Death at the Table - Softcover

Laurence, Janet

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747246017 ISBN 13: 9780747246015

Publisher: Headline, 1995

Synopsis

Popular cookbook author Darina Lisle and her rude but handsome co-star, Bruce Bennett, find themselves at the top of the ratings with their television food series, but when two murders occur on camera, Darina begins to suspect a ruthless killer is at work.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews

The career of English cooking expert/sometime sleuth Darina Lisle (Death and the Epicure, 1995, etc.) takes a challenging turn when she's asked to join television's Table for Four, a wine-and- food program run by Neil Cantlow, with food journalist Mark Taylor, home economist Lynn Winters, studio director Jan Parker, and budget director David Bartholomew. Another on-camera newcomer is swaggering Bruce Bennett, owner of the respected Yarramarra Wineries back home in Australia. As the series begins to take shape, Darina commutes between her digs in London and the house in Somerset she shares with her police detective fianc‚. Meanwhile, tensions and glitches abound on the studio set, though Bennett's rough-and-ready style and Darina's skillful presentations are building viewership when the Australian, sharing a Christmas toast on-camera, keels over and dies. An autopsy fails to find the cause of death, and Bennett's body is shipped home to his estranged wife Shelley and his sister Kate. Before long Darina gets a letter from Kate announcing her arrival date in London and asking for a meeting, but then Kate also dies--in a fall from her 12th-floor hotel room--before that meeting can take place. With the death of another member of Table for Four, all of Darina's sleuthing instincts are aroused, but what counts are survival instincts when she becomes the killer's next target. A slew of tangled relationships clutters up a muddled plot that lacks convincing motivation but has more than its share of talkative, self-obsessed characters. A stronger focus on the food and wine might have made for livelier reading. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Life is good for British cookbook writer Darina Lisle. She's engaged to policeman William Pigram, her cookbooks are selling like hotcakes, and she's just been hired to host a television cooking show, Table for Four. But the minute Darina shows up on the set, things begin to go wrong. There's tension between her costars; she finds herself attracted to outspoken Australian wine expert Bruce Bennett; the show's financial manager is at war with the producer; and Darina's helper shows signs of domestic abuse. As if that's not enough, William is feeling neglected and wants more attention from Darina. But all these problems pale when Bennett suddenly collapses and dies on the set. The medical examiner's verdict is death from natural causes, but Darina suspects foul play. Competent writing, an unusual plot, and a pleasant heroine make this a better-than-average British cozy that's both stylish and entertaining. Emily Melton

About this edition

• Publisher: Headline
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0747246017
• ISBN 13: 9780747246015
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 310