Just Desserts — Culinary Crime and Reading Recommendations from August 2020

Wednesday, 16 September 2020 16:53

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Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the August 2020 Just Desserts meeting that took place online using Zoom meeting software, 14 members participated in a discussion of “Culinary Crime” mysteries, in which attendees were encouraged to read ANY entry in a food/drink-themed mystery novel, and share their thoughts in a “round-robin” format. Here’s a list of the novels/series that were mentioned by group members. We asked all attendees to also give a “Thumbs Up” or “Thumbs Down” for whatever series they sampled – the majority of participants had a lukewarm attitude towards Culinary Crime mysteries, ranging from not enjoying them, to finding them a fun escape between more serious novels.

Culinary Crime Novels/Series:

The Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke, starting with The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (two members read volumes in this series, including volume 10, The Carrot Cake Murder)

The Goldy Schulz series by Diane Mott Davidson (three group members reading in this series, all selecting either the first volume Catering to Nobody, or the second, Dying for Chocolate)

The Lucy Stone mystery series by Leslie Meier, starting with Mail Order Murder

The Country Store Mystery series by Maddie Day; she read volume 5, Death Over Easy

The Country Cooking School Mystery series by Paige Shelton; she read volume 3, If Bread Could Rise to the Occasion

The Nero Wolfe mystery series by Rex Stout, specifically volume 5, Too Many Cooks

The Henny Penny Farmette series by Meera Lester, specifically volume 3, A Hive of Homicides

The Biscuit Bowl Food Truck mystery series by J.J. Cook, specifically volume 3, Fat Tuesday Fricassee

The Sloan Krause brewery series by Ellie Alexander, starting with Death on Tap

The Alaskan Diner Mystery series by Elizabeth Logan, starting with Mousse and Murder

The Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien, starting with Death by Dumpling

Following the “Series Share” portion of the meeting, we held our monthly round robin in which all 14 attendees were able to share recommendations of what other books they’ve been reading recently.

Here’s the list of mystery, thriller and suspense books recommended by Just Desserts members in August 2020:

• A Private Cathedral by James Lee Burke – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall-Smith – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Second Sleep by Robert Harris – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Mah Jong Mystery (author unknown)
• Various books in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Sigma Force series by James Rollins (on audio) – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Lockdown by Peter May
• Muzzled by David Rosenfelt
• The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman
• Various seasons of Get Smart on DVD, starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon
• A Murderous Yarn by Monica Ferris – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Murder Past Due by Miranda James
• Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
• A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs – past author selection for Just Desserts
• Written in Dead Wax by Andrew Cartmel on audio
• Winter’s Bone, Ride With the Devil, The Death of Sweet Mister, The Maid’s Version and Tomato Red, all by Daniel Woodrell
• Two Can Play by Kate Kessler
• Death of a Dreamer by M.C. Beaton – past author selection for Just Desserts
• The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton
• Barry: Complete First Season on DVD, starring Bill Hader and Henry Winkler

And here were some non-mystery titles some group members also recommended in August 2020:

• Deacon King Kong by James McBride
• King’s Row by Henry Bellamann
• Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (the 2020 One Book – One Lincoln winner)
• Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (a 2020 One Book – One Lincoln finalist) (more than one member read this)
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (a 2020 One Book – One Lincoln finalist)
• The Little Paris Book Shop by Nina George
• Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
• Rudy’s Rules for Travel: Lessons From Around the Globe by Mary K. Jensen
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump
• The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
• The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
• Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote by Craig Fehrman
• Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
• The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Gang, and the Meaning of Life edited by Andrew Blauner
• Inherit the Wind (play) by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
• The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
• The Beast of Boggy Creek by Lyle Blackburn

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?