Customer Reviews

Turkey Flambe (Wheeler Cozy Mystery)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reviewed by Sharron Stockhausen

Typically I like it when the bodies are human, not fowl, in my mysteries. But Nancy Fairbanks provides us with turkey bodies all gussied up for the publish party held for Carolyn Blue's cookbook Eating Out in the Big Easy. Pettigrew Publishing had taken its time getting the book out, so throwing the party to celebrate seemed like a good idea. Although she wasn't very excited about the publisher's idea to flambé the turkey at the party, Carolyn decides to go along and ignite the two turkeys soaked in cognac. She touched the lighter to the first turkey, and it flamed toward the ceiling and set fire to the second turkey and the tablecloth.

Quick-thinking employees tossed the flaming birds out the window and created havoc below. One turkey blew up a car and the other hit a windshield and injured a Chinese crime boss's granddaughter. All of this created an international incident as the authorities looked into arson, first-degree assault, and terrorism possibilities.

Things get a bit extreme when the feds (in the forms of the FBI and the State Department) get involved. They decided the flaming turkeys were hurled from the window to attack an Arab politician below.

Of course, Carolyn is the prime suspect since the police think she was negligent. She's not sure the police will consider anyone else, so she calls on her sidekick Luz to help her investigate. Luz is a retired El Paso cop with speech a bit on the earthy side. Still, Luz digs up some interesting supporting characters to help investigate who set up the turkey explosion.

As you wade through the maze of suspects with Carolyn and Luz, you get treated to recipes you'll consider making, which is a bonus. Sometimes the humor is a bit off, but overall the book is a fun afternoon read.

Armchair Interviews says: Fairbanks takes cooking turkey to a whole new level. You might enjoy going along for the ride on this 4+ star book.

The adjectives "funny," "humorous" and even--heaven help us all--"hilarious" are used with utterly inexplicable regularity when describing the bulk of cozy mysteries. Well, my friends, here is a cozy mystery that absolutely breaks from the pack by actually being vaguely amusing. On more than one occasion I found myself bursting into a ... small chuckle at the misadventures of the rather prissy and generally clueless heroine.

The overall plot and general handling of this book are pretty much par for the cozy mystery course, but--and this is a very important distinction--author's handling of her generic materials has a certain liveliness and grace that lifts the book noticeably above the cookie-cutter norm of the genre.

It is difficult, says the old wheeze, to soar with eagles when you must work with turkeys. In "Turkey Flambé," Author Fairbanks works with three turkeys. She sends two of them off a New York office building in flames. That's enough to soar to four-plus stars as far as I'm concerned.

If I could, I would have given this book a 3 1/2. I enjoyed it, but there were some slow parts. I did enjoy the chapters narrated by Luz - they were very funny. I also learned something interesting about the spice cilantro. Although this isn't my favorite book in this series, I did like the book.

Fun, silly and sounds like someone I know. Found myself laughing out loud. A perfect beach book. Also, some great recipes to try out. Enjoy

After much delay, Carolyn Blue's cookbook "Eating Out in the Big Easy" is finally being published by Pettigrew Publishing. To celebrate the company is throwing a party in Carolyn's honor. They even persuade Carolyn to make TURKEY FLAMBÉ. When she ignites the cognac that soaks the turkey, a loud explosion occurs. The room is on fire and the two turkeys that combusted are tossed out a window. One slams on a car driven by a Chinese-American who ends up in a coma; while the other falls on the Benamian ambassador.

The FBI and the State Department are involved because the Feds believe this was a deliberate attack on a moderate Arab politician attending to his business. The police lean towards Carolyn being guilty as they consider negligence as the cause. Carolyn knows someone sabotaged her turkeys causing the initial explosion. She begins her own investigation to clear her name because she believes the cops will not look beyond her.

Nancy Fairbanks has written an exciting, humorous amateur sleuth starring a cookbook author who will remind readers of the Perils of Pauline, as she jumps from the frying pan filled with adventure into a simmering stew of danger. Carolyn is quirky and courageous while the support cast is a loyal eccentric friend, a government official, or a suspect (at least in the heroine's mind). The recipes in this culinary whodunit are mouth watering so that TURKEY FLAMBÉ should not be read on an empty stomach.

Harriet Klausner

Jason is mysteriously absent again, kinda makes you wonder what is to come. Luz helps Carolyn on her big adventure in the Big Apple. Some LOL parts. Book 10 in the series.

I admit that I stayed up reading and finished at 2 am. But then had to go back because I thought I missed things - but they weren't there - dear chemist husband is missed in this NYC adventure and Luz makes the trip with our heroine AND her feminist mother-in-law turns up. Frankly, their presence didn't add that much to the story and I missed the husband's POV. Now we have NY publishers to add to the widening cast that were poorly used in this story. The author must really have a problem with the State Department and dragged in the UN since she was in NY. The best part of the story takes part in the restaurants and getting there in NY as well as describing the various ethnic foods and enclaves of NY. Enjoy and wait for the next one that hopefully will be a bit more together.