Murder Most Delectable: Savory Tales of Culinary Crimes

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)

Murder Most Delectable is an anthology of short crime stories whose common elements include food, restaurants, and food preparation. Included are stories by Ruth Rendell, M. D. Lake, Edward Hoch, Joyce Carol Oates, and Rex Stout.

Contents:

Introduction / John Helfers
The last bottle in the world / Stanley Ellin
Takeout / Joyce Christmas
The case of the shaggy caps / Ruth Rendell
The cassoulet / Walter Satterthwait
Tea for two / M.D. Lake
The second-oldest profession / Linda Grant
Connoisseur / Bill Pronzini
Gored / Bill Crider
Day for a picnic / Edward D. Hoch
Guardian angel / Caroline Benton
The main event / Peter Crowther
The deadly egg / Janwillem van de Wetering
Dead and breakfast / Barbara Collins
Recipe for a happy marriage / Nedra Tyre
Death cup / Joyce Carol Oates
Poison peach / Gillian Linscott
Of course you know that chocolate is a vegetable / Barbara D'Amato
Poison a la carte / Rex Stout

Genres: Cooking, Short Stories, Mystery Thriller

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[PurplyCookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a grand love affair people have with food! The reason is obviously due to the fact that it is the only thing that can simultaneously delight all five senses.

Some people's appetite for food is only exceeded by their appetite for crime. As our demand for creative dishes has increased, so has the opportunity for evil epicureans to combine their talent for wickedness and their love of good food and drink to lay their victims low in one fell swoop with nothing more than a well-cooked meal or specially concocted libation. This menu of eighteen stories of culinary crimes and death beckons everyone.

As an added bonus, a recipe pertinent to each story's flavour is included. The courses served are:

"The Last Bottle in the World" by Stanley Ellin

"Takeout" by Joyce Christmas

"The Case of the Shaggy Caps" by Ruth Rendell

"The Cassoulet" by Walter Satterthwait

"Tea for Two" by M. D. Lake

"The Second-Oldest Profession" by Linda Grant

"Connoisseur" by Bill Pronzini

"Gored" by Bill Crider

"Day for a Picnic" by Edward D. Hoch

"Guardian Angel" by Caroline Benton

"The Main Event" by Peter Crowther

"The Deadly Egg" by Janwillem van de Wetering

"Dead and Breakfast" by Barbara Collins

"Recipe for a Happy Marriage" by Nedra Tyre

"Death Cup" by Joyce Carol Oates

"Poison Peach" by Gillian Linscott

"Of Course You Know That Chocolate is a Vegetable" by Barbara D'Amato

"Poison a la Carte" by Rex Stout


Tuck in your napkin, polish your knife and fork, and dive into this eighteen-course feast of "Murder Most Delectable: Savory Tales of Culinary Crimes".


Book Details:

Title Murder Most Delectable: Savory Tales of Culinary Crimes
Author Edited by Martin Harry Greenberg
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Homerun2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Enjoyable collection of food-related mystery stories by some accomplished writers. Like all anthologies, a little uneven. An interesting idea nicely carried out.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find. November 2024.
Interesting.
Second read August 2025.