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- diet detective
- The Diet Detective's Count Down
- Mystery solved
- The Diet Dective's Count Down: 7500 of Your Favorite Food Counts with Their Exercise Equivalents
- Think Of Calories, Carbs In Terms of Exercise
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The Diet Detective's Count Down: 7500 of Your Favorite Food Counts with Their Exercise Equivalents for Walking, Running, Biking, Swimming, Yoga, and Dance
Charles Stuart Platkin
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Food Counters | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Walking | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743298004 |
Book Description
THE COST OF A CALORIE REVEALED
- CALORIE SHOPPING with EXERCISE EQUIVALENTS -
The Diet Detective's Count Down Offers Readers Calories, Carbs, Fat and the Exercise Equivalents For More For Than 7,500 Foods(Walk, Run, Swim, Bike, Yoga, and Dance).
Ever find yourself debating whether or not to buy just one bag of chips? Or grab a little candy bar for the road? Consider this: what if the nutritional labels on your favorite foods spelled out exactly what you'd have to do to burn those calories?
Well, nutrition and public health advocate, Charles Stuart Platkin's new book, THE DIET DETECTIVE'S COUNT DOWN, is the first of its kind that translates food into exercise, giving readers a tool for deciding what a calorie means and which calories are worth it.
THE DIET DETECTIVE'S COUNT DOWN lists more that 7,500 foods with exercise equivalents in minutes calculated using six forms of activity: WALKING, RUNNING, BIKING, SWIMMING, YOGA, AND DANCING. All this information is listed in an easy to view table format. The table also includes calories, fat and carbohydrates.
This is no ordinary diet book, it is a food fact bible giving readers tasty nuggets of information that make them think before they eat. Translating food into calorie counts isn't enough -- translating calorie counts into exercises makes clear the consequence each bite has on the waistline!
Examples of an Exercise Equivalent (The book contains more than 7500 listings in an easy to use table format w/ Calories, Carbs and Fat, walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga and dance):
- 1 double-stuffed Oreo cookie = 18 minutes of walking
- 1 handful of chips = 26 minutes of dancing
- 1 slice of chocolate cake = 48 minutes of biking
- 1 candy bar = 32 minutes of swimming
- 1 soda = 48 minutes of yoga
- 1 tablespoon of butter = 11 minutes of running
Customer Reviews:
diet detective.......2007-10-01
This book was purchased as a gift. Recipient has used it to balance food intake and exercise, and has found it very helpful.
The Diet Detective's Count Down.......2007-05-15
My friend was looking for this book so I found it and ordered it. I was skeptical at first but now I am glad I ordered it because I can look up a food and see if I really want to eat it or something else by how much walking (my choice of exercise) I have to do to work off the calories. It really comes in handy when I get a craving for the bad stuff like ice cream or mcdonald....
Mystery solved.......2007-03-25
Have you ever wanted to know how long it will take you to burn off the calories in that pizza or cake you want to splurge on? This book will tell you.
The Diet Dective's Count Down: 7500 of Your Favorite Food Counts with Their Exercise Equivalents.......2007-03-24
What an eye-opener! This is perhaps the most helpful guide I have ever seen in understanding how calories add up, and how much energy and effort it takes to burn off those calories. Just a little nibble here, and a little nibble there, and suddenly you're faced with running two miles in order to compensate for the calorie overload. Even just "sharing a dessert" when eating out can add up to miles of walking and swimming!
As a sober reminder of how much extra exercise I would have to do offset certain foods and snacks at home, I created a list using the information in the book of the exercise equivalent of things like cheese, dips, mayo, bread, ice cream, butter, etc.
The author also offers excellent weight management advice and guidance. This book could easily have had
another title: "The Calorie Saving Bible For People Who Hate To Exercise."
Think Of Calories, Carbs In Terms of Exercise.......2007-02-19
Have you ever caught yourself thinking about how long it would take you to burn off a meal you had just eaten, especially one that was not very healthy? Maybe you have, maybe not. I know I have after splurging on an Apple Cinnamon Fruit Filled Pancakes meal at Denny's. Those 1,080 calories and 106g carbohydrates I just consumed will take me over 4 1/2 hours on the treadmill to walk it off! Yikes! I think I'll skip that meal from now on. :)
How did I know about this wonderful tidbit of nutritional knowledge? I owe it all to syndicated health columnist Charles Stuart Platkin and his new book The Diet Detective's Count Down. This handy-dandy little guide to 7500 different foods provides you with a quick-reference exercise equivalent to just about any food that will cross your lips.
That's right! No more excuses that you didn't know a food was bad for you because you had absolutely no concept about the amount of calories you were putting in your mouth. That's why the idea of seeing what you eat in the amount of time it would take you to burn it off is a revolutionary one. Platkin says he would love to see this information appear on restaurant menus and on nutritional labels.
What a concept! How many people would scarf down an entire cup of gumdrops if they knew they would have to do more than four hours of yoga just to burn them off?! Not too many people I would dare say. And that's what I love about The Diet Detective's Count Down because it makes people start thinking of calories in terms of exercise which is a lot more tangible and realistic. Calories can be mysterious, but exercise is very real!
Before I lost over 180 pounds on the Atkins diet in 2004, I would regularly consume a whole box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls in one sitting! I know, I know, that was pretty stupid. But had I known at the time that I would have to shake my fat butt dancing for over 4 1/2 hours to keep those calories from turning into stored fat in my blubbery self, then I probably would have thought twice about doing that. Again, the Diet Detective as come to the rescue!
Despite the unique concept of thinking about the calories of the foods you eat and their "exercise equivalent," you can also learn about the actual number of calories, carbs, and fat grams with The Diet Detective's Count Down. For those who are genuinely interested in the exercise they will need to do to burn off their desired morsel of caloric goodness, though, Platkin shows you very clearly how many minutes it will take you to move your body either walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga, or dancing. You choose the exercise you enjoy the most and start working off those calories.
The bottom line is, as Olivia Newton-John sang about in the 1980s, let's get physical and start learning that exercise is an extremely important component not only in weight loss, but also in weight maintenance and health management. Thinking of food by how much time you will need to workout is one way to help you make better choices about what to eat in the first place. It's something Platkin refers to as a "calorie bargain"--finding a lower-calorie or low-carb replacement food for that oh-so-favorite one you think you can't live without.
Platkin said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who lost over 100 pounds on a low-carb diet just like me, traded his favorite sugary 550-calorie premium ice cream habit for a 250-calorie Splenda-sweetened low-carb ice cream instead. This savings of 300 calories helped Gov. Huckabee shed the pounds and avoid that extra one hour of swimming it would have taken to burn off his preferred dessert. That's the power of taking control of your diet once and for all.
Of course, these exercise numbers will vary from person to person based on the specific height and weight of the individual. The standard used for The Diet Detective's Count Down was a 155-pound person who is walking 3 mph, running 5 mph, bicycling nearly 12 mph, swimming laps, participating in Hatha yoga, or dancing.
Charles Stuart Platkin has hit on something here that is lacking in the debate over obesity in the United States today. People need to be given information that is honest and practical so they can clearly understand what they need to do to lose weight and get healthy. Enough with the confusing message to "eat right" or "follow a balanced diet." Obviously nobody knows what that means anymore.
What we learn from The Diet Detective's Count Down is that there are consequences for making poor choices in our diet. If you are willing to put in the time to burn off what you have consumed, then good for you. Otherwise, you may start to think twice before downing those 4 slices of Meat Lover's pizza from Pizza Hut for lunch. It'll only take you three hours riding around on your bicycle to burn those calories.
You know, eating healthier is already sounding a whole lot better!
Download Description
"
The New York Times bestselling author cooks up a knockout treat featuring the irrepres-sible caterer Goldy Schulz
""I tripped over the body of
Dusty Routt at half past ten on the
night of October 19. . . .""
Goldy Schulz has a lucrative new gig, preparing breakfasts and conference-room snacks for a local law firm. It's time-consuming, but Goldy is enjoying it -- until the night she arrives to find Dusty, the firm's paralegal, dead.
The poor young woman also happened to be Goldy's friend and neighbor, and now Dusty's grieving mother begs Goldy to find out who murdered her daughter. Just because the police are on the case doesn't mean Goldy can't do a little snooping herself.
While catering a party at the home of one of the firm's lawyers, she manages to overhear an incriminating conversation and ends up discover-ing a few clues in the kitchen.
Before long, Goldy is knee-deep in suspects, one of whom is incredibly dangerous and very liable to cook Goldy's goose.
"
Customer Reviews:
A Dishy Read.......2007-08-27
Davidson can always be counted on for a good read. The opening scene of this book is particularly well written and unfolds in with riveting and intense detail. Compared to the other books in the series I think the story is a little grittier than previous books. I'd have liked a little more interaction with Marla. I like the way the characters age and grow during the course of the series. The introduction of Gus, so different from Arch, is interesting. With the exception of her husband Tom being too accommodating, the interactions with the police seem more realistic than in previous novels. My favorite part of this book is the way Goldie dishes up dirt on multiple characters when she starts digging. I also like the recipes being placed at the end of the book where it's easy to find them if I want to try one.
Not one of her best........2007-08-26
I have read all the books in this series and have always enjoyed them. They are quick, light and fast read. But this one made me feel like I had skipped a couple of pages or missed something in the last book. The introduction of the Charlie Baker character had me skipping back through the pages, I had know idea who he was and Davidson wrote it like we should all be familar with him????Then as the story unfolded she started to explain who he was, but more of that should have been done in the beginning. The Routt family were more annoying then sympathetic. The psator character wasn't developed enough.I think I cared less about the characters then in the past and there were too many of them and her usual characters (Marla, her son) were shoved in here in there to fill in.
Expensive Recipe Book.......2007-08-26
After gamely slogging through 232 pages of Goldy's feeling really, really bad about her friend Dusty's death, I skipped to the end. It turned out that two key characters hadn't been introduced in the first 232 pages (of 420), and that another character had only been shallowly introduced and characterized. Following the obligatory scene with Goldy's life being threatened, there followed a couple of pages of explanation of the perp's motivation that read like a plot outline. Too bad the book didn't live up to the outline!
The paperback places all of the recipes at the end of the book, instead of sprinkled through the text, which is a more interesting and fun arrangement. The recipes are the only thing that I can recommend--without having kitchen-tested any. However, I doubt that I will be purchasing another Davidson Culinary Mystery after having spent $7.99 for this turkey of a mystery novel.
Series Slipping.......2007-07-19
This series seems to have been going downhill for awhile now, and this book didn't do anything to reverse that trend.
I used to enjoy all the characters aside from spoiled rotten Arch, so it says something that he was the least annoying character in this book.
Goldy is a caterer. Tom is a cop. Yet he thinks nothing of letting her stick her nose into investigations, allows her to look over evidence, go out and interview people, etc. It just isn't realistic. Then again, the character of Tom isn't enjoyable in the least, as he comes across as Mr. Perfect -- the cop who cooks gourmet meals, polishes the furniture and goes into the station late during an investigation in order to help Goldy clean up a venue for a catering assignment. I really don't like when authors give their main characters flaws to seem more realistic, then ruin the effect by giving them a perfect spouse.
Speaking of flaws, Goldy's continues to be the way she cowers and caters to Arch. It's just unbearable. And with Arch's new brother in the mix, I expect future installments to give us twice the dose of Goldy's lack of spine.
Even the characters I usually enjoy most, Julian and Marla, were annoying in this book.
I hope the next installment is better, but I'm not holding out much hope.
Dark Tort CD (Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries).......2007-06-12
Of this series, my first on CD. I missed the recipes. I know, they are read to you at the end of the "book," but I listen and drive, so it was not a big help. They could be included in the box, or list a site where one can go to DL the ones you want.
Book Description
Goldy Schulz is thrilled to be catering a holiday breakfast feast for the staff of the Aspen Meadow Library. But little does she know that on the menu, alongside the Great Expectations Grapefruit, Chuzzlewit Cheese Pie, and Bleak House Bars, is a large helping of murder.
While setting up at the library, Goldy spots a woman lurking in the stacks who bears a striking resemblance to Sandee Brisbane—the Sandee Brisbane who killed Goldy's ex-husband, the Jerk. But Sandee is supposed to be dead. Or so everyone believes.
Goldy's suspicions mount when the body of Drew Wellington, a former district attorney, is found in a corner of the library with a map worth thousands of dollars stashed in his clothing. She's convinced that Sandee is involved.
But the holiday madness is only just beginning for Goldy. Soon she's drawn into the dangerous, double-crossing world of high-end map dealing. And like the ghost of Christmas past, Sandee keeps making an appearance. Could she be out to prove that revenge is sweet?
Customer Reviews:
Sweet Revenge/Another Goldy Culinary Mystery.......2007-10-09
I have read all the books in this series and while I have enjoyed all of them, Sweet Revenge's ending was somewhat of a let down (anticlimatic). I would still recommend it but wish the ending was better.
absolutely horrible.......2007-10-04
I still can't believe it. I actually bought this book and 'Dark Torte'!
Both were a terrible disappointment. I read all of her first 12 books,
twice and loved them. What the hell happened? Mott Davidson could not have possibly written this book! How many times does a writer have to use 'had had' in one book, even on one page? I am an author, that is just plain laziness. All of the allegories, or made up cliches, if you will are horrible. The ridiculous way that Goldy continues to put herself in peril for nothing are worse than horrible. This woman has been banged up so many times, she should have been dead, five episodes ago. She's not James Bond, let's face it. I am slogging thru it, just to say I finished it but it's difficult, to say the least. The ony advantage of owning my personal copy, is that I can mark it up, with as many black marks, as I want to. C'mon Diane (may I call you Diane?). I don't know which lackey you handed off your 'pen' to but pick it back up again. This is not you!
Leaves you hungry for more--and not in a good way.......2007-09-27
I have been a fan of this series since the beginning but I was terribly disappointed with this effort. The character of Goldy has always been somewhat neurotic but now is additionally portrayed as rather shrill and overprotective, especially in the depicted relationship to her son, Arch.
I agree with a previous reviewer that much of the book was filled with Goldy's speculations about who might have been motivated to commit the crime as well as needless recapitulations of events. All in all, it was a tedious slog instead of a delightful bit of light mystery fiction.
Annoying and predictable.......2007-09-27
Diane Mott Davidson has missed the mark in this Goldie Schultz series Goldie has become tiresome and annoying in her amateur detective side line She interferes actually with the investigation and she needs to get a spine!! The other characters are very one dimensional and I think part of the problem is the reader I have never really enjoyed Barbara Rosenblatt's interpretation I really liked the early readings done by Mary Gross and I am totally sick of Goldie's husband calling her Miss G
Ugh........2007-09-25
This could very well be the worst Goldy mystery yet. Not only are the characters mere two-dimensional puppets, Goldy has turned into a narcissitic busy-body who I found myself rooting against. The supporting characters are merely that -- props that allow Goldy to to do whatever the heck she wants and then pull her out of trouble when she finds herself stuck.
How many times can one person put themselves in harrowing circumstances with no clear reason? How often can Goldy tromp over her friends and lie to everyone under the sun to stick her nose where it doesn't belong? How many map dealers could there possibly be in one small town? And how often can DMD use the phrases "white stuff," "two-step," and "quickstep?" The mystery itself doesn't make much sense, and Goldy vacillates from feeling sorry for Sandy to quaking in her boots at the mere mention of her name.
I used to love this series, but I'm afraid it just went onto my "don't waste your time list."
Amazon.com
Fans of Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Schulz, the gourmet gumshoe of Aspen Meadow, Colorado, love her modus operandi: "Treat every puzzle with questions and chocolate." In Tough Cookie, Davidson's ninth culinary mystery, Goldy is waiting to reopen her catering business, which has been shut down by the health department for lack of adequate drains. She's got a PBS cooking gig for a few weeks, and is trying to build a reputation as a personal chef, but she's desperate for a little extra Christmas cash, so she agrees to sell a pair of vintage skis to Doug Portman, a local art critic and former sort-of-romantic interest.
When Portman's killed in a skiing accident at Killdeer Resort with Goldy nearby, the police treat her with suspicion. It turns out that Portman was the easily persuaded head of the Parole Board, and Goldy's ex-husband (a.k.a. The Jerk, who was imprisoned for domestic violence) is coming up for parole. But when Goldy herself narrowly escapes a chilly death after her van is forced off a snowy highway, she starts looking for connections and steps into a minefield of unsolved murders, including the three-year-old avalanche death of her friend Nate Bullock. There're a multitude of suspicious characters lurking around Killdeer: Barton Reed, a crazy ex-con who sent Portman a letter loaded with poison; Arthur Wakefield, whose wealthy mother was also killed in a skiing accident at Killdeer; Jack Gilkey, a handsome young chef who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Wakefield's mother (and released by Portman); Boots Faraday, a local artist; and even Rorry Bullock, Nate's angry widow. As usual, Goldy manages to solve the murders (with the help of Chocolate Coma Cookies), save her own skin (just!), skewer a few local snobs in passing, and revive her catering business. Lots of fun, and recipes too. --Barrie Trinkle
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of
Prime Cut serves up another tantalizing tale of culinary mystery and suspense--as chef turned sleuth Goldy Schulz goes on live television to prepare a meal to die for...but discovers that murder is already on the menu.
When Goldy Schulz is offered a temporary stint hosting a cooking show for PBS, she jumps at the chance. After all, she could use the money--not to mention the great exposure. Her catering business is in shambles, and publicizing her new venture as a personal chef will help get her back on track. Plus taping the shows at Colorado's posh Killdeer Ski Resort will be fun. A little cooking, a little chitchat. What could go wrong?
The question Goldy should have asked is, what wouldn't go wrong--especially when she has to drive through a blizzard to do one of her shows live for a PBS telethon.
To make matters worse, Goldy has an unpleasant duty to perform right after the show. She and her policeman husband, Tom, have agreed to sell a piece of Tom's treasured war memorabilia to help ease their financial woes. The buyer: Doug Portman, art critic, law enforcement wannabe--and, to her eternal embarrassment, Goldy's ex-boyfriend.
Predictably, the live broadcast is riddled with culinary catastrophes--from the Chesapeake Crabcakes right down to the Ice-Capped Ginger Snaps. But the deadliest dish of all comes after the cameras go off, when an unexplainable skiing accident claims Doug Portman's life--and Goldy is the one who finds his crumpled body on the slopes. Even more shocking is what police find tucked away in Doug's BMW: a greeting card with a potentially deadly chemical inside.
As the police try to determine if Doug's accident was really foul play, Goldy does a little investigating of her own--but finds more questions than answers. Was Doug, chairman of the state Parole Board, accepting bribes from potential parolees? Was he connected to the ex-con who's been telling Killdeer skiers that he's planning to poison a cop? And how did Goldy and Tom get mixed up in this mess?
When a series of suspicious mishaps places Goldy's own life in jeopardy, she knows she must whip up her own crime-solving recipe, and fast--before a hearty dose of intrigue and a deadly dash of danger ends her cooking career once and for all....
Winter sports can be dangerous, but can they also be deadly? "Cooking at the Top!," Goldy's new TV show, is broadcast from one of Colorado's poshest ski areas. Unfortunately, she finds whipping up delicacies at 11,000 feet as perilous as skiing steep runs. Then a telethon raising money for the widow of a tracker killed mysteriously ends in disaster. Goldy finds herself searching the icy slopes to find a killer with desperate secrets to hide---but this may be one time the tough-cookie caterer will not be able to schuss to safety!
Included are Goldy's original recipes for mouthwatering Sonora Chicken Strudel, incomparable Marmalade Mogul Muffins, and sinfully sumptuous Chocolate Coma Cookies. -->
Customer Reviews:
Junior high level murder mystery...and that's going a long way!.......2007-08-30
I picked up this book in a used booked store in Powell River, British Columbia, while waiting for a ferry to Vancouver. I didn't know that culinary murder mysteries was a genre and this book was part of a series of similar mishaps. Where was the warning label?
The author sets up her heroine as a gourmet-wannabe Nancy Drew running after inept murderers while strewing recipe cards along her trail. She dishes out food descriptions ad nauseam and then raves over them until you want to gag her with a kitchen towel. All the while, she insults her readers' intelligence by serving up as novelty that age old recipe of suspecting the evil looking guy first, and then making her model character the evil culprit!
If you're a fan of this author's work you'll probably enjoy it. But if this is your first time try, be aware that it is definitely an acquired taste. I'll pass on seconds.
Delish Mystery.......2007-07-29
I discovered Diane Mott Davidson with this book and was so glad I did. I immediately went backward and read the rest of the series, and I'm still reading forward, moving toward her latest PB release Dark Tort. I highly recommend this series. Goldy is a caterer and a sleuth. Each mystery tale comes with a delicious list of recipes (prepared by Goldy during the course of the story). In Tough Cookie, Goldy is temporarily hosting a local TV cooking show when so much goes wrong! Cooking disasters on the set, a blizzard, and then a dead body. She finds it herself and unfortunately for her, it turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Goldy begins to investigate to determine whether her ex was murdered or not. And it leads to real danger for her. Goldy is married to police investigator Tom in this outing, but in her earlier books, we get a nice build up of their relationship, starting with how they met in her first book, Catering to Nobody. I suggest you start with #1 Catering to Nobody and work your way up to this one and beyond. You'll be glad you did. Delicious!
Cookie Mystery.......2007-07-21
I love this series of Goldie mysteries...a good combination of great receipes and a good mystery in each
Murder Mystery.......2007-05-12
Love these books. Have read them all to date. Arrived as promised.
Favorite of the Series.......2007-04-19
Tough Cookie finds Goldy in the thick of some serious drama, but she gets through with smarts, determination and wit. I love the Goldy character because she's brave, funny and nurturing. Finally - a wife and mother who loves her job (and sex) too!
I put this as my favorite of the Goldy mysteries because of the end - which you have to read to believe. It'll leave you breathless, thinking `How's Goldy gonna get out of this one?' Sure, the likelihood of so many murders going on in one town is ridiculous. And would Goldy really be so front-and-center in these people's lives? I doubt it, but since Ms. Davidson tells such ripping good yarns, I don't care.
That being said, somebody please smack Arch. PLEASE! Sure he's a teenager, but until the kid's paying his own bills in his own house, he needs a kick in the pants. Still, my extreme annoyance with him is just what the author wanted - when you experience real emotion toward a fictional character, that's good writing.
And who knew recipes could add so much flavor to a plotline? I've gotten to the point where I'm looking forward to a page or two of cookery. Davidson's food passages are so well-written they don't slow the pace one bit. Characters, storyline, occupational details, humor and heartstrings come together wonderfully in Davidson's mysteries. I hope she writes a mystery with Goldy on her dream trip to Italy.
Book Description
The poisoning of a Napa Valley bride has oenophile Nikki Sands researching what may have been a killer bottle of wine.
Customer Reviews:
Like A Fine Wine, This Series Keeps Improving with Age.......2007-08-19
Failed actress Nikki Sands, introduced to us in "Murder Uncorked", has moved to the Napa Valley, where she has started her new job as assistant to winery owner Derek Malveaux. The story opens with Derek and Nikki attending a swanky Napa Valley wedding, only to have Nikki stumble across the body of the bride shortly after the wedding. But when one of Nikki's new friends, Isabel Fernandez, is accused of the murder, Nikki is sure that Isabel is innocent and sets out to find the murderer. "Murder by the Glass" features a lot more sleuthing by Nikki, which I found enjoyable. Also a plus in this second book is the development of the characters of "The Boys of Summer" (a nickname given to Derek's half-brother Simon and his lover Mario). In the first story, Derek and Mario were made out to be the laughing stocks of the Malveaux family, but in this one we nmeet them and they play a key role in solving the mystery. There is lots of lots of very funny dialogue in this book.
Nikki's love interestes continue to develop as well, with her relationships with both Andres Fernandez and Derek Malveaux becoming heated. Like the first book, there are several recipes given, along with suggested wine pairings for the recipes.
All in all, this was a delightful cozy. Now I can't wait for my copy of "Silenced by Syrah" to get here, so I can find out what happens next in Nikki's Napa valley life.
The second in the series..........2007-05-23
This is the second book in the delightful series that is set in the Napa area of California. This story actually ranges farther afield geographically. This is a series of books that I have recommended (and in some cases purchased) for friends that are looking for an entertaining read that finsihes nicely without the heavy, cloying after-taste of some other stories.
Pleasant but predictable..........2007-03-09
Having read all of Michele Scott's wine mystery novels to date, I find her ability to spin a tale good, but not great... I wish she would employ more logical thinking in her main charater's ability to investigate a true murder and make the novel more believable. Her protaganist appears much to dumb and cutesy to be investigating a murder which makes the story line go flat in some places. Just a pinch of realism could go a long way in her writing...
On the other hand, I think she does provide the reader with an absorbing romantic saga and paints a delectable protrait of the Sonoma/Napa Valley wine country. I even tried one of the recipes!
Couldn't put it down!.......2007-02-24
As with the first in this series (Murder Uncorked) I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is one of the few books that I didn't want to put down. In both books I loved that I could not solve the mystery until she revealed the murderer to us! (Rare, I always seem to figure it out!). I also thorougly enjoyed the visual imagery Scott created for the reader. I really feel as though I know the characters, the wineries she takes us to, the restaurants they dine in etc. AND I love the wine education she has given me. As someone fairly new, but very interested in, the world of wine, Scott was able to mix in an education in wine, along with a wonderful romance, and intriguing murder mystery. Can't wait for #3 in the series, I just pre-ordered it!
romance or mystery.......2007-02-01
I like a good mystery and love good wine tips but both the authors books so far are dissapointing in that they are more in the catagory of romance rather than mystery.. the heroine in love with two men is just so old and her endings are rather dissapointing..
Book Description
It should be the happiest day of Goldy the caterer's life. After years of putting the disaster of her first marriage behind her, she has finally found the courage to love again. Soon she'll be walking down the aisle of St. Luke's Episcopal Church to wed the man of her dreams, Tom Schulz, a homicide detective who shares Goldy's passions for preparing food and solving crimes.
But moments after Goldy's put the finishing touches on the scrumptious wedding feast, and just before the ceremony begins, she receives an urgent phone call from the groom. The wedding is off, and the reason is a killer.
In The Last Suppers, Diane Mott Davidson mixes irresistible suspense with delectable humor to create a five-star treat for readers and cooks alike. Included are Goldy's original recipes for such delicious dishes as her heavenly Dark Chocolate Wedding Cake with White Peppermint Frosting, savory Shrimp on Wheels and zesty Fusilli in Parmesan Cream Sauce. The Last Suppers is a mystery with a gourmet twist--recipes no one can resist!
Customer Reviews:
Murder Mystery.......2007-05-12
Love these books, enjoyed each one, purchased and read all to date. Arrived promptly.
Just plain fun to read........2007-03-08
Diane Mott Davidson always keeps the reader involved in her writings, and "The Last Suppers" is no exception. From the time Goldie starts her quest to find her missing fiance until they marry, you're wondering what can happen to this single mother next. I enjoy the recipes that come along as part of the package (and so does my family and friends). Hope everyone has as much fun with this novel as I did.
The Last Suppers.......2006-10-25
Goldy Bear, our lovable caterer, is back and waiting at the church for her bridegroom. When Tom calls her and says he cant make it because their priest has been murdered Goldy is devestated. However, this doesnt end her bad day. Tom has been kidnapped by the murderer and no one knows who that is, or where theyve gone. A cryptic note written by Tom at the scene is all the police and Goldy have to go on to find her fiance before its too late.
This is a cute series with great recipes.
Fluffy mysteries at their best!.......2005-04-28
This is the first Diane Mott Davidson that I've gotten to read and I was hooked right away. Similar in form to my other favorites (Dorothy Johnson, Rita Mae Brown, etc.) it took on the hokey beginnings and led their fluffy way down to the solving of the mystery, all the while the main character doesn't skip a beat with her catering.
I know it sounds bad, but I honestly love these types of light and fluffy mysteries, they aren't dark and depressing, they're easy to follow without too many characters and not enough substance. I don't like heavy mysteries that get confusing within the first chapter and get wayyy too descriptive when it comes to the crime scenes or the lack of morals of some of the characters.
This one in particular does seem to be a little bit too hokey in the plot (dead priests and missing soon-to-be husbands) compared to the other books, but it's forgivable!
The Case of the Missing Bridegroom.......2005-03-12
When you're planning to get married and your priest is murdered and your fiance disappears, you know you've had a bad day. That is the case with Goldy Bear whose wedding is called off when Reverend Olson is murdered and Tom Schulz, who is leading the investigation, is suddenly among the missing. As Goldy frantically searches for Tom and tries to solve the murder, she discovers that all is not well in her Episcopalian Church. She uncovers the possibility of adultery, thievery, and a church split over worship style and music. Which of these issues might cause someone to murder their church leader? Both Goldy and Tom's lives are in danger before the murder is solved. This book contains lots of interesting recipes, along with another good mystery by author Davidson.
Book Description
The millions of fans who read Patricia Cornwell's bestsellers know that her popular character, Kay Scarpetta, loves to unwind in the kitchen. Book after book finds her tapping into her Italian heritage to create delicious meals for herself and her friends.
Brimming with full-color photographs and inspired by dozens of food scenes in Kay's kitchen and favorite restaurants, Food to Die For is a cookbook tailor-made for Scarpetta fans. Among the criminally good recipes:
€ Miami-Style Chili with Beer (All That Remains)
€ Grilled Grouper with Butter and Key Lime Juice (Cruel and Unusual)
€ Jack Daniel's Chocolate Pecan Pie (The Body Farm)
€ Lasagna with Marinara Sauce and Porcini Mushrooms (Cause of Death)
€ Bev's Lump Crab Cakes (Unnatural Exposure)
€ Kay's Grilled Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni, and Three Cheeses (Black Notice)
Customer Reviews:
Scarpetta fans rejoice.......2007-01-10
This cookbook is great for the Kay Scarpetta fan or even your everyday Italian foodie. Beautiful pictures and amazing receipes.
Simply Delicious!.......2007-01-10
Havving read all the Patricia Cornwell 'Scarpetta' novels, I was intrigued to find a related cook book. I was delighted to be able to find a copy at Amazon, and with the usual prompt service, it wasn't long before my book arrived.
I must admit, the food sounded very tempting even though the cases involved in the novels are horrendous!
The recipes are relatively simple, the only drawback being that in England,some ingredients are unavailable. Improvisation doesn't spoil the end results though and my husband and son are thoroughly enjoying the new menus!
If you enjoy having fun cooking, I recommend Food To Die For.
By the way, the Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie nearly started a riot on New Years Eve...I had to bake two more!
Excellence.......2004-07-25
Anything Patricia Cornwell writes is excellent. I have tried most of the recipes in this book and all are fantastic.
Incredible Cookbook!.......2003-09-21
I checked the book out from the library because I am a huge Dr. Scarpetta fan. I was hesitant to make the recipies due to the lengthy list of ingredients in most of them, but the 4 recipies I have tried were amazing! I just made one of them tonight and I am still drooling over it. The fresh pasta is the BEST recipie I have tried (and I have tried a lot), and it makes a HUGE difference! The stew was soooo good, granted, it took a while, but it was worth it!!! I love this book, I plan to buy it. Worth the investment for the cook who loves great recipies!
I am dying already.......2003-05-19
This is a great cook book and really does make my mouth water just thinking about it. I really enjoyed the Crab cakes and would recommend them to anyone. Most of her recipies are pretty simple and they are all delicious. I say... Dive in!
Book Description
In this homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Faith Fairchild is asked to cater a very small, very private college reunion on an isolated New England island—an event that could be her dream job. But when she discovers the true reason for the get-together, not even the spectacular ocean views can keep it from turning into a nightmare. Thirty years ago, bestselling suspense writer Barbara Bailey Bishop lost her twin sister in a tower fall deemed a suicide. But Barbara is convinced that Hélène did not die by her own hand, and she's trapped Hélène's former classmates—her prime suspects—at her home with no phone lines, no cell reception, and no means of escape.
One by one, the alumnae fall prey to a madwoman. A disturbed sister's revenge . . . or a former coed's coverup? Faith must quickly unlock the secrets of Hélène's last night if she wants to leave the island alive.
Customer Reviews:
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-06-04
Nearly forty years ago, Pelham College senior Helene Prince plummeted to her death from the school's tower. A wealthy, popular, beautiful woman, Prin, as she was known, seemed to have everything going for her. Which made her suicide that much more tragic. But Prin's group of friends at Pelham, as well as her twin sister, suspected there was more to the story.
After graduation, the young women all went their separate ways, until decades later when all are summoned to a mysterious island by a famous suspense writer. The former friends would never have agreed to go if they had known the others would be there, and they certainly would not have gone if they had known that the nightmare of Prin's death was about to come back to haunt them. When the island's reluctant guests start getting killed off, it is up to the caterer, Faith Fairchild, to catch the murderer and stop the carnage. This isn't Faith's first experience with homicide, either. It seems that she is often buried in dead bodies while she is trying to serve delicious delicacies to her catering clients.
THE BODY IN THE IVY is an entertaining mystery that kept me guessing. I don't read many mysteries, and I found myself wondering why that is as I turned the pages of this book. It's fun to wonder "Who dunnit?" and to watch the clues and suspects as they are revealed. In this particular book, the setting - an isolated private island - added greatly to the mystery and atmosphere. The prime suspects were eight former college friends who had gladly shaken the dust of their all-women's college off their feet decades earlier. They were all successful in their own ways, and it was fun to see how they each had evolved since college, and how they handled the stress of being trapped on an island with a murderer.
About half of this book takes place in present day, largely on the private island where all the women have been gathered. The other half of the book is made up of flashbacks to the women's lives and relationships when they were in college. These flashbacks focus on each woman in turn, and show key turning points in their relationships with each other and, especially, with the dead woman, Prin. The flashbacks in the story where the women are in college will undoubtedly be of most interest to teen readers. Those readers will likely identify with college students in their late teens and early twenties. Although I believe that readers of any age will enjoy meeting the women that those college students became and seeing how their past experiences shaped their lives.
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a nice, juicy mystery. The story is unique, too, because the sleuth is a caterer. That gives the author an opportunity to offer some recipes for dishes that are served during the story. That was a neat touch. I discovered that THE BODY IN THE IVY is the most recent in a series of more than a dozen mysteries by Katherine Hall Page. All the titles begin with "The Body in the...," so it's clear that Page's catering heroine, Faith Fairchild, has plenty of experience in solving murders. This was good news for me because now I have a long list of intriguing mysteries to add to my "to be read" pile.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Another Hit for Faith Fairchild.......2006-11-28
I was lucky enough to pick up an advanced reader copy for THE BODY IN THE IVY at the American Library Association conference in New Orleans, so I didn't have to wait as long as most to read the latest Faith Fairchild novel by Katherine Hall Page. At Malice Domestic this year, Katherine was the guest of honor and also won the Agatha Best Novel of the Year ('05) for THE BODY IN THE SNOWDRIFT. That's a tough act to follow, but she has pulled it off. The atmospheric Maine island and fantastic house she describes are the perfect setting for her "locked-room" type of mystery. The characters are interesting, strong, and ring a bell for this grad (coed, Non-Ivy, alas) of the late 1960s. I enjoyed the flashbacks to tell the backstory. And the Maine weather descriptions were perfect!
Clever Christie parallel.......2006-11-22
Faith Fairchild is asked to cater a reunion for reclusive author Barbara Bailey Bishop and her friends from Pelham, an exclusive women's college. The reunion is to take place at a remote island home which is owned by Bishop, whose real name is Elaine Prince. Most of the women who have been invited have a specific expertise, such as finance or gardening, which they have been asked to share with their old college friends. Once they arrive, however, they see that the agenda is quite different. Two of the women are murdered and it becomes apparent that their hostess is out to discover which of them pushed her twin sister to her death just before they all graduated from Pelham. Flashbacks of their college years show that each of the women had reason to want to kill Prin Prince, who act cruelly towards each one of them. This book is a real departure from the others in the series and is a clever tribute to Agatha Christie's classic "10 Little Indians" in which guests to a home are eliminated one by one by a clever murderer in their midst. I found the change refreshing and thoroughly enjoyed the guessing game as to who the murderer was.
Disappointing & derivative.......2006-11-22
Usually, I enjoy the Faith Fairchild series. This one, however, was a let-down.. The author is conciously copying Christie's "And Then There Were None", which is okay but not all that amusing. The worst part, though, is the use of long flashbacks throughout the book. The plot is paper-thin, and we don't get to see much of Faith, and nothing at all of the other Alesworth characters. Very very disappointing.
Another great Faith Fairchild book in the series.......2006-11-10
The Body in the Ivy is number 16 in the popular Faith Fairchild series; after the Agatha Award-winning Body in the Snowdrift. Page has degrees from Wellesley, Tufts, and Harvard, and taught English and History for years before her first book was published in 1990.
The setting of The Body in the Ivy, the all-girl Pelham College, in 1970--is right out of her background. Just before graduation, the most popular of the students, Helene Prince, is found dead at the foot of the college tower, an apparent suicide. Her twin sister, Elaine, however, has never believed it was suicide.
Faith receives an invitation to cater for a reclusive best-selling author on her remote island in Maine, when she hosts a weeklong college reunion. No one knows the author's true identity, and her guests accept for various reasons--Rachel, the famous classical guitarist; Bobbi, the California massage therapist; Maggie, who has gone on to become the President of Pelham; Chris, the writer and well-known gardener; Gwen, the financial wizard; Phoebe, mother of three, wife of a cranky and self-centered attorney; and Lucy, the mother of two college-age independent girls.
Told through flashbacks to their college years, we get to know the REAL Helene Prince, and learn just why each of the women attending had reason to hate her and want her dead.
Page has included some incredible recipes, as usual. Some of the recurring characters in the series: Tom, Faith's minister husband; her two children; Pix, her best friend and neighbor, are not in this book, but it still is a great read.
Armchair Interviews says: Page manages to capture the life of a career woman, mother and wife to perfection.
Amazon.com
Her first big catering gig in weeks has Goldy Bear Schulz salivating. But before she can collect her Elizabethan-inspired recipes (Queen of Scots Shortbread, Damson-in-Distress Plum Tart) and hie herself to the restored English castle in Colorado where she's putting on a donor's luncheon in Hyde Chapel and a high school fencing banquet in the castle's Great Room, someone blows a hole in her living room window. No sooner has she unloaded her pots and pans at the catering venue than another someone--or maybe the same one--shoots a hole in her detective husband, Tom. To make matters worse, Goldy's ex-husband has just been released from jail, and he seems to have a few reasons to want to kill her, too.
Between trying to solve the riddle of the castle ghost, keep her son Arch and her wounded husband safe, and get the food on the table while it's still hot, Goldy is up to her elbows in trouble. The would-be lord of the manor still looks like a business-builder for Goldy, but his Swiss-born wife seems a little wacky. And even from a sickbed, Tom's got a crime wave on his hands that seems to involve Goldy's ex, his flashy new girlfriend, the castle owner, and the dead man Goldy found floating in the castle moat. Not to mention a woman Tom once loved, who seems to have returned from the dead and is causing Goldy no end of distress. But Diane Mott Davidson's gutsy, multitalented series heroine (Prime Cut, Tough Cookie) triumphs again--the proof is in the reading as well as the eating in this fast-paced, frothy dessert. --Jane Adams
Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of
Tough Cookie dishes up another tasty treat of murder and mystery -- as caterer turned sleuth Goldy Schulz stirs up a heap of trouble while trying not to get burned by a killer who is striking far too close to home....
For Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, accepting a series of bookings at Hyde Castle is like a dream come true. It's not every day that she gets to cook authentic Elizabethan fare -- especially at a real castle that was brought over from England and reassembled stone by stone in Aspen Meadow. Goldy is determined that everything will go right -- which is why, she figures later, everything went terribly wrong.
It all started before dawn on the day of the first Anglophile lunch, when Goldy had just about the rudest awakening possible: a shotgun blast through her living room window. With her home now a crime scene and her cop husband, Tom, out of town searching for a fugitive hijacker, Goldy has no choice but to show up at the castle -- six hours early. And it doesn't take her long to realize that her early morning wake-up call was only the beginning....
While out checking on the tables for the luncheon, Goldy spots something strange lying in the Cottonwood Creek. Upon closer inspection, she can see that it is a body, clad in flannel and shot through the head. Goldy quickly dials 911, but before the police arrive, shots ring out for the second time that day -- and this time, someone Goldy loves is right in the line of fire.
Now Goldy has to face tough question: Was the victim killed by his partners in crime to keep him quiet -- and would they go so far to target Goldy herself? Could Tom's investigation have trigger a murder? Or could that shots be completely unrelated, perhaps coming at the hands of Goldy's violent and recently paroled ex-husband?
With her own life in peril, the last thing Goldy wants to think about is Shakespeare's Steak Pie, 911 Chocolate Emergency Cookies, or Damsel-in-Distress Plum Tart. But with death peering around every corner, she has no choice but to cook up some crime-solving solutions -- before the only dish that's left on her menu is murder....
Customer Reviews:
Murder Mystery.......2007-05-12
Love these books, enjoyed each one, purchased and read all to date. Arrived promptly.
I'm a new fan.......2007-04-24
This was my first book of Ms Davidson's books and I realy enjoyed it.
I've read a few mysteries with recipes and they had all fallen short, so this book was a pleasant surprise.
There was a lot going on in this book, but i believe the author did a good job and keeping it all straight for the reader. The characters and events were interesting and I hated to have to put it down for wont to know what was going to happen.
Goldie is an intersting character, and, as others have commented on her actions not being rational or perfect, I have to say that its nice to have a character that is REAL. People do and say stupid things or things that may not be very smart, but hat is human nature. So I appreciated the characters and their faults.
The story and the cooking information were nicely intertwined and all the food talk tortured me wonderfully. I Especialy liked the story setting in a castle with all the necessary history and the historicaly based foods.
I highly recomend this books for a good fun read that tantalizes your appetite for cuisine, history, and suspensefull mystery.
My reason for withholding the 5th star was merely a matter of wishing that there was just a little more action description in the final chapter to explain the culprit's ID and reasons. THe way it was done was ok, but it could have been better done. Nonetheless, this is a great book.
So dear Reader, I highly recommend this book. Proceed with your order and enjoy! (I certainly did and look forward to recieveing my copies of all the books in this series, to read in order now).
Recipe for disaster.......2006-11-27
I don't expect a lot from Diane Mott Davidson's books. I'm happy with a light read with some interesting characters. But this book was a big disappointment. Some of the behaviors & plotlines were extremely unrealistic and poorly developed. And Goldy's behavior was inexplicable and irresponsible. As a result, she just wasn't very likable. And that's a key component with this series. There were also too many questions left at the story's unrealistic & problematic ending. If this were a recipe, the chef skipped a few steps, used the wrong seasoning, and microwaved the resulting mess.
Jolly good fun!.......2006-10-15
Caterer Goldy Schultz has a propensity for cooking delicious treats, but also a tendency to encounter dangerous felons, dead bodies and dodge bullets. Although she is married to a policeman, Goldy endures her share of threats and risky situations. In this episode she has to decamp to a castle transplanted from Europe to Aspen Colorado because the front window of her home has had a firearm discharged into it, shattering the glass and the peace of her family.
Goldy wants to find out who did it, but also wants to keep a prestigious catering job re-creating the cuisine of Elizabethan England. Her supportive friends and family help her keep it together while she caters, dodges death threats and does some amateur sleuthing. She must also investigate a mysterious woman from her husbands past.
While the mysteries are somewhat improbable, Goldy's character is well outlined, gutsy and believable. Mott creates a fun story-line along with some tasty sounding recipes that keep you reading--and hungry! Enjoyable escape reading.
Entertaining, but not her best novel.......2006-08-05
I've read several of Diane Mott Davidson's books and this one was not my favorite. However, I still enjoyed it and will continue to read more. It seems like Goldy gets hurt in most of her stories and she's certainly got a lot more energy than I do. I'd probably go to the hospital, but she continues on cooking for therapy. The castle and it's inhabitants are very strange, but the story does keep your interest.
Book Description
Every week, Jill Cordes and Marc Silverstein, hosts of Food Network's popular show The Best Of, take viewers to unexpected places in search of the best of food, drink, and merriment. From the smallest prairie towns to the biggest cities, from five-star dining rooms to greasy spoons, from Maine to Maui, these reporters traverse the country, cameras at the ready and forks in hand.
Part recipe collection, part scavenger hunt, part confessional, Food Network Best of The Best Of gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road to discover why a drugstore in South Dakota sells 3,000 donuts a day or where to find the finest matzoball soup in Iowa. Whether it's a Cordon Bleu-trained chef amidst the slot machines of Las Vegas or the ranch wife who opened an eatery in a one-horse town, the book, like the show, showcases the breadth and variety of the food experience in America.
Customer Reviews:
great recipes.......2007-09-30
This is a great cookbook with the best of the great recipes that you see onfood network all compiled together.
Books:
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