Death al Dente, by Peter King, is a delicious, delightful piece of mystery writing. It's the perfect book for the beach, or for a cold winter night's reading.
The Gourmet Detective is sent on assignment to Italy, to choose the best chef for a new Italian restaurant in London. He expects this job to be routine, but that is not the case. He expects to be doing this job undercover, but it turns out that everyone knows that he is auditioning three outstanding chefs. And, he expects that this job will be safe and easy, and instead, danger lurks.
The Gourmet Detective is helped by the delectible Francesca, a woman of healthy appetites, both for gourmet food and for other delights. Romance is inevitable.
Death al Dente is written in the first person, from the point of view of the Gourmet Detective, so we observe closely the reactions of our detective to various dangers including a killer monk, a herd of stampeding buffalo, and a robot airplane.
The three chefs who are being considered by our Detective are over the top...men of great excess. But the meals they serve are to die for...literally. A chef is chosen in the end, and you will be surprised which one is the winner of the new job in London.
Food plays a huge part in this novel. We watch in envy as our Detective and Francesca devour course after course of Northern Italian specialties. This is not a book to read on an empty stomach. Our heros travel to various cities around Bologne and we learn in detail about the various food in each of the locations.
The plot is resolved in a rather improbable way, but the readers don't care. We have enjoyed the romp and the good food, and are eagerly looking forward to our Detective's next adventure.
I heartily recommend this culinary adventure to anyone who wants a light quick read. It's not a book that will make you ponder, but simply a delicious piece of fluff.
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