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Caleb Rooney #0.5
Killer Chef. La vendetta è sul menu
Qualcuno ha preso di mira i migliori ristoranti di New Orleans, colpendone con micidiale precisione alcuni clienti. Tocca a Caleb Rooney, detective della Omicidi, nonché amatissimo chef di Street food, il compito di fermare questo killer e la sua strana sete di vendetta...
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2016
711 people are currently reading
2726 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
951 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
December 14, 2016
New BookShot by James Patterson. A quick fun read!
The story centers around Caleb Rooney, a hot-shot detective. Caleb moonlights as a chef in one of New Orleans best food trucks named Killer Chef along with his ex-wife Marlene DePietra. He is called in to run the investigation of a case involving murders of prominent couples dining in the finest restaurants in New Orleans. Every top restaurant owner in New Orleans is afraid their patrons will be next.
Enjoyed the story though it went by so fast!! I'm hoping Caleb and Maggie will be back in a full length book. Would make a great new series! (Maybe that's already in the works)
The story centers around Caleb Rooney, a hot-shot detective. Caleb moonlights as a chef in one of New Orleans best food trucks named Killer Chef along with his ex-wife Marlene DePietra. He is called in to run the investigation of a case involving murders of prominent couples dining in the finest restaurants in New Orleans. Every top restaurant owner in New Orleans is afraid their patrons will be next.
Enjoyed the story though it went by so fast!! I'm hoping Caleb and Maggie will be back in a full length book. Would make a great new series! (Maybe that's already in the works)
December 30, 2024
As the end of the reading year approaches, I chose to re-read this one. Here is the original review:
In their first BookShot partnership, James Patterson and Jeffrey J. Keyes create the basis for what could be an excellent new series, even if it does not go further than a collection of short stories. Caleb Rooney is local celebrity in New Orleans, best known for his food truck, 'Killer Chef'. People will line up all down Bourbon Street just to get their hands on a po' boy (I guess that's some Southern delicacy?!) and Instagram to tell about it.
However, under this greasy apron and rubber crocs is his other persona, Homicide Detective Caleb Rooney of the NOPD. Called to the scene of a popular restaurant, Rooney begins by surveying the scene, where he discovers that two patrons have been poisoned. The owner of the establishment is an old flame, which provides a moment of awkwardness, but not as much as the realisation that she is unsure who might be behind these murders. Checking some of the CCTV footage, Rooney surmises that it must be someone on staff, though nothing is clear as of yet and it was only these two patrons who died.
While he is out fighting crime, Rooney has left the Killer Chef in the capable hands of his co-owner and ex-wife, Marlene. His extended absences has left their strong platonic connection strained and puts the future of the Killer Chef and its reputation in jeopardy. When another call comes, Rooney rushes off to find two more patrons murdered at another establishment, again poisoned. It is only when Rooney checks out some footage and compares it to the first scene that a suspect emerges, one that is seen taking photos of the food truck during one of Killer Chef's busiest nights. Rooney rushes to make an arrest, but also discovers a common denominator between a number of the victims, outside of their love for good food. What looks like a quick solution turns into something more complex than creating the perfect soufflé. Patterson and Keyes have a wonderful mystery here and I am sure fans will be begging for more to come.
BookShots are surely a hit-or-miss endeavour, with a number of collaborations touching on many subjects. Patterson pairs himself with a number of up and coming (or established) authors and seeks to churn out successful pieces, though their success really cannot be predicted one publication to the next. While I read another BookShot the other day that was a complete flop for me, this one jumped out and shook me; only furthering my belief that there is much to these short pieces. Patterson and Keyes use some great characters that have some curious backstories, leaving some areas to the imagination, while setting the mystery in the lively city of New Orleans. There is so much to do and see down South, and the door is wide open for another wonderful mystery with a strong culinary focus. Rooney plays the double role so effectively that I would love to see more of him, even in a full-length novel, as it would permit some added development to the characters whose lives cross at various times. If not, a series of BookShots would be effective, as some authors have been able to do with Patterson. This is sure to be one story that makes the rounds and receives lip service for its delectable content.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Keyes for the wonderful initial partnership. I hope to see your collaborative juices simmering again soon in another great story.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
In their first BookShot partnership, James Patterson and Jeffrey J. Keyes create the basis for what could be an excellent new series, even if it does not go further than a collection of short stories. Caleb Rooney is local celebrity in New Orleans, best known for his food truck, 'Killer Chef'. People will line up all down Bourbon Street just to get their hands on a po' boy (I guess that's some Southern delicacy?!) and Instagram to tell about it.
However, under this greasy apron and rubber crocs is his other persona, Homicide Detective Caleb Rooney of the NOPD. Called to the scene of a popular restaurant, Rooney begins by surveying the scene, where he discovers that two patrons have been poisoned. The owner of the establishment is an old flame, which provides a moment of awkwardness, but not as much as the realisation that she is unsure who might be behind these murders. Checking some of the CCTV footage, Rooney surmises that it must be someone on staff, though nothing is clear as of yet and it was only these two patrons who died.
While he is out fighting crime, Rooney has left the Killer Chef in the capable hands of his co-owner and ex-wife, Marlene. His extended absences has left their strong platonic connection strained and puts the future of the Killer Chef and its reputation in jeopardy. When another call comes, Rooney rushes off to find two more patrons murdered at another establishment, again poisoned. It is only when Rooney checks out some footage and compares it to the first scene that a suspect emerges, one that is seen taking photos of the food truck during one of Killer Chef's busiest nights. Rooney rushes to make an arrest, but also discovers a common denominator between a number of the victims, outside of their love for good food. What looks like a quick solution turns into something more complex than creating the perfect soufflé. Patterson and Keyes have a wonderful mystery here and I am sure fans will be begging for more to come.
BookShots are surely a hit-or-miss endeavour, with a number of collaborations touching on many subjects. Patterson pairs himself with a number of up and coming (or established) authors and seeks to churn out successful pieces, though their success really cannot be predicted one publication to the next. While I read another BookShot the other day that was a complete flop for me, this one jumped out and shook me; only furthering my belief that there is much to these short pieces. Patterson and Keyes use some great characters that have some curious backstories, leaving some areas to the imagination, while setting the mystery in the lively city of New Orleans. There is so much to do and see down South, and the door is wide open for another wonderful mystery with a strong culinary focus. Rooney plays the double role so effectively that I would love to see more of him, even in a full-length novel, as it would permit some added development to the characters whose lives cross at various times. If not, a series of BookShots would be effective, as some authors have been able to do with Patterson. This is sure to be one story that makes the rounds and receives lip service for its delectable content.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Keyes for the wonderful initial partnership. I hope to see your collaborative juices simmering again soon in another great story.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 14, 2017
Do not attempt to read this book on an empty stomach because it will start growling in a matter of minutes, depending on how fast you read. This book will make you really hungry for food from New Orleans : Po' boy sandwiches, Jambalaya, beignets and many more delicacies.
If you are lucky and can get this kind of food, it will be a delight to read as you eat it. If, like me , that's not your case, you'll enjoy an easy read and long for New Orleans cuisine while you imagine a hot detective/chef cooking hotter dishes and catching murderers.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
If you are lucky and can get this kind of food, it will be a delight to read as you eat it. If, like me , that's not your case, you'll enjoy an easy read and long for New Orleans cuisine while you imagine a hot detective/chef cooking hotter dishes and catching murderers.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
March 4, 2017
Meh...
Some of these BookShots are amaze-balls, and some are blah. This one was blah, for me.
Right off the bat, I just felt out of touch. The main detective basically thought every single person could potentially be the killer, and at the same time, thought that not a single person could be the killer. I prefer to have it narrowed down earlier on so that I, as a reader, can start really speculating.
This felt like one of the BookShots the James didn't look close enough at, and just rushed through the presses to get it on the bookshelves.
Some of these BookShots are amaze-balls, and some are blah. This one was blah, for me.
Right off the bat, I just felt out of touch. The main detective basically thought every single person could potentially be the killer, and at the same time, thought that not a single person could be the killer. I prefer to have it narrowed down earlier on so that I, as a reader, can start really speculating.
This felt like one of the BookShots the James didn't look close enough at, and just rushed through the presses to get it on the bookshelves.
May 26, 2017
3.5 Stars
A good fast-paced whodunit mystery!
I would love to see more books with this detective - great character! Just wish the ending was a tad bit longer.
A good fast-paced whodunit mystery!
I would love to see more books with this detective - great character! Just wish the ending was a tad bit longer.
April 3, 2019
Great prequel to the book, The Chef, and I am really looking forward to starting that book asap because Caleb is a fascinating character. I also love books, shows, and films that take place in New Orleans. New Orleans seems like such a fascinating city with an interesting history. Overall, it was a great short story with a good introduction to Caleb and his life.
My quick and simple overall: quick bookshots with amusing characters.
My quick and simple overall: quick bookshots with amusing characters.
February 6, 2017
Almost as painful as watching CSI Miami reruns
October 23, 2024
This was an interesting mini-book. I hadn’t heard of these “Bookshots” and I like the concepts, especially to add to or try out protagonists for a new series. Overall though I was a bit disappointed by this one. The mystery was ok, but the main character who was both a chef and a cop didn’t interest me. I think I stopped being invested in him when he was romancing two people connected to his case despite not knowing their exact role which felt super unprofessional to me. Caleb is off duty when he gets a call about a new double homicide in an ex’s restaurant so he drops everything to take on the case. The setting was interesting and I liked the idea of a chef/cop, but I think a few things need some work.
February 6, 2017
Not bad. Not great.
April 1, 2017
3.5 "N'Awlins" stars. I could like this cop in a full length book, I do believe.
Now, WHY DO I KEEP READING THESE BOOKSHOTS?! They're so short! Gah!
Lol
Now, WHY DO I KEEP READING THESE BOOKSHOTS?! They're so short! Gah!
Lol
April 20, 2017
Good, but the ending was a little too short. I'd like to see more books with this detective.
June 30, 2017
I wanted to like this book. My hubby is from NOLA and I lived and worked there, so I was expecting this to be a great read. What a disappointment. The dialogue was lazy and there was quite a bit of explaining instead of good writing. Some of the explaining about the main character's feeling or thoughts or lusts was unnecessary and really detracted from the story. The plot was contorted with no real clues to engage the reader. And the continuing acting alone, no backup, and sexual encounters of the main character with suspects were just too unbelievable. Total waste of time and trees.
November 5, 2016
I enjoyed the setting, New Orleans, the main character, a cop and chef, and the supporting characters. But the story is too short. These characters in New Orleans deserve a full novel!
December 27, 2016
I wanted a quick read, and on that score it didn't disappoint. But I doubt I'll read any more "Bookshots." Corny. Unrealistic. A waste of time albeit not very much time. Oh, and a medical examiner named Quincy.... seriously?
December 3, 2018
I started reading this book in spite of my complete lack of interest in detective novels, as a technology experiment. An acquaintance alerted me to the fact that Facebook Messenger now allows you to 'read' books by opening up a conversation with the book's FB page. I found it a neat marketing trick and decided to give it a try and see what the experience is like.
I'm glad I did, and overall the experience itself was interesting and the book was delightful. The food descriptions were, of course, the main attraction for me, and they were nothing short of spectacular.
I'm glad I did, and overall the experience itself was interesting and the book was delightful. The food descriptions were, of course, the main attraction for me, and they were nothing short of spectacular.
April 7, 2017
This was a very quick read, good storyline. You just don't get a fully developed story. I will be reading more of these. My book count for the year is way behind what it should be.
June 1, 2017
There was a lot packed into this little book, including a medical examiner named Quincy....
Caleb is both a chef and a detective in New Orleans... so when a string of murders start happening in restaurants around New Orleans, Who better to solve the crime then the killer chef? This was a quick read, that did bring some of that ambience of New Orleans to us, with a mystery that really did keep me guessing until the very end....
Caleb is both a chef and a detective in New Orleans... so when a string of murders start happening in restaurants around New Orleans, Who better to solve the crime then the killer chef? This was a quick read, that did bring some of that ambience of New Orleans to us, with a mystery that really did keep me guessing until the very end....
November 5, 2016
Killer Chef
I liked this story but the main reason that I did was because it was set in New Orleans, my favorite city and home town. It was okay but I think it could have been better.
I liked this story but the main reason that I did was because it was set in New Orleans, my favorite city and home town. It was okay but I think it could have been better.
July 21, 2017
So so so bad. Can I give less than one star? Total drivel, no real plot line. Random events, no character development. Patterson needs to stop writing a book a day and return to quality vs quantity. I bet he didn't even write this short story. The prose sounds like written by a high schooler.....
August 14, 2019
قشنگ بود! بعنوان یک شات کتاب!
اما... مترجم عزیز و دوست داشتنی من! کیلب نه کالب! مرسی
اما... مترجم عزیز و دوست داشتنی من! کیلب نه کالب! مرسی
October 9, 2017
I enjoyed this one a lot!
March 14, 2019
Everybody knows that James Patterson doesn’t write his own books; that’s what Leonard Cohen was singing about. But Killer Chef, a BookShot written “with” Jeffrey J. Keyes, is fun enough that we don’t have to worry about it. The adventures of a man who’s a homicide detective by day and food truck chef by night (because policing is famously a 9 to 5 gig), there’s a faint ridiculous to Killer Chef that it never quite shakes, but it doesn’t have to — and maybe it doesn’t want to.
We’re introduced to Caleb Rooney’s Killer Chef food truck with the knowledge that it is emblazoned with a shrimp and crossbones. This is such an arresting image that you wish there was an illustration accompanying it. Killer Chef includes gems like “Patsy doesn’t have any buttermilk for the traditional southern biscuits he’d hoped to bake, so Killer Chef does some killer improvising” and “Caleb tightens the straps of his Kevlar vest. He rechecks the clip of his trusty Glock 22. He pops one final jalapeño into his mouth.”
At its tiny length, Killer Chef can only offer the broadest strokes, but that’s to its benefit. There are unfortunate optics in its conclusion, and the final paragraph makes a stretch in its estimation of the Rooney’s emotions, but Killer Chef is a silly New Orleans romp that is just wild enough to make you hunger for the Caleb Rooney’s full length debut, The Chef.
We’re introduced to Caleb Rooney’s Killer Chef food truck with the knowledge that it is emblazoned with a shrimp and crossbones. This is such an arresting image that you wish there was an illustration accompanying it. Killer Chef includes gems like “Patsy doesn’t have any buttermilk for the traditional southern biscuits he’d hoped to bake, so Killer Chef does some killer improvising” and “Caleb tightens the straps of his Kevlar vest. He rechecks the clip of his trusty Glock 22. He pops one final jalapeño into his mouth.”
At its tiny length, Killer Chef can only offer the broadest strokes, but that’s to its benefit. There are unfortunate optics in its conclusion, and the final paragraph makes a stretch in its estimation of the Rooney’s emotions, but Killer Chef is a silly New Orleans romp that is just wild enough to make you hunger for the Caleb Rooney’s full length debut, The Chef.
February 13, 2020
Aside from it starting as a decent third person past tense and deteriorating into first person present tense, this novella...excuse me....book shot....read like an outline of ideas that Patterson was thinking of fleshing out. The writing was like a 6 year old learning English and writing an English composition. Patterson should be embarrassed by this one.
November 27, 2018
I love that this was a short book. It had a good storyline, the plot and characters were easy to follow. Some of the details were a bit beyond reason and why does every JP book require the main character to have sex and/or think about sex every time they see a good looking person?
December 11, 2016
What a waste of time...
September 6, 2018
This was a page turner/ hard to put down title. There were a few moments in this book that were making me hungry but I guess that's what you get with the word "chef" in the title.
April 17, 2017
Nice quick read with good characters. I hadn't planned on reading any of James Patterson's Bookshots, but this one caught my eye and I'm glad I did. The mystery was there along with some romance, although I think it could have done without the romance. It really didn't add much to the story. I was surprised by the conclusion. I thought that with it being a short book that the villain would be obvious. I look forward to read more of these Bookshots.
October 15, 2018
This was a really good, quick mystery. Didn't see the ending at all. Just a few things bugged me, like he was finding women attractive while interviewing them about a murder, it got a bit over the top, considering it was mentioned every time he talked to a female. Overall, though, I really enjoyed it and it was perfect for a quick time filler read.
May 21, 2020
A very witty and entertaining story told from the heart of New Orleans. Short chapters with JP's infamous cliffhanger endings, keeps the reader twisted in trying to figure out whose behind the murders. The author uses a combination of tactics to input background information about the characters without over doing it; allows the reader to understand the character's strength and weaknesses. A series that I look forward to enjoying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews