A Healthy Place to Die — Peter King

Standing in for an ailing colleague, the Gourmet Detective attends a cooking conference at a luxurious Swiss spa famous for pampering the overindulged with healthful haute cuisine. Under the eye of the crusty chef-owner and his dishy staff, the Gourmet Detective prepares for the week ahead by sampling delicacies ranging from decadent cherry-schnapps-laced Zuger Kirschtorte, to mousseline de poisson. Then it's time to relax in the underground mudbaths, swim in the natural springs, and meet an attractive food writer for a rendezvous in the Seaweed Forest. But the Gourmet Detective's first spa experience may be his last, as he's knocked out cold and his delectable date disappears without a trace. Soon it seems that someone has whipped up the perfect recipe for murder--and the banquet has just begun...