This blog began with several main foci: food (restaurant reviews, cooking and related matters) and books. In the latter regard, one major category was -- and is -- murder mysteries with a focus on food. Murder on the Menu as a category was one of those things that just was -- I read a lot of such mysteries and each connected to my main theme: food. At the time -- in 2006 -- the cozy mystery trend focusing on food was (or it seems to me in retrospect) kind of new -- there were some authors successfully doing it and a range of others trying to enter the fray. As is the case now -- and was the case then -- there were known names and unknowns, terrific mysteries with food in them and . . . throw away mysteries using food as a kind of trick to draw in readers. Many of the latter included (a) recipes either strewn throughout the book or at the end (more often the latter); (b) an amateur sleuth in some sort of food related industry ranging from catering to running a restaurant or care or tea shop or. . . . to wine stewards or others, often as a second career after leaving a successful but annoying life in something more like law or marketing; (c) all too often a love interest for the amateur sleuth (who was usually a woman) who is in law enforcement (often a policeman); and (d) a family and friendship network of quirky others who helped move the sleuthing and the plot along while also providing some entertainment value or, at least, listening to the sleuth think "aloud" about what she is discovering in searching for the murderer. Also included (e) a murder -- with (f) many possible contenders for the murderer and (g) often a small town or location specific set of themes. Titles are often (h) food focused and/or (i) punny. (And yes, I intended a p not an f at the start of that word!)
Joanna Fluke -- yes is a name in the cozy food related arena with a successful series (more than one in fact) with titles focused on various foods ranging from the 21st book reviewed here (banana cream pie) to her first in the series, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. In Fluke's case, her heroine runs a small place focused on baked goods (cookies in fact) and between sleuthing efforts is trying out new cookie recipes. In Banana Cream Pie Murder, Hannah Swenson returns from her honeymoon . . . to find yet another murder in her little town. And yes, the banana cream pie features in various parts of the plot in small ways, there is a recipe provided, and . . . . well, let's say the mystery is solved but, as is the case in such series, there is a cliff hanger leading to the next installment. A few minor things I liked: Hannah's sister is a student at Macalester College -- a place worth knowing about. It is not really a player in the plot but is there, mentioned several times. Hurrah for liberal education.
I admit it, I am not even a real fan of banana cream pie. You can find recipes in various places on line -- and make one if you want. I will not. And yet, I was drawn to this very specific book, which did in fact get me through a very long airport delay. A very long one. I might be aging out of buying every single cozy food related murder mystery I find though. It was a fine read -- with the recipes after each chapter rather than the end of the book, with a notable cat (did I mention these sleuths seem to have pets?) and with an occasional funny moment.
The recipes? Well, as I said, they are not my kind of thing. They might be yours. You can find more about these books, and Fluke's other work, at her official website here. What you can find there includes news about the various efforts to make Hannah Swenson films. Who knew?
If. like me, you end up stuck in an airport for 5-6 hours, this will get you through the time. And, if you arrived, as I did, at around 4:30 am, a nap will help too.
