CTG Reviews: The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook

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cover image

What the blurb says: “Any mystery connoisseur worth their salt knows that whether it’s being used as a villain’s nefarious weapon or keeping their favourite detectives going, food plays a major role in the genre.

From the comforting breakfast cuisines of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Mrs Hudson to the poison-laced meals of Agatha Christie’s fictional victims, food not only provides major plot twists but also defines characters.

Considering how intertwined food and murder fiction are, Mystery Writers of America presents The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For edited by Kate White – former editor in chief of Cosmopolitan and New York Times best-selling author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series.”

Okay, so I don’t usually review cookbooks, but as you can tell from the title, this one is a little different! With over a hundred different recipes in the book – some based on author’s favourites and others their character’s usual choices – there’s some really yummy (and unusual) recipes to try.

You can learn how to make Harlan Coben’s ‘Myron’s Crabmeat Dip’, Frankie Y. Bailey’s ‘Whole Wheat Wild Blueberry Lemon Pecan Muffins’ (which sound amazing), and David Housewright’s ‘Corn Chowder’ (I love corn chowder). There’s even a ‘special guest’ recipe from Richard Castle (the detective character in ABC’s hit TV show – CASTLE) – for the very apt ‘Morning-After Hotcakes’.

For me a few recipes stand out above the rest …

Sue Grafton’s ‘Kinsey Millhone’s Famous Peanut Butter & Pickle Sandwich’ – this is a fabulously simple recipe, and includes peanut butter, yummy!

Kathy Reichs’ ‘Shrimp Scampi’ – this Southern seafood recipe looks amazing!

Linda Stasi’s ‘Mystery Baker: Original New York City Cheesecake – New York Cheesecake is my absolute favourite dessert, and this recipe is mouth-wateringly gorgeous!

Coffee, black (in my favourite mug!)

Coffee, black (in my favourite mug!)

And then there’s the drinks …

You can make like Peter James with what he refers to as his rocket fuel to kick off his evening writing – ‘The Peter James Vodka Martini Writing Special’ (complete with ‘twist’ and ‘olive’ variations).

Or opt for a ‘strong and silent’ option and take Lee Child’s ‘Coffee, Pot of One’ – a recipe that helps you brew the perfect coffee, and pick the perfect mug to drink it from.

Whichever you go for, The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook is a great, and rather different, recipe book to add to your collection. It includes a number of food related facts about mystery authors and their lead characters, and is beautifully presented with fantastic pictures of the food.

It makes me hungry just looking at it!

Your Chance to WIN: Crime Thriller book bundle from Orion Books #bookgiveaway

To celebrate THE DISTANCE by Helen Giltrow coming out in paperback today, those lovely people at Orion have given me three five-book bundles of fantastic crime thrillers to giveaway to three lucky winners.

The Prize:

Each bundle includes the following wonderful books …

The Distance by Helen Giltrow

Missing You by Harlan Coben

Hell’s Gate by Richard Crompton

The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham

Touching Distance by Graham Hurley

It’s a fantastic prize with five great books. To wet your appetite, here’s a bit more info about each of them …

The Distance cover image

The Distance cover image

The Distance by Helen Giltrow

What the blurb says: They don’t call her Karla anymore. She’s Charlotte Alton: she doesn’t trade in secrets, she doesn’t erase dark pasts, and she doesn’t break hit-men into prison. Except that is exactly what she’s been asked to do. The job is impossible: get the assassin into an experimental new prison so that he can take out a target who isn’t officially there. It’s a suicide mission, and quite probably a set-up. So why can’t she say no?”

This breath-taking thriller from Debut Dagger shortlisted author Helen Giltrow is described by bestselling author Lee Child as “Fast, hard and very, very good.”

You can check out my review of The Distance here: http://crimethrillergirl.com/2015/02/25/ctg-reviews-the-distance-by-helen-giltrow-2/ 

 

 

Missing You by Harlan Coben

Missing You cover image

Missing You cover image

What the blurb says: It’s a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart 18 years ago. Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable. As Kat’s hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved – her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.”

Harlan Coben is an international No.1 bestselling thriller author and a winner of the EDGAR, SHAMUS and ANTHONY AWARDs. His books are published in over 40 languages, with more than 47 million copies in print worldwide.

 

Hell’s Gate by Richard Crompton

Hell's Gate cover image

Hell’s Gate cover image

What the blurb says: When Mollel, a former Maasai warrior turned detective, ends up in a small, fly-blown town on the edge of a national park, it looks as if his career has taken a nose-dive. His colleagues are a close-knit group and they have not taken kindly to a stranger in their midst. Mollel suspects they are guilty of the extortion and bribery that plague the force, but when the body of a flower worker turns up in the local lake, he wonders if they might be involved in something more disturbing… For all is not as it seems in Hell’s Gate. Amid rumours of a local death squad, disappearances and blackmail, Mollel is forced not only to confront his Maasai heritage, but also to ask himself where justice truly lies. In upholding the law, is he doing what is right?”

Richard Crompton lives in Nairobi. Hell’s Gate has been described by bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin as “A compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya”.

 

 

 

The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham

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What the blurb says: “When DC Fiona Griffiths says ‘yes’ to her policeman boyfriend, it’s an affirmation that she wants finally to put her psychological breakdown behind her, and become a resident of ‘Planet Normal’ like everybody else. But she still can’t resist the challenge of an undercover policing course, and finding it remarkably easy to assume a new identity, she comes top of the class. So when an ingenious payroll fraud starts to look like the tip of a huge criminal iceberg, Fiona is selected to infiltrate the fraudsters’ operation, posing as a meek former payroll clerk now forced to work as a cleaner. But as she penetrates deeper into their operation, coming closer to identifying the mastermind behind it, she faces another, even more frightening danger – that her always fragile grip on her sense of self has now been lost and she may never find her way back.”

You can check out my review of The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths here: http://crimethrillergirl.com/2014/03/11/ctg-reviews-the-strange-death-of-fiona-griffiths-by-harry-bingham/ 

 

 

Touching Distance by Graham Hurley

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What the blurb says: “DS Jimmy Suttle is trying to get his life back on track. His marriage has fallen apart and he rarely sees his young daughter, Grace. But then a murder shuts the door on the chaos of his personal life… The victim was shot through the head at the wheel of his car on a lonely moorland road. The only witness? His two-year-old son, strapped into the rear child seat. Within days, two more killings, equally professional, equally without motive. Meanwhile, Suttle’s estranged wife is embarking on an investigation of her own in the world of journalism. But the story brings her to the question at the very heart of Jimmy’s case – what does it take to make a man kill?”

Graham Hurley has twice been shortlisted for the THEAKSTON’S OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD, and has been praised as one of the INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY’s five best UK crime writers.

 

 *** THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED ***

So, to the competition …

For a chance to win a five-book bundle all you need to do is tweet the link to this post (using the Twitter button below) OR retweet one of the CTG tweets about the giveaway. [You’ll also need to follow us on Twitter, so that we can send you a direct message should you win].

Rules
 (1) One entry per reader (2) UK residents only – due to postage costs – sorry! (3) We will draw the winners at random (4) No cash alternative (5) The competition closes for entries at 9pm GMT on Wednesday 4th March 2015 (6) The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Good luck!

Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller – cast your vote now!

Good Reads Choice Awards logo

Good Reads Choice Awards logo

That’s right, it’s time to vote for your Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller books.

The folks over at Good Reads organise these awards to showcase the top reader voted for books of the year.

Right now it’s the semi-final round (2 of 3 rounds) and there are twenty books to pick from including those by Lee Child, Tana French, Harlan Coben and Gillian Flynn.

So, what are you waiting for? Click along to cast your vote for your favorite mystery and thriller books here:  http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-mystery-thriller-books-2012#74616-Best-Mystery-&-Thriller

To find out more about the Good Reads Choice Awards and the voting process visit

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2012