When Chloe Carter spies another woman coming from the aprtment of her current boyfriend, she gets so steamed she listens to her sister's advice to try online Back Bay Dates and find a replacement. Chloe has an deep interest in food so she signs up under the username Foodiegirl and who answers her but Dinnerdude. Seems like a match made in heaven but unfortunately half way through their first date he is found dead in the men's room with a very large knife in his neck. If this isn't weird enough, his parents contact her and act like she is the love of his life. He told them he was hot and heavy with a new love, Chloe. It seems there were certainly a lot of different sides to Dinner Dude's personality. Of course you can't have a cozy mystery without an amateur sleuth. Chloe tries to figure out who could have killed him and at the same time she finds another love interest. She has the emotional attention of a gnat! He just happens to be the chef of the restaurant Dinner Dude was killed in. The big snag is he is also the chief suspect in the case. Becoming more embroiled into the world of high class dining and cutthroat restaurant business, Chloe delves into the murder. With the help of her friend Adrianna, she finds a lot of surprising twists in the investigation. There are many tangled romances gone bad that give Chloe and the police department numerous suspects and motives. As with any cozy, the "good guy" prevails and the murder is eventually solved. Generally I like cozies a lot, but this one didn't do much for me. Throughout a good deal of the book I was just downright bored. There were too many extraneous details about the characters and their situations that felt forced and hard to believe. I just couldn't connect with the characters and frankly, my dear, I didn't give a damn how it all ended. It could have been Colonel Mustard in the library with a wrench. Actually, that might have been more interesting ! 2**
Some culinary mystery series are definitely better than others!
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad that it didn't keep your attention. I hate when that happens. If I can't finish a mystery I quit reading it but I still have to check out the end to see who did it. :)
ReplyDeleteDid Pudgy go away for spring break? Do penguins head south or north for vacation? I hope he doesn't get a burn, wind or sun!
Pudgy is just sick of wearing top hat and tails and needed another phishing trip and his cousin Ms. Nottso Pudgy has her Easter hat on and dressed up for the tea party so she wanted to come for a visit.
ReplyDeleteSorry this one was a stinker.
ReplyDeleteKaye, I can't believe we read the same book again and felt this way...well, I can't because I didn't, it is just so late I am a bit looney....however, glad I read what you wrote so I DON'T waste time should it come my way...and with my TBR pile who know if it is in there or not...and we all miss the Pudgeman!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing worse then when you just couldn't care about what happens in a book or the characters.
ReplyDeleteActually have been meaning to ask if it is not rude what type of penguin is Pudgy? To me Pudgy looks like a Fairy Penguin (though I believe the PC term is Little Penguin).