The Body in the Big Apple

Faith Fairchild #10

by Katherine Hall Page

Before she met and married the Reverend Thomas Fairchild and moved to sleepy little Aleford, Massachusetts, Faith Sibley Fairchild had a catering business in the most colorful, frenetic, and exciting city in the world...

Young, ambitious and single in New York City in the late 80's, Faith Sibley is energized by the early success of her Have Faith catering enterprise. But she's cast into an unexpected new role when she runs into old high school friend Emma Stanstead at a swanky uptown party: sleuth! An anonymous blackmailer is threatening to expose certain secrets of socialite Emma's less than glamorous past -- thereby destroying her reputation and her conservative husband's fast-rising political career -- and Faith fearlessly leaps into the fray. Though she lacks experience, Faith's keen instinct, insight, and determination to unmask and extortionist quickly carry her deep into the high and low life of the bustling Big Apple. And when a murder raises the stakes, Faith realizes that it's not just her old friend's good name that's in peril...it's Emma's life itself.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cooking, New York, Culinary

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suspect that author Katherine Hall Page envisioned a second Faith Fairchild series, one set in the 1980s and 1990s, when Faith was still Faith Sibley, a young, hip New York City socialite/caterer, and had yet to meet the Reverend Tom Fairchild. A sort of Rugrats: All Grown Up! but in reverse. I’m so glad to see that Page saw sense and gave that idea up after this novel set in the 1989.

In this 10th entry in the Faith Fairchild series, a very thinly disguised Abbie Hoffman gets murdered after years on the run. Abbie — oh, I mean underground radical leader Nathan Fox — gets murdered in his Lower East Side apartment. Fox has unlikely former lovers, illegitimate kids and I can’t remember what else, probably because I just didn’t care that much. Skip this one and move on to No. 11, The Body in the Moonlight You won’t have missed a thing.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This four-star example of excellence stands alone. You needn’t have read earlier books in the series. While it is book 10, it’s a prequel.

Faith Fairchild is a successful single businesswoman, and her catering company, Have Faith, shines brightly in the Manhattan catering firmament.

As Christmas approaches, Faith’s long-time friend, Emma Stanstead, calls her in terror. Emma learned years earlier that her biological dad is a rabble-rousing communist whose activities drove him underground. They meet and become friends, then someone murders the guy. Not long after that, the first blackmail demand arrives in the mailbox.

Horrified to tell her husband about a miscarried teenage pregnancy years earlier and her biological dad, Emma keeps things to herself. Her husband seeks election to public office, and he’s closer to the political center than was Emma’s biological dad. The young politician could face scandal if word gets out that his wife is the daughter of a far-left agitator. And the threats against Emma’s life escalate.

As Faith urgently plunges into the case to help her friend, it’s clear that the same person who killed the guy is Emma’s blackmailer.

Before this ends another woman associated with Emma’s dad dies by forced suicide. It’s a race against time as Faith knows Emma will be the next to die.

If your experience is anything like mine, you won’t white knuckle your book player while you read this, but there’s plenty of suspense to keep you interested. Page’s writing style is crispy and brisk.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite. This is Book 10 in the series but it is a single Faith who just started her catering business. The time frame just didn't make sense. The setting was New York at Christmas so the reflections of New York in the past helped a little. The plot was way out there compared to some of the others. The cast of characters seemed to be everyone in the Big Apple.

There were a couple of lines in this book that seemed to prophetic of the future. The setting is Mahattan and it reads "Then her own personal favorite that an unmarried thirty-one year old woman was as likely to find a mate as she was to be struck down in Midtown by a 747 with a terriorst at the controls." This was written in 1995. Chilling considered with happened on 9/11.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prequel. There are murders in the Big Apple and Faith's friend Emma is deeply involved. Blackmail, murder, politicians - all keep the reader guessing (or not, if the clues are figured out). This is Faith before meeting Tom in her first year of her catering business. As in her future life that we already have read about, she is into brand names of everything - very pretentious. Good to know some of the background of people in previous books.

[Franklie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Katherine Hall Page book and I didn't get very far. I'm not a fan of conversations without natural flow. Meaning... they get interrupted by back story or page-long explanations of what characters are thinking. The first 20 pages of the book jumped all over history and I just got bored. I tried to keep going because the story and the characters seemed interesting, but the narrative was just too all over the place w no common sense flow. But that's just me.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Big Apple is a prequel to the Faith Fairchild series. Long time New York City native, Faith Sibley is beginning her career as a caterer when she runs into an old school friend Emma Stanstead, wife of rising political star, who is being blackmailed. As investigator and caterer, Faith travels between Upper East Side Society and Lower East Side Bohemia as she hones her skills as a detective and caterer. As always, recipes follow.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book is #10 in the series, it predates all the others and has Faith in the first year of opening her catering service in NYC, the Big Apple. Faith’s girlhood best friend, Emma, now married to an upcoming politician, is being blackmailed as Faith learns “on the job”. The blackmailer also may have been a murderer, and Emma’s life, and Faith’s, are on the line.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of books in this series. This was a prequel and I enjoyed it. The best thing about it was that there were a lot of suspects to consider. One of my pet peeves is to read a mystery with only a few suspects, love to make my guesses and like it a lot when I'm correct! This is an oldie series but still satisfying.

[Anne Libera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. New York, Christmas (didn't know that when I started it but nice way to start the holiday reading season), 1980's food and shopping. I don't know that the mystery is what one would want (and there's a touch of confusion, having read the later books, one would assume that she was seasoned detective).

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faith - the Prequel

This was a glimpse into Faith's life before marriage, Aleford, and Pix. It's also an ode to New York of yesterday with a story set circa 1989. The story was engaging, but a little jarring to read about Faith removed from the cast of characters we've come to know and love.

I would like to know what happened to Josie...

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before she met and married the Reverend Thomas Fairchild and moved to sleepy little Aleford, Massachusetts, Faith Sibley Fairchild had a catering business in New York City. I have been picking up some cozies for an afternoon read. I prefer the later books in the series, but always enjoy Faith, her sleuthing and humor. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Sue Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought I’d try a new mystery series. Evidently she has a huge series that all starts with "The Body in ……”.
This one explains how she gets started as a sleuth even though it’s #10. I liked her characters. I read it rather quickly because I wanted to see how it ended. Held my interest. Satisfactory ending.

[Brig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #10 in a series, but a prequel of a cozy chef mysteries. I enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow going at first but I found that it picked up a couple of chapters in and I enjoyed the main character's personality. I don't know if I will continue on with this series. 3 Stars

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The retrospective take on the 80s and Faith's future struck me as too smug and arch. The story was pretty good. Emma did not work for me as a character, but I would have enjoyed more Poppy, Jane, and Chat.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was not used to reading about Faith Fairchild before she was Faith Fairchild, so I was somewhat confused at first. It was interesting to follow her as she is in contact with an old classmate and her involvement in helping her while running her own business.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I was looking for a book with "Apple" in the title, but enjoyed it enough that I may read more of the series in the future. (I didn't know it was part of a series, and wondered why the cover says "A Faith Fairchild mystery" but the main character is Faith Sibley.)

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This episode in the Faith Fairchild series is #10, but it actually harks back to when the amateur sleuth was still the unmarried Faith Sibley, working hard in her catering business in NYC in December 1989 and helping her old high school friend Emma deal with a blackmailer.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy the Faith Fairchild series but this "prequel" was a snooze fest. Very slow moving and the author's infatuation with NYC was super evident.

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Follows the formula of so many of Page's previous novels that I enjoyed so much. But it is a tired formula. I won't read another.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but wasn't expecting a prequel. After reading the first nine books in the series, I was planning on going back in time. The book was interesting and I'm glad I read it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a flashback to a young Faith still living in NYC. I miss the regular characters in the later books. This was just ok for me.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look back at the young Faith

[Nancy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2*

[Tashinka Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It is a mystery without all the blood and gore. I've never read anything by this author before this book, but I may just give her a try.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does such a good job of depicting Faith's changing views and attitudes on life. All apple recipes to go with the book's theme and title.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this series. I ❤️ NYC. This one was just dull and repetitive (though I did like the references to NYC restaurants of the past including Mamma Leone’s and the Stage Deli. Ahhh).

[Maureen]

Another easy to read mystery by Katherine Hall Page. I love reading about the food Faith Fairchild prepares in her catering business.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 28 pp.
Just not interested.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise ending for sure!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery with some great recipes at the end, too!