A Taste of the Nightlife (A Vampire Chef Mystery, #1)

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A Taste of the Nightlife (A Vampire Chef Mystery #1)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 366 ratings · 86 reviews

Charlotte Caine isn't called "the Vampire Chef" because she's a member of New York's undead community-she just cooks for them. Her restaurant, Nightlife, is poised to take the top slot in the world of "haute noir" cuisine.

But when a drunk customer causes a scene, a glowing review from the city's top food critic doesn't seem likely-especially when that customer winds up de...more

Paperback, 297 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by Signet

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Community Reviews

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May 23, 2012 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-mystery, fantasy, magic-users, mystery, paranormal, read-in-2012, romance, urban, vampire

3.5 stars. So what happens when a really great author decides to write a formula genre novel? You get A Taste of the Nightlife, a cute but uninspiring mystery/paranormal romance. I really adored Sarah Zettel's Fool's War, I gave it one of my very few five star reviews, so I was hoping for more from this book, despite having my doubts when I read the description. I'm a fan of this genre, so I hoped she'd write something a bit more special than the typical book, but it was really checklist cozy my...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book and its sequel, Let Them Eat Stake, on a whim, and am very happy I did. A Taste... is a fun, fast-paced paranormal mystery set in the restaurant world of NYC, a world in which vampires, or nightbloods, are officially out and legal citizens, with their own culture of clubs, restaurants and entertainment venues, and various types of relationships with humans, or daybloods.

Series protagonist chef Charlotte Caine is human, with no special powers except exceptional cooking skil...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Sobia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: squeaky, first-person

I think I just read my first cozy

I probably would've liked it more, had I known it was a cozy.

Plot wise....

So the h, owns a restaurant with her famously irresponsible, and somewhat newly vampired brother. Then they find a body, at their place of business....so the rest of the book is the h, trying to figure out how badly her brother screwed up as to lead to a dead body....all the while knowing she's going to have to sav him, since it's her fault he's all campy, and at the same time fighting off...more
I think I just read my first cozy

I probably would've liked it more, had I known it was a cozy.

Plot wise....

So the h, owns a restaurant with her famously irresponsible, and somewhat newly vampired brother. Then they find a body, at their place of business....so the rest of the book is the h, trying to figure out how badly her brother screwed up as to lead to a dead body....all the while knowing she's going to have to sav him, since it's her fault he's all campy, and at the same time fighting off the advances of H 1 and H2....yeah, okay I never really got into this story.

Ms zettel does a good job of making it seem like a lot is happening , without a lot actually happening....like it will seem like a lots's going on, but if you think about it, it takes ages for anything to actuallY b accomplished.

Then there's the reason the h feels like she has to save her brother....it's a secret for most of the book, but when it comes up...well, it's sorta lame....I'm sure if the description had been heavier, more guilt ridden/ angsty, i'd have bought it, but the way it's described is so freaking tame, it was sorta hard to take it seriously....and t had the added effect of making me like the h even less...

Well, that's not quite true...it's not that I don't like the h, it's that I don't care....i dont care what happens to her restaurant, or any pf the myriad pf secondary characters that pop up through out the book, or about the ensuing vamp vs non vamp politics, .i dont care whoch H she chooses, i dont care the least little bit about what goes on in the next book.

I'm not sure if it's because I didn't like the h's voice, there wasn't enough world building for me to truly get pulled Ito the world SZ is trying to create or that it's just that I was expecting a pnr- ish UF, and got a cozy instead. And
It's not that this is badly written or anything,it's just that I didn't get sucked in, I didn't like anyone, and again, I just didn't care.... I never found that overarching need to keep reading, keep going despite the chores and other real-world things I had to do...and I think that's what's most got me disappointed... Like what I'm guessing most readers want, I wanted to want to keep going, to find that driving need to put everything aside and just keep reading ...but pretty much the opposite happened...so much so that I'll admit to staying up super late to finish this, just so I didn't have to start another day finding excuses not to finish this...so, for me this is a 2 star read.

If you're a fan of cozies or want to try one, there's a good chance you'll like this, but it's not for me....and it may be a while before I give another one a try...though maybe going in knowing what I'll be getting ( and actually reading reviews!) will make all the difference!

On a side note, years ago I read one of Ms Zettel's Camelot books...IMO it was a lot better( while still being super clean), it's not a cozy, but a historical, and definitely worth a chance :D(less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Bookmom rated it 4 of 5 stars

My friend called me and told me I just had to read this book. She said it was similar to the Sookie Stackhouse series. Well I wouldn't quite describe it like that, but I'm really glad she made the recommendation.

Chef Charlotte Caine and her vampire brother, Chet, co-own the restaurant, Nightlife, which caters to vampires and their friends and family. While vampires can't eat, they can drink and the concoctions the restaurant serves are becoming popular, as is the food served to those who can eat...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Katharine Kimbriel rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of paranormal mysteries with a touch of humor

Recommended to Katharine by: Saw promoted on Book View Cafe

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, book-view-cafe

This was a fun little mystery, sort of a cross between a cozy and an amateur detective story. Chef Charlotte Caine is the co-owner and head chef of Nightlife, a high-end NYC restaurant that caters to the, well, late night life – werewolves, vampires, and their ilk. This was a natural progression for her, since the co-owner, her younger brother Chet, became a vampire under circumstances Charlotte tries hard not to remember.

This is a story of cause and effect, or possibly chain of events – Charlot...more This was a fun little mystery, sort of a cross between a cozy and an amateur detective story. Chef Charlotte Caine is the co-owner and head chef of Nightlife, a high-end NYC restaurant that caters to the, well, late night life – werewolves, vampires, and their ilk. This was a natural progression for her, since the co-owner, her younger brother Chet, became a vampire under circumstances Charlotte tries hard not to remember.

This is a story of cause and effect, or possibly chain of events – Charlotte is not quite sure. Things start with a very public scene among a vampire guest, a “vamp tramp” (person who pursues vampires for love and/or money) and a spurned admirer that causes fire and an explosion of sprinklers (turns out the interloper is a magician.) Things get messy when the magician’s body turns up, drained of blood, the next dawn.

But all is not as it seems. Before she can bat an eyelash, Charlotte finds herself juggling trying to steer the police away from her always-in-trouble brother, getting her restaurant cleaned up and back on track with no money left to fall back on, and not one but two men abruptly in her orbit. Suddenly a cousin of the dead magician (and apparently also of the supposed vamp tramp, who was a witch) the charming and magical Brendan Maddox, is asking a lot of questions, even as Anatole Sevarin, gourmand vampire critic and charming Slavic heartthrob, is also nosing around.

It quickly becomes apparent to Charlotte that there are too many things that don’t add up. The Maddox family hates vampires with a passion – the Maddoxs built their empire staking them, before vampires had rights. Sevarin’s reasons for solving the death of a Maddox lead down dark trails, hinting at other deaths, deaths that look like vampire strikes but are something else. Suddenly Charlotte has someone copying her menu and dishes (a huge no-no in the culinary world), there’s human blood stashed in her restaurant, and now the police are asking her a lot of questions.

It sounds like it’s all over the map, but Zettel does a fine job of swiftly building a secondary netherworld with a lot of depth without overpowering the reader. The only place I was slightly at sea was at the very end, where I don’t know if one of the bad guys made it out alive from a very nasty situation. The tough-as-nails, protective heroine and her golden boy looking-for-an-afterlife brother are appealing, the professional restaurant setting was interesting, and I’ll look for the next one! Call this 3+ stars -- neither a laugh a minute nor a sexy romance, but we have kernels of both here.
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Sep 21, 2011 Mari rated it 1 of 5 stars

Starts out as interesting, but too soon trades from mystery to a very very very bad romance. First you have Charlotte; Foodie supreme and a rather pronounced hater of all thin women.
The biggest mystery, really is exactly why in all paranormal romances( which apparently is what all paranormal stories are) do all sexy male supernaturals ALL fall in love with the rather unappealing, unattractive and bad tempered heroine of the story.
Charlotte is convinced that everyone except her is an idiot. She...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Taste of the Nightlife (Obsidian 2011) introduces Charlotte Caine, head chef in the new restaurant Nightlight, serving the undead in New York City. It’s been 10 years since the Equal Humanity Acts recognized vampires, werewolves, and other paranormals as equal citizens, and Nightlight is just beginning to make its mark in the world of "haute noir" cuisine when restaurant critic Anatole Sevarin appears late one night. Flustered by the famous food reviewer, Charlotte is horrified when a glamorou...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great start to a mystery series. It's no secret that I love all things paranormal, and this book and author definitely made a place for itself on my must read list when the next installment comes out.

We have Chef Caine, aka Charlotte Caine, the chef and part owner of a NYC restaurant called Nightlife. She's got a brother who is a vampire and he apparently has gotten himself into some trouble. Which has resulted in a dead body being found in the restaurant. Chef Caine finds herself needing...more What a great start to a mystery series. It's no secret that I love all things paranormal, and this book and author definitely made a place for itself on my must read list when the next installment comes out.

We have Chef Caine, aka Charlotte Caine, the chef and part owner of a NYC restaurant called Nightlife. She's got a brother who is a vampire and he apparently has gotten himself into some trouble. Which has resulted in a dead body being found in the restaurant. Chef Caine finds herself needing to balance a food critic who is also a vampire, a anti-vamp family who also happens to be a family of witches, a squad of police dedicated to all things paranormal, getting her restaurant back open and solving the mystery.

This reminded me a little of Madelyn Alt's bewitching mysteries. It's a light little book, with a little comedy, a lot of mystery, a neat "paranormal setting", allusions towards a little romance and the solving of a mystery with a little action.

There were moments when I chuckled out loud while reading this. And I am definitely a fan of Charlotte and her thought processes. I also instantly loved her attitude and sarcasm. Her roommates are a great compliment and great story telling device as they are in some ways comic relief and in some ways they provide great potential for more in the series without feeling like they were just dumped on us later to be able to come up with a story. Our Russian vamp and our security consultant witch provide the potential for a love triangle of sorts (and unlike the triangle that Ms. Alt constructed early on, I like both of these two characters very much).

There is just enough cooking to intrigue me, and it's nicely overdone so I didn't feel stupid or overwhelmed by the cooking terms, references, or explanations. In fact, if the author has any experience, it was a nice little look inside the kitchen of a good restaurant. The only real downside is that also like Ms. Alt's stuff, the answer to the mystery sort of came out of no where. I am not sure the reader really had all the information necessary to figure it out. Having been introduced to mysteries via Agatha Christie, I like to be able to look back as go "ahhhh.... There were the hints that I should have seen but I missed...." and I am not sure this really had that.

But there was just enough action, humor, and like-ability to the characters that I think I have found another mystery series to follow. Ms. Zettel has written a culinary mystery that would lead me to want a reservation in her establishment!

p.s. The preview for the next in the series was equally intriguing and has my mouth watering for it's release!(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Marlyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, paranormal

The concept of vampires moving openly in society (though of course, not in broad daylight) is a popular one in recent times. The idea that they might want to dine on something besides blood, whether real or synthetic, is not. In Sarah Zettel's world, vampires also find nourishment in broth, eggs and milk, and "haute noir" dining is starting to become popular. Menu items for the undead in our heroine Chef Charlotte Caine's restaurant include chicken-miso broth, pumpkin soup with a foamed raw veal...more The concept of vampires moving openly in society (though of course, not in broad daylight) is a popular one in recent times. The idea that they might want to dine on something besides blood, whether real or synthetic, is not. In Sarah Zettel's world, vampires also find nourishment in broth, eggs and milk, and "haute noir" dining is starting to become popular. Menu items for the undead in our heroine Chef Charlotte Caine's restaurant include chicken-miso broth, pumpkin soup with a foamed raw veal sauce (or crème fraiche for humans), and a Special Blend sangria.

Charlotte and her undead brother Chet have recently started the after-dark restaurant they call "Nightlife", and on the evening that we meet them, a vamp food critic by the name of Anatole Sevarin has unexpectedly come in. Charlotte is, of course, excited and nervous, so she is understandably vexed when one of the human customers complains about her meal and asks to see the chef.

After a sequence of events during which a young warlock (male witches are called warlocks in this world - hey, it's her world, she can call them what she wants!) enters and unsuccessfully tries to get the fussing woman to leave with him, then throws a fireball and sets off the sprinkler system, Charlotte looks around to find that the critic has vanished.

Returning the next morning after a visit to the farmer's market, Charlotte is somewhat surprised to find the corpse of the warlock lying inside the door. Charlotte takes this personally, since as the scene of a murder, her restaurant will be closed for an unspecified length of time. Since she has nothing else to do, Charlotte decides to find out who killed Dylan Maddox and why he was left in her restaurant.

This is a fine addition to the new-ish mystery genre of "paranormal cozies". It's easy to identify with Charlotte, and not just because the story is written in the first person from her point of view. Zettel is very good at putting the reader into the chef's skin, while at the same time, providing enough perspective to notice things that she doesn't.

The book includes a preview of the next in the series, Let Them Eat Stake, due in April 2012, but no recipes for vamp-friendly cuisine.
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Jun 30, 2011 Dawn Rhoads rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 08, 2012 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of the Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse World and love good food based mystery like the older Diane Mott Davidson’s books and you like learning about the running of a successful restaurant. Now add in a possible love triangle and I think we may have the perfect, or almost perfect new mystery series. I loved this series opener and I am hoping that the next book “Let Them Eat Stake “will be just as good.

What you will find in this debut novel is, murder, a dead body on the pr...more

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May 05, 2012 Amelia-Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the start of a new series, so there is some filling in as to things that have happened before the book starts. The undead, the paranormal beings, the magical and humans are trying to learn to live together as humans are learning that there are more than just them on this planet.

The heroine of the book, Charlotte, is fully human, but her brother Chet, has been made a vampire, and they run a restaurant that caters to all extremes. Their parents are not accepting of Chet's new life status,...more

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Jul 12, 2011 MAP rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fiction, mystery, contemporary, fantasy

I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway.

First, a word of warning about the legitimacy of my review: The last time I read a book about vampires was some time in the mid-90s when I read Interview with the Vampire. I have not remotely hopped on the new vampire craze train, and just the thought of the Twilight novels make me queasy. Therefore, if there are cliches or trite elements to this book that have been endlessly recycled in this newest slew of vampire novels, I know nothing about them and cannot s...more

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Dec 09, 2011 P. Kirby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, vampires

I'm not a big fan of the premise of vampires and other paranormals living out in the open among humankind. Me of little faith, I just don't buy that we would ever tolerate human-like predators among us.

That said, A Taste of the Nightlife is a promising start to a new mystery series. By and large, it doesn't bring anything particularly original to the paranormal (urban fantasy) or mystery genres. I say that, in the event you're a stickler for "original." I'm not;I like tropes. A Taste of the Nigh...more I'm not a big fan of the premise of vampires and other paranormals living out in the open among humankind. Me of little faith, I just don't buy that we would ever tolerate human-like predators among us.

That said, A Taste of the Nightlife is a promising start to a new mystery series. By and large, it doesn't bring anything particularly original to the paranormal (urban fantasy) or mystery genres. I say that, in the event you're a stickler for "original." I'm not;I like tropes. A Taste of the Nightlife is a entertaining book.

Charlotte Caine is the head chef and owner of Nightlife, a newish restaurant that caters to vampires. Vampires can't eat solid food, but do enjoy liquids, especially those that are protein based. As the story begins, Charlotte has just gotten the "good" news from her brother Chet (who is a vampire) that Anatole Sevarin, noted vampire food critic, has arrived in her restaurant. A good review from Sevarin is just the boost her restaurant needs.

Unfortunately, right after the good news, she gets bad. A customer has a complaint about the food and demanding to speak with her. The customer, a young woman named Pam, has found werewolf hair in her soup, and goes on to make a scene, demanding that Charlotte fire one of her staff. The situation falls into total chaos, when a drunk young man bursts into the restaurant. The man seems to be Pam's jilted lover. He is also a warlock, and in a fit of rage, nearly burns down Nightlife.

Just when Charlotte thinks things couldn't get worse, a few hours later, that same man is found dead and drained of blood on her doorstep. The chief suspect? Her brother Chet. Now her restaurant is a crime scene, and the only way she can reopen (and pay her rent and employees' salaries) is to find the murderer.

I imagine Charlotte isn't the first chef-turned-sleuth in the mystery genre, but she's the first I've encountered. I like how her approach to stress is to cook, because that's what chefs do. They feed people. Set in New York, the story is infused with the flavors of big city life.

One thing I particularly liked was that the protagonist suffered some real life consequences for her amateur sleuthing. In some series--Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series--the protagonist causes all sorts of mahem and destruction, and somehow never gets sued, arrested or made to pay for damages. Though it isn't a big part of the story, Charlotte's crime solving hijinks do get her in some trouble. It's a minor thing, but it was nice to see this reality acknowledged.

Though vampirism is a facet of the plot, I wouldn't call this a vampire book, and therefore, I'd recommend it to those who normally avoid all things vampire.

The story also contains a love triangle, so if the whole "torn between two lovers" thing isn't your shtick, well, you have been warned.

Fun book. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. (less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did the Anne Rice vampire series but skipped the whole Twilight thing as I wasn't up for another spin on the vampire legend. Then I saw this on the shelf at my (soon-to-be sadly missed) Borders and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did!

Sarah Zettel tells of a New York City where vampires, weres, etc. live openly with the "normal" folk. Chef Charlotte Caine's restaurant Nightlife is for everyone, but with her co-owner brother Chet being a vampire the establishment stocks items desired by th...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ness rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 23, 2011 Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

I bought this for about a dollar at a closing Borders because the name/premise was so ridiculous I figured it would be fun times. In that was it delivered.

Still, I think the best part of the book is still the vampire chef title though. Literally the paranormal novel market is so saturated that soon there will be a vampire-everything novel, like Barbie with her many careers. I look forward to the vampire hairdresser series and the vampire dog-walker.

It was a fun, easy read and the world of open...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Bree rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2011

I read a lot of urban fantasy and expected to find this book to be right up my alley. Sadly, I found it lacking in something.

Charlotte and her vampire brother, Chet, own Nightlife, a restaurant that caters to both humans and paranormals. After a disturbance from a guest shuts them down for the night, that same guest is found dead the next day in the restaurant foyer. Because Charlotte and Chet are both potential suspects, Charlotte sets out with some unexpected help to solve the murder.

I think i...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was lucky enough to receive A Taste of the Nightlife through Goodreads, and I am definitely glad that I did. This is the first book in the new Vampire Chef series, and it does a great job at setting up Zettel's world and introducing the reader to Charlotte. Told in first person narrative by Charlotte, the reader enters a world where vampires live amongst us although not everyone likes the idea of nightbloods. Charlotte finds herself caught between the two worlds in that while she is human whil...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Steph marked it as wishlist

Shelves: series-book1

Description: "Charlotte Caine isn't called "the Vampire Chef" because she's a member of New York's undead community-she just cooks for them. Her restaurant, Nightlife, is poised to take the top slot in the world of "haute noir" cuisine.

But when a drunk customer causes a scene, a glowing review from the city's top food critic doesn't seem likely-especially when that customer winds up dead on Nightlife's doorstep. Now, with her brother under suspicion for the murder, Charlotte has to re-open her...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Debbie Heaton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Zettel's paranormal novel, Charlotte Caine, The Vampire Chef, and her "fanged" brother Chet, runs Nightlife, a new restaurant that's poised to take the top slot in the new world of cuisine for all. But when a drunken customer causes a scene, casts a spell, and almost burns the building to the ground, a five-star review isn't likely forthcoming from the local food critic. And when said customer turns up dead, Chet falls under suspicion. Aided by a warlock, and pursued by the local paranormal c...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Brenda Kirton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-want-to-buy, mystery, paranormal

The things that you find when you randomly grab a book from the shelf at the library. The was a great read, I will be looking to buy the next one. Charlotte Caine is a chef, and joint owner of a restaurant owner with her brother who by the way is a vampire. A chef who caters to vampires and humans. The dead body, with fang marks left in her restaurant and she has to clear her brother. The book keeps you reading way later than you meant to. With the action, with the warlocks, vampires, a dollop o...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Cheryl Landmark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was a fun, light cozy mystery with all the predicatable but enjoyable elements of the genre.

Chef Charlotte Caine, who was not a vampire herself, catered to the unusual culinary tastes of the nightbloods--vampires, werewolves, etc. But, her strange occupation was not without some background as her younger brother, Chet, had been turned into a vampire and she had taken it upon herself to protect and support him in his new undead life.

I liked the character of Charlotte-...more

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Oct 27, 2011 A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chef Charlotte is co-owner of Nightlife Restaurant with her vampire brother Chet. When a drunk customer who made a scene (in the presence of influential restaurant critic Anatole) is found dead the next morning, Charlotte's brother Chet comes under suspicion. The victim was a member of a powerful Maddox Witch family known for their Vampire hunting. Brenden Maddox, brother to the victim comes to the restaurant to ask questions at the same time as Anatole the critic (and a vampire) is there seekin...more Chef Charlotte is co-owner of Nightlife Restaurant with her vampire brother Chet. When a drunk customer who made a scene (in the presence of influential restaurant critic Anatole) is found dead the next morning, Charlotte's brother Chet comes under suspicion. The victim was a member of a powerful Maddox Witch family known for their Vampire hunting. Brenden Maddox, brother to the victim comes to the restaurant to ask questions at the same time as Anatole the critic (and a vampire) is there seeking answers too.

Charlotte starts working with both men to find out what is happening and why a man was killed in her place. The more she digs into the case, the more her brother looks suspicious. Both Anatole and Brenden seem personally interested in Charlotte which fuels their rivalry inspite of the fragile truce to work together.

There are several things about this book that are a pleasant surprise. Firstly it is definitely a cozy mystery in-spite of the vampires or romantic tension. The world building is simple with the least amount of fuss. The paranormal is out in the open now and the night life crowd enjoys a good meal (no human blood - that's illegal.) Charlotte is a bona-fide Chef and big sister, always taking care of her younger vampire brother Chet who the rest of the family has disowned.

Charlotte herself is a great character. The old saying never trust a skinny cook is employed here with Charlotte who has some curves and meat on her bones, which I always like rather than the same-old perfectly thin heroine. She is a bit feisty without being bull headed. She also doesn't get much sleep but a few short hours here and there. I really wanted to make her get some sleep after a while!

Brenden is the reasonable member of the Maddox witch family and is willing, up to a point, to investigate his brother's murder with Charlotte and Anatole rather than solo. Anatole is an old vampire who enjoys having a secure life and really doesn't want to live in the closet (or is that the coffin?) any more so solving the murder is critical to him. Charlotte just wants to clear Chet and maybe even herself from the police's list. Both Brenden and Anatole are classic dangerous charmers. Brenden is dark and human, Anatole is blond with old-world romantic ideas and fangs. This sets up a competition between the two for her which could be interesting in future books. I found it interesting that usually I clearly like one "potential love interest" more than the other in these setups, but I thought both had their good points in this case. If you have read the book, perhaps you could chime in with your thoughts on that.

There is occasional humor without feeling forced. I like humor in my books, but only when it sounds natural and this did to me. The plot has enough developments to keep the reader interested without moving into the urban fantasy dark mode. It was paced well without any dragging middle. It is a solid cozy mystery, just with vampires and witches. The climatic confrontation with the killer is satisfactory and I had developed my ideas of the whodunit and why as the story progressed. The wrap up leaves enough open for the next book to have both Brenden and Anatole as recurring characters which I liked both of the characters so that worked.

As far as I am aware this is a unique book. It has the standard vampires, werewolves and the usual cast of creatures but in true cozy format - not the dark "gritty" or "sexy" urban fantasy world. The heroine does not wield a sword or have any abilities past the kitchen. It has all the ingredients for a successful cozy: a murder mystery, a likable heroine, interesting supporting characters, pinches of magic and danger mixed with sprinkles of romantic tension served up with a paranormal world that is integrated smoothly. I wonder why nobody has thought to do this vampire lite before. Likely because not just any author could pull this off as well as Ms. Zettel has. I will certainly be anxiously awaiting the next book to be released.

Obtained Through: from publisher for an honest review

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Jun 13, 2012 Jeannie and Louis Rigod rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like that this book took the fact that society had accepted groups of society such as Vampires, Werewolves etc. The Author even made up legislation regulations as to preparation of foods, and were worried about security issues.

The surprise was not the corpse, however, the illegal sale of human blood which was the crime Our new sleuth Chef Caine was finding herself dealing with.

I also appreciated to romance peppered throughout the book. It felt 'natural' in a very unnatural setting. I didn't f...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Yodamom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cliffhanger-craptastic-ending, crack-a-smile, drama-rama, fun-fluff, mystery, romance, vampires, wizards, yummy-men

A great little paranormal mystery. Fun light and very intriguing. The characters are well written and smart. The book reminded me of Charlaine Harris's Harper Connelly series.mystery books.
Brother and sister open a restaurant that serves the undead. One of them is a vampire and one a great chef. There is an incident that ends with a dead body on the floor of their restaurant and everything goes wrong from there. In steps one sexy Warlock and one very old equally sexy vampire to help solve this c...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, crime, vampires, romance

I liked Sarah Zettel's Camelot quartet a lot on first reading, but it didn't stand up very well to me writing an essay on it. This... I felt the whole way through how she was manipulating the readers' thoughts and feelings. I could feel it, and it annoyed the heck out of me... but I still couldn't put it down. So I'm wavering between two and three stars here. I don't know if I can explain how ambivalent I feel about it. (I've changed the star rating three times so far in typing this paragraph.)

I...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Gabrielle rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Janet, Jacqui, Jill (or anyone with a J in their name)

Shelves: own, read-in-2011, vampire, first-reads

I was one of the lucky few who won the book through Goodreads. It is a pretty cool thing. If you haven’t signed up for any giveaways, you really should…
To be honest, I thought the idea had been done before, but Zettel definitely put her own spin on things. If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars.
There are several series in which vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night, are “accepted” into society. I thought it was interesting that Zettel gave us glimpse of what it would be like doin...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Rhianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scrumptious Paranormal Palate Pleaser for the Epicurian Mystery Reader

Until a warlock from a prominent family was found slain in the restaurant's foyer, "Haute noir" chef Charlotte Caine's biggest concern was impressing NYC's top vampire food critic and keeping Nightlife's crew paid. Now she's dodging murder accusations, trying to get her restaurant reopened and somehow prove that she and her vampire brother, Chet, aren't using the place to "blood launder".

With NYC's Paranormal Squadron follow...more Scrumptious Paranormal Palate Pleaser for the Epicurian Mystery Reader

Until a warlock from a prominent family was found slain in the restaurant's foyer, "Haute noir" chef Charlotte Caine's biggest concern was impressing NYC's top vampire food critic and keeping Nightlife's crew paid. Now she's dodging murder accusations, trying to get her restaurant reopened and somehow prove that she and her vampire brother, Chet, aren't using the place to "blood launder".

With NYC's Paranormal Squadron following her every move her only help comes from a handsome warlock with family ties to the victim and a very ancient, eloquent vampire turned food critic. As the plot thickens and suspicion shifts, Charlotte's restaurant isn't the only thing facing its demise.

Ahhhh! What a delicious book. Combining two things this reader has a passion for in life, great food and paranormal elements in fiction, Zettel pulls off one satisfying blend of genres. Admittedly, the concept of Vampire Chef Mysteries comes off as cheesy (no pun intended). Zettel's world building, however, takes what seems silly and blends the ideas into a plausible, dark delight. The mystery element, while key to the plot, at times gets a little overshadowed by the gourmand details but if you're a foodie you'll love the attention to detail.

Charlotte is an exceptional character. There are a very small handful of characters I'd call favorites and she's joining them. The protective older sister, the girl so devoted to her career she has scars, the boss who puts the needs of her staff first. I think readers with strong protective and maternal instincts will find her personality very relatable. Meanwhile, her potential beaus are both sexy and intelligent, each the sort of alpha male who doesn't completely bulldoze the girl or growl "mine" at the competition. I'll admit a partiality to Anatole with his elegant graces but Brendan is quite charming too.

Honestly I thought blending paranormal elements into a foodie mystery was going to fall flat on its face but somehow the unique flavors of each come together like the strange mix of curry and coconut in my favorite chocolate bar (Theo Chocolate)... they probably won't work for everyone but will be cultishly popular with others. I'd highly recommend this novel to Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance readers who're looking for something fresh and fun to break them out of a reading rut. While mystery readers who love cozies and cooking mysteries might also enjoy this the paranormal elements do overshadow the chef elements through most of the storyline so if you don't like vampire books I'd suggest passing. Overall I absolutely LOVED this book and immediately added Let Them Eat Stake, the 2nd installment in the series which releases in Spring 2012, on my wishlist.
***ARC received from Publisher as requested. (less)

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Jan 17, 2012 Jen - At Random rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, foodies

A Taste of the Nightlife is what I would call a culinary themed paranormal mystery, that’s a mouthful I know but that’s the best way I can describe it!

Chef Charlotte Cain and her brother Chet own Nightlife, a restaurant that caters to daybloods (regular people), nightbloods (vampires), and other paranormals. The restaurant and inevitably the owners get into a heap of trouble when a fight breaks out and later when a dead body appears in the restaurant. Chef Cain realizes she needs to launch her...more

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About Sarah Zettel

Sarah A. Zettel (born December 14, 1966) is an American science fiction and fantasy author.

Her debut novel, Reclamation, won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her second release, Fool’s War, was a 1997 New York Times Notable Book, and the American Library Association named Playing God one of the Best Books for Young Adults of 1999. Her novel Bitter Angels won the Philip K. Dick Award for best...more

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In Camelot's Shadow (The Paths to Camelot, #1)

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“Sevarin had been dismissive about the chance of finding out anything useful from the cops, but when it came to getting information, I had an edge he didn't.
Sevarin did not make a killer lasagne.” — 1 person liked it

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A Taste of the Nightlife (A Vampire Chef Mystery #1)

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