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Carolyn Blue was a stay-at-home mom. When her son and daughter grew up she decided to abandon that role, and seek a career of her own....that of a food columnist. Imagine her delight when she is offered a vacancy on a culinary tour of Normandy and the Loire Valley. The price is right; the itinerary fascinating; the weather (Spring) ideal. The group comprises some of the faculty and family of her husband's former university. This would give her the opportunity to visit places she had only studied about and to savor the French culinary cuisine. She is accompanied by her husband, Jason, a chemistry professor, and their 20 year old son, Chris. The tour has an inauspicious beginning. One of the professors falls onto the luggage carousel at the airport(he claims he was pushed); their baggage is misplaced; their accommodations are mediocre to say the least; their food at the hotel is unappetizing. The group is not compatible. Three are contenders for the same position of dean at their college. There is a teen-ager who Carolyn is supposed to chaperon who develops a crush for Chris. There is a plastic surgeon who was continually remaking his wife until she began taking Prozac and rebelled. This is a mixed bag of academics who are confused and confusing. When one of the group is murdered, Carolyn finds herself abandoning her search for epicurean delights for a search for the murderer before any further mayhem may develop. The story is told by three; Jason, Carolyn and by an unknown whose identity we learn only at the end. This is a well-written, fast-paced mystery with a wealth of details about the culinary dishes we encounter on the tour; not just the preparation but also their history. The discussions and repartee among the academics are at times pedantic, clever and amusing. As a bonus to a clever mystery delicious French recipes are included.
Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer, May 2002
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