Calculated Loss (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

by 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

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Mira (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778323455
• ISBN-13: 978-0778323457
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #802,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

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

2 of 2 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 500 REVIEWER)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting and Fun Thriller, July 20, 2007

By	Cindy Chow (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

I've long enjoyed the Madeline Carter series by Linda L. Richards, as she manages to do what I thought was impossible. Namely, make the intricacies of finance and day trading not only understandable, but incredibly fascinating. With CALCULATED LOSS, Richards shares with the reader not only the details and stresses of day trading but also the incredibly entertaining world of professional cooking and celebrity chefs.

When Madeline hears that her ex-husband has committed suicide, she's plunged back into her bittersweet memories of a marriage she left when her professional ambitions combated with Braydon Gauthier's more lackadaisical approach to life. Since the end of their marriage Bray's life completely changed though, as he eventually became a celebrity chef with his own television cooking shows, bestselling cookbooks, frozen food line, and numerous restaurants. But the loss of a star of his flagship restaurant apparently caused him to poison himself, leaving his mother and sister shattered and requesting Madeline's help in figuring out the family's complex corporation.

The family also awakens doubts about whether Bray really did kill himself, a suspicion Madeline excuses as grief until she hears the method of Bray's poisoning. Believing that he would never had consumed a last meal of duck with orange sauce (how cliché!), Madeline begins to explore the murky practices of Gauthier Fine Foods and the new life Bray created without her.

This is a wonderfully engaging novel that entertains the reader with food and finance information while never giving short thrift to the plot or characters. Madeline's realization that her memories of the Braydon conflict with the man he became is both bittersweet and realistic and adds considerable depth to a Madeline, who has grown more and more likeable with each new novel. This is a very witty series that continues to improve and leave readers eagerly awaiting each new installment into the life of Madeline Carter.