Turn Up the Heat: a Gourmet Girl Mystery

by: Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant

Published by: Berkley Prime Crime / Penguin

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

This is the third in the delectable series by mother-daughter author collaborators, Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park. Chloe Carter is in the midst of social work graduate school exams, but takes a night off to have dinner with close friends at Simmer, the fancy Boston restaurant where her boyfriend Josh works.

Chef Josh Driscoll is working hard to make a name for himself, as owner Gavin has given him free rein in the kitchen to create his own dishes. Their server that night is the cute Leandra, currently Gavin’s love interest, but she makes some odd comments to Chloe’s friend Owen, who is there with his pregnant soon-to-be live-in girlfriend, Adrianna.

Owen is trying to be responsible and settle down, and has just started working selling fish to restaurants, and has left his new fish truck out back in the alley. He is proud, and wants to show it off to his friends. Owen leaves the truck and takes pregnant Adrianna home, and the next morning has Chloe drive him back to Simmer to get his truck. Chloe discovers Leandra’s body in the truck, obviously not an accidental death. Owen appears to be a prime suspect, and Chloe must help Adrianna and Owen while studying and maintaining her relationship with Josh.

The vignettes of restaurant life, the friendships and enmities, and the fantastic recipes make this series a charmer.

Armchair Interviews says: Read all the books in the series. Fed Up, number four, is coming out soon.

Authors’ Web site: http://conantparkmysteries.googlepages.com