Review: The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook by Kate White

The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook - Wickedly Good Recipes And Other Acclaimed Pot Stirrers Edited by Kate White

Publishing Date: March 24, 2015
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 176 pages
Food & Drink

The Premise: In Katie White's introduction to the book, she begins recounting a crime short story written by Roald Dahl in 1953 and how the act of cooking directly intertwines with the plot of the book. White believes that culinary plays a significant role in mystery plots and there are countless of examples where food is mixed with murder. White also believes that food isn't simply used as a weapon but can also be a defining aspect of certain characters. This cookbook is brought together specifically for mystery fans and it includes more than a hundred recipes from various mystery writers. The book is divided into 7 sections: Breakfast, Appetizers, Soups and Salads, Entrees, Side Dishes, Desserts and Cocktails - offering a little bit of everything to the mystery reader fan.

My overall thoughts and review: When I was first pitched this book, I was instantly intrigued because it was a wide range of options in a cookbook, specifically for mystery fans. I love mystery books and I don't review enough of them on the blog, but it is a genre that has always held a special place in my heart. Most of the TV shows that I watch are mystery/crime related. So anyways, this book instantly had me intrigued by that fact that it included recipes from mystery writers. What really drew me in was just the amount of awesome mystery writers included in this cookbook. To name a few: Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charline Harris, James Patterson, Louis Penny, Scott Turow and many more! There is A LOT! What I really enjoyed was just the beautiful photography incorporated in the book, how easy the recipes were to follow and simply, all the different sections. I find it really not worth it when a cookbook only focuses on appetizers for example. I love a book that has a bit of everything!

Some of my favorite recipes from the book include:

• Detective Palace's Three-Egg Omelet by Ben H. Winters (I love this series - The Last Policeman Trilogy- you can find my specific reviews for the books if you hover over the titles: The Last Policeman and Countdown City. This was an incredibly easy recipe and really adds oomph and makes you feel like Hank Palace while eating it!)
• Morning-After Hotcakes by Richard Castle (YES - THE Richard Castle from one of my favorite shows EVER: Castle! I was ecstatic when I saw this in the recipe book. It is such an easy recipe as well and I just loved how cute it was reading about the little synopsis of Castle and Beckett beforehand)
• Beef Skillet Fiesta by Gillian Flynn (the author of the wonderful book Gone Girl - this recipe is great! If you aren't a fan of beef, just simply leave it out or add in a meat substitute) 

There are so many other recipes in the book that I've yet to explore but these three so far have been really great and overall, I think this is a wonderful book and a must-have for all mystery fans. It is also a must-have if you are looking for a staple cookbook in your kitchen that has a bit of everything, because it might just be the kicker for your introduction into the world of mystery! 

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars) 

Now available for purchase at:

Chapters/Indigo and Book Depository (Free International Shipping)

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me from Quirk Books for consideration/review. All opinions are my own.