by Monique Gliozzi, MD
Over the last decade, more and more attention has been paid to show that the culinary world is not only creative and engaging, but cutthroat as well. From reality TV show competitions showcasing the ruthlessness that people will go to achieve their culinary dreams, to the millions of dollars poured into new restaurants and celebrity chefs who open them in cities around the world, the culinary business is both lucrative and competitive all at once.
In author Monique Gliozzi’s The House of Gourmet: A Dangerous Game, the author explores this world through a murder mystery lens. An FBI agent finds themselves in the midst of a gruesome case as several murders are tied to the culinary world, and as the body count rises, clues lead further and further into the cutthroat world of restaurateurs and chefs. Through a series of accusations, secrets uncovered, and dangerous games played by a demented killer, the agent and the investigative team must track down the culprit before others in the culinary world become the next target.
Thrilling and compelling, this novel does an incredible job of balancing the murder mystery aspect of the narrative with the psychological suspense which comes from the suspects and world the victims hail from. The gruesome detail the author puts into the story reflects the haunting nature of the crimes and the narrative, building an almost slasher like atmosphere in the process. The story is very character driven, allowing readers not only to get a personal glimpse of the investigative process through both the FBI and local NYPD, but to see the tension and horror of the business world inside the culinary industry and those who run it.
For those who enjoy thrillers, especially those which explore serial killer, murder conspiracy and suspense novels, this book hits every checkmark. The story takes so many different twists and turns, causing the readers to question everything that is unveiled, even when the first suspect is found. Thematically, the author did an excellent job of exploring obsession, greed, and the lengths people will go to for fame or glory, as well as how jealousy poisons a person’s soul. The emotional toll the deaths take on the people left behind and the whodunnit vibe which the author keeps alive even to the last chapter will keep readers invested and eager to return to this book time and time again. Gliozzi’s gripping tale exposes the dark hunger that lurks within us all.