Olivia Paras has a job that is the icing on the cake. She is the Executive Chef at the White House. It's Ollie's job to feed the First Family and all their guests, be they friend or foe. Because a government sequester is in effect, state dinners are not being held, all parties cancelled, visitors rescheduled, and worse of all, she has lost her trusted friend and assistant, Cyan. Recently married to Special Agent in Charge, Leonard Gavin, they are enjoying marital bliss but she is bored with her job because of the effects of the sequester.

Chief Usher, Peter Everett Sargeant, and his know-it-all assistant, Margaret arrive in the kitchen with a brief from the President. President Parker Hyden will host a dinner for the Saardiscan Presidential candidate in two weeks. Kerry Freiberg, the first woman to run for that office will be feted at a dinner at Blair House. An additional bulletin advises Olivia that four of that nation's top chefs, previously invited to the White House, will arrive tomorrow for two weeks. Time for Olivia to get it all together, her notes, lists, flow charts and menus. It is time to get ready for company.

Kilian, Tibor, Nate, and Hector are the four chefs who arrive and bring mayhem and murder. Marcel, the White House pastry chef is drugged and poisoned. Kilian is murdered. Immediately our heroine does some serious sleuthing to uncover the secrets and discover who is behind the evil things happening on her watch.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MENUS is a fun filled, fast paced killer-read. Ollie really knows how to juggle everything....menus, co-workers,the always present secret service agents, visiting dignitaries, even the President and his family. I found Olivia, the chef-sleuth, to be an appealing heroine who got into tons of trouble almost too easily, but could think and talk her way out out almost as easily. I enjoyed visiting Blair House, the President's guest house on Pennsylvania Avenue, across from the White House,. Very descriptive and very informative. The scenes in the White House kitchen, the pastry kitchen, the chocolate room were mouth watering as well as the delectable recipes at the close of this book. A foodie will love this gastronomic adventure. I sure did. Great job, Ms. Hyzy.

Book Summary

It’s an old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth. But when a tour of the White House kitchen by a group of foreign chefs ends in murder, it’s Olivia Paras who finds herself in the soup…

Due to a government sequester, entertaining at the White House has been severely curtailed. So executive chef Olivia Paras is delighted to hear that plans are still on to welcome a presidential candidate from the country of Saardisca—the first woman to run for office—and four of that nation’s top chefs.

But while leading the chefs on a kitchen tour, pastry chef Marcel passes out suddenly—and later claims he was drugged. When one of the visiting chefs collapses and dies, it’s clear someone has infiltrated the White House with ill intent. Could it be an anti-Saardiscan zealot? Is the candidate a target? Are the foreign chefs keeping more than their recipes a secret? Once again, Olivia must make sleuthing the special of the day…