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Chef-to-Go Mystery
Series · 4 books · 2018-2023

Books in series

Tart of Darkness book cover
#1

Tart of Darkness

2018

Right when Dani thinks she’s hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives. But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She’ll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.
Leave No Scone Unturned book cover
#2

Leave No Scone Unturned

2019

Another deadly fun Chef-to-Go mystery from New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson! The back-to-school season can be murder It's the beginning of the university's fall semester and Dani can't wait for the college students to return to Normalton, Illinois—after all, without them, there is no one to support her Lunch-to-Go service, which is a vital part of her Chef-to-Go business. But Normalton University's orientation week is marred by a mysterious murder, along with a series of car-jackings and sightings of a mysterious creature in a pond on campus. And with the whole town feeling unsettled, Dani finds herself dealing once again with the infuriatingly handsome Spencer Drake, the head of security at the university. Although Dani vowed that her life would never again be boring and routine after she quit her stifling corporate job, she had no idea that she'd end up dealing with such strange happenings—not to mention murder. But as the trouble in Normalton draw worryingly close to home, Dani realizes that if the killer isn't caught soon, she may be the next one who is found scone cold dead. A delicious cozy mystery, perfect for readers of Kate Carlisle and Gayle Leeson! The Chef-to-Go Mysteries: Tart of Darkness (Book 1) Leave No Scone Unturned (Book 2)
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#3

Winner Cake All

2020

Once again, it looks like Dani Sloan will get a slice of the action... In the small town of Normalton, IL, there aren't a lot of opportunities for small business owner Dani Sloan to cater big-ticket events. But that's about to change—a client named Yvette Joubert is marrying Franklin Whittaker, the richest guy around, and they want Dani to cater their engagement party! The swanky event is the perfect opportunity to put Dani on the map for wealthier clients. But when a storm hits the party after guests arrive, it becomes clear that more than the dinner is ruined: Yvette is found dead beneath the marquee. Is her death a tragic accident, or a perfectly orchestrated murder? Then the case gets even juicier—it turns out that Yvette's ex-husband is Spencer Drake, Dani's almost-boyfriend, and the police start circling. Now Dani must follow an unending list of clues to save her business, her better half, and catch a criminal. Let's just hope they get their just desserts!
Chili Chili Bang Bang book cover
#4

Chili Chili Bang Bang

2023

Dani Sloan will have to solve the Chili Challenge murder before she or one of her fellow competitors’ chances of surviving the contest aren’t worth a hill of beans. Once again, it looks like Dani’s best-laid plans have been blown up... \ \ \* Things in Normalton, Illinois, are getting hot, hot, hot. When the small Midwest college town is chosen to host the Route 66 Rally’s Chili Challenge, not everyone’s excited by the prospect. Campus activists are upset about the environmental impact, the economic inequity, and the consumption of meat. And when the contestants’ ingredients and equipment are peppered with sabotage, it becomes clear that there’s someone who’s willing to take a life to get their point across, and Dani must not only cook a killer batch of chili, she also has to follow a trail of clues to save the contest, her fellow competitors… And herself.

Author

Denise Swanson
Denise Swanson
Author · 46 books

Denise Swanson lives in rural Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr. After 22 years as a practicing school psychologist, she's happiest sitting in her scree porch reading. However, when the weather turns too cold, she's willing to leave the Midwest to cruise the sunny Caribbean. Denise is an animal lover, but her home is currently furless, since her kitty of 20 years passed away in August of 2016. Instead, she enjoys watching the wildlife out her office window.

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