Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allergic to Death | 2012 | Peg Cochran | Buy |
| 2 | Steamed to Death | 2013 | Peg Cochran | Buy |
| 3 | Iced to Death | 2014 | Peg Cochran | Buy |
The Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries were Peg Cochran’s first published mystery series. Set at a fictional weight-loss center called Gourmet De-Lite, the books follow Monica Cortez, a nutritionist who finds that her workplace keeps producing murder victims alongside slimmer waistlines. The food and diet industry setting gives the series a distinctive backdrop within the cozy mystery genre.
Allergic to Death (2012) launched the series and established the formula: a workplace full of eccentric clients and staff, a resourceful amateur sleuth, and a mystery that requires Monica to look hard at the people around her. Steamed to Death and Iced to Death followed in 2013 and 2014. The three books form a complete short series.
As Cochran’s debut series, the Gourmet De-Lite books show her establishing the approach she continued with the Lucille Mysteries and the Cranberry Cove series: approachable protagonists, community-focused settings, and mysteries that are engaging without being grim.