"Fine culinary mystery"
The Gourmet Detective expects a luxurious trip including a
gourmet meal as he rides the Danube Express on its
twentieth fifth anniversary tour of Eastern Europe. He
just sits down at the table ready to feast on the seven-
course first evening dinner when security supervisor Karl
Kramer asks for his help. The Budapest Times reports that renowned passenger
Hungarian stage star Magda Malescu is dead in her
compartment. There is no body yet Magda is missing and the
compartment smells of bitter almonds. The Gourmet
Detective wonders how the reporter learned about the
alleged death almost in a quantum physics way before the
event occurred. Not even fully certain that the victim is
dead the Gourmet Detective soon uncovers a wealth of
suspects until the corpse reappears breathing quite
nicely. However, murder occurs as someone kills Magda's
understudy and a journalist. Karl and the Gourmet
Detective wonder if the vanishing act and homicides are a
diversion from an attempt to steal a valuable Mozart
manuscript or improved grapevines found in baggage. This novel needs to carry a warning label for anyone who is
on the slightest health regimen as this tale abounds with
good food and drink to the delight of the gourmand reader.
Though fun, the mystery seems like eating rabbit diet food
compared with the menu of dining palette that obviously
clogs the blood system of the Gourmet Detective and the
reader. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted May 15, 2003
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