Book Review: State of the Onion

State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have been searching all over for the Cozy Mystery genre. I have enjoyed them, but I have been looking for more. And just searching the shelf at the local library is not turning up much, so I look for recommendations here and elsewhere online. This book came up on a sidebar as something that people who read another book I had just finished also read and/or liked.

The book starts a little slow in the first chapter, although we have someone running across the White House lawn, and Secret Service in hot pursuit, it wasn't until well after this opening scene that I felt I got to know and understand the characters.

Olivia Paras is a chef at the White House, with dreams to be the head chef. She also is alot like most of us, if the Secret Service says the sky is green and you need to repeat that top everyone, she is like why? explain it to me and I'll do it, but don't just tell me to do it. That is how she gets involved in snooping in the mystery. She is told to forget it, but things aren't adding up and just wants answers, not to just do as you are told, just explain it to her. In some ways it reminded me a every soap opera on tv, if people would have just, one, told the truth and two, told the whole truth, none of the drama would have occurred.

I found I liked Olivia as a person, she was easy to relate to. She wasn't snooping to be famous or anything like that, she just wanted an honest answer and those were not forthcoming. I also found that the small kitchen crew were likable and fun to read about. You had Henry the head chef getting read to retire. Then there was Bucky, who had worked with the other option for head chef, and who seemed to have been wearing rose-colored glasses about the other contender, Laurel Ann, for most of the book, until he had to work with her again, and it was like a light-bulb moment, oh yeah, now I remember what it was like working with you!

There was a glimpse of life in the White House, and more of a real-life not what you see on tv or in movies kind of glimpse of life, and it was fun. There was also alot of history about the past presidents, likes and dislikes as to food, china patterns, and the different rooms in the White House and how dinner of different sizes are handled.

I really enjoyed this book, and found the lead character to be believable and likable and I am looking forward to reading more, honestly!



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