Eat, Drink, and Be Buried [Hardcover]

Peter King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

When the world's finest restaurateurs need assistance, they know they can rely on the Gourmet Detective's discriminating palate to get the job done.After a family of eccentrically dysfunctional British aristocrats hires the sleuth to design a menu for their medieval-theme castle resort, he anticipates a great opportunity to explore a forgotten but nonetheless mouth-watering cuisine.A cake walk?Maybe not, but with the bloodshed of the Middle Ages centuries past, it should at least be safe . . .Wrong again.Exploring new variations on succulent recipes for fresh venison with traditional frumenty-a pudding made from wholewheat grains, chopped almonds, egg yolk and saffron-the discerning sleuth finds himself the prime suspect in a murder investigation!It seems that a professional joust re-enactor's goose was cooked after he finished one of the investigator's feasts, and authorities have determined the cause of death: poisoning. To make matters worse, the dead actor had stood in at the last minute for the scion of the infighting noble family . . . had the poison been meant for him?And why would someone want to kill him?Before he can answer these questions, the intrepid Gourmet Detective will have to dodge stray arrows, escape a flooding dungeon, avoid the authorities' suspicion, and nab the crooks-all while finding a way to get four-and-twenty live blackbirds under the crust of a pot-pie already filled with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, raisins, and cloves.Can the Gourmet Detective solve the crime, save his skin, and design an authentic assortment of medieval Europe's most prized delicacies in the meantime?One way or the other, it won't be a banquet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A surfeit of menu descriptions, both medieval and modern, an overloaded plot and a large cast of characters can't disguise the essential thinness of this sixth book in King's Gourmet Detective series (after 2000's A Healthy Place to Die). King's nameless "food-finder" narrator is hired to prepare medieval banquets for guests who pay to watch jousting, deer hunting and even a battle at Harlington Castle, a 16th-century English manor house now staging "Medieval Days" pageants. The novel opens with a vivid joust in which one participant appears to be beheaded. Soon after one combatant dies of poisoning, the food-finder once again turns private detective. At the behest of Lord Gerald Harlington, he spends several long days at the manor and in London, investigating too many Harlington family members and food purveyors, all of whom are suspect. Among the more memorable are an insufferably snobbish Harlington cousin, Neville Woodward; Gontier, the castle's resentful chef; and Sir Gerald's flirtatious daughters, Angela and Felicity. Unfortunately, rather than develop his characters, the author tends simply to repeat their roles and identities. A rousing final scene in the castle's dungeon takes us back to the Middle Ages, where this convoluted adventure began. Like other books in the series, this one has an appealing jacket design, which may fool some readers into thinking they're getting more than the literary equivalent of fast food.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The Gourmet Detective (he scouts out rare food ingredients), 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. Wit, charm, and humor add spice to the latest in the series.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312242700
• ISBN-13: 978-0312242701
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,792,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The latest gourmet detective is delicious, May 1, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eat, Drink, and Be Buried (Hardcover)

For a decade, Harlington Castle staged "Medieval Days" that provided simple food to visitors, which emulated the times of the events. When Lord Gerald Harlington renovates his castle to include lodgers, he also decides he needs a more complex menu. He hires the "Gourmet Detective," known for his food finding of hard to obtain items, to assist with the change.

However, an easy respite for the Gourmet Detective turns ugly when someone dies from food poisoning. Knowing he is the prime suspect, the Gourmet Detective conducts his own investigation to uncover the identity of the killer. However, he finds this much more difficult than tracking down a rare exotic herb because the extended Harlington brood seems loaded with motives.

The latest Gourmet Detective, EAT, DRINK, AND BE BURIED, provides n intriguing look at Medieval recipes, but is no Medieval Times. The hero remains fresh and fun to observe whether he is in the kitchen or searching for evidence. However, the problem with the plot lies with the myriad of suspects that the Gourmet Detective investigates. They seem more like Borgs sharing the same personality, which leaves the reader struggling to discern who is who even with a scorecard. Still, Peter King provides an entertaining culinary amateur sleuth mystery that may not be up to his star's palate, but will provide a decent snack.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars second chance, January 8, 2011

By 

J. P. Kimmel (north carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eat, Drink, and Be Buried: A Gourmet Detective Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading Hangmans Corner by Peter King i cant say i was too keen on his writing. Even so i thought i'd give this a try and was pleasantly surprised. The Gourmet detective is a very likable character as were the co-players in the book. The book moves along nicely although occasionally he goes over the top with his knowledge of food preparation. The ending is a true mystery who done it with a few red herrings thrown in.