Calculated Loss (Madeline Carter) [Kindle Edition]

Linda L. Richards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . a bracingly intelligent whodunit." -- Laura Lippman on The Next Ex

". . . verve and scalpel-like precision . . ." -- Gayle Lynds on The Next Ex

Product Description

High finance and haute cuisine . . . a recipe for murder

It's been years since former stockbroker Madeline Carter bothered thinking about her gastronomically gifted ex-husband, Chef Braydon Gauthier. Between quitting her soul-sucking career and discovering what life is like during daylight hours she's been kind of busy. But when Madeline learns Braydon took his own life, she drops everything and hightails it to the funeral.

It doesn't take long to realize Braydon's death is more murder than suicide. Madeline knows her ex would never have prepared himself a poison-laced dinner of duck a l'orange -- let alone pair it with a big, beefy Shiraz! The culinary star would have eaten fast food first.

So who's responsible? Madeline definitely has her suspicions, but one thing's clear: in the pressure-cooker world of high cuisine and higher stakes, a reputation is worth killing for.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 498 KB
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006DTZ6DI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,835 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I am the editor and co-founder of JanuaryMagazine.com, one of the Web's leading magazines about books and authors. As a journalist, I've written extensively about books, authors, high tech and business for a number of publications. I am the author of five novels, including the widely acclaimed Mad Money, new in e-book formats. I live in the north Pacific, right in the middle of a rain forest, with my partner, the artist and photographer David Middleton and an Australian Kelpie named Jett.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tasty delight!, August 11, 2007

By 

Cheryl Tardif "bestselling suspense author" (Edmonton, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Calculated Loss (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

In Calculated Loss, Madeline Carter, an intelligent and somewhat humorous former stockbroker, investigates the suspicious suicide of her ex-husband Braydon Gauthier, a man who had seemingly become someone completely different from the man she had married.

Remarried and far more successulf than Madeline had ever known, Braydon apparently committed suicide because of a lost star in the restautrant rating business. But his note and last meal are definitely suspect, especially since Madeline knew Braydon well enough to know he'd never eat duck a l'orange.

She is hired by her ex-mother-in-law to look into Braydon's business, but Madeline finds more than some cooked books. And as the suspects line up in a long row, she finds herself in a precarious position.

Filled with interesting characters and witty humor, Calculated Loss is a crash course in stocks and pinks, day trading and the world of haute cuisine. Linda L. Richards has penned another sensational, tasty mystery that will take you through the city of Vancouver in such rich detail you'd swear you were standing there. From one Canadian author to another, kudos, Linda!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Author of Divine Intervention

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Okay Whodunit, September 30, 2006

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Calculated Loss (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

CALCULATED LOSS is just okay. This is an intelligently written book, but I found it a rather slow-paced experience with little suspense.

Madeline Carter is a former stockbroker who currently makes her living in Los Angeles as a day trader. At the beginning of this novel, she learns that her ex-husband, Chef Braydon Gauthier, has committed suicide.

Madeline further learns that her ex's family wants her to attend the funeral in Vancouver. This is despite the fact that she hasn't seen Braydon in nearly ten years. When Madeline attends the funeral, she quickly learns that the circumstances surrounding her ex-husband's suicide are quite suspicious.

This novel is readable, but takes a long time to get started. Much of the novel is devoted to the thoughts, opinions, memories, and ruminations of the main character. I ultimately found Madeline to be a rather bland and passive heroine. Instead of taking action, she spends most of her time in this book thinking about and reacting to the behavior of others.

This is also one of those novels where the heroine often learns things by pure luck. There are multiple scenes in this novel where Madeline just magically happens to be at the right place at the right time to learn a key new piece of information. After a while, this unbelievable string of coincidences strained credibility for me.

This isn't a badly written novel by any means, but I would avoid this mystery if you're looking for a fast-paced suspense novel with a believable plot.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read, January 1, 2012

By 

P. Mumme (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Calculated Loss (Madeline Carter) (Kindle Edition)

This is the best of the series. It was a fun read, easily done in a day. Don't expect the rest of the series to be as entertaining.