JULIE HYZY

Julie Hyzy is an American author of mystery fiction, especially famous among the fans of "COZY MURDER MYSTERY" genre, for her "WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY SERIES", including the 2009 Anthony and Barry Award-winning "State Of The Onion". She is also an author of "MANOR HOUSE MYSTERY SERIES".

THE WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY SERIES

I find the "White House Chef Mystery Series" wonderful ...and all the books in this series delightfully engrossing.

This series fulfils my requirements for quality and appealing writing, clean language, entertaining humour, delightful atmosphere ...and most importantly, finely plotted and intriguing mysteries with satisfying conclusions.

The characterisation is also skillfully done. 

The protagonist, Olivia (Ollie) Paras, is a White House assistant (later, executive) chef, in Washington DC.

I admire Ollie's intuitive smartness, applaud her talent and dedication to her job, appreciate her loyalty to the White House family, and love her caring nature.

Moreover, the secondary characters, including the White House kitchen staff and Ollie's neighbours, are interesting as well.

The romance part is wonderful too. I enjoyed the initial fun 'interactions' between Ollie and Special Agent Gavin, in the second book of the series, "Hail To The Chef", ...'interactions' that developed into a 'friendship' based on mutual respect by the end of that book ...a 'friendship' that gradually grows into a strong 'romantic relationship', further down in the series, after Ollie has broken up with Tom, her Secret Service boyfriend ...and that eventually, results in 'marriage'.

To conclude, reading the books in this series always provide me immense pleasure. 

The books in this series are as follows:

1) State Of The Onion 

Never let them see you sweat--that's White House Assistant Chef Olivia Paras's motto, which is pretty hard to honor in the most important kitchen in the world. She's hell-bent on earning her dream job--executive chef There's just one thing: her nemesis is vying for it, too. Well, that and the fact that an elusive assassin wants to see her fry...

The highly trained Secret Service agents couldn't do it. The snipers swarming the White House grounds were no help. Only Ollie Paras was able to stop the intruder--hitting him with a frying pan. She'd like to wash her hands of the whole thing, but after she witnesses a murder, there's no going back...

Ollie's Secret Service boyfriend (Tom) warns her that the killer is a world- class assassin. And Ollie's the only person alive who can recognize him. Still, guilt propels her to investigate, even if it means putting herself--and her relationship--in hot water...


2) Hail To The Chef 

White House executive chef Ollie Paras has a lot on her plate, what with holiday meals to map out, the First Lady's matchmaking plans to deflect, safety classes to take, and terrorist plots to avoid. Oh, and a senator's assistant has been begging Ollie to rig the countrywide gingerbread-man-decorating contest in favor of the senator's kids...

Then, a cautious, kindly electrician is electrocuted, and the First Lady's nephew dies in an apparent suicide when not twenty-four hours before he was happily cleaning shrimp with Ollie. Ollie suspects there's something going on that's fishier than shrimp cocktail. Now, she'll have to watch her back -- and find a killer unlikely to be pardoned...

3) Eggsecutive Orders 
4) Buffalo West Wing 
5) Affairs Of Steak 

(Books Not Yet Read)

6) Fonduing Fathers 
7) Home Of The Braised 
8) All The President's Menus