Julie Hyzy

While going up against her nemesis for the executive chef position, White House Assistant Chef Olivia Paras finds her goose cooked when she becomes the target of a world-class assassin, after witnessing a murder. Original.

State of the Onion

Sarah Sammis

It's a difficult setting to stage a mystery, especially a series of them. Sure, here the theme is food and the setting is the kitchen and places where food is served in the building. But the temptation is still there to involve the First Family and international affairs.

At about a third of the way into this novel the mystery struck me as essentially being "Honey for the Prince," an Avengers episode from the 1966 series. The rivalry between Olivia and the reality TV chef brings to mind The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle (2019) and Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay (2010).

State of the Onion

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