Fun(gus) little read, filled with subtle (and less subtle) hints towards that great Belgian detective. Also heaps of mushroom knowledge.
The characters were so quirky they felt exaggerated, but I did enjoy this quick (free) read. ( )

This was a bad read for me. I found it lacking and rather dull. I think this book would be better suited for people who like boring books. ( )

When Chef Maurice, proprietor and head chef of Le Cochon Rouge, went to find out why he hadn’t received his mushroom order from Ollie, his supplier, he discovered that the police arrived before him. Ollie was missing but, through some sneaky snooping, Chef Maurice found his order as well as a stash of some very rare and expensive White Alba truffles.
He didn’t know where Ollie had found the truffles but decided to look for them himself. To do so, he had to get a dog who was trained to hunt for truffles since they grew below ground. Chef Maurice had to settle for Hamilton, a pig, who he thought he could train to locate the hidden treasure. Along the way. Hamilton got kidnapped and Chef Maurice got threatened. That didn’t stop him from pursuing his objective.
Part of the story is told from Hamilton’s perspective.
J. A. Lang presented some quirky characters in her book. Their personalities were often shown through their words: “I thought truffles were made of chocolate,” said the commis chef.”
“His friend was not, to put it lightly, an animal person. When pressed by, say, a young child to name his favorite animal, his usual reply was ‘beef’.” One neighbor explained that she heard an argument from a neighbor’s home. “Terrible the way sound carries through these walls. Had to turn the telly right down, I did.” “He’d gone through the fridge too, sorting the contents into three shelves: expiring food, expired food, and food that PC Lucy was presumably keeping for sentimental value, given the far-gone use-by dates.”
The relationships between people was given in a way that is quite familiar but not usually so well-expressed: “Perhaps it was because they both loved to talk and rarely listened to what the other person was saying.” “A low fire crackled in the hearth, the only light source in the shadow-filled room. Two high-backed chairs faced the fireplace, at an angle suggesting that their occupants were rather more interested in the flames than each other’s face.
“A heated discussion was well underway.”
And the story told quite a bit about truffles and how they are located: “People think it’s all about eyes to the ground, but it’s actually all about the trees. This wood is like an old friend. Know your trees, and you’ll know your mushrooms.”
CHEF MAURICE AND A SPOT OF TRUFFLE was a quick, cozy read that has wit and information. The chef uses many French phrases that were not translated but the responses let the reader know what they probably mean.
This book was a free Amazon download. ( )

First in this series entertaining, fun read, liked characters and setting. ( )

I do like the occasional cosy and found this first in the Chef Maurice series a light-hearted and entertaining read. Chef Maurice, long time resident of the Cotswolds, is a larger than life character, who loves to try new dishes. When his local supplier of mushrooms and herbs goes missing, Maurice's curiosity is piqued when he finds thousands of pounds worth of truffles in Ollie's refrigerator.

Maurice is convinced that Ollie has actually found a local but hitherto unknown cache of rare truffles, but looking for them gets Chef Maurice into trouble he hadn't bargained for. At the same time there is a mystery or two to be solved.

The main characters in this story are humourously and well drawn. Recommended if you enjoy the occasional cosy. ( )