In the years before I started tracking my reading in the mid 2000's I'd read this book several times, but it's obviously been sitting on the shelf, neglected ever since, because I have no record of a review for it.

This came out in the heyday of the cozy mystery, before big publishing corrupted the sub-genre into a cash-cow, cookie-cutter formula. Madeline Bean and her partner Wesley own a catering company that's hip with the Hollywood crowd, throwing parties for the rich and infamous. When their latest client is killed, Wesley's old grudge with the man makes him look like the best suspect.

Farmer write a hell of a mystery. It's fun, it's cozy, it's fast-paced and the dialog is witty, intelligent and engaging. These are characters one would choose to be friends with. And the Huntley family is diabolically dysfunctional in ways that are hard to imagine unless you watch a lot of entertainment news.

The plotting was fascinating. So many promising, legitimate possibilities and so many red herrings. The climax is dramatic but well done - not overplayed - and the murderer was a surprise.

I enjoyed every book in this series, until it was cut short for reasons never explained; I've always been disappointed that it ended long before its time, but thankful that I have them all on my shelves to revisit. ( )

Madeline Bean owns a catering business that caters to the rich and famous. She and her partner, Wes, have a huge job with a Halloween party for producer, Bruno Huntley. The novel is not as well written or Elizabeth George or Tess Gerritsen. The book is mostly fluff, like the people living in Los Angeles. There are no detailed autopsy reports or gory murder scenes. The reader does not learn any earth shattering knowledge from reading this book. The book is just a simple beach read. ( )

I really enjoy cozy mysteries and this one I definitely enjoyed. I was hooked by the first page with such mouth watering descriptions of food preparations, I could smell it and I wanted to taste it! The story was brilliantly crafted interlacing the catering services with the mystery. The only drawback is there were no actual recipes. Ms Farmer needs to give the reader a chance to actual taste those treats she describes by providing the instructions for the food we can almost taste!
Definitely need to find the next in the Madeline Bean Culinary Mysteries! ( )

Light mystery ( )