To Kill a Cook - by W M Akers (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Tender at the Bone meets Finlay Donovan is Killing It in this hilarious, fast-paced mystery about a feisty food critic in 1970s NY who finds her chef friend murdered and realizes she might be the only one to find the killer.

Nobody in Manhattan eats better than Bernice Black. It's 1972, and she is the city's busiest restaurant critic, juggling her fiance and his two young sons with demands of fine dining. Bernice talks fast, walks faster, has a razor-sharp wit and no patience for anything--or anyone--that gets in her way.

When she stops by the famed restaurant of her favorite chef and mentor, Laurent Tirel, early one morning, she stumbles across a horrific scene in the kitchen: Laurent's severed head, perfectly preserved in a flawless mold of jellied aspic.

Her meeting with the cops assigned to the case proves only one thing-they know nothing about food or the seedy underworld that BB Black has made her home. With layoffs looming, Bernice makes the gamble of her career--she promises her editor she can catch Laurent's killer before the week is out.

To Kill a Cook is a delicious, witty, fast-paced mystery with a lovable, unforgettable protagonist at it center.

Review Quotes

"From the opening reveal of Bernice finding the body that sets off this food-filled, madcap romp around New York in the 1970s, to the final reveal, you'll laugh, spiral through various theories, and want to eat everything Bernice describes in fantastic detail. Hungry for a good murder mystery? This one's for you!" --Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

"Deliciously entertaining. W.M. Akers serves up a tantalising confection of murder, dark humour, and 70s grit, all seasoned to perfection. If Michelin rated books, this would have all the stars." --Josh Winning, author of Be Still My Unbeating Heart

"I've never been so hungry reading a book, but it's hard to grab a snack when you're glued to the pages. To Kill a Cook is an expertly written, twisty mystery that's also a love letter to food, and to old New York. If Michelin gave stars to books, this would get one for sure." --Rob Hart, author of Assassins Anonymous

"Bernice Black is my new favorite heroine: ballsy and brilliant, forever hungry, and willing to dive into gourmet chaos to solve crime. Set in 1970s New York and full of vivid characters, gorgeous meals, and quick-witted conversation, To Kill a Cook should be high up on your menu of scrumptious readerly treats this year." --Laura Sims, author of How Can I Help You

"W.M. Akers blends murder mystery, vintage New York grit, and feminist screwball comedy this darkly entertaining romp. Bernice Black is the kind of tough heroine readers love--foul-mouthed, street-smart, and brimming with badass bravado--and her messy personal life plays out against the funky glamour of the 1970s Manhattan restaurant scene. Packed with nostalgic detail and razor-sharp wit, To Kill a Cook is as delicious as a perfect soufflé." --Susan Seidelman, director of Desperately Seeking Susan

"Like reading Ruth Reichl, but unhinged, To Kill A Cook is a deranged and utterly delicious romp through New York City's restaurant scene in seedier times." --Amy Thomas, author of Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate), and Brooklyn In Love: A Memoir of Food, Family and Finding Yourself

About the Author

W.M. Akers is a novelist, playwright, and game designer. He is the author of the mystery novels Critical Hit, Westside, and Westside Saints; the creator of the bestselling games Deadball: Baseball With Dice and Comrades: A Revolutionary RPG; and the curator of the history newsletter Strange Times. He lives in Philadelphia, but hasn't traded in his Mets cap yet.