Tart of Darkness

The Chef-to-Go Mysteries, Book 1

By: Denise Swanson

Narrated by: Melissa Moran

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion - cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears - perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

©2018 Denise Swanson (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

"Real" Cozy; No "Real" Smut

There are a few reviews of this book that start out, "I'm not a prude, but...", and they go on to say this book is "not a real cozy." If you have ever said, "I'm not a prude, but..." in real life, you might find that this book is a little salty for you. But to me, this is absolutely a "cozy," and it conforms to the strictures of the style. There are a few very light swear words (eg: "crappy"). They literally say "the f-word" just like that, so it's not really on the edge. Regarding the supposedly "smutty" components, that boils down to a sub-plot that refers (but does not describe or have any examples of) to a young man who has a secret BDSM secret. If that is outside your comfort zone, then yes, this book is not for you. There is a romance sub-plot in this mystery too, so if you prefer your cozy mysteries without romance, this. book is not for you either. But it is a cozy.

I will say the ending is abrupt, as other reviewers have stated.

Shes how old and BDSM??

I liked this book.... However there are two things that DEEPLY annoyed me.
1. The main Character Dani gets a mansion and ends up getting 3 girl tenants that she met in college. Through the whole book I had to remind myself Dani is only a few older than the girls. The writing makes you have the illusion that she is the "mother type'. The girls are like 20/21 and Dani is 26.
2. Authors that do not know about BDSM or the lifestyle SHOULD NOT write about it. PERIODT!!!! You are twisting a lifestyle I have been in for over 10 years. Another reader made a comment on this.. but given their comments it is obvious they are not in lifestyle either. Using BDSM to add "perversion" to spice a book up when you dont even know what the hell you are writing about is just bad form.

long

lots of words for a short story. I dudn't get into it but cannot NOT finish a book... most of the time.

Couldn’t get through the first 2 Chapters.

I love all Denise Swansons books. The narrator read this book so fast and didn’t pause that I had no idea who was saying what. It was so annoying I had to stop listening.

Easy listening

I enjoyed the book. It was easy to listen and the plot thread did not go off the rails at all. Definitely enjoyed it.

Disappointing

The main character, always a bit wooden, becomes downright insufferable as the book ends in a moralizing monologue.

fantastic!

love this book and how Denise tried in the scymbke river character Franny and Sky and Wally. the story was fantastic:)

Pretty good cozy

This cozy mystery is a fairly good listen with a moderately good narrator. I don’t think I would go for another by this author.

BDSM Approved

There is no graphic sex described in this novel, so it was bizarre when BDSM was approved by the author as an acceptable lifestyle choice. While this endorsement lasted only a paragraph or so, it was startling to find another female writer who condones the rape and torture of other women. Why exactly would any compassionate female believe that sexual assault is a male prerogative, rather than a violent crime?

Good story. Weak ending.

Fun to listen to. Cared about the characters introduced early. Too many new people at the end, and a weak ending. Great tone and good world building. What about the romantic encounter? It just kind of disappeared.