I discovered a little library on one of my regular walking routes and I like to take a peek at the titles. I found this cozy mystery and borrowed it. It turned out to be a great mystery series that I plan to continue reading. I will have to check the public library for more books. The series is called The White House Chef series and there are a total of 9 books.
The book is about the White House's assistant chef Olivia Paras who not only can do amazing things in one of the most prestigious kitchens in America but also manages to do some sleuthing on the side. This mystery takes the reader to the kitchens of Camp David and adds a little political intrigue by introducing characters from around the world.
The story is not too sinister or gruesome which is typical of a cozy mystery. There are lots of details about the workings of the White House kitchen and the author even includes recipes. Chef Olivia is curious and a bit of a snoop which makes the reader happy to join her in her mystery pursuit.
I highly recommend this book. If you like the culinary mysteries of Diane Mott Davidson or you like Madam Secretary TV show, try this book series.
You are hearing from me twice today! I have read or listened to 14 books this June and this series was one of my June accomplishments. This trilogy was written by a local Rochester author and I even had her autograph them several years ago. Because they are not books for kids, they ended up last on my to be read pile, but this month, I put them on top!
This is a series for high school or adults. The content tends to become more mature as the series progresses. The third book becomes more violent and steamier. Just a warning! I tend to be a pretty sensitive reader and don't read books like this very often. But the interesting storyline kept me reading.
The trilogy is about a culture of trolls who live in northern Canada called the Kanin. They look like humans and not like the trolls you imagine. One thing they love is riches and sparkling things and have figured out a way to bring money into their families. They switch a baby of theirs with a rich person's baby from the regular culture. The other baby is adopted. When the Kanin child becomes of age, a tracker comes and gets the teen and they are able to access their riches for the Kanin family. The main character, Bryn, is one of these trackers.
The story continues with tension and war between many of the troll tribes as they try to gain riches and power. Bryn is very important in fighting to maintain peace throughout the Troll Tribes. There is a lot of action, some mystery, some romance and mystical elements to this series. This book is actually a spin-off from an earlier series. I also liked the descriptions of the unique villages that the trolls lived in. They were different depending on the tribe.
I recommend this series....but not for kids! It would be a very cool movie or television series.
