Lilah Drake works at a caterer's but is also a "ghost
chef", she whips up culinary delights which her clients pass
up as their own. Lilah was visiting her neighbor and friend
Ellie Parker and Ellie invites Lilah to attend a birthday
party for Marcus Cantwell and to bring her famous rice
pudding for the children. Marcus' three ex-wives, 5
children, and grandchildren will be attending. It seems
Marcus mostly wanted to meet Lilah's dog, who has a
peculiar and endearing habit of nodding. Lilah thought it
was a bit of an odd request, and upon meeting the old man,
she finds that she doesn't quite like Marcus, but did he
honestly have to die head first in her rice pudding!
I wasn't aware of the Undercover
Dish series before PUDDING UP WITH MURDER, and what
a clever idea it is for an amateur sleuth! Lilah's
boyfriend, Jay Parker, is a police detective, and this time
they are on again; they seemed like a real couple to me, and
their romance is just as compelling as the mystery. I know
this will sound strange, but for once I got the impression
that Jay and Lilah worked, their occupations were not just
for show. PUDDING UP WITH MURDER was exactly what I needed
when I read it: it's an unhurried cozy mystery, with less
quirkiness that I'm used to and more character development;
I particularly enjoyed the Italian characters: Angelo
Cardelini -- Lilah's boss and former beau -- and Serafina,
Lilah's brother Cam's wife. I could picture Serafina's
expansive gestures and even the inflections in her voice;
very well done indeed!
Ms. Buckley's fictional town of Haven is quite stylish, and
a place where I would like to live. The author creates sharp
contrasts of the various milieus, and her depiction of
paintings was quite impressive as well. Julia Buckley prose
is uncluttered, elegant, with an uncommonly recherché
vocabulary at times, which made PUDDING UP WITH MURDER more
stylish than the usual fare, while the dialogues are easy
and natural. There were several unexpected turns in the
romance, and the mystery was so cleverly plotted, that never
guessed who the killer was. PUDDING UP WITH MURDER is a
smart cozy mystery for readers who also enjoy a believable
and lovely romance in the mix, with a few delish recipes at
the end.
Secret chef Lilah Drake has a killer casserole to deal
with in the latest Undercover Dish mystery from the author
of Cheddar Off Dead....
Customers trust Lilah Drake to keep her
mouthwatering meals under wraps, but when a millionaire
meets his untimely end, some sinister secrets become the
main course. . . .
Spring is right around the corner, and with the warmer
temperatures come plenty of food requests from Lilah Drake's
covered-dish clients. Lilah pulls out all the stops with a
sweet new casserole for the birthday party of Marcus
Cantwell, a wealthy curmudgeon who has some angry ex-wives
and more than a few enemies.
When he's found facedown in Lilah's casserole, it's anyone's
guess as to who might have wanted the old man dead. A
possible new heir to Marcus’s fortune adds some unexpected
spice to the investigation, but Lilah fears that the old
adage is true, and "the proof is in the pudding."
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