L. A. Lewandowski

Forrest Gump’s ‘Momma’ might well have said, ‘Life’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’, but I’m going to say that’s also true of a book, not just life. This title doesn’t give anything away, other than, yes, obviously, a murder takes places in South Tampa. But what, I wondered, was the Gourmet Demise all about?

So, when I dipped into this box of chocolates, I got a sumptuous delight I didn’t know I was going to get. The sumptuosity is in the form of exquisite cooking and South Tampa’s glitterati and their elite life styles. Therein lie depravity and greed. And that can only lead to one thing: murder. One isn’t enough, though. Nor is two. Nor three…

Katherine Montgomery is a successful art gallery owner. When she’s not preparing for exhibitions or arranging commissions, she’s a keen runner and tennis player. The exercise is bit of a necessity when she belongs to an exclusive group of foodies who take it in turn to cook delicious, ambrosial even, dinners. When one of their number, along with a close friend and acquaintances of Katherine become victims of murder, Detective Frank Olsen heads the team which investigates the murders. They have quite a task on their hands: how are the murders linked and what part does Santeria play in it all?

I really enjoyed this book. It’s well written, the characters well defined. I loved the setting of high-class dining and the obscenely rich, and best of all, I just couldn't guess whodunit, which is always a good sign of a deftly crafted mystery. I can recommend this.… (mehr)

If you'd love to be dipped, like a strawberry into chocolate, (except YOU into the lifestyle of the Tampa elite) this is the book for you. I've never read a mystery before that made me so HUNGRY. The descriptions of the food and fashion made me drool and wonder what I've done wrong that I couldn't live the life of the characters. But while anyone can throw references to high fashion against the wall, LA was very specific with those references as well as those that will make food and wine lovers swoon. Throw in a mystery for a bonus! Very impressed with the writing overall.… (mehr)