Eggsecutive Orders (A White House Chef Mystery, #3) by Julie Hyzy

White House Chef Olivia "Ollie" Paras is preparing for the Easter Egg Roll when National Security Adviser Carl Minkus dies. The Kitchen is closed as the investigation starts in the kitchen as his death is a suspected poisoning. Add to this her Mother and grandmother are coming for a visit. Life gets busy for Ollie as she investigates and tries to keep her family safe.

The story moves at a steady pace with well developed characters, engaging dialog and interesting plot. Ollie is very likable, plus we got to meet her Mother and Grandmother, who are likable as well. With a classic who-done-it style, some plot twists and several suspects, I was hooked from the first page. Also enjoyable is the bonus recipes at the end of the book. I enjoyed Eggsecutive Orders and recommend to those who like a good cozy murder/mystery. ( )

Book number three in the series has Executive Chef Ollie Paras and her staff planning for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. But everything comes to a screeching halt when a dinner guest dies suddenly. This was no ordinary guest, he was the head of the National Security Agency, and poison is suspected. Ollie and her staff are banned from the kitchen, and Secret Service Agent Tom Mackenzie is specifically tasked with keeping Ollie out of the investigation!

I like this cozy mystery series. There are interesting tidbits about the workings of a professional kitchen, and the sights of our nation’s capital. Ollie is a strong female lead character – tenacious, hard-working, and intelligent, if given to the occasional emotional outburst. This book features a visit from her mother and grandmother, so we get a little more information about her family relationships. Hyzy includes a variety of potential suspects and enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. A fast, enjoyable cozy mystery. ( )

I was reading this while I had a lot of stuff going on and kept getting interrupted, but I have to say this was just not my favorite of the series. It had elements I really liked, but also a lot of stuff I found myself skimming over.

The plot was strong and I didn't see who did it until the end, but I guess I just can't enjoy all the animosity Ollie is surrounded with - just way too much, although perhaps some of that was resolved towards the end of the story. I'm hoping the next book will pull me back in. ( )

This was a nice, quick summer read. I've read other books in this series before, and this one fell into line with the others. I like the White House and Washington, DC, settings. One of the issues I have with cozy mysteries, nosey protagonists, was a big part of the plot this time. I haven't decided if it added to or detracted from my enjoyment of the book. All in all, though, I enjoyed this as a summer read. ( )

This series keeps getting better. ( )