Customer Reviews

A Healthy Place to Die (Gourmet Detective Mysteries)

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Reading this book is like reading a transcript from a cooking conference. It might just as well be, since this time our flat Gourmet Detective (a.k.a. The Unnamed One) takes the place of an absent friend at a Swiss spa to teach culinary secrets in a conference that lasts a week (too long). This novel develops really slow, and it only picks up the pace of a mystery in the last four chapters. Unluckily for us readers, the book comprises thirty two of them.

I found this novel in particular the one which has the most flat, underdeveloped characters of this whole series. Nothing means anything. Sure, if you read it as a cookbook or as a compilation of suggestions from a very good chef, it is an interesting piece of advice; even witty. However, this book claims to be a mystery story; and a good mystery story must have an identifiable plot, which has to be twisted and interesting at the same time. Well, I cannot really identify a good plot here.

I can certainly tell that Mr. King has travelled extensively throughout Europe and certainly knows a lot of the idiosyncrases of the different nationalities. He is also a very good expert in his field, which is that of cooking methods, ingredients, rare foods and all the other qualities that make an excellent chef. He is not, however, a good writer. Unfortunately this last part is what it takes to produce a good fiction story, be it a mystery or any other genre.

Peter King's Gourmet Detective series is always entertaining and a very enjoyable read. Have read them all the thoroughly enjoy his character.
I would highly recommend trying his mysteries.