Ever watch one of those chef competitions on TV? Hells Kitchen? Master chef Junior? Top Chef? Ever wonder what happens to the losers of those competitions? Do they all lose gracefully? Not on your life, or on the lives of those demeaning celebrity judges! Meet Hannah, whose humiliating 30 minutes on 86ed, the chef competition show she had waited all her life to win, have been relived over and over again in her mind and on multiple media outlets. But that wasn't the only revenge she was looking for...Beat, Slay, Love is the delectable murder mystery by Thalia Filbert (who in reality are writers Taffy Cannon, Kate Flora, Lisa McClendon, Katy Munger and Gary Phillips, who all got together to have some fun writing) It's all about Hannah White, daughter of a infamous chef and whose culinary education left her with a long list of recipes and chefs that needed to learn a thing or two about humility. Her plan includes a cross country tour of food fests, sharp knives and revenge. Along the way we learn about food, poison, kinky sex, sabotage, and tv kitchens.
And as celebrity chefs start meeting their ends in spectacular ways, the FBI gets involved as well as a food blogger, whose behind the scenes knowledge of food and chefs helps the FBI lead the charge against violence in the kitchen.
What did I think? For the most part, I thought this was a fun, light-hearted murder mystery, that I loved more so because, yes, I have been addicted to watching those kitchen cook-offs. Hannah was a great character, who you could actually feel sorry for because the chefs in question were such conceited jerks, and nobody deserves to be humiliated the way she was. But murder is going a bit too far and the story built up bigger and bigger until you learned Hannah's biggest humiliation of all and what she was going to do about it. Though you knew who the killer was right from the start, her plans and adventures along the way, are what make the story fun. All done with a bit of tongue in cheek, as the chefs are exaggerated to the max (I think!?)
My initial feelings while reading the book, were that the style of the book was like a cozy, with no bad language, no gory murder details and sex that happens off screen, BUT towards the end of the book, one of the chefs makes arrangements for some kinky sex and blew that "cozy" analogy right out of the water! I really didn't think that "part" was necessary, it didn't add anything to make the story better or even seem as though it had anything to do with the story. Then, celebrity chef #2, makes arrangements to have some kinky sex herself and I was wondering if I was reading the same book. Now I have to say that kinky sex part #2, at least was tied into the murder investigation (I can't tell you how because I don't want to spoil the story), but geez, can we say gratuitous sex just a little.
(And believe me I'm not a prude in any way!) In any case... I did enjoy Beat, Slay, Love, even though I rolled my eyes at that first gratuitous kinky sex scene. I also love the cute play on words of the book title, which is a take off of Eat, Pray, Love. I read originally they were going to title the book, Beat, Flay, Love, but didn't want to be sued by Bobby Flay for slander.
If you ever watched the food channel and/or any chef throw downs you will enjoy this book! It's the perfect 3 course meal! My rating is 3 1/2 stars ( would have been 4 stars except for the eye rolling part)
P.S. If you have a Kindle, it's at a bargain price of $3.49 right now! You can find it HERE if you're interested.
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