food mysteries

Over on 1010, I've changed one of my categories to "food mysteries." No doubt I will come up with plenty but any suggestions welcome.

By food mysteries, I mean mystery fiction somehow involving food, whether set at a restaurant or substantial connection to food or else with a food in the title.

So, for instance, a Cleo Coyle mystery set at a coffeeshop would be ok, as would Claudia Bishop's forthcoming book, Toast Mortem.

However, if Stephanie Plum were to stop at the chicken place before tracking down a bail bond jumper, that's not enough of a connection for me.

Have you read any by the late Virginia Rich? I really liked hers. Nancy Pickard took the series over and finished the last two. I don't know what the first one was, but The Nantucket Diet Murders was in there somewhere. There are a few by Emma Lathen, again an older series, Brewing Up a Storm about a beer company, Murder to Go about a fast food chicken chain, and Sweet and Low about a chocolate company. All are also financial mysteries, with a banker as the sleuth, but food or the business behind it plays a big part. The chocolate one has a lot about a thinly disguised business like Hershey's, but it also talks about cocoa futures.

Twice in a Blue Moon is a English mystery set around an inn and a poisoning there. A Pint of Murder is a Canadian cozy about a suspicious death involving poisoning. The Biggie series set in Texas all involves food and has some tasty sounding recipes in the back. They are written by Nancy Bell. Sweet Miss Seeton is about chocolate. It's dang funny as well as being one of my favorite series.

This is probably way more than you wanted, but these are all some you may not have heard of. They might be harder to find, but check your library and see if they have any. I know you are already familiar with the Joanna Carl, Diane Mott Davidson, Joanne Fluke sort of books. I thought I'd give you something different to try.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the great suggestions.

Brewing Up a Storm has the single most prominent spot on my bookshelves so I'm surprised I forgot that one. I've read a few other Emma Lathen's and one or two Virginia Rich books, too.

For those that love Donna Leon's Comissario Brunetti there is a new Italian cookbook out - Brunetti's Cookbook.

How about The Oyster House Siege by Jay Rayner?

I do love this series. Thanks for reminding me about the cookbook!