The Body in the Gallery

The Body in the Gallery is the latest mystery in the series by Katherine Hall Page. All of "The Body in the..." series feature Faith Fairchild - the wife of a pastor, mother of a son and a daughter, and a caterer and terrific cook - as the sleuth who usually (I think it may be always) stumbles upon the particular bodies referred to in the titles.

The mysteries are usually fairly interesting puzzles - not too easy to figure out, but not too difficult, either - but the main attractions for me are Ms. Page's descriptions of food and the recipes she includes.

See what you think of this:

"He motioned Faith toward the living room. As she followed him she noticed that the flame under the chicken had been turned off. She paused to uncover it. It definitely needed to simmer longer. She replaced the lid and turned the burner on. It was an easy dish and a family favorite. She'd browned the skinless breasts in olive oil, then topped them with layers of thinly sliced onions, red and yellow peppers, plus two cups of fresh chopped basil - the last from the garden. She'd harvested the crop earlier in the afternoon, making and freezing pesto, saving one large bunch for this dish. Salt, pepper, and half a bottle of red wine - she'd had some leftover pinot noir in the fridge - completed the dish, which needed to simmer for at least an hour so the chicken could absorb the flavors. They'd have it with whole wheat couscous, which has a lovely nutty taste, and a salad."

That sounded delicious, so I made it. Twice. And she's right - it's very good with couscous.

The murderer was caught in the end, too.