Appetite for Murder

Charly Poisson #1

by Cecile Lamalle

A FUNGUS AMONG US

While foraging for fungi in his secret spot, Charly Poisson, owner and chef of La Fermette, inadvertently unearths more than the oyster mushrooms he enjoys on his breakfast toast. Someone, apparently, has had the bad taste to bury an Hermes scarf in the hummus -- with a woman still attached! Mon Dieu!

Now, plagued by a series of mysterious barn burnings and a psychotic killer on the loose, a once-sleepy upstate New York town has suddenly become a bubbling hot compote of danger and intrigue. Does the blood-hungry murderer lurk among Charly's quirky, epicurean clientele? Worse yet, do the police intend to put the case on the back burner? Add to the mix one chubby French chef with a dangerous craving to solve the crime, rumors of mob ties, age-old vendettas, and a melange of motives that make almost everyone a suspect. Stir the pot vigorously and heat to serve...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Karin]

Not worth the time.

[Katherine Oxnard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible, not even a guilty pleasure--just the guilt at the end of the read!

[Marisa Bantjes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little murder mystery with a likeable US based French chef as sleuth and main protagonist. The book contains recipes of the popular dishes in his restaurant. It was an amusing intermezzo, but nothing worth recommending.

[Camilla Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found all 3 of the books in this author's series at a thrift store. Looked good. It was a bit difficult getting into it at the beginning - with all the fancy cuisine. Plus this was a different spin on a mystery. Not having to figure out the murderer! But the further I read, the more I was enjoying it. And, there were still mysteries to figure out, like who was setting all the fires. Charly is a good detective in the end. All the characters were interesting. Now to move on to book #2!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. Although you knew "whodunnit" from the beginning, it kept you engaged with different plot twists. There were a lot of characters that were tough to keep track of, but I think the author did a good job of reminding you who they were and how they related to other characters when you needed it.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why but I love these culinary mystery novels with recipes. Not that I would ever actually cook any of them, but still - they're a lot of fun!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these types of books. A mystery, with the recipes. It doesn’t get much better.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can you call a book a mystery if you know from the start who did what? The author lets the cat out of the bag almost from the first page, so if you like racing the main character to figure out what happened, you'll find this book, and probably this series, really disappointing. The main character has the most depth, but that's not saying much; most of the characters are shallow stereotypes. Great cooking, great recipes included at the end of each chapter. No romance, nothing to ruffle your feathers, just a pleasant read, if you don't mind a little mystery missing from your mystery.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, more research for the next Beatrice Beecham outing.

[Marti]

Passed on to me from Mom.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be looking for the next book!