Book Review: Eat, Drink, and Be Buried

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Eat, Drink, and Be Buried     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Kate Kingsbury
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical   Cozy   Woman Main Character
Series: Pennyfoot Hotel # 4
St. Martin's, May 2001, $22.95, 215 pp.

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

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