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Quest Mystery #2
Captain Cooked: Hawaiian Mystery of Romance, Revenge...and Recipes
A new style and modern update to the old fashioned culinary mystery...not your Mother's cozy read. All she wanted-A quiet beach where she could go topless--Not happening. Captain Cooked is a foodie travel mystery featuring special recipes from the top chefs on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Videographer Madison Merlot Dayne arrived on the Big Island to shoot the HDTV of her culinary father's popular television food show. From her arrival on, Madison and her father are caught up trying to discover who may have poisoned a revered Hawaiian singing star. Her working vacation involves riots, suspicious accidents, earthquakes, flowing lava, dangerous Hawaiian war weapons--and a 'real cliffhanger'. Madison is likewise having men problems. She desires island romance but not prepared for three men in her life...at the same time. And there is the mystery of the boiling cauldron. Will Maddison get off the island alive? Captain Cooked is a Quest Mystery involving GPS; a real shark teeth war club is geo-cached (hidden) somewhere on the Big Island and when discovered can be redeemed for a cash prize. The clues are in the book. Twenty five cents ($.25) of each book sold will be contributed to the Food Basket -- Hawai'i Island's Food Bank. 25 recipes featured from the top chefs and restaurants on the Big Island. Local artists are showcased in the book. There is a Hawaiian war club hidden somewhere on The Big Island of Hawaii. When found and redeemed it is worth $5,000. The clues are in the book or at the website CaptainCooked.com
271 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
S.P. Grogan
16 books1 followerThe author has spent a career of writing including editorships in high school and college, as well as editor of a newspaper and a magazine.
The author enjoys writing fiction with a historical twist and has received various awards.
The author has a personal collection of first edition mysteries signed by the authors and reading such works has assisted in the formation of writing plotting and themes.
The author enjoys writing fiction with a historical twist and has received various awards.
The author has a personal collection of first edition mysteries signed by the authors and reading such works has assisted in the formation of writing plotting and themes.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 5, 2023
Thoughts: Right from the beginning, I was sure I wasn’t going to like this book – it definitely needs better editing. The tenses are all over the place and more. But then… the story pulled me in. It is a good story – just poor editing. Madison and her father, Jeffrey, arrive on the big island of Hawaii to shoot a portion of her father’s TV food show. Things go wrong from the beginning with the death of a popular singer from eating what was supposed to be Madison and her father’s buffet meal. Though I pretty much had the killer pegged from the start, there is more than one death – and more than one killer. And just when you think the story is over… it goes on.
What I liked: all the recipes from actual chefs and restaurants on the island. And the facts about Hawaii (including correct spellings of things). The mysteries were pretty good, too. It’s obvious the author has visited (or lived) on Hawaii and did his research, though some of the facts could have been cut just a little.
What I didn’t like: Madison was a little too “I want to get laid” for me. She’s there for a job and all she can think about is how to get laid (which never happens). It got old real fast. Also the relationship between her and her father is a little…off-putting at times. And the end with the Hawaiians… um…ick.
Interesting fact: “Captain Cooked” is a Quest Mystery involving GPS; a real shark teeth war club is geo-cached (hidden) somewhere on the Big Island and when discovered can be redeemed for a cash prize. The clues are in the book. Twenty five cents ($.25) of each book sold will be contributed to the Food Basket -- Hawai'i Island's Food Bank. 25 recipes featured from the top chefs and restaurants on the Big Island. Local artists are showcased in the book. There is a Hawaiian war club hidden somewhere on The Big Island of Hawaii. When found and redeemed it is worth $5,000. The clues are in the book or at the website CaptainCooked.com
Recommendation: Maybe. As noted before, this is a good story, but needs a competent editor to make it better.
Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
What I liked: all the recipes from actual chefs and restaurants on the island. And the facts about Hawaii (including correct spellings of things). The mysteries were pretty good, too. It’s obvious the author has visited (or lived) on Hawaii and did his research, though some of the facts could have been cut just a little.
What I didn’t like: Madison was a little too “I want to get laid” for me. She’s there for a job and all she can think about is how to get laid (which never happens). It got old real fast. Also the relationship between her and her father is a little…off-putting at times. And the end with the Hawaiians… um…ick.
Interesting fact: “Captain Cooked” is a Quest Mystery involving GPS; a real shark teeth war club is geo-cached (hidden) somewhere on the Big Island and when discovered can be redeemed for a cash prize. The clues are in the book. Twenty five cents ($.25) of each book sold will be contributed to the Food Basket -- Hawai'i Island's Food Bank. 25 recipes featured from the top chefs and restaurants on the Big Island. Local artists are showcased in the book. There is a Hawaiian war club hidden somewhere on The Big Island of Hawaii. When found and redeemed it is worth $5,000. The clues are in the book or at the website CaptainCooked.com
Recommendation: Maybe. As noted before, this is a good story, but needs a competent editor to make it better.
Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
November 4, 2011
I bought this book to read while on vacation on Maui. I wanted a culinary murder mystery set in the Islands. I know of only three and I had already read one of these. It was immediately evident that Stephen Grogan had thoroughly researched the history, culture, geography, cuisine and language of Hawaii, with particular emphasis on the Big Island. It was further evident that he knew a number of restaurant chefs in Hawaii well enough to ask them to contribute recipes to reproduce in his novel. It was abundantly evident that he was in desperate need of an editor. The story is fun, imaginative, interesting and authentic to the locale, but is severely hampered by an awkward writing style, by hackneyed expression and by elementary grammatical errors (such as changing from past to present tense, or vice verse, in the middle of a sentence). A competent editor could have fixed much of this, making the novel a better read. I felt a bit self-conscious about the cover art while finishing the book on the Hawaiian Airlines flight home. For every book sold, twenty five cents is contributed to the Hawai'i Island Food Basket -- a programme on the Big Island which feeds the hungry. So I was performing an act of charity.
July 9, 2010
Full review coming on blog but a fun mystery set on The Big Island where Madison Merlot Dayne travels with her celebrity chef father Jeffery Dayne to film footage of a cooking contest for his television show. Mystery, murder, and danger abound (and lots of food descriptions and recipes from the chefs of the Big Island too).
Ypu can read my review and get one of the recipes from the book: Whole Tomato Salad w/ Japanese Cucumber and Li Hing Mui Vinaigrette on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Ypu can read my review and get one of the recipes from the book: Whole Tomato Salad w/ Japanese Cucumber and Li Hing Mui Vinaigrette on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
February 16, 2011
I thought this would be a fun read since it is located here on Hawaii Island. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand the main character Madison nor her father. The author made a good effort to include a great deal of cultural history but it ended up feeling way too contrived. I did enjoy the descriptions of local eateries. Ended up scanning the second half of the book just to see what happens in the end.
September 9, 2010
A foodie star and his daughter arrive on the Big Island of Hawaii for a luau challenge. They are soon surrounded by death, mystery, romance, and good food. I like that there are recipes throughout the book, although I haven't tried any of them and I probably won't. I also like that 25 cents of each book sold will go to the Hawaii island food bank.
December 28, 2010
This was a real fun read. A mystery with recipes; a real live treasure hunt and lots of "stuff" about the Big Island.
November 30, 2013
A light fluff book, fun if you have been to the Big Island of Hawaii. Lots of recipes and references to tourist spots. My friend Patti lives there now and sent it to me.
September 23, 2011
Fun reading noting all our favorite spots in Kona!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews