Review and Giveaway: Steamed to Death

Steamed to Death (Gourmet De-Lite Mystery - Book 2) by Peg Cochran

Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 04205252205
ISBN-13: 978-04205252208

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Peg Cochran on the WEB: Webpage, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, FantasticFiction, CozyMystery

Books in Series:

Allergic to Death (2012), Steamed to Death (2013)

Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Steamed to Death, courtesy of Amazon Look Inside

Synopsis:

Gourmet health food caterer Gigi Fitzgerald is used to helping dieters drop a dress size. But when her clients start dropping dead, she's ready to switch her chef's hat for a detective's cap and track down a killer. . .

Aging soap star Felicity Davenport is looking to revamp her image, and she's using Gigi's Gourmet De-Lite to help her shed a few of those unwanted pounds. Having such a high-profile client is definitely good for business, but when Felicity is found murdered in her sauna, things start getting too hot for Gigi to handle.

The list of suspects is a mile long, and Gigi's best friend, Sienna, is at the top. Refusing to let her friend get blamed for a crime she didn't commit, Gigi is determined to hunt down the real killer. But, as the case reaches a boiling point, Gigi will have to be careful or she could be the next one getting burned.

Thoughts:

Another de-liteful culinary mystery from Peg Cochran has arrived. Steamed to Death is the second book in the Gourmet De-lite Mystery series and this time Gigi is cooking up another murder for readers to indulge in. Peg Cochran has such a way with characters that fans will be lining up to see what happens to them next. Gigi is a great heroine with a good message. Eating right but deliciously is right up there on the health conscience foodies list of great things to read about. This mystery will appeal to the mystery fan and the food lover !

I don't know about you, but I love to eat good food. The problem is... it usually goes right to my hips. Peg Cochran's series is just the thing for those of us who love a good mystery and want a healthier life style. Not only is Steamed to Death a great culinary mystery but it also contains lots of tips for dieters and some great recipes. One of the things that I found most interesting in this book, was the way that Gigi was able to impart the wisdom of not only why people should eat right but how.

I think one of the strongest parts of this novel and it's predecessor, Allergic to Death, is the great character's that Cochran has created. There are some really great suspects in the death of soap star Felicity Davenport. The co-star who would do anything for Felicity's role. The son who is constantly stealing from his mother or the husband with tons of money problems. Even Gigi's  friend Sienna may have a motive for murder. I thought Cochran gave good reasons why each suspect was chosen and each one respectively added to the overall plot. When it finally came out who really did it... I was completely surprised. 

Not only did Cochran make the suspects interesting and believable but the other characters in the book were exceptional as well. I loved the new restaurant owner, Declan McQuaid. I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of him. Alice the dispatcher is back and so is Reg the Westie, my favorite characters from the first book. I think Cochran has a knack for writing fun and interesting characters, which gives readers a reason to come back for more.

See the last few pages of the book for some awesome low cal recipes including the "Magic" omelet. You gotta try it! I love it when authors put things to do with the theme in those last few pages like recipes or tips and other tidbits. It's a lot of fun for readers to interact with things talked about in the book.

Steamed to Death is available NOW from your favorite book seller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Peg grew up in a New Jersey suburb about 25 miles outside of New York City. After college, she moved to the City where she managed an art gallery owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. When her first daughter, Francesca, arrived, the new family moved back to the New Jersey suburbs where her second daughter, Annabelle, was born.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Steamed to Death by Peg Cochran.

~You must be a GFC follower or Email subscriber to participate. 
~US Addresses only (publisher request)
~The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, June 27th.

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