A Catered Christmas

A Mystery with Recipes #3

by Isis Crawford

As picturesque Longley, New York, gets ready to ring in the holiday season, caterers Bernadette and Libby Simmons are coping with their busiest time of year. If that's not enough to make them run around like crazed elves, they're recruited for a cooking show contest that pits celebrity chefs against each other--and gives rise to murder. . .



Visions of sugar plums are most decidedly not dancing in Libby's head--especially since she and her sister are set to appear on the Hortense Calabash Cooking Show. The premise is to give six professional caterers random ingredients and have them whip up a holiday meal. The icing on the fruitcake is that Hortense Calabash is a grinch of year-round proportions. And the other contestants are some of the most demanding--and difficult--chefs in the business.




Bernie and Libby are thrown into the mix as arguments and accusations simmer on the set. Holiday spirit has left the building--and leaves a body--when Hortense, all dressed up as Santa Claus for the opening sequence, is killed by an exploding oven.




With the holiday rush in full swing and a killer still on the loose, Bernie and Libby have no choice but to wrap up the mystery before their geese are well and fully cooked. . .




Includes Scrumptious Holiday Recipes for You to Try!

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Holiday, Food

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Isis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.

A pseudonym used by Barbara Block

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hopes for this mystery. At first Bernie and Libby seemed like intriguing characters. Unfortunately they quickly shifted from intriguing to rather annoying. I appreciate humor in my mysteries, but felt this humor, if indeed it was an attempt at humor, was just too absurd. Cooking show contestants wanting to go on with the show after the host was blown up and call the police when they are done filming? It just asked too much from me.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still enjoy this series. I adore the sisters. It's nice that even though they are so different that they are still close. I liked how we got to see more of their dad in this one. The mystery was good. I thought the reason for it was kind of dumb. However, I watch a lot of crime shows so there is nothing that someone won't kill over.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant diversion. I enjoyed the cooking show portion of the story and that this story took place around Christmas. I was surprised by the ending; I wasn't expecting who the killer was or their reason for killing.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this entry rather than listen to it but it still solidified my feeling that this series is not for me. The mystery - who murdered a well-known television host - wasn't bad - a little stupid but not bad. The problem is that the characters - the two sisters, Libby and Bernie, are very unappealing. Libby is an excellent baker. It is her sole contribution to the "Catered" concept in the title. Bernie is smart but she doesn't know when to hold her tongue and after a while that gets to be annoying. So Libby is weak and Bernie is obnoxious. They are saved from being complete caricatures by their father who is a former police chief. He loves his daughters but they drive him batty and they constantly get into trouble. Unfortunately, both sisters fall under the "too stupid to live" moniker even if they are occasionally smart. I think I have one more of these in my TBR pile and then I am done with the series.

[M.L.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the love of all that's holy, "frig" is not how you shorten "refrigerator."

[Angustia⋆Cósmica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great great cozy mystery, and what's cozier than Christmas?

Normally I give away 5 🌟 like mad but the beginning of the book really killed (heh.) my suspension of disbelief: Are you really going to avoid calling the cops when you got a dead body in front of you? Just because a TV producer told you to? F*ck that. Either you call the police or you leave the studio immediately, man.

Luckily the book picked up not too long after that, and I was on my merry way to another bout of adventures with Libby and Bernie. I just truly love those two. Every main character is just so loveable, or maybe I'm just a sucker for a happy family.
And for food, that is.

Despite the train-wreck that was the girls' TV show, I just felt as relaxed as ever.
I'm only taking a star away because of that beginning, but otherwise? Lovely as always.

[Jennifer Kovaleski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series. The family dynamic is interesting and the group sleuthing fun. The realistic relationship between the sisters is honest. A cooking competition/show added fun to the mystery.

[Karen Hufman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not love this one, I realize that you often have to suspend belief during these books but this one really takes the cake (but she's a baker so???). Libby and Bernie are caterers and are being strong armed into going on a cooking show competition with a woman isn't always kind to the chefs who show up. Someone dies and the death is kept under wraps while they investigate due to a character we never meet in this book. You can't hide something like that!! The characters were cardboardy (why would anybody date Marvin?? He sounds like a 10 year old boy). Also, I don't know what's wrong with their Dad (Parkinson's??) but he's uses a wheelchair so why is he living on the second floor of their house? Also, I don't understand why the other caterers/cooks are popular. The secrets that they are hiding makes me wonder how they became popular at their craft. Also, the author kept changing who was telling the story from chapter to chapter and it would take me a minute realize which sister was 'talking'. Too many things I didn't like.

[Mandy Caruso-Yahne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that I've read three of these books, the characters are starting to wear on me a little bit. The plot lines themselves aren't bad but the repeat of information on the main character's backgrounds gets a little old and each of them have a characteristic that seems to get more annoying each book. Perhaps it's just me and my mood at this time. I really enjoy the recipes being mixed in the stories (since I also "read" cookbooks for fun) and it's nice to see a variety of food, not just all cookies or some other type of item as in other series I've read. I'll keep going with this series for now...

[Krystal G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, absolutely terrible. So stupid. The first death and total disregard for calling the police and fire department was bad enough. But the second death was worse in my opinion. In that situation, there is still a chance they are not dead or could be saved by performing CPR.
It is not, nor should be, the obvious choice to leave a dead body and carry on with business without alerting any kind of authorities.

Also found it annoying that there was zero explanation for what was actually wrong with the dad. Plenty of talk referring to him being sick but all vague.

Read 3/4ths and was too annoyed to finish (which is very rare for me).

[Peggy Gould · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book series just isn't for me. I understand the 'willing suspension of disbelief' one must have to read fiction and mysteries, but these books go way beyond that. A suspicious death occurs, and no one calls the police? Then someone gets cleaning materials, and cleans the crime scene...the reason being the cleaner is OCD?
The main characters in this series, sisters Libby & Bernie, are likeable, if a little annoying, and I thought the books had potential. But this will be the last I read. Not entertaining or enjoyable to me.

[Sharon Holford · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one book I will not be finishing. It is utterly stupid - there is a dead person on the floor and nobody is calling the police even tho one of the contestants says they should several times. Ugh!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3 Stars.

[Amanda Marino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 80 pages into this book when I decided I couldn’t finish it. The writing was so irritating and the main characters were annoying.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third in a series of cozy murder mysteries featuring two sisters -- Bernie and Libby -- who run a catering business called A Little Taste of Heaven. I bought it for its Christmas theme; it is not particularly Christmassy. The well-worn hardback book had done its duty before being "Officially withdrawn" from the Palatine Public Library in Palatine, Illinois. In addition to cooking for others, the sisters run into murder investigations which baffle local police. Their widowed father, Sean, is a retired chief of police who uses a wheelchair because he has a progressive neurological disorder. His knowledge of crime detection aids the sisters in their pursuit of justice. In this novel, they are invited to compete in a local reality cooking show. On the day of taping, the hostess is killed by a gas oven set to explode when anyone opened is door. Bits of her and fruitcake are scattered about the studio walls. The fun in the investigation is in how the sisters compete with each other and drive their poor father to frustration. The mystery is not terribly difficult to solve. The author worked in her mother's restaurant kitchen when she was young and ought not have made some of the technical mistakes in the book. For example, one of the sisters is chopping cold cooked chicken to make a curry salad and uses the blade of her chef's knife to scrape the ingredients off a cutting board. No true chef so disrespects a knife as to instantly dull it in that manner. As a sort of bonus, the book concludes with ten recipes which figure tangentially in the story. Some are pretty much what you'd find in end-cap magazines at the grocers, e.g. rum balls made of crushed Nabisco Vanilla Wafers. The one for strawberry-rhubarb sorbet I'm willing to try.

[Molly LaBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baking and cooking contests make for great television, especially for those of us who like to create in the kitchen. See a tasty recipe for Ginger Snap Cookies from this novel here Literary Baker. The shows need a clever hook like surprise ingredients or limited time to draw in viewers. But, the shows also need a good host; a likable person who can manage the contestants and bring out their personalities.

In A Catered Christmas, the host is popular with at home viewers, but not with the people she works with. The suspect list is a mile high when the host is murdered. It seems as though every suspect has a likely reason to want the host dead. A similarly un-liked local, a snobbish real estate agent, wants the killer to be brought to justice, so she hires Libby, Bernie, and their dad, Sean, to investigate.

The investigation takes the reader to many locations in New York during Christmas. Not only does this novel offer some tasty recipes and a good mystery, but it will also make you want to travel to New York during the holidays. A Christmas time New York trip has been added to my bucket list.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like stories that take place at Christmas time. This one got a little busy with the cooking show contest taking place just before the holidays. But the cooking contest was rather interesting. I don't watch those shows so I found it interesting how the contestants had to come up with recipes with the food items chosen. And the recipes sounded interesting. I would have liked to have seen the recipes for more of the foods talked about.

I like the characters in this series. There are a few of them and it takes a little time to get to know them. I will have to look for another book in this series.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never considered Libby and Bernie to be competent in the kitchen and I frequently wonder how they manage to keep their business afloat. However, panicking at the thought of having to prepare a dish using venison was a new low. It's one of the easiest, most versatile meats to work with. In addition to that, the two sisters came across as bumbling imbeciles and not in a charming way. Sean was by far the best character in this installment. This series is very hit and miss for me and this one was most definitely a miss.

[Angela Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm done

There's no redeeming a series that can boast the largest collection of irritating characters EVER. Bernie and Libby fall into this category, although Libby can now add "doormat" and "martyr" to her list of annoying traits. Their father, Sean, is more present in this installment; unfortunately, that's not a positive, as he proves to be rather obnoxious. The mystery is a nonsensical culinary show set-up with far too many suspects with implausible motives. I do like the family's "ride-or-die" philosophy with one another... but not enough to continue with this series.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the first book of this series I tried, and if the others are similar it’s a one and done for me. I almost
just stopped 50 pages in but powered through because you know….OCD Lol.
The writing is choppy and the story all over the place. Way too many characters introduced up front and not much character building at all. The rnding felt forced, like the author had reached the formulaic threshold and had to quickly reveal the killer before reaching the publishers page cap.
After seeing how many books are in the series I had high hope but this was just bad!!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read. Bernie and Libby are sisters who have a shop selling delicious foods. They get talked into doing a cooking contest show. While they are doing the show with other chefs the feuding and difference of opinions start. That leads to murders and now the girls have the job of finding who the murderer is while trying to do the show along with all the other holidays jobs they have.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I found the story and the peripheral characters a bit boring. But my biggest disappointment was that I wanted more Christmas embedded within the story. I specifically timed my reading of this book for the Christmas season and although it takes place at Christmas time, there aren’t a lot of Christmas references or descriptions within. I have to think a bit about continuing with this series.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ernie and her sister are at it again. There is a woman living not far from their shop who is on a national cooking show and she wants to have a bake off. Too bad her oven blows up and she is in the line of fire. Who did it? The exotic Hispanic cook from New Jersey? The Cajun cook sho learned his trade in Attica? The reviewer who accepts bribes? Will local realtor, Bree, let them get on with preparing for the holidays? Or make them figure out who did it? Read on.

[Pea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not your typical mystery book. It does not held me captivated that I cannot put it down. There are days I haven't pick it up to continue reading. It's light reading. I like mystery books with recipes but so far there hasn't been a recipe in the last 3 books I want to try. Sorry. Maybe the next one?

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one that I'm actively choosing not to finish, (rather than just setting it down and losing track of it for 10+ years, like I've done with some). My head is pounding from the circle of characters bickering and trying to talk over each other. I also don't understand the need to have characters make multiple judgement calls on other character's waistlines.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm thinking this was my first one in this series. I think it was a good one, but I was a little lost on some of the family background stories. I read most books as I can get them, so do know it will take me a bit to get caught up. I enjoyed the story. Some of the murder suspects seemed like they might be guilty for other things. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd one I read. I'm not reading them in order, read the 2 Christmas one so far. This one was better than the other. (The Cookie Contest one.) I really enjoy the girls' father Sean who used to be chief of police. It was nice to get more background too bc this one was an earlier story. This one is about contestants cooking off against each other and, boy, are they a crazy bunch!

[Judy Zimbelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this is my first book by Isis Crawford. but this wasn't much of a mystery. the murderer confesses. The baker sisters Libby and Bernie have a strange relationship and their boyfriends seem lame too. their ex cop dad seemed to be the most believe able character.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

the crew seems to succeed again. Definitely starts out with a bang. Personalities begin to take shape. There is difficulty settling on a suspect. All kinds of negative backgrounds mean many options.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Mysery with Recipes, my third. I was a little disappointed in this one. Not about the story, about the writing. There were some writing errors. I don't understand how those get by the editor. This one seemed a little cheesy too, but still kind of a fun little cozy.