Mysteries
In 1930 San Francisco, the bridges haven't yet been built, and although Prohibition is still in effect, the speakeasies are turning them away. The Moore Detective Agency is two months and several fifths of whiskey away from closing its doors. When the wife of one of the most prestigious bankers knocks on their office door asking them to look for her wayward stepson, it could be the lifeline they need to keep the agency going. Unfortunately, Detective Nick Moore’s current client is his bootlegger, and the only case he cares about is the one that contains twelve bottles of bathtub gin. When Nick dives even further into the world of Jim and Beam, she is determined to solve the case on her own. Maggie soon finds herself up to her neck in murder, arson, and the lies and double lives of San Francisco’s wealthy elite, a world where she’s seen as a nuisance at best and a threat at worst.
Cranky 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. At work very early, she steps on a laundry bag stuffed with the dead body of one of her employees. The investigation soon exposes all the dirty secrets that the food business would like to keep secret: the philandering chefs, the silly whims of the dining public, the hiring of illegal aliens, and the subsistence-living pay scale. Events begin to spiral that in time take out the restaurant's celebrity chef and force Mary to use her unique skills to uncover a poisonous scheme. Beat Until Stiff is the first book in the Mary Ryan series.
Reviews
“Mary Ryan, feisty pastry chef at American Fare, a trendy San Francisco restaurant, finds murder on the menu in Johnson's delicious debut, which mixes an unglamorized, behind-the-scenes view of the upscale restaurant trade with a plot replete with well-timed shocks... The restaurant business—its food, financing and philosophy—is here in all its complexity for discriminating mystery palates.”
— Publishers Weekly
"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 experience pastry chef, Claire Johnson presents the reader with a lively style that mixes autobiography with culinary and social insights. Highly recommended!”
— Midwest Book Review
“Willy-nilly, Johnson takes you there in a fast and furious place, often reminiscent of the theatrical ditto, complete with Hamelts and Greek choruses and magicians who don't get it right. not only is this a treat, I read it through twice to make sure it was as good as I thought.”
— The Courier-Gazette
Mary Ryan, San Francisco pastry chef, is happy to be teaching at her old alma mater. But before long, she realizes the teaching staff are at loggerheads with each other. Adding to her dismay, ex-lover and Homicide Detective O'Connor has enrolled as a student, claiming to be on disability from the San Francisco Police Department.
In the middle of this turf war, Mary is ordered by dean Robert Benson to force Coolie Martin to leave the school or lose her job. But why would Coolie's father, a member of the Board of Directors, allow this to happen? Then when faculty and staff begin dying, Mary fears Coolie's forced exit might be part of a larger, more sinister plot.
Acting on a hint from O'Connor, Mary is soon knee deep in murder, money-laundering, blackmail, professional sabotage, and computer hacking, and must rush to uncover the truth before the bodies start stacking up…
Reviews
“Food Channel addicts will enjoy the inside details on cooling school politics, while fans of quirky mysteries will like the outrageous adult behavior on display.”
— Library Journal
“...highly amusing action in Johnson's superior second cosy to feature funky pastry chef Mary Ryan... This enjoyable romp should gain Johnson new fans.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Sexual tension, cooking tips, and a neatly package mystery. All in all, a tasty tale.”
— Kirkus Reviews