The Secret Ingredient Murders : A Eugenia Potter Mystery

Rating:
Summary: A mesmerizing storyline
Review: Her family asked Eugenia Potter to return home to Devon, Rhode Island to help her grandnephew Jason stays clean following his possession conviction. Unable to say no, Genia leaves Arizona for the East Coast. In Devon, gourmand Stanley Devon persuades Genia to join with him in producing a cookbook, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook. Six guest chefs are providing their favorite recipe.

A special dinner at Genia's rented cottage is arranged for the chefs. On his way over to attend the dinner, someone kills Stanley. Unable to ignore the murder of her long time friend, especially since Jason is the prime suspect, Genia begins to investigate in hopes of finding who had a motive. To Genia's shock, many of the locals, including the guest chefs, preferred seeing Devon dead.

Renowned author Nancy Pickard (see the Jenny Cain tales) affectionately pays homage to the late Virginia Rich by continuing the latter's popular Genia Potter series. The story line does justice to the original novels especially its star, leaving most readers unable to discern any difference between the two writers. As expected with a culinary amateur sleuth tale, the novel is filled with delectable recipes and savory food descriptions. Although the support cast is amusingly stereotyped to the extreme, there is no secret that this novel is a gourmetís delight.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: I thought this was a good book. It starts out with a missing man who is then found dead. Who killed him.? There were many who hated him.

The book totally keeps you guessing and the ending is great.

It did not deserve only one star. It was a good book.

Rating:
Summary: A superb entry in the Eugneia Patter mystery series.
Review: I wouldn't go so far as to compare Eugenia Potter with Jessica Fletcher. Potter is too laid back for that. But I do think that for a rather leasurely Cozy, this book is a fine read. Enjoy it for what it is and move on to the next title on your reading list. If you don't feel like spending money on this novel check it out at the local public library. You will still like reading it.

Rating:
Summary: The Secret Ingredient Murders
Review: Ignore the rating of other critics. It is a wonderful read. Eugenia Potter is sympathetic and you just want to read the book in one sitting.

Rating:
Summary: A superb entry in the Eugneia Patter mystery series.
Review: There are many similarities between the heroine of this novel, Genia, and Jessica from "Murder She Wrote". Both are older women, who live in a small New England town. The characters in the stories are both very likable and your overall experience is comfortable but predictable. The likable characters, comfort factor and picturesque Rhode Island locale make this a pleasant read. The downfall is the plot--in some cases very predictable and in one case so absurd it is laughable. I really did like Genia, a former rancher who moved to Rhode Island to help her niece and niece's children. Everyone wants an Aunt Genia--a really caring person. As the book begins, Genia is working with Stanley Parker on writing a cookbook. Stanley Parker is killed on his way to a dinner party at Genia's house where he is to make a startling revelation. The "suspects" at the party are likable New England townspeople for the most part. You find out that Stanley is very controlling and some aspects of his character wont be missed. Another murder thickens the plot stew and it is wrapped up very quickly at the end. The absurd part of the plot involved an envelope with newspaper clippings that would have revealed the identity of the murderer that Genia seems not to be able to see in Stanley's cookbook, despite having gone through it in much detail earlier, finding several clues.

A pleasant read with not much heavy lifting to solve the murder. The recipes seemed good as well.