingly killed during a break-in.

At the same time Olivia’s fiancé, Gav, is looking into the mysterious murder of an old friend. Is there a connection? Despite an increase in security following the secretary’s death, Ollie learns the president is in imminent danger at the dinner and must do everything in her power to get to him—before it’s too late…

This series is the perfect example of a good-but-slow-to-start series. I read the first three and always thought they were good enough to pick up the next one, but I was never really invested in the characters.

Then the protagonist, Ollie, got a new love interest. I don’t know why this made such a HUGE difference, but I could not put down the last four books; in fact, I read 4, 5 and 6 back-to-back last year. You might be thinking ‘well, the sex scenes must have been better’, but there are zero sex scenes. In the last four books I think the author only mentions them kissing twice. In passing. But Ms. Hyzy does an outstanding job, IMO, of creating sexual tension without the sexual descriptions. Maybe it’s just me.

Home of the Braised is a great entry in this fabulous series – the action and mystery start right away and Ollie is fighting battles on enough fronts to keep things busy without being overwhelming to the reader (if I were Ollie I’d be drinking heavily). There’s a lot of detail about being a White House chef, but it flows nicely in the story and it’s obvious the author has done her homework. The writing is smooth, fluid and without any oddities that jarred me out of the moment. Very little (if any) page filler disguised as internal speculation.

I don’t really want to include much of a synopsis here because it all feels spoiler-y. Suffice it to say that there are threats to the presidency, the White House, national security and Ollie finds herself in the thick of it. If I had to complain about anything, I’d prefer the author didn’t turn Ollie into a pariah; I know any real person involved in at least 7 ‘adventures’ (and counting, I hope) would start to garner questions, if not a 48 hour psych eval, but it got to be repetitive enough to notice in the last couple of books. Luckily, not so repetitive that it annoyed me. Everything was excellently plotted though and I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish. I saw the very end coming, but that’s ok – it wasn’t anything plot related and it was a great way to leave the reader smiling at the end.

I count the months until the next book is out.

Love Game (Matchmaker #3)

Love Game
by Elise Sax
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Matchmaker Mystery #3
Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Pages: 277
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books

“I never want to leave this town. Cannes is a village on happy juice. LSD. It’s the Wizard of Oz on shrooms.”

I want to live in Cannes, California. It’s definitely on my list of Fictional Places I’d Like to Live. I’d have a comfy chair and a big bowl of popcorn and I’d park myself on the sidewalk and just watch. It’s crazy town in the most entertaining way possible.

I can’t move to Cannes, but at least I have these books and I can visit this nutville and it’s residents anytime I’d like.

In Love Game there’s an ill wind blowing, and her name is Luanda. She’s brought a special brand of crazy to Cannes and it’s undoing all the good matches Gladys and her grandmother Zelda have made. Add to that a suitcase full of spider infested clothes, Gladys car keys going into a ravine, a group kidnapping and a murder and you have the makings of a very entertaining week in the best possible slapstick style.

I like Gladys, but I have to admit she’s not always my favorite character in the books. I don’t think I could be friends in Real Life with someone who has been known to be extremely flighty. But she’s still a character you can get behind and cheer on. While each book has presented the entire cast in all it’s zany glory, I would have to choose Ruth as my favorite from this book – she’s got all the best lines. I should hope to be her when I’m in my 80’s. She reminds me of the little old lady cartoons on the Hallmark cards – you know which one I mean? The skinny one that smokes, wears glasses, and has absolutely no filter between her brain and her mouth.

The romantic angle of the book is chaos of the best kind. I normally HATE HATE HATE love triangles, but what Gladie has going on here really doesn’t qualify as a love triangle – more like it’s raining men. (Hallelujah!) Holden is out of town and out of touch in this book, but we have a new player – Remington Cumberbatch. A detective working for Spencer Bolton, he’s around often enough to keep Spencer from a sure thing and Gladys’ hormones in overdrive. The chemistry is constant and intense between Gladys and both of these men, and her flirtations are fun without stretching the readers patience.

The kidnapping/murder was excellent – Ms. Sax can write a mystery. I didn’t even know who to suspect until the end, when Luanda’s denouement puts Gladys in the spotlight, leaving her to piece together the clues and come up with the answer. I’m not sure how realistic the deductions are, but they were fun nonetheless.

I’m hooked on this series and I hope Gladys has a long run full of fun, laugh-out-loud adventures. I’ll be looking forward with eagerness for the next one.

Matchpoint (The Matchmaker Series #2)

Matchpoint
by Elise Sax
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780345532244
Series: Matchmaker Mystery #2
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Pages: 263
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books

My DH tells me that the first time he saw this book on my bedside table he immediately thought “What kind of crap is she reading!?”

Thereby proving the adage that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

But boy can I judge this cover. Yuck. This cover has nothing to do with the story at all, which leads me to my next point: The publisher has this book listed under contemporary romance. ?!?! It and it’s predecessor (also with an awful cover, btw) are murder mysteries, first and foremost. This book has exactly 1 almost-but-not sex scene and 2 kisses. In the whole book. And almost no romance and only one romantic setting.

What it does have is a murder, attempted murder and a scarecrow that will scare the hell out of more than just the birds.

This is a hell of a good murder mystery.

Gladie is training to be a matchmaker and follow in her Grandmother Zelda’s footsteps. Gladie isn’t my favorite MC of all time, I’d prefer she be more fiscally responsible instead of revelling in debt. (I like my heroines to be responsible, even if they can’t be pulled together at times.) But she is a hoot and I do like her. There are some great slapstick moments in Gladie’s life. She struggles to make matches for others, and of course, her own love life is all over the place. She’s actively got the hots for her very mysterious neighbour with no history and she has the involuntary hots for the Police Chief who is the poster child for womanisers. It’s sort of hard to know who to cheer on, but there’s more comedic gold here, especially with the Police Chief.

Grandma Zelda is widely regarded to be a witch and there are quite a few things she says throughout the book that implies she is at least psychic. I love Grandma Zelda. The “lessons” from her at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining and sometimes priceless (I had to read the one on waxing out loud to my DH). She never leaves her house but always manages to be at the centre of everything happening in Cannes, California.

What’s happening in Cannes now is an invasion of Pagan’s awaiting the Arrival. They’ve taken over the town and hilarity is right around the corner. Collapsing yurts, broken chakras, donkeys and public fornication – Oh! and a truly gold moment with a steel pipe. Truly, the scene where we get to “hear” the police radio band had me giggling out loud. It is truly a comedic sub-plot for much of the book.

The main plot, the murder of the town’s dentist, was really well crafted. Suspects abound and I never had a clear suspicion of who committed the gruesome murder. In the end there was a bit of a twist, and I ended up not seeing it coming at all. I love when that happens! My only nitpick with the plot is
View Spoiler »

Throughout all of this, Gladie is desperately trying to make a match for a client. All in all it’s a really fun read, and I am really looking forward to the third book.

a scarecrow that will scare the hell out of more than just the birds.

INSERT SPOILER TAG HERE

This is a hell of a good murder mystery.

Grandma Zelda is widely regarded to be a witch and there are quite a few things she says throughout the book that implies she is at least psychic. I love Grandma Zelda. The ‘lessons’ from her at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining and sometimes priceless (I had to read the one on waxing out loud to my DH). She never leaves her house but always manages to be at the centre of everything happening in Cannes, California.

What’s happening in Cannes now is an invasion of Pagan’s awaiting the Arrival. They’ve taken over the town and hilarity is right around the corner. Collapsing yurts, broken chakras, donkeys and public fornication – Oh! and a truly gold moment with a steel pipe. Truly, the scene where we get to ‘hear’ the police radio band had me giggling out loud. It is truly a comedic sub-plot for much of the book.

Little Black Book of Murder: A Blackbird Sisters Mystery #9

Little Black Book of Murder
by Nancy Martin
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780451415257
Series: Blackbird Sisters #8
Publication Date: August 5, 2013
Pages: 372
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Obsidian

Nora’s assigned to write a profile on billionaire fashion designer Swain Starr, who recently retired to build a high-tech organic farm with his new wife, Zephyr, a former supermodel. But before Nora can get the story, the mogul is murdered. And now her boss wants her to snap up an exclusive on who killed Starr before the cops do.

But solving this murder won’t be easy with a family as colorful as Nora’s. Mick, her sort-of husband, is associating with unsavory characters from his past. Her sister Libby is transforming into a stage mom for her diabolical twins. And Emma, the youngest Blackbird, is mysteriously kicked out of the house by Mick. Nora’s home life may be hogging the spotlight, but there’s also a matter of Starr’s missing pig, which just might be the key to solving this mystery and the way Nora can bring home the bacon…

I’ve been reading this series since the first book came out, How to Murder a Millionaire (Blackbird Sisters Mystery, #1), and I’ve been hooked from the start. I can’t think of one book in this series that I’d call weak, and Little Black Book of Murder, IMO, upholds the series winning streak.

I loved this book and it’s always great fun to catch up with the Blackbird sisters and their individual insanities. Libby is often a bit ‘too much’ but the author does try to expose us only in smallish doses, so it never wears too thin. I will say it feels a tiny bit like she’s recycling a plot device in this book with Gus chasing Nora and Nora finding herself pregnant – we’ve seen this before but Nora seems to be going in a different direction this time, so perhaps not.

The mystery plot of this one was a bit – odd. It ends a bit messy, but not. I can’t say much more without giving too much away, but it’s definitely not one of the pre-canned, pre-packaged plot lines so popular with a lot of cozy authors up until recently. There are a lot of players involved, but I never struggled to keep them all straight and there was only one thread left dangling – we never find out definitively who burned Nora’s barn – I think we’re supposed to take it as read.

I hope this series continues a bit longer, as I am genuinely attached to all of these characters and the world Ms. Martin has built. I’m not sure how I feel about Nora becoming a mother, as I usually don’t care for cozies that have a maternal protagonist, but I’m sure willing to find out!

An Affair to Dismember (Matchmaker #1)

An Affair To Dismember
by Elise Sax
Rating: ★★★
isbn: 9780345532220
Series: Matchmaker Mystery #1
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Pages: 312
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Three months has been Gladie Burger's limit when it comes to staying in one place. That's why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her eccentric Grandma Zelda recruits her to the family's matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. What's more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has "the gift." But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy.

When Zelda's neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family's drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor's death was murder. It's not too long before she's in way over her head--with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she's unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued--either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first?

I’m not sure about this book – it was a mash up of sorts.

The writing felt disjointed and the story not very tightly woven at all. The whole matchmaking-third-eye premise of getting Gladie back home is never really explained very well – is this gift supposed to be of a psychic sort? There are hints it might be, but then well, it’s never explained.

The murder mystery itself was all over the place – it’s repeated again and again that the first two deaths are natural causes – so why is the police chief constantly around looking into things? Not really explained very well either. The plot has what it takes to be really interesting – and in honesty, I got very engrossed in the story, but the writing was so almost stream-of-consciousness that I really just felt the chaos.

Still, the characters are all really likeable and interesting – there’s no mixing them up in your head because you can’t tell them apart. Each is colourful and interesting in their own way. The men are of course, hot hot hot, though I’m firmly in the police chief’s corner for some reason.

I’m going to read the next book in the series because I want to find the story lines tighter and I’m hoping for a more cohesive book all around – Ms. Sax could have a winner of a series on her hands if she just pulls it all together better.

Fonduing Fathers (A White House Chef Mystery #6)

Fonduing Fathers
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★★★
isbn: 9780425251812
Series: White House Chef Mystery #6
Publication Date: December 31, 2012
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Olivia has always believed that her father was an honorable man—until a trip to visit her mother reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the army. Olivia is even more shocked to learn that he was brutally murdered because someone at his company suspected him of selling corporate secrets. Refusing to believe that her father was a scoundrel, Olivia won’t rest until she proves his innocence.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, Gav, Olivia must reach out to her father’s colleagues to discover the truth behind his murder. What she’s about to discover may not only put her at risk, but threaten national security as well…

This series stared out strong enough – some good things, some bad things, but more good than bad, with interesting characters and solid plots.

But the last three books, and this book in particular – outstanding! This story builds a bit slowly, but there’s a lot of character development – not only on the part of Ollie and Gav, but in a few of the secondary characters as well and I found that kept the story moving along really well. I love the relationship building between Ollie and Josh and I’m not normally a fan of small children in my books. Authors tend to make them too exaggerated, but Ms. Hyzy makes Josh likeable without being obnoxious or precocious. Very little exposure to Virgil made the story pleasant without the bitter aftertaste.

The story line/plot about Ollie’s father and the truth about his military career and death was convoluted and interesting and Ms. Hyzy doesn’t give a single thing away until she does. The ending was climatic and was like an action movie in my head: when Ollie lost the plot at the end, I could see it clear as day and felt her fury and terror. That almost never happens to me with a cozy mystery.

The very, very end of this book was just fabulous, leaving me with a grin on my face as I put the book down. I really can’t wait for the next book, although I must admit to being a bit unsure about how Ms. Hyzy could possibly top this book.

Affairs of Steak (A White House Chef Mystery #5)

Affairs of Steak
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780425245835
Series: White House Chef Mystery #5
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady’s assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

Another excellent mystery in a series that gets better and better.

Who knew just finding the bodies could end up being so dangerous? Ms Hyzy wrote an excellent plot that led me right where she wanted me to go and didn’t give anything away until it was meant to. The action at the end even got my heart rate up just a tad – not something one expects from their cozy mysteries!

I absolutely loved the interaction between Ollie and Gav – this is a couple I care very much about seeing succeed. Once again Ms. Hyzy nailed it. I don’t normally like to see my main characters start with one person and end up with another – start as you mean to go on, I say. But in this case, it was a welcome change and I can’t wait to read more about these two and where they end up.

Still need to make Virgil the next victim though….

Buffalo West Wing (A White House Chef Mystery #4)

Buffalo West Wing
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★★
Series: White House Chef Mystery #4
Publication Date: January 4, 2011
Pages: 305
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can’t afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a “no-wing” situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets.

2022: I won’t say the best in the series now, because I know there are better coming, but the book held up really well.

2013: The best one in the series!

Buffalo West Wing was interesting from the first chapter. The plot took on a depth you don’t often find in cozy mysteries, and towards the end, I was so involved in the story, I found myself snapping at whomever interrupted my reading. The culprits were a bit of a surprise to me, which I always enjoy, and I love the re-introduction of Gavin. He was the only male character in this series that ever pricked my interest and I hope he’s back for the long haul. The romance between Ollie and Tom always left me totally flat, and I’m glad things have changed between them.

Why not 5 star? Virgil. He was immature, petulant and I don’t think his presence in the storyline added anything at all to the story. I can’t wait to open the next book and see what happens next.

Eggsecutive Orders (White House Chef #3)

Eggsecutive Orders
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★
isbn: 9780425232033
Series: White House Chef Mystery #3
Publication Date: January 5, 2010
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

When NSA big shot Carl Minkus dies right after eating the dinner Olivia Paras’s staff had prepared, all forks point to them. Now the Secret Service is picking apart the kitchen-and scrutinizing the staff’s every move. The timing couldn’t be worse with the White House Lawn Easter Egg Roll to prep for without access to a kitchen. Olivia must find the real culprit-before she cracks under pressure.

2022: Wasn’t the interruptions, this is still my least favourite book in the series.

2012: I was reading this while I had a lot of stuff going on and kept getting interrupted, but I have to say this was just not my favorite of the series. It had elements I really liked, but also a lot of stuff I found myself skimming over.

The plot was strong and I didn’t see who did it until the end, but I guess I just can’t enjoy all the animosity Ollie is surrounded with – just way too much, although perhaps some of that was resolved towards the end of the story. I’m hoping the next book will pull me back in.

No Way to Kill a Lady (Blackbird Sisters #8)

No Way to Kill a Lady
by Nancy Martin
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780451237057
Series: Blackbird Sisters #8
Publication Date: August 6, 2012
Pages: 310
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Obsidian

Great-aunt Madeleine Blackbird has died in a volcanic eruption on an Indonesian island and left her fabulous Bucks County estate to the three Blackbird sisters. But when Nora and her scandal-ridden sisters, Libby and Emma, go to claim their windfall, they find the house in decay and all of their aunt’s to-die-for treasures gone. They also find a woman’s body….

Nora feels compelled to seek out the truth, but even with help from her mobster boyfriend, Mick Abruzzo, who provides distractions both dark and delightful, solving this case proves challenging. Relatives are circling to claim a share of Madeleine’s property, the suspect list is growing, and Nora’s wild and wacky sisters are adding one surprise after another. It’s enough to put Nora’s couture undies in a serious twist!

I love this series and I was thrilled to see No Way to Kill a Lady published – I had thought Ms. Martin had killed the series with the last book.

The crazy sisters are back and as nuttier as ever, with Nora starting to embrace the dark side just a teeny tiny bit – only for a greater good, of course. The mystery surrounding the death of their great-aunt had an interesting cast of suspects, although not nearly so interesting as the life Aunt Madeline lived. A very short list of suspects meant that the ‘reveal’ at the end wasn’t shocking, but also wasn’t obvious.

I am happy to see that in this book, Michael finally pulled his head out of his nether regions and revealed a bit of the mystery that he is, as his refusal to share anything in previous books was wearing thin.

I genuinely hope to see more of Nora Blackbird in many future books – it’s truly one of my all-time favorite series, and with No Way to Kill a Lady, Ms. Martin has shown that she and Nora still have plenty of tales to tell.