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stevem0214's review against another edition
4.0
I was prepared to be underwhelmed with this book by Al Roker. I was surprised! Decent little who-done-it.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
A serviceable if a bit heavy handed mystery in which Al Roker seems to have re-cast himself as a celebrity chef who also happens to appear on a morning talk show. Some of the references were over the top--yes, Al, you don't have to say "Fight Club, referencing that old Brad Pitt/Edward Norton film"--we know what you mean.
Then again I kept losing track of the ancillary characters, which is bad in a mystery novel.
So this was fun to read, not great, not terrible.
Then again I kept losing track of the ancillary characters, which is bad in a mystery novel.
So this was fun to read, not great, not terrible.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. The narrator, Chef Billy Blessing, has a smooth, witty, appealing voice and the mystery plot would seem predictable and then have turns and twists I didn't see coming. The thing keeping it from five stars in my opinion was some bad-guy-explains-all beyond what seemed natural. I have a hard time with villains who tie up their own loose ends in an exposition to the hero. And the final action sequence was a little over the top. But I really liked the book in most other ways. There were some great quips and lines: Roger was as close to rabid as a human can get without the help of an infected animal. or In Malibu, you can lie on the sand and look at the stars, or vice versa. Old jokes and new quips, nicely placed in the story. There was what I took to be just a bit of a swipe at Jonathan Kellerman in the person of a minor character named Dover, a child psychiatrist who helps the police with murders, writes books, and has an SO who is a luthier named Raven. A little unnecessary perhaps (I like Alex Delaware) but meant in fun. I'm going to have to go back and read the previous book by these authors and keep an eye out for more.
canada_matt's review against another edition
3.0
Roker should be applauded for making this, the second book in the series, a little better than its debut. That said, we are still best to file it under summer beach fluff in order not to confuse it with some of the other literary options out there. The story is a little better and the characters are a little stronger, but there is still an air of cheesiness that cannot be shaken, either from the story or the narration.
Roker must surely be doing this on the side as a little fun, for it reads as such. He weaves together a decent storyline, though is far from making the flow as stellar as some mystery/suspense writers on the market. If the reader is in line for a quick read and one that is truly light and fluffy, this is one for you. That said, it does get a little cheesey, much like a Richard Castle novel. I can see progress, for sure, though I never did expect this to compete with the likes of Connelly, James Patterson (in his Cross persona) or even DeMille.
The book shifts to LA and the ‘night scene’, where our main character fled after the murder of a former belle. Roker weaves that story loosely into this one, with some references to old characters that come back into the picture. I disagree with the review of those who feel the chapters begin to repeat one another. They do, sometimes hash through old stories, which can prove confusing.
Decent work Mr. Roker. Do not follow James Patterson's advice and quit your day job, though.
Roker must surely be doing this on the side as a little fun, for it reads as such. He weaves together a decent storyline, though is far from making the flow as stellar as some mystery/suspense writers on the market. If the reader is in line for a quick read and one that is truly light and fluffy, this is one for you. That said, it does get a little cheesey, much like a Richard Castle novel. I can see progress, for sure, though I never did expect this to compete with the likes of Connelly, James Patterson (in his Cross persona) or even DeMille.
The book shifts to LA and the ‘night scene’, where our main character fled after the murder of a former belle. Roker weaves that story loosely into this one, with some references to old characters that come back into the picture. I disagree with the review of those who feel the chapters begin to repeat one another. They do, sometimes hash through old stories, which can prove confusing.
Decent work Mr. Roker. Do not follow James Patterson's advice and quit your day job, though.
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