Die Humorous Mystery Book 2) - The Hunger Pains (An Eat

Wasnt as good and captivating as the first one, but it wasnt bad eather. I guess im dissapointed that there wasnt much about what actually includes to her job description. When her talent is to taste poisons from foods and drinks i expected there to be something about it or to help her to figure out something throught that or anything to do with poisons. Not even a test to see if she was on top of her game still.

This series has the potential to be really great. However, I HATE for someone to write a fairly smart character stupid! The main character is supposed to be fairly smart even though she finds trouble very easy. But then the author will write in a scene with her thinking, saying, or doing something so stupid and not realistic that it seems completely out of character. I love the story and idea of this covert group and the dynamics between characters. But I probably won't continue the series because it bugs me that much.

I love the whole idea of a professional poison taster....awesome! I fell in love with the adorable Izzy. The whole story is engaging and keeps you glued to the book until the last page....and you want more! This story revolves around Izzy's client who is an agoraphobic and a bit eccentric. His murder throws Izzy back into searching for the killer. In comes the oh so attractive Connor, who is very reluctant to see Izzy as anything but a possible suspect in the murder. Next, Izzy has the unfortunate luck to be saddled with a very unlikeable relative. I loved each page. Very entertaining series. Highly recommended to those who love a cozy mystery with many a twist to keep you immersed in each page. Kudos to the author.

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own and honestly given.

This review is based on a digital copy I received from Author Chelsea Field. It is an honest review and the complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

What is there not to love about this book? Hmmm, since you have not read it yet I will tell you. It is wonderful and there is nothing unlovable about it! I can say wholeheartedly that the first book in this series, Eat, Pray, Die, was not a one-hit wonder! The Hunger Pains is a welcomed addition to what is becoming one of favorite must follow series.

Izzy is back and still in the employ of the Taste Society, which for those of you unfamiliar is a super-secret organization that trains candidates to aid in the identification of poisons. Once they graduate from the intensive training the operatives become known as shades. It is under this guise that Izzy finds herself acting as “girlfriend” to her new client. This also sets her up badly as she must play a role of grieving girlfriend otherwise she would blow her cover.

Something that I noticed about Izzy’s character is that in the first book she was under extreme stress and all of her actions, thoughts, reactions revolved around her angst of it all. In this book her character is still a straight shooter, funny and slightly less naïve but she is reacting to an entirely different set of circumstances and her actions, thoughts, and reactions are painted with these new emotional watercolors. I really loved that Izzy’s core personality was still intact while simultaneously responding with a different set of emotions that we were not previously privy to. I remark on this fact because in other books with characters we know them and know how they will react to a situation and are usually the same character. It just made me feel that I was still getting to know this character and that she has more to offer.

Connor! He was not a character that I carried any warm feelings for in the first book. In this story he is still condescending, puzzling, and smug but there is something going on with him. He is almost nice at times and even….considerate? That is very un-Connor like and I love it. Why is he fighting his attraction to Izzy? Just give in! For the love! Oh wait,? ?I know something you don’t know?. I do like his character now and I am looking forward to more development in the next book. Maybe he will finally pull the stick out of his…..oh wait, not appropriate, ha ha ha. You get the drift.?

Enough about the main characters, I bet you want to know about the plot maybe even the supporting characters?! It is a nice little mystery with lots of red herrings sprinkled throughout to keep you engaged until the end. All the main supporting characters from the first book are back with the addition of some unwelcomed relatives. Although there is not much involvement of previous characters as the story revolves around the mystery of who killed the client. There are some new additions to the cast, one in particular is even crankier than Connor. I am not a fan of Commander Hunt, at all!

So where does this leave me? I am hungering for the third installment of this series, Black Little Lies. There is no published release date but I will be keeping my eyes peeled for that release! I will say that true to my experience with the first book – once I started reading this book I did not want to put it down. I highly recommend you giving this story a try.

*Thank you to Author Chelsea Field for this complimentary copy of The Hunger Pains*

What a great book this is! No sophomore slump for Chelsea Field. The Hunger Pains, Book Two in the Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery Novel series, is a fun, quick read, with twists and turns, and a unique story line.

Ms Field's characters are all real and likable, even a man who works as a "leg-breaker" for a loan shark. The main character, and my favorite, is Isobel Avery, aka Izzy, who narrates the book in first person. I like Izzy so much because of her kick-ass personality and snarky wit.

The romance between Izzy and Connor, the romance that she isn't sure exists at the beginning of The Hunger Pains, grows during the book. Behold some examples of their tender moments.

• "Has it been long enough since you worked at Bakers Bliss that you can enjoy a jelly-filled donut, or should we go somewhere else?" he asked.

I opened my mouth and shut it again without any words coming out.

"You've had a rough morning. From what I remember, you're partial to comfort food, right?"

My heart swelled like a bread roll you dropped in the lake. Before it was devoured by the ducks. I was so touched that I had to fight back tears. You know it's been a bad day when the offer of a jelly donut makes you cry.

"A jelly-filled donut sounds great," I said.

• "...In that case, how would you feel about having Dudley in your SUV?" I eyed the spotless interior and silently amended my question to your immaculate SUV. Better not to draw his attention to it.

"Sure."

"Really?"

He gave an infinitesimal shrug. "Greyhounds don't have the normal dog odor because of the lack of oil in their skin. They don't shed much either."

I stared at Mr. Encyclopedia as if he'd sprouted a second head.

"Some friends of mine have greyhounds," he said.

"Wait, you have friends?"

--------------------------

Really, the only part of The Hunger Pains that I didn't like? It ends too soon! I wanted to keep reading about Izzy and Connor! Oh well, I'll just have to wait as patiently as possible for the next book in the series, Black Little Lies.

I highly recommend The Hunger Pains to all fans of cozy mysteries, especially madcap mystery romps such as Gretchen Archer's Davis Way series. I loved The Hunger Pains, and bestow upon it the highest rating of five stars!

Note: I received a complimentary copy of The Hunger Pains and voluntarily reviewed it. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

Loved this 2nd book in the series. (Although you can read this without reading the 1st one... why not start with #1. I recommend it too!). The premise is crazy, but it works! The very rich or influential or controversial hire food tasters because poison is a preferred method of murder... it can be easily disguised as natural causes. Isabel has the genetic ability to be food taster and is recruited to the temp agency that fills the requests for food tasters. Good pay and running from some mafia-types encourage Issy to take the job. The Hunger Pains describes her 2nd placement with an agoraphobia geek who won't leave his apartment but still manages to end up dead of a heroin overdose in a drug den. Isobel and the investigator for the "temp agency" (The Tasting Society) are polar opposites but 'love is in the air'. Wacky neighbor and friends add to the fun. Nice cozy mystery with a good story line!
**I was given an advance copy by the author to write an honest review.

The second book was much anticipated on my end and I was not disappointed. The characters are well developed and Conner and Izzy, definitely, move very slowly on their way to romance..2 books in and he asked for a date, slow. Good thing Etta and Oliver find romance!?! Sorta of. This book kept me guessing until the end and, still, I was wrong. I loved that. It was a solid follow up to the first book, but it could stand alone. I wouldn't recommend it but you could. Two separate mysteries in this one, murder and the swiping of files, breaking and entering and "finger" threats. It made fantastic reading and I am pleased to welcome a new author to my favorite list.. The only thing that made me sad was there was no poisoning in this book and none of it had anything, directly, to do with her tasting job. Oh well, I suppose getting spooned for grits and an apple was as close as it got. Pick this book up and read it, you will be glad you did.

This KU library selection is the second book in the series. For the past few months, Izzy has been working as a Shade for an agorophobe that has an online business expose' website. When he goes missing, Izzy investigates, and Connor returns to the storyline. Their "relationship" ended with book one, but Izzy finds a way to explain his reappearance in her life. It's all moving a little slowly for me, and it's still not a 'humorous' book. Yet I'm moving on to books 2.5 and 3. It gets 3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the second book of the series . I was really glad that she kept a lot of the characters that I had fallen in love with in her first book. Return to the scene of a crime while getting to revisit Etta,Mr. Black and my favorite Meow . I really enjoyed this book I feel like you get to know Izzy & Connor a little bit better the action in the book is a little less hectic and chaotic and gives you more time getting to know the main characters ! I found myself laughing out loud once again at Izzy & Etta's antics .
I received a free advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review

I just finished reading Hunger Pains. I really enjoyed this book. Knowing that the author lives in Australia made it especially interesting to me because she uses terms that are not familiar in America and I like having to figure out what they mean here in this country. This was not hard to do and there were not a lot of them to interfere with the storyline. I was hoping for more of the need for taste-testing like there was in the first book, but I really did enjoy this book. The characters are well-developed, and there certainly are funny unexpected moments throughout the book. I am looking forward to more books in this series. I received this as a free book asking for an honest review but I would have bought it anyway because I loved the first book in the series so much.

"The Hunger Pains" was a very enjoyable read. Izzy’s adventures as a poison food taster continues on with the humor, mystery and interesting relationships that I enjoyed in the first book. I love the way the writer describes the characters’ thoughts, making it all a fun read. I was so happy the story contained the ongoing relationship between Izzy and Connor. For me, not being able to solve the who in the mystery, and not seeing any editorial errors was a bonus. My only negative is that I never wanted the story to end- I couldn’t stop reading.

Thank you Chelsea for another great read, for having me on your advance review team and for the free advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review. Once again, I really look forward to the next book. I can’t wait to see what things Izzy gets herself into, and the continual development of her relationship with Connor.

This is another great story. Actually I liked this one better in some ways (light on the romance) but in other ways I didn’t (kinda sad). The Commander though...hmmm...shall we slap him for being a bully? Or would that make me a bully too? Ok never mind about slapping him, but he needs a stern talking too. Anyway, it’s a fun book and I’ll be on to the next one shortly.

This book was more serious in tone than the first as if being poisoned and pursued at gunpoint by a craycray chef was not serious. It was/is. What I missed was Izzy's unspoken thoughts, in book 1, that left me in stitches. In the he sequel, Izzy's thoughts felt flat, seemingly forced and unnatural. I was still very-much entertained by the storyline... and its ending.

However, I do hope Izzy's wonderful LOL moments return in books 3 and 4. #FingersCrossed

I Loved this second book of the series. There were surprises in the twists and turns in this story. As a food taster for wealthy clients, Izzy, our protagonist tries to convey a strength of character while suffering her feeling of insecurity. I love where her relationship with Conor seems to be heading. Lots of ups and downs and all of his insecurities he has to deal with will make a great read in future books in this series. I couldn't put the book down and had to finish it all in one day because I just couldn't find a spot where I could put it down and pick it up again, it is that good. It keeps you moving. I also couldn't stop laughing out loud at the supporting fun characters like her neighbor Etta who is a senior bundle of energy and trouble! Or her roommate Oliver who falls for Izzy's cousin, Henrietta while she and Izzy's obnoxious Aunt drop in for a visit. The ending was a BIG surprise and totally unexpected! I received an advance copy from the author in return for an honest review.

I really love this little series of books. I agree with a review I saw on an earlier book in the series, there IS nothing realistic but this series is fun, silly, laugh out loud "zanniness". I love the self-criticizing main character's internal monologue. Well developed characters, silly story lines and fun reading. WORTH your time.

Great first book in a wonderful series! The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the storylines are fantastic. I hope there will be more books after the first five, all of which I would highly recommend. If you love the Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) books, you definitely need to read this series.

Another great book in the Eat, Pray, Die series. Quirky mystery with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I LOVE these books and the author! Chelsea Field is my new favorite author. Can't wait to find out what happens at Christmas...

Love the main character. She's from Australia and a taste tester. Sounds like a great job if people weren't afraid of being poisoned that is. This is the 2nd book in the series and it's starting to warm up. It made me laugh a lot.

This is a pretty entertaining story and better than book one as the author is slowly developing the characters into more realistic people. I wish she would've included more romance in the story as well.

Love the main character. She's from Australia and a taste tester. Sounds like a great job if people weren't afraid of being poisoned that is. This is the 2nd book in the series and it's starting to warm up. It made me laugh a lot.

This is a pretty entertaining story and better than book one as the author is slowly developing the characters into more realistic people. I wish she would've included more romance in the story as well.

Another brilliant story. There were several times I found myself giggling out loud. Such a perfect mastery of comedy and tragedy yet again from Mrs. Fields. The hand drawn picture at the end was the best thing I've seen at the end of a book, ever.