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Beat until Stiff Audiobook
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(3.04) - 108 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Pastry chef Mary Ryan has sunk a lot of time and talent into the American Fare, San Francisco’s hottest spot, while grieving over her broken marriage. Then, arriving at work very early one day, she discovers a laundry bag stuffed with the dead body of one of her employees. The ensuing investigation soon exposes all of the dirty secrets that the food industry would like to keep hidden—philandering chefs, illegal aliens, and subsistence-level pay scales. Events begin to spiral and in time take out the restaurant’s celebrity chef and force Mary to use her unique skills to uncover a poisonous scheme.
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"This was not just another culinary based mystery. This had a great story, great characters and great writing. I enjoyed this book very much and will be looking for more from this author."
— Lydia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Not since Nero Wolfe and Faith Fairchild have mystery and food been yoked together so well as they are now in Claire M. Johnson's Beat until Stiff. An authentic and fast-paced mystery novel.”
— John McAleer, Edgar-winning author -
“Claire M. Johnson's Beat until Stiff deserves enthusiastic mention as a very special title which offers an unusually frank view of the cooking and restaurant scene in San Francisco. Herself a professional and experienced pastry chef, Claire Johnson presents the reader with a lively style that mixes autobiography with culinary and social insights. Highly recommended!”
— Midwest Book Review -
“Johnson’s delicious debut…mixes an unglamorized, behind-the-scenes view of the upscale restaurant trade with a plot replete with well-timed shocks…The down-to-earth Mary, with her keen sense of humor, casts a sharp eye on the novel’s flashier characters…The restaurant business—its food, financing, and philosophy—is here in all its complexity for discriminating mystery palates.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Not only is this a treat; I read it through twice to make sure it was as good as I thought.”
— Courier-Gazette
Awards
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A Malice Domestic Writer’s Grant Winner, 1999
Beat until Stiff Listener Reviews
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" Likeable heroine, and I enjoyed the culinary/restaurant setting. Ended pretty rapidly in a fairly predictable matter, but I will check out more of the series. It's a nice easy read. Reminds me a lot of The Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. "
— Michelle, 11/18/2013 -
" Ok audio book, took a while to get into. Good to read if there is nothing else on your to-read list. It was listed under comedy... Not true it was a murder mystery "
— Jennifer, 10/7/2013 -
" A sophisticated Stephanie Plum, Mary encounters dead bodies wherever she goes. Much action for this snarky pastry chef. The dialogue is witty and quite funny at times. "
— Eileen, 9/16/2013 -
" This is a great mystery, full of very realistic characters and a fabulous setting. I'm currently reading the sequel and am quite enjoying it as well. "
— Shelley, 7/20/2013 -
" This is a clever and captivating mystery that would particularly enchant foodies or anyone who has wondered what the restaurant business was like. "
— Marianne, 6/16/2013 -
" First in fun mystery series set in Napa Valley about a pastry chef with themes rich in food and wine "
— Lorri, 6/13/2013 -
" 2.5 stars. Okay murder mystery set in the culinary world of San Francisco. The mystery was pretty good and the restaurant life details spot on, but the depressed, angry,catty main character was hard to like. The awkward almost romance was annoying. "
— Holly, 5/3/2013 -
" Very cute book with a few murders tied in!! "
— Michelle, 11/21/2012 -
" Enjoyed the background information on running a restaurant. Seemed like an accurate account of their lives in that industry. Then a mystery thrown in!!!! "
— Joni, 7/25/2012 -
" A decent murder mystery "
— Sharon, 7/15/2012 -
" Found the book to be entertaining. After listening to the audiobook,however, I realized I don't want to work in a restaurant. Count that one off the list! "
— Deb, 5/9/2012 -
" Cute. Especially the san francisco references. "
— Saira, 5/7/2012
About Claire M. Johnson
Claire M. Johnson completed the California Culinary Academy’s program for professional chefs in 1983 and worked as a pastry chef in San Francisco and Oakland for eight years. Her first novel, Beat until Stiff, won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writer’s Grant. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, two children, and numerous animals.
About Christine Williams
Christine Williams is a singer and actor based in Ashland, Oregon. Her performance credits include productions at regional theaters and on concert stages across the country and around the world, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Barbican Centre in London to the Aspen Music Festival and the Grotowski Institute in Poland.