This is a book about our plight in the modern world, about how we live and how we lie about how we live. It consists of sayings and fragments telling of slights and fancies, imagined loves and broken dreams, completed in the time it takes to recognise another, to smile and to stand back surprised as they pass by without seeing us. These are moments that may be decisive or not, fragments on which things just might turn. These are stories that are as complete as they ever will be, and perhaps can be. But these stories are also attempts to pull free; to convince that we can be free and that we need not be pushed down. These are efforts to say that we can still laugh. Not the cackle of the maniac or the desperate, but the quiet chuckle that means contentment and an easy night. These stories ease us away from loss and assert a wit even if we cannot manage wisdom.

Within the inner circle of haute cuisine, a detective witnesses a delectable murderThey call him the gourmet detective; the only thing sharper than his mind is his palate. When chefs need a rare ingredient, an ancient wine, or simply a new idea to gain that extra Michelin-star boost, they come to the detective’s cozy London office and plead for his help. For top-notch cooking, he is always happy to lend his taste buds to the cause.Now Raymond Lefebvre, executive chef at one of London’s finest French restaurants, has asked for the detective’s help with a bit of kitchen espionage. Lefebvre’s crosstown rival is winning international accolades cooking a dish called Oiseau Royal, and Lefebvre wants the recipe. Getting it takes the detective deep into the Circle of Careme, where the most elite chefs in Britain gather to swap recipes, techniques, and gossip. But when the chefs of Careme start to die, the detective starts to salivate. There is no finer appetizer than murder.From Publishers WeeklyThis series debut by a Cordon Bleu chef leads readers on a cook's tour of haute cuisine, replete with tantalizing descriptions of food and its preparation, robust wit and an appropriately culinary murder. London's "Gourmet Detective," whose business is "locating rare and exotic foods, advising on substitutes for scarce products, finding alternate sources of ingredients," is hired by Francois Duquesne to find out who is sabotaging his famous restaurant by confiscating shipments of food and planting mice in the larder. The unnamed detective, who narrates the tale, is in attendance at the prestigious Circle of Careme banquet at Francois's restaurant when an influential TV journalist is poisoned. Asked to assist in the investigation by Scotland Yard's Food Squad inspector, the Gourmet Detective traces the media-steeped case to its conclusion. King serves up an entertaining puzzle as his hearty main course, rounding out the offering with food facts, references to mystery literature and exotic ingredients (among them ortolans and turbot) and snappy one-liners. The hero declares at the end that he's had enough of murder and will stick "with mangoes and marjoram from now on." Readers will hope he doesn't mean it. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review"This appealign detective serves up nuggets of culinary trivia and wry foode humor." -People"This series debut by a Cordon Bleu chef leads readers on a cook's tour of haute cuisine, replete with tantalizing descriptions of food and its preparation, robust wit and an appropriately culinary murder." -Publisher's Weekly

Within the inner circle of haute cuisine, a detective witnesses a delectable murderThey call him the gourmet detective; the only thing sharper than his mind is his palate. When chefs need a rare ingredient, an ancient wine, or simply a new idea to gain that extra Michelin-star boost, they come to the detective's cozy London office and plead for his help. For top-notch cooking, he is always happy to lend his taste buds to the cause.Now Raymond Lefebvre, executive chef at one of London's finest French restaurants, has asked for the detective's help with a bit of kitchen espionage. Lefebvre's crosstown rival is winning international accolades cooking a dish called Oiseau Royal, and Lefebvre wants the recipe. Getting it takes the detective deep into the Circle of Careme, where the most elite chefs in Britain gather to swap recipes, techniques, and gossip. But when the chefs of Careme start to die, the detective starts to salivate. There is no finer appetizer than murder.

For six generations, the Belvedere family dominated the culinary landscape of New Orleans, a city that boasts what is perhaps the most vibrant, exciting, and authentic cuisine in America. But each generation relinquished control of the family restaurant-best known for its world famous Oysters Belvedere-only after succumbing to the madness that has plagued the dynasty since its arrival from the Canary Islands. Now, after the business' doors have remained closed for years, the next scion of the Belvedere clan has determined to seize his birthright . . . if only he can find the annotated family cookbook, which has mysteriously disappeared!Only one man can help.That man is the Gourmet Detective.Returning for his seventh foray into the bizarre nether-regions where haute cuisine meets high crimes and misdemeanors, Peter King's beloved sleuth reluctantly agrees to track down the book. But this decidedly out-of-print classic isn't going to turn up on any remainder shelf! And when he finds its supposed new owner-a used book dealer-stewing in a puddle of his own blood, the Gourmet Detective know that, once again, he's in for more than he bargained for.Soon, he's "kidnapped" by the WITCHES, a mysterious cadre of New Orleans' most ambitious and talented female chefs-and they want the book too. In fact, it seems like everyone does. And getting it will have the sleuth staring down con-artists and book forgers on an old-fashioned paddle boat, careening through the colorful streets of the French Quarter in a mule-drawn carriage, and hunting down leads in the vibrant fishing shanties of Algiers.All of this, while exploring the very contentious differences between the proponents of Creole and Cajun cuisine, and sampling some of the most spicy and succulent treats he's yet encountered: from blackened redfish, fresh from the Gulf and coated in garlic, paprika, cayenne and an assortment of spices, then seared in an extraordinarily hot cast-iron pan . . . to turtle soup, dark, rich, seasoned with onion, oregano, and thyme . . . . to Pheasant Casserole . . . . to Gumbo, catfish, crawfish . . . and that's just a taste!From Publishers WeeklyThe Gourmet Detective scours New Orleans for a missing cookbook and gastronomical heaven in the latest installment (after last year's Eat, Drink, and Be Buried) of Peter King's mystery series for foodies, Roux the Day. What begins as a reasonably simple mission authenticating an old book of recipes via its most famous dish, oysters Belvedere quickly gets complicated by murder, forgery and a posse of lady chefs who kidnap the epicurean hero.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalDuring his first visit to New Orleans, the Gourmet Detective (Spiced to Death) investigates not only Cajun and Creole food but also a missing cookbook. Whimsical and entertaining. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

While relaxing at a Swiss health spa, the detective finds the treatment can be deadlyThe gourmet detective realizes that the Alpine Springs health resort is not a typical spa somewhere in the middle of his first cocktail. Where other retreats promote abstinence, exercise, and bland food, this quiet little Swiss chalet preaches indulgence. Guests are allowed to eat, drink, and smoke as much as they want, and exercise is strictly optional. For this epicure, it is paradise—and it may also be his doom.He has come from London to speak about fine dining, but while here he fully intends on enjoying himself. One night he arranges a tryst with a fellow expert, a beautiful young woman named Kathleen Evans. They are deep in the woods, about to begin enjoying themselves, when something knocks the detective out cold. When he comes to, Kathleen has vanished, and the detective begins to suspect that life in the Alps is not as healthful as it appears.From Publishers WeeklyAn intriguing element of the Gourmet Detective series (Spiced to Death, etc.) is the identity of the otherwise nameless sleuth. In this fifth feast of a food mystery, he agrees to fill in for his colleague, Carver Armitage, at the sumptuous Swiss Alpine Springs Spa, where he will demonstrate the preparation of a variety of exotic dishes, including duck, lobster and cheesecake. The night of his arrival, however, a planned tryst with a food columnist, Kathleen Evans, goes awry. Just as he's about to embrace her naked body, someone knocks him out. When he revives, Kathleen is gone. Things begin to look even more suspicious when the detective is almost simmered in a mud bath. Has he been mistaken for Armitage, or is someone out for the detective's hide? His own sous-detective may have arrived in the form of Elaine Dunbar, a young attorney collecting information on the use of food in crime. When the Gourmet Detective arranges a rendezvous with Elaine, he again loses consciousness and once more the woman is later not to be found. These disappearances, combined with the secrecy surrounding Elaine and the spa kitchens, indicate that all may not be so healthy at the spa. Action and suspense are ingredients used sparingly by King, but he positively stuffs the book with useful tips on food and cookery techniques. While the author provides no specific recipes, thought for food and food for thought are abundant. (June) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review"This appealing detective serves up nuggets of culinary trivia and wry foodie humor."--People

Standing in for an ailing colleague, the Gourmet Detective attends a cooking conference at a luxurious Swiss spa famous for pampering the overindulged with healthful haute cuisine. Under the eye of the crusty chef-owner and his dishy staff, the Gourmet Detective prepares for the week ahead by sampling delicacies ranging from decadent cherry-schnapps-laced Zuger Kirschtorte, to mousseline de poisson. Then it's time to relax in the underground mudbaths, swim in the natural springs, and meet an attractive food writer for a rendezvous in the Seaweed Forest. But the Gourmet Detective's first spa experience may be his last, as he's knocked out cold and his delectable date disappears without a trace. Soon it seems that someone has whipped up the perfect recipe for murder--and the banquet has just begun...

In the famous vineyards of Provence, blood has begun to flow like wine The vineyards of the Willesford Wine Group occupy a particularly choice section of French wine country. From the grapes of Provence, the owners of this impeccably managed syndicate have squeezed international fame and fortune. Next to their spectacular estate lies the petite Peregrine Winery, whose shadowy owners suddenly make repeated requests to buy Willesford’s property—raising their offer each time. Unable to discern Peregrine’s motive for these persistent attempts, the Willesford group sends for London’s gourmet detective, a sleuth with impeccable reasoning and an even finer palate. When he arrives in Provence, he doesn’t even have time to sample the pâté before he finds a dead man leaning against a cart, dripping blood into the fine French terroir. For the winemakers of Provence, this will be an excellent year for murder.

A search for an Italian chef puts the detective on the chopping blockLondon's gourmet detective is contemplating an empty bank account and, worse, an empty stomach, when a phone call solves both problems at once. Over lunch, Desmond Lansdown, world-renowned actor and burgeoning restaurateur, hires the detective for a chef-hunt, sending him to Italy to eat until he can decide which cook Lansdown should hire. It's a demanding gig, but this detective is never one to shy away from hard work.However, it doesn't take long for this plush assignment to turn prickly. In between meals, the detective gets a feeling that someone is out to get him. A murdered magnate, stampeding buffalo, and a killer monk are conspiring to ruin his digestion—a shame, because it is vital to eat well when each meal could be your last.

The Gourmet Detective: He's got a gift for food, a taste for adventure-and a nose for nabbing a killer.Critics hailed Peter King's debut novel, The Gourmet Detective, the first in a delicious mystery series featuring the Gourmet Detective-a chef-turned-culinary-sleuth.Now, in his second outing, the Gourmet Detective is on his way from London to New York to authenticate Ko-Feng-an expensive spice, lost for centuries, and lauded for its taste and purported qualities as an aphrodisiac. But when the Ko-Feng disappears under his nose-and a culinary colleague turns up dead-the Gourmet Detective becomes the prime suspect in a case more slippery than Oysters Rockefeller. As he cooks up a scheme to find the killer, the Gourmet Detective embarks on a mouth-watering romp through the ethnic eateries of New York City, tasting his way to final justice.From Library JournalThough known only as the Gourmet Detective (The Gourmet Detective, St. Martin's, 1996), this otherwise unnamed English sleuth mainly searches for rare food ingredients. Summoned by a friend to New York, he authenticates a secretive shipment of Ko Feng, a newly rediscovered spice supposedly unknown for 500 years. Someone steals the Ko Feng, however, and kills the friend. The police?in the form of a most attractive Italian female sergeant?request the Gourmet Detective's assistance, which he renders with charming aplomb. A convenient international food fair and several more beautiful women spur him on. Recommended.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus ReviewsThe Gourmet Detective's second adventure (The Gourmet Detective, 1996) brings the eponymous muncher/sipper/snooper to New York Harbor from London to identify a shipment of Ko Feng, a spice believed extinct for the past 500 years. When the Ko Feng disappears and the American friend/employer of our foodie hero is killed, the latter cheerfully tells the widow to keep busy'' as he himself plunges into a round of Big Apple bashes to locate the bad guy who's making a killing on the gourmet black market. Lt. Gaines of Unusual Crimes grumpily permits him fellow-traveler status with the cops (even procuring some King's Balm for his indigestion), and the Detective makes canap‚ contact with several women--among themattractive'' Italian-American Sgt. Gabriella Rossini, whose family owns a restaurant, and attractive'' Ayesha Rifkin, who caters ancient cuisines. Pity poor,attractive'' Gloria Branson, then, who merely investigates insurance fraud. (Or does she?) There are interviews with Turkish and Chinese culinary kingpins, and the reader is also titillated by an illegal sale of deep-discount goods under a devastated Bronx church--a sale to which the whole city seems privy. But the greater appeal here is to shoppers rather than eaters or lovers. Oh, yes, there's another killing. The author tries again to sell satire (without humor) and a thoroughly effete character on the strength of pro forma sexual pretenses and glorified gustatory lusts. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.