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cstaude's review against another edition
4.0
A bit slower in plot development compared to some of the early books in this series but every bit as enjoyable. Gab and Ollie are finally married so this case gives us a glimpse into their new life together as an added bonus!
librarianlinda82's review against another edition
5.0
I waited for this, and it did not disappoint. I didn't get in to the made up country, but I enjoyed the way the mystery played out. Looking forward to Olivia's next adventure in the kitchen!
paige1947_'s review against another edition
5.0
I often wonder if things are as exciting in the White House as they are for Olivia Paras, our fictional White House Chef. In this book Ollie is trying to cope with a reduction in her staff and run her kitchen as smoothly as usual. But of course we know from the rest of the series this can not happen. Olivia is sent four chefs from Saardisca and she must now cope with them and their foreign ways. To top this off she is informed that the presidential candidate from Saardisca is coming for a state visit and of course this means a state diner. And than strange things start happening in Ollie's kitchen. And therefore all the excitement begins and Ollie jumps into action.
sarful's review against another edition
3.0
I’m loving this series, I love Ollie and all her chef staff, and I love Gav. I love her attention to detail and how well she trusts her gut. This book, however, wasn’t as good, for me, as the previous books but it’s a fast paced read and I always root for Ollie.
kathyscottage's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
sheltzer's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite, I prefer the books where Ollie has more interaction with the First Family. And I missed Cyan, who was a casualty of the sequester.
cafo6's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute cozy mystery with a neat peak into the White House.
janessamann's review against another edition
2.0
Very weird story. Super insular, felt like she had run out of ideas. Chefs are visiting from some madeup Eastern European (?) country and was just super weird.
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I absolutely devoured this book!
We all learned about the word sequester not too long ago so it is perfect that Julie Hyzy takes us inside the White House to see how it effects Ollie’s kitchen. Most events were cancelled but their commitment to Saardisca could not be delayed or cancelled. Soon Ollie’s kitchen is boiling over with visiting chefs from there and trying to plan a dinner for woman trying to become its President. Things do not go smoothly as pastry chef Marcel is out of commission and one of the visiting chefs dies. Ollie can’t understand a word of Saardiscan but she knows that is the key to catching the killer and getting her kitchen back to normal.
This story picks up with Ollie and Gav settling into married life and him returning to work at The White House. They also have an opportunity presented to them that may be too good to refuse.
I love the entire cast of characters in this series! Ollie has grown comfortable in her position as executive chef but she still jumps when Chief Usher, Peter Sergeant, shows up in her kitchen. His arrival usually means trouble for her and her staff. Gav is finally back to work. Virgil is missing from the kitchen, but an angry Saardiscan chef takes his place. In fact all the Saardiscan visitors are interesting, each in a different way. Saardisca is a fictional country but it seems to be on the verge of some big changes especially if a woman is elected to be their new President.
I also enjoyed that we visited Blair House on our trip to Washington D.C. We can only see pictures of the extraordinary place so many dignitaries stay. Hyzy brings it to life for all of us from the kitchen to the myriad of stairways and hallways that connect all the beautiful rooms.
This is one of the best cozy mystery series available today. I have loved each and every story and am always anxious for the arrival of the next book. It will be the first book I read in 2016!!!
alesia_charles's review against another edition
4.0
Julie Hyzy: My go-to read whenever I've been running across too many mediocre/boring/annoying books.