I’ve no clue what inspired me to put a hold on this book at the library, but for a debut novel it was pretty darn good. The author knows a thing or two about the food biz (he's been on MasterChef and has written six cookbooks) and the magazine biz (he's edited several, founded one). As an instructor I heard recently said, we are all expert in something, and it's wise to use that expertise in your fiction. So the main character, Paul, is a depressed, unemployed chef who is inveigled by a frenemy to take over a cooking school class. The frenemy, Christian, has broken his arm and the students, who are very much his fans, are disappointed to be fobbed off on Paul. Paul is unhappy because he can't seem to get a straight answer about his remuneration for the gig.
So Paul's situation is frustrating but bearable until he discovers Christian's body with a bloody meat cleaver and faints, fortunately not in the pool of blood. Because of his personal history with the deceased, he is immediately very much a person of interest to the police. Paul is exhorted by his best friend Julie (who works for a lifestyle magazine) to investigate the crime himself to avoid being railroaded. It doesn't help that he has a vindictive stalker muddying the waters.
Of course each of the students and even the cooking school owner have possible motives for wanting Christian dead. Can Paul figure it out before he gets locked up for the crime? If you like this book, I think you might also enjoy The Golden Spoon (a mystery on the set of a cooking show) or The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder (this author has expertise in antiques which is used well in her novel).
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