<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: So-so Mystery, and One Truly Disastrous Character
Review: Chas Wheatley is my favorite food-loving investigator since Robert Parker's Spenser! Savor this book with a serious espresso or a glass of Prosecco -- you'll find the ending as satisfying as a chocolate souffle at Jean-Georges!
Rating: 
Summary: Scrumptious
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Phyllis Richman's first novel 'The Butter Did It' and mistakenly thought that I'd be in for a similar ride with her second effort. Unfortunately, most of this book meanders aimlessly while the crimes that are alluded to happen far from the reader's eyes. Richman spends far too much time describing the social settings surrounding the story. The actual story that is waiting to be told is put somewhere on the back shelf. Murders happen, crimes are committed, and everything gets solved. Yet somehow, the reader has a feeling that he or she is always on the outside of the action. Storylines are interjected for what turns out to be no reason at all. (Whatever happened with the Jamaican suicide?) The book reads smoothly enough, but to quote an old TV icon, when you're finished, you'll be asking 'Where's the Beef?'
Rating: 
Summary: Smart and intriguing peek into seemier side of fine dining
Review: In her second mystery novel, Washington Post food critic Phyllis Richman's story and characters shine and soar. It starts out with a bang and just never lets up. It's a treat to be allowed to peek into the world of a newspaper restaurant critic (a job "to die for" in more ways than one) and go behind the scenes to discover the seemier side of fine dining. Readers who liked "The Butter Did It," will be thrilled with "Murder on the Gravy Train." Those who missed "Butter" should just hop right on the "Gravy Train" for a terrific ride.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ FOR FOOD NETWORK AND RESTAURANT REVIEW ADDICTS!
Review: OK, I admit it, I'm a junk food junkie and my dining out usually usually takes me to only the finest four star workaurants. But that doesn't stop me from reading and salivating over every restaurant review I see. The same goes for most of the programs on The Food Network! So naturally, Phyllis Richman's book was written for me and me alone. (OK, you can read it, too!) To get down to the basic facts, Chas Wheatley is a food critic for a D.C. newspaper who just happens to leave a trail of dead bodies behind her as she eats her way from one four star restaurant to the next. Realizing that something is rotten in the Danish, she sets out to solve the culinary crime capers that are being served up around her. Ms. Richman is a very witty writer and I enjoyed her bright and gossip-filled style. I also enjoyed all the insider tips on the behind the scene secret going-ons of restaurant operations that she adds to her story telling! And I always thought the stories of the White Castle pickle barrel were an urban myth. Once you get a taste of this book you'll probably be buying the other books in the series just like I'm doing.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for insider's tidbits, 3 stars for writing and plot
Review: The real fun of Phyllis Richman's series about Chas Wheatley is all of the insider tips about the restaurant business. For that alone, this book is worth the time it takes to read. In this book Chas is working on a series of columns about how restaurants manipulate (if not plain cheat) their customers to spend much more money than planned. The problem with this book stems from this same subject. At times, Richman loses sight of her fiction writing and writes with a lecturer's tone. It's a mixed blessing as the information is often fascinating. Still, it disturbs the pacing of the fictional plot. The plot/mystery in this book is a bit far-fetched but the book is set in Washington D.C. It's being to appear that almost anything can happen there. Bottom-line: A fun read for anyone who engages in recreational restauranting. Reading of her first book "The Butter Did It" would be helpful but isn't critical.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for insider's tidbits, 3 stars for writing and plot
Review: The real fun of Phyllis Richman's series about Chas Wheatley is all of the insider tips about the restaurant business. For that alone, this book is worth the time it takes to read. In this book Chas is working on a series of columns about how restaurants manipulate (if not plain cheat) their customers to spend much more money than planned. The problem with this book stems from this same subject. At times, Richman loses sight of her fiction writing and writes with a lecturer's tone. It's a mixed blessing as the information is often fascinating. Still, it disturbs the pacing of the fictional plot. The plot/mystery in this book is a bit far-fetched but the book is set in Washington D.C. It's being to appear that almost anything can happen there. Bottom-line: A fun read for anyone who engages in recreational restauranting. Reading of her first book "The Butter Did It" would be helpful but isn't critical.
Rating:
Summary: Strong flavor, pleasing presentation...
Review: This is the 2nd in the series chronicling the day to day life of the restaurant critic Chas Wheatley. If you've ever been involved in the restaurant business or even if you've eaten at a restaurant this light mystery will keep you reading. The characters are colorful and the plot keeps you smiling and more then often trying to determine what culinary creations one should cook up for dinner!
<< 1 >>
| 
