Dine and Die on the Danube Express

Read Dine and Die on the Danube Express Storyline:

Recipes sizzle and intrigue simmers when the Gourmet Detective takes a ride on the twenty-fifth anniversary journey of the world-famous Danube Express. The stately railroad starts its route in the Alps and cuts through Austria, Hungary, and the former Yugoslavia before pulling up on the shores of the Black Sea in Romania. Along the way, its passengers—hailing from Europe’s business and social elite—sample the best and most enticing foods those countries’ cuisines have to offer, dishes as unfamiliar and exotic as they are delicious. . . . From Germany, braised lamb with rutabagas, or roast duck—its skin as crackly as phyllo and the meat juicy and flavorful, served with Savoy cabbage, leeks, carrots, onions, and celery . . . From Austria, stuffed breast of veal with buttered chestnuts, served with braised fennel, watercress, and tarragon . . . From Hungary, Libermaj, a goose liver pâté seasoned with paprika, pimentos, and scallions, blended with hard-boiled eggs and white wine . . .From the Balkans, escallopes of veal cooked Dubrovnik style—simmering in onions and mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter and seasoned with thyme and bay leaves . . . All complemented by some of the finest wines and brandies in the world!The Gourmet Detective is aboard to see how it’s done; he’s been hired by another luxury rail line to sit back, relax, fill his face, and take notes. But nothing is ever easy—or safe—where food, money, and celebrity meet, and this trip is no exception. When a celebrated Hungarian stage actress vanishes from the moving train, the Gourmet Detective finds himself enlisted in a desperate search for her abductor, or killer, and for answers in a bizarrely unfolding mystery that, as usual, centers on humanity’s most consuming passion: food!As the Danube Express chugs into the night, haute cuisine, fine wine, and murder become the main orders of business on this fun and fascinating foray through a world of mouth-watering delights.From Publishers WeeklyKing (Eat, Drink and Be Buried, etc.) delivers mixed results in the seventh outing for his Gourmet Detective, this time aboard a luxury train. The journey begins in Munich, winds its way through the Alps, with stops in Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia, the final destination being the Black Sea coast of Romania. The passengers sample the best of each locale's cuisine, while the Gourmet Detective observes the workings of the high-class excursion. Before long his reputation as an amateur sleuth, albeit one who's worked with the pros of Scotland Yard, gets him involved in the disappearance of a glamorous Hungarian actress. Has she been abducted from the train? Has she been murdered? Or is it some bizarre publicity stunt? Then a body turns up and things get even stranger. As the Gourmet Detective and the head of security work to stop the killer from striking again, the train moves forward more smoothly than the plot. An engaging travelogue and the good food, evoked in the attractive jacket art, compensate only partly for stilted prose and an unconvincing mystery that feels grafted on. Comparisons to Agatha Christie's classic Murder on the Orient Express are inevitable, but King's novel limps along a distant second. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the Back CoverPraise for Peter King’s Gourmet Detective Murder Mysteries“Readers will find the menu descriptions mouthwatering and crave a sample of the shrimp remoulade.” ---Kirkus Reviews on Roux the Day"Fascinating tidbits of the cuisine of England in the Middle Ages." ---St. Petersburg Times on Eat, Drink, and be Buried “[King] introduces the reader to a delightful array of funny characters and mouthwatering recipes.” ---Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on A Healthy Place to Die“Read King because you like a nicely structured mystery. Read him because you love gourmet food. Either way, savor the feast he has prepared.” ---Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Death al Dente“Salivating scenes of Provence’s superb food, coupled with lore about truffles, wine, and aristocracy, add sustenance to Dying on the Vine.” ---Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on Dying on the Vine“The Gourmet Detective is. . . a delight. [The series] provides terrific writing, characters that come to life on the page, and wonderful information on gourmet cooking and the food industry.” ---Stuart M. Kaminsky, author of A Fatal Glass of Beer and A Bullet for a Star, on Spiced to Death“This appealing detective serves up nuggets of culinary trivia and wry foodie humor. King. . . keeps the well-spiced plot bubbling along.” ---People magazine on The Gourmet Detective, a People Beach Book of the Week