The Butter Did It: A Gastronomic Tale of Love and Murder [Hardcover]

Phyllis Richman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

Was it cholesterol? Or was it murder? In this highly praised fiction debut, Washington's best-known and best-loved foodie, Phyllis Richman, cooks up a tempting tale of murder, mayhem, and mousse.

Washington's finest French chef, Laurence Levain, is dead, and all of D.C. thinks the culprit was too much foie gras. All, that is, except for Chas Wheatley, the city's most famous restaurant critic. Still carrying a torch for Levain after a passionate romance they shared years before, she's convinced that his death was more than a simple case of too much cholesterol -- it was a case of murder. Enlisting the aid of detective/gourmand Homer Jones, she launches an investigation and soon finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for.

A delicious entree into the increasingly popular culinary mystery genre, The Butter Did It is a fun, fast-paced whodunit by a true insider of the restaurant and newspaper worlds. Part culinary extravaganza and part old-fashioned mystery, it is just the thing for readers hungry for some intrigue with their dinner.

"What fun!... Features a memorable cast of foodies and a unique look at the goings-on behind the swinging doors to some of those famous restaurant kitchens". -- Diane Mott Davidson, author of The Grilling Season

"How to describe this book? Sue Grafton meets Wolfgang Puck? Sam Spade meets Julia Child? Warner LeRoy dines alone? The Butter Did It is great fun and food for thought. I'd tell you more, but I don't want to give away the spicy parts". -- Mark Russell

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Here's a mystery guaranteed to make you hungry--for the salmon-filled pasta squares that Chef Laurence Levain sells for $20 a pop at his Washington, D.C. restaurant, for the salad of curly chicory and thick chunks of country bacon that first brings Levain and American food critic Chas (for Charlotte Sue) Wheatley together in Paris, for the warm polenta salad and pan-fried three-meat dumplings served at the CityTastes benefit the night that Levain is found dead of an apparent heart attack and Chas--his lover--has to write his obituary. Washington Post restaurant critic Phyllis Richman certainly knows her food, and her skill at keeping a lively mystery plot simmering is almost as impressive.

From Library Journal

Richman, a Washington Post restaurant critic, makes her bid for fans of the cooking and/or catering mystery subgenre. The narrator and protagonist here, Charlotte Sue "Chas" Wheatley, serves as restaurant critic for a D.C. newspaper. Suspicious about the sudden death of her former lover, an eminent French chef, she cries murder and begins sleuthing. Richman certainly knows the food territory?a nongourmand may need a dictionary?but the mystery set-up seems a bit frantic, complete with close calls, secret lover, and multiple culinary descriptions. For larger collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1st edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060183705
• ISBN-13: 978-0060183707
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,569,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was a fast moving, entertaining story, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Butter Did It: A Gastronomic Tale of Love and Murder (Chas Wheatley Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed reading Phyllis Richman's first murder mystery- so much so I hope she continues to write more. Having lived in the Washington area, I have enjoyed her restaurant reviews. I also like cooking. Combine murder mysteries with cooking and I'm hooked. The plot to "The Butter Did It" is well constructed and it has plenty of suspects. You learn a lot about the main character, food critic Chas Wheatley. She is not perfect, though. I have a hard time believing she loves to walk in Washington D.C. Traffic, construction and pollution make that difficult. Never mind, it's a good read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this in a weekend, September 5, 2000

By 

Louise C. Stone (Sunland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Butter Did It: A Gastronomic Tale of Love and Murder (Chas Wheatley Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

What a good read for a long weekend. This was a spontaneous purchase because I liked the title. I figured that the author had a sense of humor. Boy! Does she?! This is a nice moving book with lots of insider information on the food industry as well as inside the beltway. The characters are well-rounded (and not perfect). I liked every character and did not want a single one of them to be the "dirty guy." The food details without the recipes littering the content is a welcome change, and walking the city streets can help the psyche -- try it! I will definitely buy more from this author.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read!!!, August 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Butter Did It: A Gastronomic Tale of Love and Murder (Hardcover)

THE BUTTER DID IT is a fun read from the first page.
As a fan of mystery and cooking I enjoyed the romp through the professional world of food.

Ms Richman obviously knows her business and her witty style keeps you turning the pages.

The title suggests an author with a sense of humor and her story confirms your expectations.

I eagerly look forward to Ms Richman's next adventure with Chas and friends in their tasty world of food, mystery and interesting characters