Avid Series Reader's Reviews > Fonduing Fathers

Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy is the sixth book of the White House Chef mystery series set in contemporary Washington D.C. Olivia "Ollie" Paras is the successful head chef at the White House. She's popular with her staff (except for arrogant show-off Virgil, whom no one likes) and with the First Family. Young Josh hero-worships Ollie and longs to become a chef (to his dad's chagrin).

Unlike the other books in the series, the mystery does not start when Ollie finds a dead body. Instead, Ollie finally prevails upon her mother to share details about her father, who died when she was very young. When her mother shares the 25-year-old secrets with her, Ollie is stunned to see his Dishonorable Discharge. She absolutely refuses to believe the allegations against him could have been true. From that moment on, she is compelled to ferret out the truth, no matter how classified, and no matter how much juggling is required between investigation and work. Ollie's boyfriend Gav fully supports her desire for knowledge, turning to his father-figure and mentor Yablonski, to get the super-secret facts.

It's an interesting puzzle, with many red herrings. As always, Ollie uncovers clues and takes risks; she confronts a killer in a suspenseful scene with a last-second rescue, resulting in more serious
consequences than usual. Ollie and Gav become more committed to each other (it's about time).

My gripe is with the fundamental premise, that what happened when Ollie's father was murdered must be kept secret "forever" as a matter of national security. Nope; not plausible. That said, it's an enjoyable and satisfying story.

I recommend reading this series in order from the beginning ("State of the Onion"), to get the full background of the characters, understand how they've developed in the series and appreciate their behavior.