Review: State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy

Olivia “Ollie” Paras is the White House Assistant Chef.  Her mentor, Henry, is retiring and Ollie is in the running for his spot.  Also in the running is TV celebrity chef Laurel Anne Braun, an obnoxious and condescending woman.  Ollie & Laurel have a past, one that Laurel won’t let Ollie forget. As if Ollie doesn’t have enough to worry about, she literally runs into an intrude on the front lawn of the White House.  While she tries to stay out of the way of the Secret Service Agents chasing the masked man,  when Ollie sees he’s getting away she knocks him out with a frying pan she’s planning on giving Henry as a retirement gift.

The Secret Service is less than impressed with her interference, specifically Secret Service Agent Thomas MacKenzie, Ollie’s boyfriend. 

The stress and tension increase when the President becomes involved in a peace treaty agreement in the Middle East.  The Chameleon, an extremely dangerous assasin, is out to put a stop to this agreement. Ollie’s involvement puts her life in danger as well. Will she survive long enough to be granted the position as White House Executive Chef?

I’ve kicked myself for not reading this series sooner!  As a resident of the DC area, I really loved that this series is based in my “hometown.” The White House kitchen setting was fresh and unique.  The additional details about the White House & the inner workings really added to the story.  The author had the opportunity to interview a former Executive Chef to the White House, so the information revealed is true to life.

Additionally, one can’t help but fall in love with the characters, even the irritating ones.  As if this isn’t enough, the mystery behind the intruder & the subsequent actions really pull you in.  Food lovers will love the 20+ pages of recipes at the end of the book!

Stay tuned for reviews of the rest of the books in this series, including HAIL TO THE CHEF, EGGSECUTIVE ORDERS & BUFFALO WEST WING, scheduled to post later this week!