BOOKLISTS: Mysteries with Gastronomic Flare

This list includes fiction titles relating to food as well as cookbooks. Included at the end is a special recipe we think you will enjoy.

Averill, Thomas. SECRETS OF THE TSIL CAFE. (2001)
A bittersweet and often funny coming-of-age story set in a cross-cultural and extended family that lives between two kitchens – one traditional, the other New World. (FICTION/AVERILL)

Binchy, Maeve. SCARLET FEATHER. (2000)
Scarlet Feather is the catering company formed by cooking school friends Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather. They’re young and talented, they’ve made some smart connections, and they’ve found the perfect premises to make their new business the best in Dublin – but not everyone seems as pleased. (FICTION/BINCHY)

Davidson, Diane Mott. STICKS & SCONES. (2001)
Another tasty treat of murder and mystery – as caterer turned sleuth Goldy Schulz stirs up a heap of trouble while trying not to get burned by a killer who is striking far too close to home. (MYSTERY/DAVIDSON)

Davidson, Diane Mott. TOUGH COOKIE. (2000)
A tantalizing tale of culinary mystery and suspense as chef-turned-sleuth Goldy Schulz goes on live television to prepare a meal to die for  -- but discovers that murder is already on the menu. (MYSTERY/DAVIDSON) Available in oversize cassette, but not in book form.

Field, Carol. MANGOES AND QUINCE: A NOVEL. (2001)
Marooned in Amsterdam and abandoned by her husband, Miranda expresses her passion by cooking. But as the restaurant she built becomes increasingly popular, her daughter recedes into a world of longing for her lost father. Written by a best-selling cookbook author, this tale combines mystery with love story. (FICTION/FIELD)

Harris, Joanne. FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE. (2001)
Although Framboise hopes for a new beginning, she quickly discovers that past and present are inextricably intertwined. Nowhere is this truth more apparent than in the scrapbook of recipes she has inherited from her dead mother. (FICTION/HARRIS)

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Holtzer, Susan. BETTER THAN SEX: A Mystery Featuring Anneke Haagen. (2001)
While on honeymoon in San Francisco, Anneke Haagen and Ann Arbor policeman Karl Ganesko get roped into attending a food tasting at a new sports-themed restaurant. Unfortunately, an annoying Michigan graduate student, who is conducting research on eating triggers, is poisoned during the event. To add spice to the mix, the eight suspects at their table all have ties to the university at Ann Arbor. (MYSTERY/HOLTZER)

Jones, Idwal. HIGH BONNET: A Novel of Epicurean Adventures. (2001)
The chef’s towering white toque, the high bonnet, is the mark of achievement to which every young sauce-stirrer aspires. Idwal Jones’s urbane novel follows the young provincial Jean as he attempts to master culinary art at the hands of Paris’s most distinguished chefs. Jean will win his high bonnet and the royal bearing that accompanies it – but not until he’s had many outrageous adventures, in the kitchen and out. (FICTION/JONES)

King, Peter. EAT, DRINK, AND BE BURIED: A Gourmet Detective Mystery. (2001)
The Gourmet Detective, hired to advise some British aristocrats on meals at their medieval-themed castle, winds up as the prime suspect in a murder by poison. Naturally, he then sleuths in order to place blame where it belongs. (MYSTERY/KING)

King, Peter. A HEALTHY PLACE TO DIE: A Gourmet Detective Mystery. (2000)
Standing in for an ailing colleague, the Gourmet Detective attends a cooking conference at a luxurious Swiss spa famous for pampering the overindulged with healthful haute cuisine. But Gourmet’s first spa experience may be his last, as he’s knocked out cold and his delectable date disappears without a trace. (MYSTERY/KING)

Neely, Barbara. BLANCHE PASSES GO. (2000)
Blanche White is a no-nonsense dame. But she’s carrying some old baggage when she takes the summer off from cleaning houses for rich Boston matrons and returns to her North Carolina hometown. (MYSTERY/NEELY)

Pickard, Nancy. THE SECRET INGREDIENT MURDERS: A Eugenia Potter Mystery. (2001)
While visiting the coast of Rhode Island, returning cook/sleuth Eugenia Potter co-hosts a tasting party with an old acquaintance – but he’s late. To her chagrin she discovers that someone has unfortunately murdered the would-be cookbook writer. (MYSTERY/PICKARD)

Prior, Lily. LA CUCINA: A Novel of Rapture. (2000)
In a novel set in modern Sicily, a librarian who has recently suffered heartbreak is drawn to a charismatic chef through their shared love of cooking. (FICTION/PRIOR)

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Desserts to Die for... and more

Bergin, Mary. SPAGO CHOCOLATE DESSERTS. (1999)
Spago Chocolate Desserts is a passport to indulgence and a chance to bring a piece of the Spago magic home, with the promise of recurring pleasure.( TX 767/C5/B46)

Boyle, Tish. CHOCOLATE PASSION: Recipes and Inspiration from the Kitchens of Chocolatier Magazines. (2000)
Chocolatier magazine editors share their passion for chocolate, with recipes and techniques for creating spectacular chocolate desserts.
(TX 767/C5/B68)

Boyle, Tish. DINER DESSERTS. (2000)
With Diner Desserts you don’t have to hit the highway to indulge in the favorite desserts of America's roadside eateries. From a Really Rich Double-Chocolate Milk Shake to Creamy Tapioca Pudding and Sour Cream Blueberry Crumbcake, author Tish Boyle has assembled much more than a baker's dozen of scrumptious treats. (TX 773/B693)

Chattman, Lauren. INSTANT GRATIFICATION: Amazing Desserts in 15 Minutes or Less. (2000)
Lack of time is no longer an excuse for not making dessert. Pastry chef and busy mom Lauren Chattman offers 110 foolproof desserts that can be put together in less than 15 minutes. (TX 773/C474)

Day-Lewis, Tasmasin. THE ART OF THE TART: Savory and Sweet. ( 2000)
Tarts are the perfect self-contained treat, a delectable indulgence. In this special collection, Tamasin Day-Lewis provides classic recipes and new twists for an assortment of savory and sweet tarts. (TX 773/C2965)

Kimball, Christopher. THE DESSERT BIBLE. (2000)
Master chef and Cook’s Illustrated founder and editor, Chris Kimball, presents the best and the easiest way to make more than 300 of America’s favorite desserts. (TX 773/K24)Linxe, Robert.

LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier. (2001)
Made only of the purest, freshest ingredients, legendary chocolatier Robert Linxe’s mouthwatering confections are noble, artistic creations that capture the essence of chocolate in its truest form. These recipes exalt its taste in every memorable, undiluted bite. (TX 767/C5/L56)

Pépin, Jacques. SWEET SIMPLICITY: Jacques Pepin's Fruit Desserts (1999)
From Banana-Mint Ice Cream with Rum Raisin Sauce to Roasted Caramelized Pears and Apricot-Fig Soufflé, Jacques Pépin transforms seasonal fruit into culinary masterworks. Illustrated throughout with 35 color photographs and organized alphabetically by type of fruit, this will be an essential book for every home cook who loves desserts. (TX 773/P445)

Pillsbury Company. PILLSBURY, BEST DESSERTS. (1998)
One of America’s most trusted names in cooking presents more than 300 top dessert recipes from the thousands that have been developed and tested over the years. 110 color photos. (TX 773/P573)

Weinstein, Bruce. THE ULTIMATE CANDY BOOK: More Than 700 Quick and Easy, Soft and Chewy, Hard and Crunchy Sweets and Treats. (2000)
Includes recipes for all sorts of favorite homemade candies as well as directions for reproducing favorite commercial candies in the home kitchen. (TX 791/W382)

Weinstein, Bruce. THE ULTIMATE ICE CREAM BOOK: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, and More! (1999)
These mouthwatering recipes will fill your summer days with delicious frozen desserts—but after acquainting yourself with this book’s hundreds of tempting concoctions, you ’ll want to use it every day of the year. (TX 795/W45)

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