Eggsecutive Orders

For some reason I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous ones in the series. There was a slight disconnect. The one thing that kinda made me happy was that the main character broke things off with her boyfriend. I've not understood their relationship since book one and am glad she may be open for other choices. I, as usual, enjoyed all the White House and Washington descriptions. The ending felt somewhat rushed and skipped a part that I had been looking forward to reading.....the tour of the White House with the relatives.

Ollie Parras is waken early by a call from the White House, telling her that there is a car waiting outside her apartment building to bring her in and she was instructed not to speak with anyone. Not knowing what was going on as she exited the building in the company of two large Secret Service Agents, Ollie is startled by the news that one of the White House dinner guests of the night before has died.

This was just the start of Ollie's problems - her mother and grandmother were coming to visit and she was supposed to pick them up at the airport but being held for questioning and having forgotten her cell phone, there was no way to contact them and no way of knowing when she would be able to get away to meet them.

Things just seem to get show more worse when the ent8ire WH kitchen staff is sent home with instructs to stay away until the cause of death is determined and they are cleared. How are they supposed to prepare for the annual Easter Egg Roll without the use of the WH kitchen?

Luckily Tom went and picked up Ollie's but the issues at the WH put a strain on their relationship. Time off is used creatively and Ollie and her family work together to resolve the issues.

It was wonderful to finally meet members of Ollie's family and get to know some of her staff and neighbors better. I really enjoyed this cozy. show less

Book number three in the series has Executive Chef Ollie Paras and her staff planning for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. But everything comes to a screeching halt when a dinner guest dies suddenly. This was no ordinary guest, he was the head of the National Security Agency, and poison is suspected. Ollie and her staff are banned from the kitchen, and Secret Service Agent Tom Mackenzie is specifically tasked with keeping Ollie out of the investigation!

I like this cozy mystery series. There are interesting tidbits about the workings of a professional kitchen, and the sights of our nation’s capital. Ollie is a strong female lead character – tenacious, hard-working, and intelligent, if given to the occasional emotional show more outburst. This book features a visit from her mother and grandmother, so we get a little more information about her family relationships. Hyzy includes a variety of potential suspects and enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. A fast, enjoyable cozy mystery. show less

This is the second in the White House Chef mysteries, a delicious cozy mystery. Ollie Paras is now the executive chef, but when a high-ranking official dies while eating at the White House, her kitchen is under suspicion. Ollie is not able to enjoy her suspension while the investigation occurs, even though her mom and grandmother are in town for the famous White House Easter Egg Roll. Though Ollie has been warned by the Secret Service to stay out of the way, she can't help but try to clear her own name.

I especially love culinary mysteries since I adore food! And I am a big fan of eggs, so I especially appreciate the recipes at the end of the book.

This was a light, fun cozy and Ollie is a take charge type of heroine. And she tossed off show more her boyfriend Tom, a member of the President' Secret Service detail. Their relationship kind of annoyed me in the first novel so this made me happy. Tom's not a bad guy, just not the guy for Ollie, a rule-breaker. I loved that I got to meet Ollie's mom and grandma as they were fun characters. There were lots of suspects to choose from and keep me in suspense until the end. If you like cozies and food, then give this one a try.

my rating 4/5 show less

Eggsecutive Orders (A White House Chef Mystery, #3) by Julie Hyzy

White House Chef Olivia "Ollie" Paras is preparing for the Easter Egg Roll when National Security Adviser Carl Minkus dies. The Kitchen is closed as the investigation starts in the kitchen as his death is a suspected poisoning. Add to this her Mother and grandmother are coming for a visit. Life gets busy for Ollie as she investigates and tries to keep her family safe.

The story moves at a steady pace with well developed characters, engaging dialog and interesting plot. Ollie is very likable, plus we got to meet her Mother and Grandmother, who are likable as well. With a classic who-done-it style, some plot twists and several suspects, I was hooked from the first page. Also show more enjoyable is the bonus recipes at the end of the book. I enjoyed Eggsecutive Orders and recommend to those who like a good cozy murder/mystery. show less

When an important guest dies after eating a meal prepared in the White House kitchen Executive Chef Olivia (Ollie) Paras and her team are banned from the building while an investigation takes place. As Ollie’s mother and grandmother have come to town for a visit she is particularly upset that she won’t be able to show them her exciting workplace but at least her family are on hand to help her out. Ollie, of course, can’t seem to help from getting involved in finding out how and why the guest was killed.

The main reason I have read these books in the past is for their insider perspective on the running of the White House but that element was largely lacking during this outing as Ollie and her colleagues were banned from the kitchen. show more The Washington setting is still very evident as Ollie and her family take in some of the more interesting tourist sites but I did miss that ‘insider’ element of the book.

I did enjoy the introduction of extra characters in this book, particularly Ollie’s grandmother who is the kind of fun elderly character I like that doesn’t stretch into the unbelievable territory of Janet Evanovich’s Grandma Mazur. One of Ollie’s colleagues was also shown in extra depth which added an interesting element to the book.

Unfortunately though Ollie annoyed the pants off me in this outing as she seemed completely incapable of understanding why her Secret Service boyfriend might want her to stay the heck out of dangerous situations which she has neither the training nor the skills to be anywhere near. I love seeing strong female characters portrayed in fiction but it does annoy me when stupidity is disguised as strength or independence.

I suspect the hardest thing about writing these amateur sleuth kind of books is achieving the necessary balance between credibility and entertainment and at a few points this book failed to do that for me. The plot contortions that Ollie went through to become involved in the investigation just didn’t ring as true as had been the case in the earlier books. However it’s a light, fun read that I sped through in a single sitting and I did enjoy the few ‘insider’ details such as the work the White House crew undertook to prepare for a children’s easter party on the White House grounds. show less

A friend (AC) sent me quite a few books from this series in a box of books.

It was interesting to see some of what the White House kitchen deals with for the Easter Egg roll event. And it was also nice to meet Ollie's mother and grandmother.

The story held my interest for the most part. I'm still not sure Ollie and Tom are right for each other--they don't seem to interact well together in the books. If Ollie truly feels she can't be herself around Tom then that's not a good sign for a long term relationship. I guess we will have to wait to see if Tom's promotion changes anything in the way they interact with each other.