Home of the Braised

By: Julie Hyzy

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

With the pressure of an upcoming state dinner that could make or break the president’s foreign policy, White House executive chef Olivia Paras has precious little time to focus on her wedding plans - or to catch a murderer.... Tensions are running high as the White House staff adjusts to a new chief usher and prepares for a high-stakes state dinner, where everything must be perfect. But as the date for the event approaches, things go disastrously wrong when the secretary of defense is found dead in his home, seemingly killed during a break-in. At the same time Olivia’s fiancé Gav is looking into the mysterious murder of an old friend. Is there a connection? Despite an increase in security following the secretary’s death, Ollie learns the president is in imminent danger at the dinner and must do everything in her power to get to him - before it’s too late…

©2014 Tekno Books LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.

loved it as usual

well done. I love this series. keep the books coming. I look forward to more in the future.

Another Great Read!!!

I listened to this book in one reading. I took it with me when I ran errands and when I cleaned up around the house. Ollie and Gav make a great team. The story is fresh and entertaining. I really enjoyed this book.

Suspense doesn't let up until last paragraph

White House Chef Olivia “Ollie” Paras couldn’t be happier. She and her boyfriend Gavin have decided to marry, and to do so quickly. When applying for the license, which would only take 3 days, they learn that getting a date with the justice of the peace was projected at 8 weeks. Gavin remembers a friend is a minister, so the two go to visit him. What they find is shocking. Five men, including Gavin’s friend, are dead, bound and gagged, lying on the floor. The duo rapidly notices a foul odor and turn to find fresh air when they encounter two people in biohazard suits who whisk them outside to a waiting van. Gavin, who knows one of the men as a previous Secret Service agent who is now working for a private security firm, is angry when he and Ollie are interrogated at length.

Ollie returns to the kitchen to begin preparations for a state dinner for a delegation from long-term enemy Durasi in the US to discuss peace with the President. Ollie must get everything right to promote the peace talks. Virgil, the chef brought in by the first family to prepare their meals, continues to plague Ollie with resentment, anger, and malice. Since her own efforts at peace in the kitchen have not worked so far, Ollie tries a different approach. She has Virgil host the tastings for the state dinner, but he handles it poorly. Virgil continues to badger Ollie until she loses her temper with him, just as the First Lady walks in!

On Ollie’s way home, she waits with a jostling crowd for the next train. Suddenly she finds herself pushed onto the tracks. Miraculously she finds a way to survive the train’s arrival. First son Josh is especially happy when Ollie arrives in the kitchen to give him another lesson. He is excited to learn that he can help with the state dinner too. Across town, the secretary of defense isn’t so lucky; he is dead, and agents smell something strange in his home.

The kitchen is humming nicely, and even Josh is working hard to prepare for dinner, when Ollie finds the speech her private security agent escort is to give that evening at the state dinner. Ollie must warn the President, but dinner has begun!

Taut only begins to describe this seventh entry in the White House chef series. Emotions of joy turn to fear turn to shock and dismay. Author Julie Hyzy takes us on a rollercoaster ride of ups and down and twists and turns. Narrator Eileen Stevens does an excellent job of keeping up, her voice oscillating with the action. The suspense does not let up until the very last paragraph. Highly recommended

great book

Couldn't stop listening. love the entire series so far . am excited for next book.

Work on the pronunciations

Good story, decent job by the narrator, but work on those pronunciations
Persimmon was pronounced wrong, as were several other words, but most egregious was flip-flopping back and forth on the name of the bad guy through the entire book.
Back and forth from ALL-RICK to ERR-LICK was incredibly annoying.

Engaging Characters - Dumb Plot

While I believe that Julie Hyzy is talented in creating endearing and engaging characters, I find her plots to be rather unbelievable. Good editor desperately needed!!

I love how Ollie, White House executive chef, was written as strong and resourceful - not the type who expected a man to rescue her. However, there has been no mention of her having military or self-defense training, so Ollie's ability to escape a multitude of dangerous situations was unrealistic and eye-roll worthy.

I enjoy the White House setting, but doubt the accuracy of her portrayal of WH employees, the majority of whom seem too immature for the elite positions they hold. Secret Service agents, in particular, were characterized as naïve and unprofessional, which seemed insulting to these dedicated public servants.

Also, an executive chef could afford to take a cab or Uber home late at night. How many time does Ollie have to be attacked on the Metro? I might try another series by this author, but this one is getting boring.