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Mary Ryan Mystery #1
Beat Until Stiff
Experienced pastry chef Johnson whips up an insider look at San Francisco's cut-throat restaurant trade. Cranky Mary Ryan has sunk a lot of time and talent into the in-vogue American Fare, the town's hottest spot, while grieving over her broken marriage. At work very early one morning, she steps on a laundry bag stuffed with the dead body of one of her employees. The investigation soon exposes all the dirty secrets that the food business would like to keep the philandering chefs, the silly whims of the dining public, the hiring of illegal aliens, and the subsistence-living pay scale. Events begin to spiral that in time take out the restaurant's celebrity chef and force Mary to use her unique skills to uncover a poisonous scheme....
Beat Until Stiff gives a frank view of the cooking/restaurant scene and explores why food has become theater, with all the waiters, the busboys, the chefs, and the dining public on stage, each with their own parts to learn and perform. Dessert is the last word, the amen of a meal. And Mary Ryan always has to have the last word. Hard edged, filled richly with restaurant lore, sharply characterized, this is a debut to savor.
Beat Until Stiff gives a frank view of the cooking/restaurant scene and explores why food has become theater, with all the waiters, the busboys, the chefs, and the dining public on stage, each with their own parts to learn and perform. Dessert is the last word, the amen of a meal. And Mary Ryan always has to have the last word. Hard edged, filled richly with restaurant lore, sharply characterized, this is a debut to savor.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2002
1 person is currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Claire M. Johnson
14 books38 followersClaire M. Johnson graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in history.
Armed with a whip and a knife-roll, she worked as a pastry chef for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of the food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in Ms. Johnson’s first novel Beat Until Stiff, for which she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant.
Ms. Johnson stopped cooking professionally when her children were born and is currently an editor at U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, Mark, two children, Emma and Paul, and numerous animals. Eating at restaurants is still her favorite hobby, with her most severe criticism reserved for the dessert menu.
Series:
* Mary Ryan Mystery
Armed with a whip and a knife-roll, she worked as a pastry chef for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of the food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in Ms. Johnson’s first novel Beat Until Stiff, for which she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant.
Ms. Johnson stopped cooking professionally when her children were born and is currently an editor at U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, Mark, two children, Emma and Paul, and numerous animals. Eating at restaurants is still her favorite hobby, with her most severe criticism reserved for the dessert menu.
Series:
* Mary Ryan Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 23, 2013
I don't normally read fiction. I think I stumbled on this because I wanted something light and fluffy, candy for the mind, after all the heavy reading (A.S. Byatt, Carlos Ruiz Zafon), and it seemed like fun. I see all these culinary-related mysteries go at the library, so I found one I could get through Overdrive and what a fun ride!
This protagonist Mary Ryan is sharp, cranky, and overworked, plus broken-hearted as so many of us are; I can definitely relate. She's lucky enough to be doing what she loves for a living but unfortunate enough to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Like Stephanie Plum and probably other mystery protagnoists - I don't really read mysteries - she has useful ties to the police department. But where Plum comes off as incompetently stumbling into one accidental crime situation after another, Mary Ryan puts on her Nancy Drew hat, somewhat ineptly at first but she learns from at least some of her mistakes, and thinks like a criminal to help get the bad guys caught by the police.
I rushed right out and got the second Mary Ryan book, Roux Morgue, and I've finished it already. :)
This protagonist Mary Ryan is sharp, cranky, and overworked, plus broken-hearted as so many of us are; I can definitely relate. She's lucky enough to be doing what she loves for a living but unfortunate enough to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Like Stephanie Plum and probably other mystery protagnoists - I don't really read mysteries - she has useful ties to the police department. But where Plum comes off as incompetently stumbling into one accidental crime situation after another, Mary Ryan puts on her Nancy Drew hat, somewhat ineptly at first but she learns from at least some of her mistakes, and thinks like a criminal to help get the bad guys caught by the police.
I rushed right out and got the second Mary Ryan book, Roux Morgue, and I've finished it already. :)
September 10, 2013
I spent the whole book wrestling with myself, off & on, about whether it was worth finishing.
On the plus side, the mystery was OK & the restaurant background info was interesting and informative. I rarely read mysteries, discounting the Hardy brothers & Nancy Drew stories when I was younger, however I loved this books' title!
On the flip side, the characters didn't behave consistently with themselves or with their contextual setting. I haven't decided if I hated the character(s) themselves or merely the authors' storytelling ability. (Update: Once I realized that this was the first book in a series, it strikes me that the author was likely trying to leave story hooks to draw in different types of readers, e.g. romance, and forced those elements into the story. Now I've decided I hated the characters AND the writing style. Marring a mediocre mystery, merely to manipulate more movement of merchandise, manufactures malaise, at least in me.)
I will probably avoid this author in the future So many good authors/books, so little time ...
On the plus side, the mystery was OK & the restaurant background info was interesting and informative. I rarely read mysteries, discounting the Hardy brothers & Nancy Drew stories when I was younger, however I loved this books' title!
On the flip side, the characters didn't behave consistently with themselves or with their contextual setting. I haven't decided if I hated the character(s) themselves or merely the authors' storytelling ability. (Update: Once I realized that this was the first book in a series, it strikes me that the author was likely trying to leave story hooks to draw in different types of readers, e.g. romance, and forced those elements into the story. Now I've decided I hated the characters AND the writing style. Marring a mediocre mystery, merely to manipulate more movement of merchandise, manufactures malaise, at least in me.)
I will probably avoid this author in the future So many good authors/books, so little time ...
June 8, 2013
A fairly good story weakened by the main character, who's snide, sarcastic, and judgmental. I don't mind a story mostly about--or even entirely about--unlikable characters (I loved Gone Girl), but it really needs to compensate with a brilliant story.
This book did not have a brilliant story.
It also didn't have a brilliant main character, though the author attempted to portray her as such; instead, she was rather slow to make sense of a few obvious clues, and in some places the story depended on her behaving rather foolishly. As an example, in the scene where she attempted to cut the credit card, it would have made much more sense for her to grab it and pull--though naturally that would have ended the mystery there. That she didn't think of it just seemed like an example of the author railroading the plot.
This book did not have a brilliant story.
It also didn't have a brilliant main character, though the author attempted to portray her as such; instead, she was rather slow to make sense of a few obvious clues, and in some places the story depended on her behaving rather foolishly. As an example, in the scene where she attempted to cut the credit card, it would have made much more sense for her to grab it and pull--though naturally that would have ended the mystery there. That she didn't think of it just seemed like an example of the author railroading the plot.
November 12, 2013
Starting this book I went into it expecting a traditional trashy chick lit., I was pleasantly surprised. This book is essentially a light hearted murder food mystery meets tacky love story. The only real issue that I had with this book is the dramatic portraying of the protagonists emotion. I am sorry but I have no interest in their deepest emotions nor do I care about the multitude near death experiences in this book. The charm in this book is the lack of any connection to reality, it draws you into the little world being shown.
October 20, 2015
2.5 stars. Okay murder mystery set in the culinary world of San Francisco. The mystery was pretty good and the restaurant life details spot on, but the depressed, angry,catty main character was hard to like. The awkward almost romance was annoying.
September 24, 2014
I loved the character of Mary Ryan! Wish I could find more books like this.
July 11, 2015
Great for a summer drive book - silly in all the murders that pile up, but still a good read.
July 28, 2017
Are you hungry for a fun, summer read? Here it is - a taste of intrigue, with spicy characters, a dash of humor, and a steamy setting all blended into a delicious mystery.
In this mystery the protagonist, Mary Ryan, is a pastry chef at a fancy San Francisco restaurant. Some who work at the restaurant, or dine there, hide interesting, personal secrets. And somebody hides one that’s clandestine. It’s murder after hours in the restaurant’s kitchen. You the reader are in a great place to try to solve this murder along with Mary.
To complicate matters, Mary’s ex-husband is a police officer and becomes involved in the investigation. However, the officer assigned to the investigation is the ex-husband’s former partner on patrol who also knows Mary very well. Neither of them is interested in Mary’s theories, but as the reader you’ll find that the clues she turns up are very helpful.
I really enjoyed the humor in the book, especially with the amateur sleuth, Mary Ryan. And not just the characters are described so well. The author painted a vivid picture of the setting. San Francisco scenes are well known, but Claire M. Johnson wrote deeper including background snippets about the society and cultures there that put the story into a meaningful context.
Claire M. Johnson knows a lot about the life in her book. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in History, she decided to work as a pastry chef. She loved it so much she continued for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of their food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in this book, her first novel Beat Until Stiff. For this book she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant. She stopped cooking professionally when her children were born. Eating at restaurants is still one of her favorite hobbies, with her most discerning critiques reserved for their dessert menus.
If you have an appetite for following clues, meeting interesting characters, and trying to solve mysteries, you’ll enjoy this book. Perhaps you’ll want to read it with a side of Butterscotch pie – Claire M. Johnson’s favorite.
And if you’d like to hear more, from the author herself, please click on our YouTube podcast Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Claire Johnson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqeP...
In this mystery the protagonist, Mary Ryan, is a pastry chef at a fancy San Francisco restaurant. Some who work at the restaurant, or dine there, hide interesting, personal secrets. And somebody hides one that’s clandestine. It’s murder after hours in the restaurant’s kitchen. You the reader are in a great place to try to solve this murder along with Mary.
To complicate matters, Mary’s ex-husband is a police officer and becomes involved in the investigation. However, the officer assigned to the investigation is the ex-husband’s former partner on patrol who also knows Mary very well. Neither of them is interested in Mary’s theories, but as the reader you’ll find that the clues she turns up are very helpful.
I really enjoyed the humor in the book, especially with the amateur sleuth, Mary Ryan. And not just the characters are described so well. The author painted a vivid picture of the setting. San Francisco scenes are well known, but Claire M. Johnson wrote deeper including background snippets about the society and cultures there that put the story into a meaningful context.
Claire M. Johnson knows a lot about the life in her book. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in History, she decided to work as a pastry chef. She loved it so much she continued for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of their food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in this book, her first novel Beat Until Stiff. For this book she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant. She stopped cooking professionally when her children were born. Eating at restaurants is still one of her favorite hobbies, with her most discerning critiques reserved for their dessert menus.
If you have an appetite for following clues, meeting interesting characters, and trying to solve mysteries, you’ll enjoy this book. Perhaps you’ll want to read it with a side of Butterscotch pie – Claire M. Johnson’s favorite.
And if you’d like to hear more, from the author herself, please click on our YouTube podcast Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Claire Johnson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqeP...
July 8, 2018
The description of the book really sounded interesting, so I checked it out to listen to on a road trip. Unfortunately, the main character was unlikeable--self-centered, insensitive (although she describes herself as being sensitive), abrasive, and short-tempered--all things she hates in the other characters in the book. She constantly acts stupidly and then gets mad when people get upset with her; she puts herself in dangerous situations, then gets mad when the police have someone following her to keep her out of trouble. It didn't help that the reader of the audiobook used an accent that instead of sounding Spanish, sounded a lot more like Romanian, as interpreted by The Count on Sesame Street (she was fine otherwise). The plot was interesting and we stuck with it to find out whodunit, and the writing itself wasn't bad, so it wasn't a total loss.
March 13, 2024
Mary Ryan is still battling grief and depression a year and a half after her husband leaves her for another woman. Her only solace is her job as pastry chef at San Francisco's most popular restaurant, American Fare. It's going gangbusters and her desserts are in demand, but her tightly gripped world spirals apart when Mary trips over one of her employees beaten to death and folded into a. laundry bag early on the morning of the big society dinner. Instead of high society and write-ups in the news, the restaurant is closed and Pandora's box of secrets opens. Mary and her ex-husband's partner, O'Connor, a S.F. police detective, butt heads in the race to identify the murderer
July 9, 2019
This is like a 2.5. The main character was so annoying, and callous. This would be fine if there was any development, but there wasn't. The plot was fine, the murder mystery slightly predictable. My biggest issue was the romantic tension that led to nowhere. Apparently this is a series so I imagine that develops more, however there were just no redeeming qualities to the main character. It did go pretty in depth to the restaurant business and lifestyle very well, and really accurate so I appreciated that.
January 24, 2019
#imissdexter
February 5, 2023
I liked the main character and info about the restraurant scene. Some of the mystery elements were too predictable.
March 25, 2012
If you’re wanting yet another culinary cozy replete with recipes and cute, don’t read Johnson’s works. Instead, think Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential and Gordon Ramsay’s angry tirades and you’ll be spot on.
Mary Ryan is Johnson’s protagonist, a pastry chef who’s gone through the school of hard knocks and been tested in the kitchens of San Francisco. “I’d done time in too many kitchens to count where I’d had to adopt this bitchy, balls-the-size-of-grapefruits-attitude to get any respect. I was called Senora Cojones behind my back. I didn’t care.”
In BEAT UNTIL STIFF (Poison Pen Press, 2002) Ryan finds a dead body in the laundry bag of soiled aprons and table linens, uncovering dirty secrets at American Fare, the tony San Francisco restaurant where she works.
Johnson's work has received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and the San Jose Mercury Times. Kirkus says, “Sexual tension, cooking tips and a neatly packaged mystery. All in all,
a tasty tale.” The San Jose Mercury Times quotes from BEAT UNTIL STIFF "Despite all the hype, the food business pays barely subsistence wages. A few big name chefs like Brent make a ton of dough, but the majority slog along until they realize they aren't going to make more than about $12 an hour, usually no benefits," and comments, "Johnson draws a bitterly accurate picture of the social climbers and celebrity fans who populate high-profile restaurants, and a fond but tough portrait of the Bay Area."
Claire M. Johnson completed the California Culinary Academy’s program for professional chefs and writes about kitchens and cooking with an insider’s knowledge of detail and authenticity. She was right there in the kitchens of San Francisco and Berkeley, during the emergence of local cuisine, when some of the best known chefs in the nation made their bones. BEAT UNTIL STIFF won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writer’s Grant. For more information on Claire M. Johnson, visit www.rouxmorgue.com.
Hey Claire! Your reading public clamors for more Mary Ryan mysteries!!
--Ashland Mystery
Mary Ryan is Johnson’s protagonist, a pastry chef who’s gone through the school of hard knocks and been tested in the kitchens of San Francisco. “I’d done time in too many kitchens to count where I’d had to adopt this bitchy, balls-the-size-of-grapefruits-attitude to get any respect. I was called Senora Cojones behind my back. I didn’t care.”
In BEAT UNTIL STIFF (Poison Pen Press, 2002) Ryan finds a dead body in the laundry bag of soiled aprons and table linens, uncovering dirty secrets at American Fare, the tony San Francisco restaurant where she works.
Johnson's work has received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and the San Jose Mercury Times. Kirkus says, “Sexual tension, cooking tips and a neatly packaged mystery. All in all,
a tasty tale.” The San Jose Mercury Times quotes from BEAT UNTIL STIFF "Despite all the hype, the food business pays barely subsistence wages. A few big name chefs like Brent make a ton of dough, but the majority slog along until they realize they aren't going to make more than about $12 an hour, usually no benefits," and comments, "Johnson draws a bitterly accurate picture of the social climbers and celebrity fans who populate high-profile restaurants, and a fond but tough portrait of the Bay Area."
Claire M. Johnson completed the California Culinary Academy’s program for professional chefs and writes about kitchens and cooking with an insider’s knowledge of detail and authenticity. She was right there in the kitchens of San Francisco and Berkeley, during the emergence of local cuisine, when some of the best known chefs in the nation made their bones. BEAT UNTIL STIFF won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writer’s Grant. For more information on Claire M. Johnson, visit www.rouxmorgue.com.
Hey Claire! Your reading public clamors for more Mary Ryan mysteries!!
--Ashland Mystery
July 28, 2013
I came across this one while looking for an eBook that was available through my library. It's a murder mystery set in a high-end restaurant in Los Angeles. Mary Ryan is a thirty-something divorced pastry chef who is ANGRY. She is overworked and doesn't have time for the body she finds in the kitchen of American Fair, the restaurant she basically lives in. What follows is a duo of over-protective cops, a language barrier, illegal aliens, celebrity chefs, put upon wives, and a love of pastry. Looking for a light mystery to pass the time? Give it a try.
September 20, 2013
I was very impressed with how the narrator could do a male Mexican accent as easily as she did an American female. Quite nicely done.
I'm always amazed at how badly chefs in books eat. I hope real ones do better.
The mystery was well done. Like in most cozies, the main character has no common sense when putting herself in danger. Luckily she has a good relationship with the local police so they keep yelling at her.
The descriptions of San Francisco were very realistic and I could almost feel the fog.
I'm always amazed at how badly chefs in books eat. I hope real ones do better.
The mystery was well done. Like in most cozies, the main character has no common sense when putting herself in danger. Luckily she has a good relationship with the local police so they keep yelling at her.
The descriptions of San Francisco were very realistic and I could almost feel the fog.
November 20, 2014
I stumbled on this lovely cozy mystery and listened to the audio. It was very good - about a pastry chef who has issues n general and unfortuately finds a body whike trying to prepare for a big party. Mary lives alone due to unfortuare divorce but her husband keeps showing up out of concern. The murder made her a target. There are so many suspects that keep.cropping up to foul up her investigating. She is tryimg to prove herself to her ex's best friend a married cop. There are funny scenes between these two as well as her mother. Great audio.
September 1, 2016
The main character was awful. I don't think bitter divorcee is really my type. I found the "romance" to be awkward, unnecessary, and gratuitous. Why not have a third cast member instead? The main character also did a lot of dumb things that real people just wouldn't do. Crying for 15 minutes before calling 911 after finding a body? Really? I would have stopped, but it was the only thing on my kindle. Cannot recommend even a little bit.
September 27, 2013
audio review - I liked the idea of the restaurant setting. The narrator was not up to the accents on some of the characters. The story was fine, but the heroine was a little unbelievable in the way she jumps into the sleuthing and mystery solving. I have the impression this is the start of a series. If so, I don't think I'll read more. Not a bad book, but there are other books of this genre that are more interesting.
May 15, 2014
I listened to this book in audio format and really enjoyed it. Main character was very well done. She seemed like a "real" person with real emotions, desires, and behavior. I hope there are more books featuring Mary Ryan.
In addition to have a great protagonist the backstory is fascinating. I admit to loving foodie stuff and this supplied my craving. It leads the reader into the gritty world of chefs and restaurant staff of San Francisco.
I will be looking for more from this author.
In addition to have a great protagonist the backstory is fascinating. I admit to loving foodie stuff and this supplied my craving. It leads the reader into the gritty world of chefs and restaurant staff of San Francisco.
I will be looking for more from this author.
September 7, 2012
Likeable heroine, and I enjoyed the culinary/restaurant setting. Ended pretty rapidly in a fairly predictable matter, but I will check out more of the series. It's a nice easy read. Reminds me a lot of The Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.
June 25, 2013
The early parts of this book should not be read with an empty stomach! The descriptions of baking and desserts made my mouth water. I thought this was a light, entertaining read. The narrator's voice was terrific with all characters except for the accents; her Hispanic accents were distracting.
July 17, 2013
Just picked this up on a whim. Was fine and a sorta quick, fun read. But nothing really stood out - the mystery wsan't terrfiic, the food-based stuff was thin, the writing a little clichéd, the characters a little formulaic.
August 18, 2013
Nice look @ culinary scene in SF w/o being a NF book. Much like Agatha Raisin, though, the lead (Mary Ryan, pastry chef) takes way too many things into her own hands. I will look for more from this author. Written well. Did not see all the loose ends tying up as they did.
July 28, 2008
This is a great mystery, full of very realistic characters and a fabulous setting. I'm currently reading the sequel and am quite enjoying it as well.
November 12, 2008
First in fun mystery series set in Napa Valley about a pastry chef with themes rich in food and wine
August 27, 2016
This is a clever and captivating mystery that would particularly enchant foodies or anyone who has wondered what the restaurant business was like.
July 13, 2012
Very cute book with a few murders tied in!!
August 8, 2012
Enjoyed the background information on running a restaurant. Seemed like an accurate account of their lives in that industry. Then a mystery thrown in!!!!
November 3, 2012
Found the book to be entertaining. After listening to the audiobook,however, I realized I don't want to work in a restaurant. Count that one off the list!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews