A Healthy Place to Die

Gourmet Detective #5

by Peter King

The Gourmet Detective accepts an invitation to attend a cooking conference at a Swiss resort. Asked to evaluate healthy haule cuisine served by the spa, he finds that these are no ordinary dishes. For this is not a spartan diet spa, but a haven of relaxation and indulgence. He takes the opportunity to relax in mudbaths and swim in natural springs, but his experience does not remain idyllic for long. Suddenly two editors from a glamorous lifestyle magazine disappear -- and a lawyer shows up to inquire about the stories they were writing. Now the Gourmet Detective suspects they were uncovering more than the tastiest food secrets. The recipe for relaxation turns into a recipe for disaster, and the Gourmet Detective must find the killer before the spa serves up more murders.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Media Tie In

230 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2000

About the author

Peter King is an English born author of mystery fiction, a Cordon Bleu trained chef and a retired metallurgist and aerospace scientist. Before writing full time, he operated a tungsten mine, prospected worldwide and worked on rocket engines for NASA Apollo missions. After retiring in 1991, he began writing fiction and is best known for the Gourmet Detective series and the Jack London historical mysteries. His work blends culinary detail, historical research and classic whodunit storytelling.

Reviews

[Mac Daly]

He's called the gourmet detective because he can identify subtle flavors. When he's asked to fill in for an ill colleague at a Swiss spa, he thinks it will be a nice vacation. However, when people start disappearing, he's asked to put his detective skills to work in a different way. The mystery is fun and the culinary tips are interesting.

[Dan]

Okay, hmm... I've read the whole series now. I'm not going to do individual book reviews, some of them are better than others, but they're all enjoyable, quick reads. Then again, throw gourmet food and wine into anything and I'm likely to add some points to it in my mind. Bizarrely, though, given that I gave all the books three stars, I don't know that I recommend them. Had they been written fifty years ago, I'd give them some more slack, but here are my issues with, well, all of them:

The gourmet detective himself, our protagonist, is an unlikable twit. He's a middle aged, pretentious white man, with delusions of self importance. He fancies himself a ladies man and, of course, manages to get one or another into bed (trailed off, never portrayed, just make sure we know it happened, wink, wink) in all or almost all the books. He's misogynistic, racist, and classist. He fancies himself a connoisseur of all things food and wine, and throws about names and terms, most of which the average reader will not have heard of, and will probably just move past without much thought. The problem is, he's pretty much clueless and the mistakes in his descriptions of various ingredients, dishes, and bottles of fermented grape juice are legion.

In short, and yes, I realize I'm generalizing and could be accused of bias myself, he's the sort of detective that a 70+ year old retired upper middle class British metallurgical engineer (who apparently at some point went to the Cordon Bleu cooking school to be trained as a chef, though my bet is he just took a few cooking classes for home cooks, then again, who knows, but it seems he did it after retiring at some point in his 70s) would reimagine himself to be if he were to become a food detective. In short, a sort of Walter Mitty alter ego.

[Jill H.]

You had better enjoy cooking if you read the Gourmet Detective series since there is an abundance of description of types of food, food preparation, food history, food etc, etc. The mystery almost takes a back seat to the culinary content. The Gourmet Detective is not a detective at all but a man who does research on food as well as being a chef......but murder finds him and he is called upon to solve, in this book, two murders at a world famous spa. This is very light reading and can be completed in one sitting. It is enjoyable enough to put by the bed or at the lunch table for a diversion from more serious tomes.

[Ann]

While the food industry and cooking tidbits were interesting, this was one of the most boring, plodding and poorly designed mysteries I've ever read. Peter King is not a bad writer, but he is not a compelling storyteller. I could not wait for this very short book to end and felt like I was reading it for years instead of a few days.

[Eugene]

Pretty pedestrian, as have been all the others in the series. The saving graces are the observations on food, cooking/preparation and the various cultural interfaces with those subjects. The mystery itself, meh…

[Neely Powell]

A spa that caters to your every wish in the beautiful Swiss Alps. The Gourmet Detective is teaching cooking classes and, of course, trying to solve a mystery. Sometimes it’s unhealthy to visit a spa.

[Linda]

Again, a nice cozy mystery, with interesting information; in this book about Switzerland and its food.

[Rune]

Aces read! Loved it!

[Theresa Knauf]

A different kind of mystery. Easy reading.

[Rogue Reader]

This Gourmet Detective work is set in Switzerland, at a spa known for fine foods and exceptional resort experiences - like a flagelation jungle (that kills), an ice castle in a glacier (that kills), a mud bath (that kills) and an indoor herb garden (that kills). It's hard to imagine how The Gourmet Detective tolerates the repeated assaults on his life and well being with such good will - it must be food! Interesting discourse on the regional cuisines of Austria, Switzerland and Germany. A bit pedantic, and too much discourse as usual, but also as usual, a good cozy read.

--Ashland Mystery

[Chi Dubinski]

When a friend asked the Gourmet Detective to substitute for him a a luxury Swiss spa, he readily agreed to go. Who could say no to a couple of weeks of saunas, world-class meals, and rubbing elbows with famous food experts? But when people start dying, and the bodies disappearing, the Gourmet Detective starts asking questions. Will he be the next corpse?

[Mary]

Found this book good for foodies.

[Marcella]

Absolutely one of my very favorite series. This particular book has a very unpredictable ending while exploring lots of interesting foods and food history.