Pelops” troubles began when his father chopped him into stewing meat and served him to the gods for tea. Although he's been remade, and gifted with a talent for the culinary arts, there are downsides--namely a missing shoulder and sea god with an infatuation. Poseidon's nice enough, but he just won?t take no for an answer. Not only that, a wealthy, but mysterious patron has been causing Pelops?clients to cancel their engagements. Meanwhile, a rival chef is doing his best to destroy Pelops” reputation, the woman Pelops loves appears oblivious to his feelings, and just before Athens” most important festival begins, Pelops finds himself suddenly without olive oil--a serious concern for a chef.But things get worse when a courtesan is murdered at a dinner Pelops prepares--drowned in his newly-acquired olive oil. Seeking vengeance, the Furies arrive in Athens, and the rival chef blames their attacks on Pelops. Clients cancel in droves, and even Pelops” friends are affected by his rival's machinations. Pelops asks the gods for help, but when they turn him down, he realizes he alone must find the woman's killer to salvage his reputation.

Karen Dudley wrote a short stack of wildlife biology books for kids before trying her hand at mystery--mostly for the satisfaction of ‘bumping off’ people who irritate her in real life. Then after four environmental mysteries, she had an epiphany . . . she wanted to write fantasy! So she did. Her historical fantasies take place in ancient Greece, and they still include the odd corpse (which is not surprising, given the number of annoying personalities in the world) as well as deities and the odd mythical monster. Her first Epicurian Epic, Food for the Gods, has been nominated for the prestigious Aurora awards, the Boney Blithe award for Humours Mystery, A High Plains Book Award nomination for best culinary book as well as the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher. It's follow up, Kraken Bake will be released next spring.

Karen Dudley's profile page

• Short-listed, Bony Blithe Award
• Short-listed, Aurora Award for Best Canadian Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel in English
• Short-listed, Mary Scorer Book Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher
• Short-listed, High Plains Book Award

No one in this world Dudley has so strongly reimagined is forgettable, and almost everyone is delightfully unpredictable. Her gods are zany and foul-mouthed, but surprisingly likable.

Winnipeg Free Press

Dudley combines the playful engagement with mythology of Xena with the culinary interplay of celebrity cooking shows, and a healthy dose of mystery and crime-solving. By the end of reading this, you will find yourself reading Homer while eating a gourmet meal and pondering about the crimes in your city. I look forward to more of Dudley's work with a fork in one hand, a spyglass in the other, and ancient Greek pottery on the table.

Speculating Canada quote

Food for the Gods is, quite simply, an excellent book in every possible way.

Dreaming About Other Worlds

"Dudley has quite elegantly and creatively taken a classic Greek myth and woven it into something unique. The base idea of taking Pelops, someone who had been served up as food for the gods, and making him into a chef, is brilliant."

The Winnipeg Review

Karen Dudley takes Greek mythology and gives it a wild spin. This giddy mashup of fantasy, mystery, comedy, cookbook, and self-help column is bawdy, inventive, and just plain fun.

Sharon Shinn