The Gourmet Girl Mysteries Volume One: Steamed, Simmer Down, and Turn Up the Heat

by Jessica Conant-Park, Susan Conant

Bostonian foodie Chloe Carter is after the perfect meal and the perfect man—but death keeps finding her at the dinner table—in these three mysteries.   Grad student and food connoisseur Chloe Carter has had more success navigating the gastronomic treasures of Boston than finding love. And when murders are linked to upscale restaurants, she must use all her culinary and investigative expertise to solve the cases.   Chloe meets Eric, her online match, at a five-star restaurant. But before dessert is even served he’s found dead in the men’s room. Suddenly, Chloe is plunged into the cutthroat world of trendy restaurants and murder investigations. Along the way she connects with a sexy chef—but is he Eric’s killer?  Simmer Chloe’s dishy boyfriend, Josh Driscoll, has just landed his dream job as executive chef at the new restaurant Simmer. As he preps for a New Year’s Eve grand opening, Chloe hooks him up with Food for Thought, an annual charity fundraiser. Everything is going perfectly—until murder makes a late addition to the menu.  Turn Up the Having an executive chef boyfriend guarantees Chloe the best table at Simmer, Boston’s hottest new restaurant, any night of the week. So when the body of one of Simmer’s waitresses is found dead in a seafood delivery truck and expensive cooking equipment goes missing, Chloe is on the case.

750 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2017

About the author

NOTE: writes YA novels under Jessica Park.

Jessica Conant-Park graduated from Macalester College and has a master of Social Work degree from Boston College. She is married to Chef William Park. Steamed is the first collaboration in her new series with her mother, mystery author Susan Conant.

Reviews

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful set of books filled with charismatic and witty characters, the Gourmet Girl series will leave you hungering for more. The writing is clean and the plots are skillfully written. If you enjoy food this is the series for you, it's filled with a plethora of recipes that will have you picking up a pan and wanting to join in on all the cooking. I would definitely recommend this series to those who love a mystery filled with food, fun, and a dash of danger.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This set includes the first three books in the series.
Each book is tastefully written and have plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader glued the pages.
These are a fast read and the nice thing is you can continue through the books without interruption.
Warning: These books will make you hungry!

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

[Richard H Burr Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reads!

Loved each mystery and the humor to boot!The recipes add a bonus to each book and makes you immediately try them.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Gourmet Girl Mysteries Volume One - Steamed, Simmer Down, and Turn Up the Heat
Author: Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 7-11-2017
Pages: 649
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub-Genre: Culinary Mystery; Amateur Sleuths; Culinary Mystery
ISBN: 9781504047074
ASIN: B0732LF6C9
Reviewed For NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.25 Stars


This trio of books released in one volume are reissue of the first three books in the series originally released in 2015. A fast paced read that can be savored over days rather than all in one entire afternoon. Chloe Carter is a likable and believable character even if it does seem she is tripping over murder scenes more than any other grad student ever known. She handles situations with calmness and uses her keen insight to find the killer. The authors keep readers guessing. Food lovers will enjoy the different food descriptions as well. Not to mention the delicious recipes included.


My rating of "The Gourmet Girl Mysteries Volume One - Steamed, Simmer Down, and Turn Up the Heat" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.


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[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unfamiliar with the Gourmet Girl series of books. I expected this set of 3 to be primarily a Rom-cozy mystery. These 3 complete books in this one Volume surprised me. The characters were well developed with logical actions, motives, reactions and feelings. I was quickly brought up to date on Chloe's life and was able to immediately be immersed in the tale. I would actually call this a First Person Rom-Com-Dram-Cozy-Mystery (Romantic, Comedy, Drama). The story line moved quite swiftly, with occasional bursts of dry humor on the realities of life that affect us all. The "Dead Body(s)" met with untimely ends in a way that was not too gore-inducing. The investigation of the means, motives and opportunities was easy to follow with minimal red herrings. The identification and capture of the murderer was satisfying, logical, and true to life. As a final cherry on top of the sundae, tasty recipes were included for each book in this volume. These reflected the recipes that the characters were making in the individual book. The recipes were clear, detailed, and tasted great!!! Overall, I definitely recommend this set of three enjoyable books in this one Volume, to begin or continue your journey with Chloe and the cast of characters. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC to allow me to read, enjoy and review.

[Sally Hannoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first three books of The Gourmet Girl Mystery: Steamed, Simmer Down, and Turn up the Heat. I really enjoyed this boxed set because I kept on reading straight through from one book to the next. I was even ready for the fourth book by the time this one ended. Great reading.
Steamed book one
Awesome cover! On the funny side, this book made me hungry. And I am second guess this whole internet dating thing! What craziness! One oddity after another had me turning the pages. The characters were fub. As for the mystery- I say sometimes you win it and sometimes you don't. Recipes included. Starting book two tight now!
Simmer Down book two
This is the second book in the Gourmet Girl mysteries. I love wintery/Christmas time stories so the time of year the book took place had me smiling. Some romance shockers made reading entertaining. I was surprised on who murdered the victum. I didn't see it commong but some possiabilities were out there. Recipes included!
Turn up the Heat book three
Lots of twists and turns in the third installment of the series. Backstabing, lying, secrets, weddings, murder, and kidnapping. There was a little bit of everything in this story. So far this is my favorite read. Recipes included. The sneak peak into book four really has me wanting to read it.

[Karen Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written – the story flows and keeps readers on the edge. The story-line is fun, and rings true of a college student trying to find love. The protagonist is likeable and well-developed. The food references are perfect for those of us who are culinary mystery fans. This series is light and fun, while still suspenseful and interesting. Readers will want to read this first novel in the series first, since it introduces the characters and sets the scene, but when finished, will also want to pick up the subsequent novels in the series because they are fun to read. One bonus is that the recipes at the end are mouthwatering.

[Chris Blackton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually a compilation of three books. The first book was a bit draggy but by the third book I am actually going to try the forth in the series. I usually love books with recipes but unfortunately these recipes were for a lot of seafood and rich sauces which I don't eat but the insider look at restaurant management was quite interesting.