What do you think?
Rate this book
Beluga Stein Mysteries
Mean Cuisine
Beluga Stein is taking a cooking class--and it's a real killer. This time she's traded her signature loud muumuus for herringbone pants, a blinding white chef jacket, and a toque bigger than her ego. A well-liked chef is found dead and it's up to Beluga and her feline familiar, Planchette, to investigate the ingredients that make up murder. There's no recipe to follow, only the hope that her erractic psychic ability will hit the spot. Is it a supernatural entity that's stirring up trouble, or is it something far more dangerous that rendered the death? Beluga and Planchette can't stand the heat, but there's no way to get out of this kitchen while murder is brewing.
200 pages, Paperback
Published March 21, 2006
56 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 16, 2025
Cooking school might be the way to go even if you couldn’t even cook an egg. That was one place psychic detective Beluga knew would be free of murder.
I enjoyed the humorous and witty quips. Beluga was a rotund, klutzy, and quirky character wish snarky charm, a hearty appetite, and solid smarts. The cooking school also seemed to have its oddball characters including a slew of tater-tots and a drill-sergeant chef. The last thing anyone expected during the tour was to find a dead body in the freezer.
Right away, Beluga’s inquiring mind starts questioning the case and lures the reader into it. What happened to the dead chef?
The reader will surely enjoy following Beluga and Tanya’s wacky and harebrained antics. At some point, it seemed like that was all we were doing however. The whole time you’re just following two crazy broads. It didn’t seem like we were focusing too much on solving the mystery. Perhaps I was just too used to following a certain pattern in a traditional cozy mystery. Perhaps a paranormal mystery follows an eclectic path. I liked the lightness and the humor, but, as far as a mystery goes, I thought that could’ve been better and more focused.
A fairly nice read.
I enjoyed the humorous and witty quips. Beluga was a rotund, klutzy, and quirky character wish snarky charm, a hearty appetite, and solid smarts. The cooking school also seemed to have its oddball characters including a slew of tater-tots and a drill-sergeant chef. The last thing anyone expected during the tour was to find a dead body in the freezer.
Right away, Beluga’s inquiring mind starts questioning the case and lures the reader into it. What happened to the dead chef?
The reader will surely enjoy following Beluga and Tanya’s wacky and harebrained antics. At some point, it seemed like that was all we were doing however. The whole time you’re just following two crazy broads. It didn’t seem like we were focusing too much on solving the mystery. Perhaps I was just too used to following a certain pattern in a traditional cozy mystery. Perhaps a paranormal mystery follows an eclectic path. I liked the lightness and the humor, but, as far as a mystery goes, I thought that could’ve been better and more focused.
A fairly nice read.
March 21, 2025
I was granted complimentary access to Mean Cuisine by Wendy W. Webb as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
I hadn't read the first book in the series yet (and still haven't at the time of writing this review) when I saw the call to review this one. The cat on the cover, presumably Planchette, beckoned me to read the synopsis and I had to find out where this story was going to go! I'm a huge fan of cozy and paranormal mysteries, and this sounded cute, so I was ready!
It certainly is cute, and although I'm sure reading the series in order is probably best, I was able to follow and enjoy this second installment without reading the first. The mystery was fun, the characters were likeable, and it made for an easy, relaxing read. I could absolutely do with more from Beluga and Planchette! With that said, it could have been shorter. The storyline meandered a bit in a way that didn't feel particularly productive nor intentionally misleading.
If you like cats, cooking, and mysteries, give this a try!
I hadn't read the first book in the series yet (and still haven't at the time of writing this review) when I saw the call to review this one. The cat on the cover, presumably Planchette, beckoned me to read the synopsis and I had to find out where this story was going to go! I'm a huge fan of cozy and paranormal mysteries, and this sounded cute, so I was ready!
It certainly is cute, and although I'm sure reading the series in order is probably best, I was able to follow and enjoy this second installment without reading the first. The mystery was fun, the characters were likeable, and it made for an easy, relaxing read. I could absolutely do with more from Beluga and Planchette! With that said, it could have been shorter. The storyline meandered a bit in a way that didn't feel particularly productive nor intentionally misleading.
If you like cats, cooking, and mysteries, give this a try!
August 28, 2025
Thank you to @thewildrosepress for a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
This book is a deliciously chaotic blend of cozy mystery, supernatural flair, and laugh-out-loud charm. Beluga is the kind of heroine I was rooting for with my whole heart. Her psychic powers may be unpredictable, but her determination (and her snark) are sharp. And Planchette, her feline familiar, adds just the right dash of sass and mystery. I love when cats have a place in the story. The story simmers with suspense and humor, and I found myself fully immersed in the heat of the kitchen, the thrill of the chase, and the unexpected tenderness that bubbles up between the lines. This book is weird, witty, and wildly entertaining.
This book is a deliciously chaotic blend of cozy mystery, supernatural flair, and laugh-out-loud charm. Beluga is the kind of heroine I was rooting for with my whole heart. Her psychic powers may be unpredictable, but her determination (and her snark) are sharp. And Planchette, her feline familiar, adds just the right dash of sass and mystery. I love when cats have a place in the story. The story simmers with suspense and humor, and I found myself fully immersed in the heat of the kitchen, the thrill of the chase, and the unexpected tenderness that bubbles up between the lines. This book is weird, witty, and wildly entertaining.
August 20, 2025
Mean Cuisine was witty and had me chuckling, but I felt like it kinda dragged in places and didn’t really focus a whole lot on solving the mystery. Am I mad about it, absolutely not, I just wish it would have been a little more detailed. I loved Beluga and thought she was quirky and a very enjoyable character. Beluga went to cooking school hoping to learn how to cook, not find dead bodies. Overall, a charming, cozy mystery.
August 29, 2025
The book was a cute and cozy mystery, and perfect for those who love cozy stories, but… what it also had was – THE CAT. Planchette the cat is a multifaceted character that is both a cute and adorable kitty and a uniquely and delightfully quirky one. If you love quirky (and totally unrealistic) pets in your books, you have to get to know Planchette!
August 27, 2025
Mean Cusine is a mystery involving psychic detective Beluga. Beluga goes to cooking school hoping to just learn how to cook dishes and not find any dead bodies. But she was wrong, dead wrong;)
I thought this was a fun story and the MC, Beluga was an interesting character who loved to eat ALOT. LOL, I do too but I am not nearly as large as she is. I truly enjoyed the chef leading the cooking school also, he was so strict and very military like. I loved when he was speaking and involved in the story. I thought the story was an interesting read as the two ladies are trying to solve the case of the dead chef and they were having some trouble in doing so it seemed to me as a reader. I think that the story is good for a quick read overall and humorous mystery read!
I thought this was a fun story and the MC, Beluga was an interesting character who loved to eat ALOT. LOL, I do too but I am not nearly as large as she is. I truly enjoyed the chef leading the cooking school also, he was so strict and very military like. I loved when he was speaking and involved in the story. I thought the story was an interesting read as the two ladies are trying to solve the case of the dead chef and they were having some trouble in doing so it seemed to me as a reader. I think that the story is good for a quick read overall and humorous mystery read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews