The Body in the Big Apple (Faith Fairchild Mysteries)

In a delightful change of pace, Katherine Hall Page, writes a prequel to this series. The book features Faith Sibley as a young, single girl in New York. Her catering business is just beginning to expand and she busily prepares delicious gourmet food for famous socialites. She is contacted by her old school chum, Emma, who is being blackmailed because of secrets in her past. In an effort to protect her husband Michael, an aspiring politician, Emma pays off the blackmailers. People connected with her past begin to commit suicide (at least according to police reports.) Emma becomes more and more distraught over these situations and Faith tries to help her solve these mysteries. It is interesting to look into Faith's past and to see how much she loved life in New York. She can almost convince the reader that New York IS a nice place to live. As always, her descriptions of the food she prepares are wonderful!

Kathryn Hall Page's mystery novels have all been very well written and entertaining. The Body In the Big Apple is a prequel of The Body In... mystery series. In this novel, Faith Sibley Fairchild is a caterer in New York City. She bumps into an old college friend at a party. Emma Morris -- Faith's friend -- is the wife of an important politician. Exasperated, she tells Faith that she is being blackmailed. She is the daughter of 60's radical Nathan Fox -- she hadn't known that fact until recently and the media scandal could cost her husband's political career. Also, Emma has other secrets that she hasn't told her husband. And that is how Faith begins to solve mysteries. I found this book to be enchanting. I love how she described New York City -- especially since the story took place around Christmas -- and the recipes she had written down in the book. The characters are great and Faith is a strong and smart heroine. I suggest that you purchase this entertaining and exciting book. Oh, and I also suggest that you read the whole Kathryn Hall Page mystery series. They are all very entertaining. Enjoy.

THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE is the tenth book in Ms. Page's BODY series starring catering sleuth, Faith Sibley Fairchild. Touted as a prequel, readers are taken back to where and when Faith first started catering and sleuthing. The place is New York City. The time is the late 1980s.Is there such a thing as a cultured mystery? If there is, then THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE is it. I found it very easy to fall into this polished whodunit. Ms. Page's words flowed effortlessly making it easy to follow the characters and the storyline. I found Faith to be a pleasant, adaptable, protagonist whose personal life is intermingled pleasingly into the mystery without it taking over. The plot was very good. The practiced mystery buff in me almost had it figured out, but had doubts and was sufficiently surprised at the end.A young, unmarried Faith Sibley has embarked on independence and a catering business. While catering a lavish party, she runs into a close friend named Emma who she hasn't seen in a long time. Emma is in serious trouble, but doesn't want to go to the police for fear of harming her husband's political career. When Faith agrees to help her, Emma's past begins to rise and trouble starts brewing for them both.The added bonuses to this appetizing mystery are the tantalizing menu ideas sprinkled throughout the book and the scrumptious recipes, which all include apples, offered at the end of a satisfied read. WARNING: I recommended that you approach THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE the same way as it's recommended one should approach grocery shopping - on a full stomach, if not you may find yourself carrying this mystery back and forth to the kitchen in an attempt to find something resembling the fabulous food mentioned in this enticing whodunit.

I have to admit I was somewhat sceptical when I heard that this was a "prequel" to the Faith Sibley Fairchild series, but I was amazed that the character of Faith was still so interesting even without her husband, children, and best friend, Pix. Having read all of the other books, I enjoyed seeing Faith's life in her single days! The plot was intense and I found myself staying up into the wee hours of the morning to find out the ending. Katherine Hall Page just gets better and better!

At a party she is catering, Faith Sibley meets an old high school crony, Emma Stanstead, nee Morris. Though Faith is elated to see an old friend, Emma seems nervous and frightened. The next day, desperate to talk with a person she trusts, Emma informs Faith that someone is blackmailing her with the fact that she is the daughter of 60's radical Nathan Fox, who was recently murdered. Apparently, Emma's spouse Michael has major political aspirations and a blot on his wife's reputation could end his dreams.Faith begins to make inquiries to determine who killed Nathan and is extorting money from her friend. Though suspects abound throughout Manhattan, Faith also learns that more than just Emma's name is at stake. An unknown killer has murdered again and Emma appears to be on the list as a future victim unless Faith uncovers the truth rather quickly.THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE is a prequel that provides fans of the Faith Sibley Fairchild mysteries with the intrepid amateur sleuth's first investigation. The story line centers on Faith's inquiries. The characters are a wonderful bunch of New Yorkers and high society from the perspective of Gen-X's come across as genuine. Though the plot is thin, ye who have faith in the abilities of Katherine Hall Page will enjoy the novel that provides a glimpse into an unmarried Faith's early catering days.Harriet Klausner