And
Murder for Dessert
An Ellen McKenzie
Mystery
Kathleen Delaney
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-423-6 (1590584236)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-423-1 (9781590584231)
Publication Date: July 2007
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Ellen McKenzie and her fiancé, Chief of
Police
Dan Dunham, are on their way to the very upscale Harvest Festival
Dinner, hosted by Ellen’s niece, Sabrina, and her husband,
Mark
Tortelli. They are seasoned winery professionals. What could go wrong?
New to Silver Springs Winery, the Tortellis have been worried for weeks
that their jobs depend on the success of this event, and the reputation
of the guest chef hasn’t helped calm their nerves.
Otto Messinger is noted for his temper tantrums. Ellen is hoping
he’ll keep himself in check. Dan is hoping the Tortellis, who
have been staying with Ellen for a month, will triumph and soon find
their own place to live.
Tonight’s guest list seems to include everyone who has ever
had a
feud with Otto, a fact the little chef is thoroughly enjoying. The
dinner progresses, a little shaky but without disaster. Then
it’s
time for dessert. But where is Otto?
It is Sabrina who finds him, quite dead, in a wine fermenting tank. Who
helped him into it? Dan seems to think it was Sabrina. Ellen would
prefer Dan find another suspect—and there are
plenty…
Review:
Kathleen Delaney’s third entry in the Ellen McKenzie series, And Murder for Dessert,
is a delightful mystery featuring some jealous and distrustful chefs,
those who enjoy the fruits of their labors, and those who invest in
their talents.
The quiet lives of real estate agent Ellen McKenzie and her husband,
Chief of Police Dan Dunham, are turned upside down when
Ellen’s
niece, Sabrina, and her husband, Mark Torelli, move in with them
temporarily until they could find a home of their own. The two quickly
accept jobs at the local Silver Spring Winery on a trial basis. Their
first assignment: plan a festive formal dinner and wine tasting event.
For the dinner, Mark hires a famous chef, Otto Messinger. Mark not only
wants to impress his guests with his own talent regarding wines, he
also wants Otto to impress them with his fine cuisine. The wine is
exquisite and the food divine. All of the invited guests are
overwhelmed by the event. All but a murderer, that is, who sets out to
kill Otto that very night. Soon thereafter another murder takes place.
Ellen’s curiosity and her unsolicited help are all that are
needed for Dan to be able to identify the culprit.
Every character written in the story felt real. The residents of the
city seemed like neighbors. Even Otto, who could easily have been
portrayed as a caricature of an arrogent out-of-control chef, seemed no
worse than the typical culinary expert on television. No doubt every
reader has experienced a situation where a meal had to be sent back to
the kitchen for some reason or another. But would you kill the chef
because of it? No need to answer that! To be drawn into a book and feel
a part of it (dead chef notwithstanding) is a wonderful reading
experience.
What's not to like about a gourmet meal, fine wine, and a little murder
thrown in for dessert? Not much! And
Murder for Dessert is a treat and is highly recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer
Betty of The Betz
Review for contributing her review of And
Murder for Dessert
and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing
an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Dying
for a Change
PublishAmerica (Hardcover), 2002
ISBN-10: 1-59129-216-6 (1591292166)
Give
First Place to Murder
PublishAmerica (Hardcover), 2004
ISBN-10: 1-4137-3302-6 (1413733026)
And
Murder for Dessert
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-423-6 (1590584236)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-423-1 (9781590584231)
Omnimystery keywords for And Murder for Dessert
...
Location(s) referenced: California.
Food and Drink referenced: Wine.
