Take a pinch of political intrigue, add a dash of danger, a sprinkling of snappy dialog, combine briskly with a cast of colorful characters and you'll have quite a tasty mystery on the menu.
Affairs of Steak, Julie Hyzy's fifth outing in her White House Chef mystery series, is another winning recipe for entertainment.
Jeopardy seems to be Olivia ("Ollie") Paras' middle name. As the White House Executive Chef, she has been assigned by the First Lady to locate a suitable venue for a big bash honoring the Secretary of State. Unfortunately, her arch nemesis, Peter Everette Sargeant, has been tasked to accompany her. But their dream location has one major drawback -- the First Lady's assistant and the chief of staff have been murdered and their bodies left in the kitchen.
Affairs of Steak is a very enjoyable read. The behind-the-scenes look at the White House kitchen is fascinating and very well researched. Hyzy is adept at balancing the cozy aspects of her novels with a touch more action and adventure than one usually finds in this genre. And if you like books with recipes attached, this one will definitely get you cooking (the recipe for Napoleans looks especially yummy!).
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