BrianAlanBurhoe

THE GREAT CULINARY MYSTERY SERIES Or Snoop of the Day

 

 

 

TOO MANY COOKS

It’s been 10 years since this ol’ cook looked at the Great Culinary Series.  And it’s a treat to see just how many of these titles are still available today.

Food, of course, has been in literature from the beginning.  Eve served a scrumptious Pomme d’Eden appetizer to Adam that would make history.  That story taught many lessons — for professional chefs it was “check out your supplier!”

Fairy tales are full of food — just ask Hansel and Gretel.  As is Chaucer.  Shakespeare.  Austen.  Good old Dickens.

 

KILLING THYME

And mystery fiction, which deals with our lives at the most fundamental levels, certainly is.

Sherlock knew his food — and Watson surely enjoyed it.  Lord Peter Wimsey was a true believer in the gourmet life.  Nero Wolfe had his own personal chef.  Stout’s TOO MANY COOKS is a classic culinary mystery.

Virginia Rich may have created the first culinary mystery series with a continuing character, Faith Fairchild, with THE BAKED BEAN SUPPER MURDERS in 1983.  Nancy Pickard continued the series ten years later with THE 17-INGREDIENT CHILI CON CARNI MURDERS.  Other mystery writers quickly followed.

 

So here are the top Culinary Mystery Series, by author, with her (sometimes his) debut title:

Peter Abresch — KILLING THYME

Susan Wittig Albert — THYME OF DEATH

Christine Andreae — TRAIL OF MURDER

Lorna Barrett — MURDER IS BINDING

M C Beaton — AGATHA RAISON AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH

Jessica Beck — GLAZED MURDER

K K Beck — THE BODY IN THE CORNFLAKES

Nancy Bell — BIGGIE AND THE QUINCY GHOST

Elizabeth Bastion — NO JUST DESSERTS

Ruth Birmingham — BLUE PLATE SPECIAL

Claudia Bishop — A TASTE OF MURDER

Marinda Bliss — MURDER ON THE MENU

Michael Bond — MONSIEUR PAMPLEMOUSSE

Anthony Bourdain — BONE IN THE THROAT

Anthony Bruno — DEVIL’S FOOD

Dorothy Cannell — THIN WOMAN: AN EPICURIAN MYSTERY

Joanna Carl — THE CHOCOLATE CAT CAPER

Sammi Carter — CANDY APPLE DEAD

Laura Childs — DEATH BY DARJEELING

Jill Churchill — SILENCE OF THE HAMS

Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant — STEAMED

Cleo Coyle — ON WHAT GROUNDS

Philip Craig — A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO DIE

Isis Crawford — A CATERED MURDER

Mary Daheim — JUST DESSERTS

Diane Mott Davidson — DYING FOR CHOCOLATE

Krista Davis — THE DIVA RUNS OUT OF THYME

Denise Dietz — BEAT UP A COOKIE

Selma Eichler — MURDER CAN RAIN ON YOUR SHOWER

Janet Evanovich — WICKED APPETITE

Nancy Fairbanks — CHOCOLATE QUAKE

Jerrilynn Farmer — SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Joanne Fluke — CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MYSTERY

Peter Gadol — THE MYSTERY ROAST

Kerry Greenwood — EARTHLY DELIGHTS

Ellen Hart — THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER

Tim Hemlin — DEAD MAN’S BROTH

Julie Hyzy — STATE OF THE ONION

Takis & Judy Iakovou — SO DEAR TO WICKED MEN

John Irving — LAST NIGHT IN TWISTED RIVER

Cathie John — BEAT A ROTTEN EGG TO THE PUNCH

Claire M Johnson — BEAT UNTIL STIFF

Sharon Kahn — FAX ME A BAGEL

Josi S Kilpack — LEMON TART

Peter King — THE GOURMET DETECTIVE

Cecile LaMalle — APPETITE FOR MURDER

Janet Laurence — A DEEPE COFFYN

Cynthia Lawrence — CHILL BEFORE SERVING

Shelby Lewis — DELICIOUS

Nan & Ivan Lyons — SOMEONE IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE

Peter Mayle — ANYTHING CONSIDERED

G A McKevett — COOKED GOOSE

Amy Myers — MURDER AT PUGS PARLOR

Tamar Myers — TOO MANY CROOKS SPOIL THE BROTH

Katherine Hall Page — THE BODY IN THE BELFRY

Joanne Pence — SOMETHING’S COOKING

Nancy Pickard — THE 17-INGREDIENT CHILI CON CARNI MURDERS

Virginia Rich — THE BAKED BEAN SUPPER MURDERS

Phillis Richman — WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA HAM?

Alexandra Roudybush — A GASTRONOMIC MURDER

S J Rozan — BITTER FEAST

Michele Scott — MURDER UNCORKED

Steve Sherman — MAPLE SUGAR MURDERS

Sharon Short — DEATH BY DEEP-DISH PIE

Julie Smith — THE SOURDOUGH WARS

J B Stanley — CARBS & CADAVERS

Lou Jane Temple — DEATH BY RHUBARB

Emily Toll — MURDER PANS OUT

Livia J Washburn — MURDER BY THE SLICE

Janice Weber — DEVIL’S FOOD

Melinda Wells — KILLER MOUSSE

Ruthie Wornall — MURDER IN GUANAJUANO

 

(Okay — I know.  The Bourdain, Gadol and Irving titles aren’t the first volumes in ongoing series.  But they SHOULD be.  They’re that good.)

 

“Bon Appétit.  And Live Free, Mon Ami!” – Brian Alan Burhoe

 

 

Note: Image above is a detail from the front cover of Josi S Kilpack’s LEMON TART.

THE GREAT CULINARY MYSTERY SERIES Or Snoop of the Day

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