Hail to the Chef

A White House Chef Mystery #2

by Julie Hyzy

White House executive chef Ollie Paras has to put her own interests on the back burner when a kindly electrician is electrocuted to death, and the First Lady’s nephew dies in an apparent suicide less than 24 hours after cleaning shrimp with Ollie. Ollie suspects something fishy is going on. She’ll have to watch her back—and find a killer unlikely to be pardoned.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Contemporary, Food, Adult

328 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 2, 2008

About the author

New York Times bestselling author, Julie Hyzy, has won the Anthony, Barry, Phobos, and Derringer Awards for her fiction.

Novels include:
Virtual Sabotage
The White House Chef Mystery series
The Manor House Mysteries
Deadly Blessings
Deadly Interest
Dead Ringer
Artistic License
Playing With Matches


Visit:
www.juliehyzy.com

Reviews

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

..
Introducing White House Assistant Chef Olivia Paras, who is rising-and sleuthing-to the top.

This was a very interesting and informative tale of the life of the White House kitchen staff. As always the main focus is on Olivia Paras, who demonstrates the ability to keep her wit and uses whatever is available to protect herself and others from danger. It captivates and compels readers to jump in and enjoy the strenuous experiences first hand.

White House executive chef Ollie Paras has to put her own interests on the back burner when a kindly electrician is electrocuted to death, and the First Lady’s nephew dies in an apparent suicide less than 24 hours after cleaning shrimp with Ollie. Ollie suspects something fishy is going on. She’ll have to watch her back—and find a killer unlikely to be pardoned.

Julie Hyzy did an incredible job in drawing the reader into the story and compelling them to stay focused as long as possible as they rode on her roller-coaster adventure of a lifetime. This was a cozy mystery that didn't seem to be formulaic at all. This heroine is observant, inquisitivve, and determined when puzzled by something.

SueR: This book was heart pounding almost from the beginning to the very end. I'm sure glad we have those brave men and women protecting the White House and those who reside and work there and all those who protect us and our freedom daily. Sue, I could not have said this any better myself.

I would recommend this choice to anyone interested in a clean and wholesome cozy mystery and/or the life of service in the White House. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! Highly recommend it!

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining cozy mystery where the protagonist, Ollie, is the Executive Chef of the White House. Someone is leaving bombs in the White House! Lots of action! Great cast of characters!

[oshizu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this book is "only" a culinary cozy mystery featuring the White House executive chef as amateur sleuth. But what the book does, it does very well. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m starting to really enjoy Olivia and her madcap adventures within the White House. While Olivia does tend to ask more questions than is good for her, I like her intelligence, gumption, and determination to solve a crime. This second adventure had many possibilities, some I guessed, others I didn’t, and was a much smoother read than book one. I’m curious to see what happens to the White House Chef next!

[Ranjini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia Paras, aka Ollie, has finally gotten the promotion she was vying for. From Assistant Chef, she’s now the Executive Chef of the White House.

In this second book, Ollie is settling in her new role. It’s Christmas time in and the entire White House is preparing for the holidays. But things can never be calm at the White House, can it?

While in a meeting with the First Lady, Mrs. Campbell, and her nephew, Sean Baxter, an incendiary device is found on the property.  Ollie is forced into a safety bunker with both of them, and the ever-curious Ollie can’t help but overhear a discussion between them. The discussion revolves around Zendy Industries, of which Mrs Campbell is a part owner. The other parties are interested in selling and changing the original vision of the company but neither is she interested, nor does Sean encourage her to do so.

The trio are eventually released, since it was a prank scare; and Ollie goes about planning the meticulous menus of the various events planned. The prank beefs up the already tight security at the White House, and now all staff are forced to attend security training. 

Unfortunately, while checking up on a power fault, the White House chief electrician, Gene, is electrocuted and dies. Ollie tries to find out the cause, but she doesn’t get any support or help from the other electricians. Before things can settle down, Sean Baxter is found dead; having apparently committed suicide.

As Ollie inadvertently gets drawn into the Zendy scam, she becomes Mrs Campbell’s support throughout her grief.
Between juggling her duties in the kitchen, and trying to unveil the truth behind the Zendy scam; Ollie continues to find herself in risky situations.

What will happen to Zendy Industries?
Will Ollie be able to solve the mystery of Sean and Gene’s death?
Amidst all this, will she be able to successfully deliver the mega-lunch, replete with the awesome gingerbread rendering of the White House?

I’m addicted to this series.
Fast-paced and breezy; in addition to the thrilling storyline, the White House’s preparation for the holidays was very interesting.

If you haven’t read one of this series yet, pick it up now!
You won’t regret it.

[Alyssa White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 was just as wonderful as Book 1. Ollie has gotten herself into a new bind, bombs. I was waiting at every turn to figure out when a new one would come up. It set me, personally, on the lookout. I loved the new character Gav, he is great. This story started out by breaking my heart and ended with me picking up Book 3.

[Connie N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I've very much enjoyed this cozy mystery series. Ollie is a pleasing character, with interest in her surroundings, a discerning eye to notice the details, and excellent skills in the kitchen to make her an executive chef at the White House. It's interesting to get behind the scenes a little, seeing how the president's family lives as well as how the Secret Service operates. The meals prepared and the events hosted are fascinating to read about and imagine (with delicious-sounding recipes included at the back of the book). I would rate this 4.5 stars, but because I liked the story and the believableness of Ollie's "investigations" and her involvement in the crimes, I'm rounding it up to a 5-star read. Even other characters in the book commented on Ollie's always being involved in some sort of crime scene, and this was explained to my satisfaction, making the story seem even more believable. I will definitely be reading more in this series.

[Joshua Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been enjoying this series so far. The protagonist, Ollie Paras, is likable, competent, and most importantly, relatable despite her position as a chef working for the First Family. The culprit struck me as somewhat obvious this time around, but the pace and tension was well-handled and it was an enjoyable read overall.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, exciting book from start to finish! It made me want to go see the White House all decorated for Christmas. I think I was suspicious of several characters before Ollie was but not the brains behind everything. Lots of good sounding recipes at the end.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia Paras, Executive Chef of the White House, has adventures in mystery solving. Who knew a Chef could be so bust outside of the kitchen? This is a great read.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Gale Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and great series. I plan to continue reading this series.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local Author. I was motivated by the chance to meet the author at the book store around the corner from my house--the store specializes in mystery and history which aren't my usual suspects but I like to support the local small stuff when I it makes sense. It was enjoyable, though pretty light. Airplane book for sure. I pretty much figured out the entire "mystery" but I am not sure if that is because of the writing or because I always figure out where the plot is going before it gets there. The curse of reading far too many books. What I absolutely loved about the book: Intelligent, successful woman character not drawn at all sentimental--no distracting pointless love story! Not too much explaining away of the mystery---she knew when it was obvious what was going on and just let it happen. The setting is refreshing and fun=Whitehouse Kitchen! I think food as a substantial part of any book will always get me. (because I am a food whore) I look forward to trying the recipes in the back---blue cheese sticks sound amazing! All in all, fun time.

[Sue Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of the tv show 24, Hail to the Chef has had me on pins and needles ever since the first “accident” happened. The further into the book I got, the more suspicious I became of almost every one involved. This offering from Julie Hyzy gives us insight to the preparation of the White House during the holiday season and how busy all those who work there are. It also shows what deceit there can be when money and a desire to become more powerful there can be, even between life long friends. The further into the book I got, the tighter my nerves got and by the end, if my coffee cup had been Styrofoam, I would have been wearing my coffee. This book was heart pounding almost from the beginning to the very end. I’m sure glad we have those brave men and women protecting the White House and those who reside and work there and all those who protect us and our freedom daily. Thanks Julie for another great read. I’m looking forward, as soon as my nerves settle down, to reading the next one in the series.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in a series of cozy mysteries featuring White House Executive Chef Ollie Paras begins at Thanksgiving and takes the reader through preparations to decorate the White House for Christmas. But the discovery of a fake bomb hidden in the building complex puts everyone on edge. Clearly it was planted by an insider, for who else would have access? Was this someone’s idea of a practical joke? Or is someone seriously trying to harm the President?

This was fairly entertaining, but I guess what was going on FAR ahead of Ollie, and even, apparently, the Secret Service Agent in Charge! I didn’t even have the benefit of an intense one-on-one hours-long training session with said AiC, the way Ollie did, to get the message. Yet time and again Ollie ignored the warning signs that I felt were as obvious as the largest Las Vegas neon sign. Oh well … all’s well that ends well.

It’s a cozy mystery and I read this genre for the escape from reality. And this certainly fills that bill.

[Christina (AKA Babbling) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book, Ollie and the White House staff are preparing for the holiday season and the First Lady is playing matchmaker. The President’s single, good-looking nephew, Sam Sean Baxter, is visiting and Mrs. Campbell asks Ollie to convince Sam Sean to spend Thanksgiving at the White House. The First Lady is unaware of Ollie’s relationship with Secret Service Agent Tom MacKenzie, who is on the President’s security detail. Ollie is gratified to know that Mrs. Campbell thinks so highly of her, but she’s stumped on how to diplomatically tell the First Lady she’s not interested in Sam Sean and keep her relationship with Tom private.

To read the rest of my review, please visit Christina Babbles

Updated: 19 October 2013

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #: 4
Title: Hail to the Chef
Series: White House Chef Mysteries #2
Author: Julie Hyzy
Format: Paperback omnibus, first three novels in the series, mystery
Pub Date: Published December 2nd 2008 by Berkley (first published 2008)
Started: 1/11/23 Ended: 1/13/23
Awards: none
Categories: Next Book in a Series, Culinary Cozy, A book with a recipe in it
Rating: **** four out of five stars

An electrician is electrocuted, the First Lady's nephew apparently commits suicide before advising his aunt on something important. POTUS is out of town, so who could be the target? The First Lady??? I want this to be a movie just to watch the scene where Ollie destroys the gingerbread White House. I think the author should have taken a page from her previous novel, and titled it after a line in the book, "All the President's Gingerbread Men".

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good follow-up to Hyzy's first book in the series, State of the Onion. Hyzy brings such life and realism to the characters and really gives you a sense of the White House and it's First family, the Campbell's. Just when you think nothing more can go wrong, it sure does and Ollie is always right smack dab in the middle.
I would definately recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery or who wants an inside look in the White House. I would recommend reading the first book of the series, State of the Onion, prior to reading this, just so you can fully understand what Ollie is going through, but if you do not, it won't entirely throw off your understanding of this one.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt pretty much the same way about this book as I did about the first. I did like this one a little better -- in large part because Tom was hardly present and when he was, he actually seemed to respect her more. Additionally, the lesser antagonist weren't so over the top this time, so I never had to wonder why they hadn't been kicked out of the White House yet. One is still around (weirdly) but at least the folks in charge seem to have realized he shouldn't be given free reign to meddle. In many ways, the actual mystery felt less like a follow the clues and solve it type, and more a just hang on for the ride one with some extremely suspicious characters. I still enjoy the writing and characters enough to head on to the next book soon.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great premise: the executive chef at the White House is a youngish (and vertically challenged) woman. All of the arcana about the White House is fun the murderers do not telegraph their guilt too early in the action. The usual assortment of eccentric characters surround our heroine. there is also a stoic Secret Service boyfriend, but their relationship is clearly doomed by their opposing purposes.

[Lisa Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking back over these books, there's an alarming anti-Middle East sentiment that runs through the series that smacks of racism and anti-Muslim sentiments. I enjoy having mysteries set in the White House and all the intrigue that goes with that, but Dorothy St. James's White House Gardener series is much better at achieving this without resorting to trite plotlines and Middle Eastern stereotypes.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun, this second book is even better than the first! Ollie, top chef at the White House is in fine form, as is her supporting cast. The details of life in the White House are fun to read about, the mystery is compelling and the whole thing gels together very well. I'll be looking forward to the next entry in this fun series.

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, quick, light series.

I have liked (3 stars) each book in this series (at the time of this review, I have read four) but I have really liked (4 stars) the series as a whole. I think I am saying that this book is much like cooking in that the sum is often greater than the parts, or something like that.

[Cheryl Turoczy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this series of books although the premise of the Executive Chef of the White House being at the center of so much intrigue is a little silly. They are well researched, I understand, and the "insider" view of the workings of the White House and the preparations for all of the amazing meals served there make for an interesting read.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good second book, a little slower pace than the first but non the less good. A solid 3.5 read but rounding up rather than rounding down. The characters are great. The author does a good job telling these stories. Looking forward to the next book.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I like the story and I'll keep reading the series, but something is still missing for me. I'm not exactly sure what it is. Maybe, it's that we have a character who is so nosy (by her own admission) and focused on detail, but misses the incredibly obvious 'clues' that the author throws in our face. Or maybe it's because some of the character decisions still don't quite make sense.

So this story takes place around Thanksgiving and early December. The White House is gearing up for the holidays and it's Ollie's first time as executive chef. She is talking with the first lady and the first lady's nephew, Sean, when an alarm is sounded and the secret service take them to the bunker. A device was found. The entire staff are now forced to take training.
This may be part of my issue. There seems to be no 'top down' communication coordination. Like in the last book, Special Agent Gavin 'Gav' just shows up and starts ordering people around to take this training. But we really never see where he was announced as an authority. And all these people just immediately start following these orders from this person that was given no authority other than what he tells them. This is supposed to be the White House! I just have a really hard time with this.

Gene, the old electrician is killed. Ollie finds him and tries to save him but he was electrocuted. She found the whole thing horrific and off. She asked her building electrician about it and he told her about floating neutrals. (I won't try to paraphrase. It's a thing. It's bad). Ollie tries to get the other electricians to look into it but they all shut her down.

Anyway. Ollie starts learning how to look for things that are off and what an IED is and looks like. She had been privy to Mrs Campbell (1st lady) conversation with Sean and understands that she's in the middle of an issue. She and three others own a company called Zendy that does philanthropic work. It's been incredibly successful and it's now forth a fortune. But while any one of their fathers were alive it could not be sold. When the last of the founders died, the heirs had a short amount of time to decide to sell or they would have to wait another 10 years before they could sell again. She had promised her father she'd never sell for the company would never do the good work it was currently doing if it was sold. He co-owners wanted the money. They want to sell. They are putting a lot of pressure on her.

One of them is Senator Blanchard. His assistant Bindy keeps showing up at the White House. She used to work there before she became his aide. She hand delivers gingerbread men from the Blanchard children (yet obviously looked professionally done) to display for the While House Gingerbread display in which children from all over the country sent in. She also gave a clock to Ollie as a gift. An ugly clock.

She learns that Sean is interested in her romantically and he comes by to visit her in the kitchen. But the next day he's found dead. They say it's suicide. Ollie and the first lady don't believe it.

Ollie is mugged on the way home. (This is really never explained. Why did "they", the bad guys, bother to mug her? What purpose did this serve?) She also find a box in the storage room. She realizes it might be a bomb so she calls it in. Everyone is told it was not a bomb, but it really was. Her team (specifically Bucky) gives her a really hard time about it.

Bindy keeps showing up. Her presence doesn't make sense. It's obvious she is up to something. So is Marcel's new help Yi-im. They are so obviously the bad guys it really doesn't make sense that no one else sees this.

Senator Blanchard wants to be the next president. I think he needed the Zendy money to do it. So he had Mrs Campbell's father killed (made it look like a car accident), Sean was killed, Gene was an accident. But he had Bindy deliver those gingerbread men which were explosives. Yi-im wired them up to the gingerbread house and at the last second Ollie figured it out and stopped them all from being killed. (The target was Mrs. Campbell, because with her dead they could sell the company). The clock was a secondary device.

So Ollie saved the day. The Bindy story line, her actions, none of it was believable. Why in the world would a senator be so concerned over three gingerbread (that his children didn't even make) that he repeatedly sends his assistant over to badger the kitchen staff about it? And why in the world would the executive chef take orders from a senator's assistant? She wasn't told by the first lady to display them prominently... so why? If it was political, I could maybe understand it, except Ollie isn't political in any way.

OH and the freaking news reporter. That made no sense. Girl show up, starts asking Ollie questions. You would think rule number 1 at working at the white house is to not talk to the media. And while she doesn't give the reporter any information, the exchange was totally unnecessary. It just didn't fit with the character.

But I still like Ollie. I like the characters. I like the idea of the adventures in the White House. I'll keep reading, I just hope some of the bad gets fixed in the next one.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

yep. This series definitely appeals to me.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ollie Paras is now the executive chef of the White House. She's doing more administrative tasks than usual, and trying to juggle a secret romance with her Secret Agent boyfriend, and to add to things, the First Lady's nephew, Sean, is a little bit too friendly with her. On a rather ordinary day, there's a bomb threat that forced Ollie to hide in the bunker with the First Lady and her nephew, and she manages to overhear about a personal business transaction. Sean is found dead the next day, and though the report says "suicide", Ollie is not convinced.

I've read the White House Chef Mystery books in the past, and this series should actually be in the "to re-read" list.

I love this series. This is a perfect blend of political thriller and suspense, mystery, and food, and if I may be so bold, this should be in the bestseller lists. Ollie Paras is an engaging cozy mystery protagonist. She has the skills to rise to a top position in the career she loves and all she wants is to do her job, but she keeps getting involved in murder mysteries that seem "ordinary" at first, but are actually deeply rooted in dirty politics and even espionage. This could be because she's literally on the corridors of power, but I think it's because she has empathy, she's sensitive and intuitive to know that things are not what they seem on the surface, and she is also a person of integrity.

A nitpick that I have with this story is that I have already guessed (correctly) in the middle part who the persons responsible for the murder and the bomb threat were, so it was not that much of a surprise for me when everything gets resolved in the end. The antagonists were the textbook shady characters, but they have horrid personalities so I didn't mind a textbook "happy ending for now" for the mystery.

I was gloomy about Sean. He was kind of pushy, but he had a good heart, and I hoped he had a bigger part in the story because there's a "what if" element that I would have wanted to read. The ML's role is not as significant, and I'm suspecting certain "personnel changes".

This is a great follow-up for Book 1. It's definitely on to Book 3.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about this series by accident, and requested that my library acquire all 9 books on Kindle on their Overdrive/Libby service & they DID! I was so thrilled! However, I was both pleased and disappointed to find out that the series popped up as new books on the service, so with this special PR there are now waiting lists on each one even though they were actually released years ago. I was pleased because I am a librarian retired from that library system, and I didn’t want them spending the money on the series and only me checking it out, but disappointed because when I realized it had been added, I was already 5th on the waiting list for Book 1! I was 4th or 5th on the list for the 2nd one, although it moved pretty fast. Perhaps like me, people are devouring them quickly…

…because, they have absolutely been worth the wait so far! I loved the first book, and I loved this one just as much. I really like all of the characters (especially Ollie, of course), the setting, and the plotlines. I can’t help thinking that the author must have put in a lot of research to be able to make these so believable —I feel like I’m learning a lot about what it is like to be a chef at the White House, but I have no idea what part is fact, and what is fiction. Well, other than the plots, of course. I read a lot of cozy mysteries, and the whole premise of a White House Chef is an extremely original idea. There are many culinary cozies, but this is one of the most unique. It is fun to have recipes in the end too.

Unfortunately, I’m once again number 5 on the list for the third book in the series! I don’t dare reserve them more than one at a time, because I would probably receive them in the wrong order. So I am patiently waiting, very hopeful that it will be worth the wait as well.