The Grave Gourmet
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3.1 • 63 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the Champs-Élysées to the twinkling banks of la Seine, chic Parisian policewoman Capucine LeTellier plunges into a uniquely Parisian affair of gastronomic delights and bureaucratic intrigue to close a case that could make her career--or kill it. . .
After dining on such delicacies as oyster sorbet and avocado soufflé, Jean-Louis Delage, président of automotive giant Renault, has been found dead in the freezer of Le Diapason, a three-star restaurant owned by Chef Jean-Basille Labrousse, a renowned restaurateur extraordinaire.
Capucine is uniquely suited to the case, as her husband Alexandre is a food critic well-connected to the culinary world. In between sharing sumptuous meals and fine wine with Alexandre at Paris' finest eateries, Capucine struggles to win the respect of her new squad of detectives and crack both the case and the guarded secrets of the restaurant staff.
Praise for Alexander Campion's The Grave Gourmet
"Full of amusing characters. . . Readers will want a second helping." --Publishers Weekly
"A delicious mystery. . . a fun book with a very different flavor." --Carolyn Haines, author of the Bones Mysteries
"An astonishing debut that raises the bar on today's detective novel." --Aram Saroyan, author of Door to the River
"Saucy, spicy, tasty. . .ooh-la-la!" --Kate Collins
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Campion's debut introduces a beguiling heroine, 28-year-old Lt. Capucine Le Tellier of the Paris judicial police. Bored with her deskbound job pursuing white-collar crime, Capucine jumps at the chance to get involved in a possible murder investigation. The body of Jean-Louis Delage, the pr sident-directeur g n ral of the automaker Renault, has turned up in the refrigerator of Diapason, a three-star restaurant, where Delage dined earlier that evening with his lawyer. Diapason's owner, eminent chef Jean-Basile Labrousse, is well known to Capucine's restaurant critic husband, Alexandre. What at first appears to be a case of food poisoning is soon ruled a homicide. Capucine's family connections help open political doors and provide useful contacts as she uncovers a plot involving foreign nationals and industrial espionage. Full of amusing characters, this diverting gastronomic mystery builds to a most satisfactory conclusion. Readers will want a second helping.
Customer Reviews
The Grave Gourmet
I read two books a week and many fall into the 'series' category. When I find an author or character I like, I continue reading to the end of the series and then, likely, find another book by the same author.
This book was a good read with the exception of the over-use of the foreign language thrown in at every turn. I like to immerse myself into the plot and characters in a book, have it reel me in and keep my focus on the plot. I resent having to put it down. When I was jerked from that immersion in an effort to figure out what the foreign words meant, it spoiled the book for me. If I hadn't liked the main character, I would have put the book down and not returned to it ever. I finally made a conscious decision to continue reading and ignore the unexplained dialogue. I have to wonder what I missed by foregoing the temptation to open Google every time I wanted to know what I just read. I know I won't pay to read any more books by this author.
I've never written a review, good or bad, before. In this case, however, I could not resist venting my frustration at an author who has so little regard for the reader as to assume they will be acquainted with the language used. A book should be written to hold the interest of readers around the world. Translate the book to the language of 'target' the country where it is to be sold...with the exception of place names, in which case they should be defined.
I sincerely hope this author pays attention to critiques and does not continue this slap at those of us who have studied Spanish, Italian, or even Chinese rather than French.