Allergic to Death
PRAISE FOR
Allergic to Death
“
Allergic to Death
is a delicious, de-liteful debut. Gigi is a heartfelt protagonist with calories to spare. Tasty food, a titillating story, and a spicy town and theater, rife with dramatic pause. Add a dash of romance, and you have the recipe for a successful series.”
—Avery Aames, Agatha Award–winning
author of the Cheese Shop Mysteries
“Full of colorful characters, delicious diet foods, a rescued dog, and an intriguing mystery,
Allergic to Death
is tasty entertainment.”
—Melinda Wells, author of the Della Cooks Mysteries
“The meals that Gigi Fitzgerald makes may be low in calories, but author Peg Cochran serves up a full meal in her debut book.”
—Sheila Connolly, national bestselling
author of the Orchard Mysteries
“Mouth-watering gourmet meals and a scrumptious mystery—a de-liteful combination!”
—Krista Davis, national bestselling
author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries
Allergic to Death
Peg Cochran
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.
ALLERGIC TO DEATH
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / August 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Peg Cochran.
Cover illustration by Teresa Fasolino.
Cover design by Sarah Oberrender.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58946-5
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is
stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the
author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
To Krista Davis,
without whose help, mentoring,
encouragement, brainstorming and door-opening,
my dream would not have come true!
Acknowledgments
First, my mother who nurtured my love of reading and with whom I share a love for words.
My husband, Fletcher, who shares my excitement as if it were his own.
My two beautiful daughters, Francesca and Annabelle, who always encouraged me to go for my dream.
My sister, Chris Knoer, who created the pork tenderloin with spinach and feta recipe and allowed me to share it in this book and who is just possibly even
more
excited than I am to see this book in print.
The Guppies—a wonderfully supportive Internet writing group.
My Plothatcher buddies who were always there with a suggestion, encouragement and sympathy—Avery Aames, Laura Alden, Janet Bolin, Krista Davis, Kaye George, and Marilyn Levinson.
My agent, Jessica Faust, and editor, Faith Black, who helped make the book as good as it could be.
Various other friends and family who have been supportive over the years—Esther Benz, Mary Loudon, Cathy Sciarappa and Olive Bragazzi.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Gigi’s De-Liteful Diet Tips
Recipes
Chapter 1
