Jane Reads: Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field | Review

I just read an amazing book, y'all — Eat, Pray, Die, by Chelsea Field. Let me tell you a little about it.

Synopsis, from Goodreads:

Being an undercover poison taster for the rich and famous might sound glamorous, but for Isobel Avery it means stomaching bad clients and even worse coffee.

The one side of the job that lives up to expectations is the money. Which is just as well for Izzy, since she needs an awful lot of it. Who knew when she made a lifelong commitment to a man that it would be one year living with him and the rest of her life paying for it?

But even her scoundrel ex-husband doesn’t look so bad compared to her new client. He’s competent, condescending, and annoyingly attractive, and Izzy doesn’t know whether to sleep with him or poison him herself. Throw in a loan-shark, a nosy neighbor, and a murder attempt, and Izzy will have her work cut out for her.

Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field
Series: An Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery, #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publication Date: July 3, 2016
Publisher: JFP Press
Paperback: 300 pages
ISBN-10: 0994575602
ISBN-13: 978-0994575609
e-Book File Size: 1419 KB
ASIN: B01FXB7CTM
Amazon US | Amazon UK| Amazon AU | Goodreads
Author's Website | Facebook | Goodreads

I absolutely love Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field, Book 1 of the Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery series! Eat, Pray, Die has an original and hugely interesting plot about a woman, Isobel Avery, trying to get a job as a poison taster, working for a classified organization known as the Taste Society.

The training for the position of "Shade" (Taste Society poison taster) is extensive and grueling.

We'd had to taste every known poison, by itself and in a variety of foods, to memorize the subtleties of its unique scent and flavor. We'd also had to forgo the antidote so we'd be able to recognize the distinctive symptoms. Some things can't be learned by textbook.

Some things can only be learned by subjecting yourself to eight months of stomach cramps, projectile vomiting, and diarrhea.

Isobel's first assignment as a Shade is to pose as client Connor Stiles' girlfriend, sticking close by his side in public and tasting all of his food before he does. Connor is a 36 year old millionaire with a PI license, who works in "Private Security and Investigation." Izzy discovers that there's a twist to this assignment (which I am unable to disclose — spoiler). I can say that's where the murder attempt occurs.

I was hooked from the very beginning by Izzy. She's a fantastic character — realistic, funny, engaging, likable, and very caring. I have a lot more favorite passages, but they occur after the assignment twist in Eat, Pray, Die, and I don't want to spoil it for you.

Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field is a fun, fast read. The action is told in first person by Izzy. You can read an excerpt on Author Chelsea Field's website.

Izzy has a great supporting cast:

Roommate Oliver (and his cat Meow), an English ex-pat who's not a big fan of the Queen.
Nosy neighbor Etta, a little old lady who's a big fan of anything that Izzy cooks. She has big appetites.
First client Connor. I think you'll be surprised by what you learn about him from the assignment twist. If you click the link at the end of the e-book, you'll be even more surprised when you read Connor Unmasked, the bonus scene from Connor's perspective you receive when you join Chelsea's Readers' Group.

All of the plot threads of Eat, Pray, Die come together in the end. There is an exciting and dramatic climax. I was surprised by whodunit.

I love Eat, Pray, Die, and recommend it to all fans of cozy mysteries. I think it will have special appeal to fans who are looking for something new and different. Book Two of the series, The Hunger Pains, is due to be published on August 29th 2016. I am so looking forward to reading it — I can't wait!

I love Eat, Pray, Die by Chelsea Field, and bestow upon it the highest rating of Five Kitties!

Five out of Five Kitties