"Topped Chef" Book Review

“Topped Chef” by Lucy Burdette

Most of us love those television food shows. I know I do. But “Topped Chef” puts a fatal spin on lime cupcakes, shrimp and grits, chefs, judges, and the idea of a reality show and its winner when a judge—Sam Rizzoli—is murdered and the other critics begin to worry about their safety.

Hayley Snow works for Key West’s Key Zest—a magazine of which Hayley is a food critic. She is assigned to be one of the judges for “Topped Chef” and it could end up being her last assignment. Choosing the right dish, eliminating cooks from the show, and commentating on film what she likes and doesn’t like are the easy duties of this competition for Hayley. The hard parts for her are staying alive and trying to find out who murdered Rizzoli, while balancing a sort-of relationship with one of the detectives investigating Rizzoli’s murder.

A delightful read filled with yummy recipes at the end with tangy suspects sprinkled throughout.