Buffalo West Wing:
A White House chef mystery
By Julie Hyzy
Paperback, 305 pages with recipes, $7.99

Before I get into reviewing “Buffalo West Wing,” I’ll admit this — the White House chef series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series on the bookshelves today.

Maybe because I like food cozies — and there are always some great recipes at the end of these books.

Perhaps it’s because Ollie Paras, the first female executive chef, is such a fun character —  full of smarts and spunk.

Or maybe it’s because I met the author, Julie Hyzy, at an Ann Arbor book festival a few years ago, and she was even more delightful than the stories she creates.

I devoured “State of the Onion,” the first in this series. And couldn’t wait to introduce Ollie and her supporting cast to all my cozy-loving friends. I spent Christmas Day reading “Buffalo West Wing” from cover to cover. Merry Christmas to me. I could not wait to read the latest adventures of Ollie and her staff as a new First Family arrived at the White House.

“A bond forms between the White House staff and the First Family. It’s an unusual bond because it is, by definition, temporary. Every four or eight years the residents change, but the staff largely remains the same.”

And the new president and his wife bought with them two First Kids - Abigail, 13, (code name Sparkle) and Joshua, 9, (a.k.a Scamp). Did you know that all the members of the First Family are given code names by White House security? This is just one of the many White House tidbits of presidential trivia readers will learn while reading this series.

The murder and mayhem begins quickly when a box of chicken wings is delivered to the White House kitchen with a note addressed to the children — but no one on staff knows who delivered them.

Since Ollie is directly responsible for every morsel of food that leaves her kitchen, she’s taking no chances when it comes to serving something with mysterious origins.

“No matter how you cut the cheesecake,” she says, “There was no way I could have served those wings. If I had to do it again, I would still refuse.”

However, her refusal to serve the wings and her caution when it comes to what the First Family consumes, draws the early ire of the new First Lady, and if the First Lady doesn’t like the White House chef, Ollie knows she soon could lose the most prestigious culinary job in America.

Of course, the timing could not be worse. The new president had been in office for 24 hours and already there was a potential crisis when the White House housekeeping staff falls ill after eating said wings, landing Ollie smack in the middle of yet another security nightmare.

Plus, she’s dealing her ex-boyfriend, Tom, who just happens to be in charge of the White House security detail.

“There’s something quietly weird about watching third-rate political pundits discuss global events at 4 a.m.,” she muses while getting ready for work. But as executive chef it behooves Ollie to keep up with current events — something that’s helped her to solve her share of crimes in the past.

“State of the Onion,” the first in the White House chef series, was my favorite — until now. But I’d highly recommend reading all four books in this series. I know you’ll become as much of a fan of this series as I am. There's “State of the Onion,” “Hail to the Chef,” “Eggsecutive Orders” and “Buffalo West Wing.”

And when you’ve digested these four books and are yearning for more, pick up the first in Hyzy’s new Manor House mystery series “Grace Under Pressure,” which features another terrific female character, who runs the staff at Marshfield Manor, a neat historic property. The next one is scheduled for a June release and is titled “Grace Interrupted.”

Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com and her Cozy Corner book reviews appear every Wednesday.