Book Review: Simmer Down

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Simmer Down     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Jessica Conant-Park , Susan Conant
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Culinary   Cozy   Chick Lit
Series: Gourmet Girl Mysteries # 2
Berkley, Mar 2007, $22.95

This Christmas Chloe Carter believes life is great as she has a terrific loving boyfriend, Josh Driscoll, who is also a gourmet chef. When they met he was between jobs so she was his only “customer” in the kitchen and in bed. However, Josh has accepted the executive chef position at Simmer, a restaurant opening on New Year ’s Eve in downtown Boston’s posh Newbury Street so is quite busy with hiring and the menu.

However, to showcase their food in advance, Simmer has provided some of their items at the Food for Thought fundraiser. Things are defiantly looking good until someone kills Oliver Kipper of the Full Moon Group using Josh’s state of the art Robocoupe food processor as a murder weapon. The publicity helps make the new restaurant a success, but Chloe realizes the notoriety in the long run is not good so she begins to draw up a list of suspects starting with Josh’s ex girlfriends that could fill up Fenway Park.

This is a fun “Gourmet Girl” mystery as a STEAMED Chloe seeks a motive and opportunity to narrow down her list; however, motives and opportunity are abundant so she has a standing room only horde to inquire about. Readers will enjoy the heroine’s escapades as she risks her life to uncover the identity of a killer. The mother-daughter author team provides the audience with a delicious chick lit cozy filled with lists, recipes and asides as Chloe takes on Beantown.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner