A Taste of the Nightlife by Sarah Zettel
A Vampire Chef Mystery
Obsidian
Paranormal, Mystery, Suspense
ISBN: 978-0-451-23407-0
Reviewed by Miranda




Chef Charlotte Caine and her brother Chet own Nightlife, a restaurant specializing in “haut noir” cuisine.  Nightlife is known more for its clientele than its fabulous menu.  Nightlife caters to everyone including the undead portion of society.  It’s never been a problem before but when an actual dead body shows up on the dining room floor the restaurant is shut down and Chef Caine’s life is headed for a tailspin.

Interesting characters crawl out of the woodwork but are they friend or foe?  Vampire food critic Anatole Sevarin just happens to be in attendance the night everything goes to hell and he sticks around to cause Charlotte’s head to ache.  Brendan Maddox, a sexy warlock and the victim’s cousin arrives to stir the pot.  He’s hunting his cousin’s killer and searching for another missing cousin but he makes time to woo Charlotte—after he’s ruled her out as a suspect of course.  However, Brendan could have a bit of competition from the handsome vampire.  Romance will have to wait because finding the killer will be harder than they think even though the killer is possibly way closer than they ever imagined.

A Taste of the Nightlife is a witty cheeky mile-a-minute mystery!  Sarah Zettel’s characters are laugh-out-loud funny and her story is a smash hit.  At first I wasn’t certain this story would be for me but after reading the first chapter I found myself totally engrossed in this delightful story set amidst the culinary world.  Charlotte is a stunning character; the type that you find yourself falling in love with and eager to see what trouble she will find next.  The men in her life are not too bad either.  Anatole and Brendan make sexy prospects for Charlotte’s love life.  A Taste of the Nightlife doesn’t feature a ton of romance but it definitely sets things up spectacularly for a great second book.  I usually prefer romance to dominate my stories but Ms. Zettel’s characters and plot pulled me in enough that I didn’t even think about it.  The mystery is thrilling and dominating.  I couldn’t wait to discover what the heck was going on!  I simply cannot wait to see what happens to this hot triangle in the next book!  A Taste of the Nightlife is a delicious treat!