PHOTO BY JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE SWANN / DSWANN@STARBULLETIN.COM

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A pair of culinary mysteries
set in the islands prove that
food and fiction can be
potent partners in crime

Violent death, smoking guns, bloody knives.

Yum-my.

The cookbook and the whodunit come together in a particular form of fiction -- culinary mysteries, tales of sleuthing and eating popular enough to make up a subgenre among murder tales.

Mark Haskell Smith: Hopes to see his mystery, "Delicious," become a movie THE WRITER Meet Mark Haskell Smith, author of "Delicious," at these events: Saturday: Noon, Borders Ward Centre Sunday: Noon, Borders Waikele; 3:30 p.m., Kaneohe Public Library

"It's huge," librarian/mystery buff Cindy Chow says of the culinary category. "It's very popular with women, probably one of the stronger ones."

These cooking tales have been around for decades, but now they've come to Hawaii, in the form of two just-released mysteries, "The Flaming Luau of Death" and "Delicious."

The first stars Madeline Bean, aka Mad Bean, a Los Angeles caterer who lands at a Big Island resort to stage an elaborate bridal shower for one of her employees. Lots of parties and cooking ensue, amid just a bit of death.

"Delicious" is less conventional: Local-boy chef Joseph does his part to protect his ohana by cooking two dead guys in an imu.

Well, they were bad guys.

If you find that tidbit tasty, or at least intriguing, Chow is bringing "Delicious" author Mark Haskell Smith to her place of employment, the Kaneohe Public Library, for a meet-the-author session on Sunday. He'll also be signing his book at Borders Books & Music stores over the weekend.

On the other hand, Jerrilyn Farmer, author of "Luau of Death," bemoans the fact that her promotional book tour doesn't include Hawaii. She counts herself as a frequent visitor and made a research trip last April that took her to resorts up and down the Kona-Kohala Coast.

Her mystery is set at the Four Heavens Resort -- a very loose disguise for the Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai.

Chow, although she works as a young-adult librarian, keeps an amazing amount of information about adult mysteries in her brain. She also attends mystery conventions, which is how she came to know Smith.

Ask her about the culinary mystery and she can rattle off all kinds of facts:

Farmer's Mad Bean -- star of seven novels since 1998 -- fits Chow's profile. She's a caterer in a relationship with a homicide detective. In Mad Bean's first adventure, someone is poisoned at one of her parties, although he's an ego-centric producer, not a chef.

Jerrilyn Farmer: Making her heroine a caterer is a convenient plot device

Farmer says she chose catering for her sleuth because it provides her with a venue "for getting involved with a lot of people who have murders happen."

Emotions run high when people are planning big parties, Farmer says. "Every caterer I have met since I started writing this series has told me all kinds of horror stories. ... I just push it that one extra step. I push it to murder."

Besides, she says, "Don't you think being a great chef gives you a certain power over people? I mean, men used to marry women because they were good cooks. ... I just take it a little further in my mysteries."

Writers Farmer and Smith have a bit in common, beyond the fact that both chose Hawaii as the setting for novels released at the same time.

Both are based in the Los Angeles area and started out as entertainment writers -- Farmer writing for game shows and sketch comedies; Smith writing screenplays. Both describe themselves as foodies.

Smith, however, is not locked into a series, nor is he wedded to the culinary approach. He has one other novel to his credit, "Moist," involving a masturbation coach, if you can get your mind around that. His third, he says, will be set in Thailand; the next, perhaps, "anywhere I can get some good food."

His Hawaii experience is grounded in a lengthy stay in 1998, when he was working on a failed ABC pilot called "Honolulu Cru." He spent two weeks riding with narcotics detectives, "doing undercover stuff," and eating a more-than-occasional plate lunch.

When working on "Delicious" about 18 months ago, he made another research visit and consumed more plate lunches.

Smith pays tribute to the local plate in "Delicious" when he has a character stop for a Spam-and-egg breakfast, with macaroni salad and white rice: "Although the texture of the food reminded him of molten whale blubber, the flavors were good, the fat and grease deeply satisfying as it settled in his gut like a quart of Spackle. He felt better, energized."

If you pick up "Delicious," be warned: If this book were a movie it would be X-rated. It's got a lot of naked stuff in it. Really a lot, as a matter of fact, wrapped around a plot involving a mainland catering company trying to squeeze out a local company that has monopolized service to film productions. It is to protect his thuggish uncle's monopoly that the hero-chef digs the imu, a motive not as pure as that of most literary sleuths.

"It's all shades of gray," Smith says. "I guess it's kinda my world view. Even the noblest cause has something behind it."

Besides, "the bad guy is really bad and really gross and he's from Las Vegas."

Smith is hoping to turn "Delicious" into a movie, toned down at least in the direction of an R rating. He says Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has shown early interest in playing Joseph and has told him that the characters ring true. "He said, 'I know those guys. I grew up there and I know those guys.' "

No question these novels fall far short of ever being considered "serious fiction." They are flippant even for mysteries.

They are meant to be fun, Farmer admits, but also to demonstrate a sharp wit in the logic of their puzzles.

"Another author once said that she was writing books to entertain smart people who were home with a cold. I love that idea. ... I want people to know that in my books all the people are smart. ... That's the fun of it, the puzzle."

The Mad Bean novels don't actually include recipes, but occasionally one will be released in connection with marketing of the book. With the first mystery, "Sympathy for the Devil," in 1998, Farmer released her own recipe for deviled eggs.

The first step may be performed with a dagger: Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Next, using finesse of a cat burglar, ease out yolks and reserve whites. In a medium bowl, mash yolks mercilessly with a fork, mixing in mayonnaise, cumin, mustard, salt and jalapeño.

Fill egg whites with egg-yolk mixture, heaping lightly. Then hide the clues: Sprinkle with chilies; garnish with cilantro. Serves 12 hungry accomplices.

Madeline Bean's tip: Place eggs on your most beautiful platter and create a lovely border all around with sprigs of cilantro. Make plenty. One should never underestimate the attraction of a great deviled egg.

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Murder on the menu

For those who would enjoy their tales of death served with a side-order of real food, here are examples of what you'll find in the writings of the stalwarts of the culinary mystery genre:

Nero Wolfe

Author: Rex Stout
First in the series: "Fer-De-Lance," 1934
The sleuth: Wolfe is an eccentric, overly large gourmand/orchid-grower/crime-solver. He pursues all these passions without leaving his New York City brownstone, thanks to his assistant, Archie Goodwin, who deals with the outside world.
How food fits in: Wolfe never misses a meal, no matter how intense his cases. He employs a personal chef, Fritz, and dines extravagantly, although he is frequently short of cash.
In his words: Wolfe's primary liquid refreshment is beer. "I'm going to cut down to five quarts a day. Twelve bottles. A bottle doesn't hold a pint. I am now going to bed." -- From "Fer-De-Lance."
On DVD: The A&E network produced a Nero Wolfe series beginning in 2001, starring Maury Chaykin as Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Goodwin. It is available on DVD.

The Wolfe mysteries don't go into as much detail on cooking as do other culinary tales, but the author made up for that with a cookbook, from which comes this recipe.

Georgia ham, as explained in a couple of Stout's mysteries, is from pigs fed on acorns and peanuts, cured to Wolfe's specifications. The dish is worth trying with whatever ham you can find, however.

Soak ham in milk 1 hour.

Combine sauce ingredients and heat.

Drain and dry ham. Broil 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with sauce. Serves 2.

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Mrs. Potter

Author: Virginia Rich
First in the series: "The Cooking School Murders," 1982
Sleuth: Eugenia Potter, always referred to as "Mrs. Potter," is an older woman, a widow of means, who happens to stumble upon death frequently.
How food fits in: Mrs. Potter is a good cook and her stories involve many meals, for which menus and food preparation are richly detailed.
In her words: "You fill a quart jar with whole, washed beach plums, add a teaspoonful of sugar and pour in good 151-proof rum to the top. Then you set it away and forget it for a year, at least." -- How to make Beach Plum Slivovitz, from "The Nantucket Diet Murders."
Posthumous note: Rich wrote only three books before her death in 1985. Three more were written by Nancy Pickard based on Rich's notes.

Mrs. Potter memorized this recipe, from her Grandmother Andrews. She makes it for a friend's tea party, between murders.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Cover orange peel with water in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender. Remove peel.

Continue to simmer liquid until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Combine remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl.

Pour orange syrup into measuring cup and add enough milk to make 2/3 cup. Mix in egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in orange peel. Bake 45 minutes. Makes about 10 slices.

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Goldy Bear

Author: Diane Mott Davidson
First in the series: "Catering to Nobody," 1990
Sleuth: Goldy Bear is a single mom with an abusive ex-husband. These and other life complications tend to bring murder into her general orbit.
How food fits in: Goldy is proprietor of Goldilocks' Catering: Where Everything is Just Right, based in Aspen Meadow, Colo. The books include full recipes for dishes Goldy serves at her catered affairs.
The latest: Davidson has written 12 Goldy Bear mysteries, the most recent being "Double Shot" (William Morrow, 2004)
In her words: "Brunch is a killer. I hate it, and among food people I'm in good company. James Beard found the idea of a heavy meal between meals idiotic. He said, 'You don't have something called lunny-dinny, do you?'" -- From "Dying for Chocolate"

The key to pasta salad, Goldy says, is that the pasta must be well-cooled. Warm pasta sops up sauce and turns it into "a sodden mass."

Cook pasta in boiling water until just done, 11 to 13 minutes. Drain and rinse until cool.

In a big bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and mayonnaise. Add pasta and remaining ingredients. Mix; adjust seasonings. Chill. Serves 10.

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More foodie mysteries

Cindy Chow of the Kaneohe Public Library came up with this list of additional culinary mystery series, listed by author:

Susan Wittig Albert: Sleuth China Bayles owns an herbal shop. Her stories are named for herbs.
Claudia Bishop: Hemlock Falls Mysteries feature sisters Sarah and Meg Quilliam, who own a bed and breakfast.
Joanna Carl: Chocoholic Mysteries, with Lee McKinney, who works in a chocolate shop.
Laura Childs: Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning's stories feature names of teas in their titles.
Cleo Coyle: Series centers on Clair Cosi's Greenwich Village coffee shop.
Philip Craig: Martha's Vineyard Mysteries feature retired cop Jeff Jackson and lots of fish recipes.
Isis Crawford: The author is a caterer whose heroines, sisters Libby and Bernie Simmons, own a catering business.
Nancy Fairbanks: Food writer Carolyn Blue stars in such titles as "Crime Brulee."
Joanne Fluke: Heroine Hannah Swenson owns a cookie company.
Ellen Hart: Food critic Sophie Greenway eats and solves crimes.
Peter King: The unnamed "Gourmet Detective" hunts down hard-to-get ingredients while solving crimes.
Tim Hemlin: Part-time chef Neil Marshall sleuths in his off-hours.
Cecile Lamalle: Chef Carly Poisson stumbles upon murder, repeatedly.
Janet Laurence: Darina Lisle is a cookbook author/crime-solver.
Nan and Ivan Lyons: Their titles include "Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" and "Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of America."
Tamar Myers: Pennsylvania Dutch Murders star Mennonite innkepper Magdalena Yoder.
Katherine Hall Page: Faith Fairchild owns the Have Faith catering business.
Joanne Pence: Angie Amalfi is an heiress who loves to cook and is always trying to find a career in some food-oriented business.
Phyllis Richman: Food editor Chas Wheatley straddles worlds of crime, food and newspapers.
Lou James Temple: Sleuth Heaven Lee (really) owns Cafe Heaven in Kansas City.

Anthologies

"Death Dines In" and "Death Dines at 8:30": Edited by Claudia Bishop, each story in the collections of short mysteries is accompanied by a suitable recipe.
"A Taste of Murder: Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers": Edited by Jo Grosman, the cookbook includes recipes submitted by all manner of mystery authors.