MYSTERY AUTHOR LORI P0LLARD-JOHNSON ON DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

Lori Pollard-Johnson is a retired educator and current wife, mama and grandma. She writes from her homes in Washington and Arizona, and has been published in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Toxic Torte is the first book in her "Just Desserts" series. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her grandbabies, braiding rugs, perfecting her shavasana, swimming, hiking, practicing her releves, renovating fixer-uppers, reading, or watching javelinas dance through her backyard. Learn more about her and her books here.

What Made Me Think of…Death by Chocolate? 

Writers are often asked what the inspiration is for their mystery novels. It seems our brains are hardwired to create chaos and mayhem in clever ways that surprise readers. I’m not sure why that is, but I’ll take it as a compliment. 

 

The book I’m most asked about, though, is Toxic Torte, a cozy mystery about an (in)famous restaurant critic who is poisoned in a very delicious way the day after Valentine’s Day: Death by Chocolate. What inspired me, however, are all my experiences writing about chefs and the food and wine industry. 

 

My writing career started as a creative and profitable hobby while being a stay-at-home mom. I queried and wrote nonfiction articles about a variety of things—kid-friendly activities, business profiles, music reviews—but one of my favorite topics was covering gourmet dining and the chefs who create sumptuous meals. What I discovered early on is that the average chef donates an extraordinary amount of time above and beyond their chef duties to helping others. After prepping, planning, and ordering, they oversee sous chefs, and then, most notably, spend their off days volunteering at food banks, educating others on nutrition, and cooking for nonprofits. 

 

They inspired me!

 

But then I watched how a well-placed review by a harsh critic could crumple their reputation and devastate their reservation list. It made me angry! So I began to think of how a chef might retaliate. In reality, chefs have to simply continue being the best they can be—maybe open a new restaurant under a different name or go to work in another city. But in a fictional world, they could exact the perfect revenge: a delicious death. Thus, Toxic Torte rose like a decadent chocolate souffle in my brain. 

 

While writing, I experimented with a bunch of chocolatey confections—I’m partial to flourless tortes—and found a recipe for a not-too-sweet, nutritionally healthy, vegan dessert called Cocoa Balls. Reminiscent of a chocolate torte, I adapted the following recipe to my family’s tastes. They’re easy to make, freeze and refrigerate well, and satisfy our cravings for a decadent, flourless (and gluten free), chocolatey confection that are chock full of natural energy, fiber, protein and antioxidants.

 

Cocoa Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup dates (I like to use a specialty date: Black Gold from Sam Cobb Farms in Palm Desert, CA, but if you can’t get them, a pitted Medjool will do)

1 cup walnuts (I love the heartiness and oiliness of a walnut, but you can experiment with other types of nuts—make sure they are unsalted)

2 T cocoa powder (I like to use the extra dark variety, but others like a softer taste)

 

Chill the dates and walnuts for a few hours in the refrigerator, then process the dates and walnuts in a food processor until they form a slightly sticky, slightly crumbly mix. 

 

Add the cocoa powder and pulse a few times until mix is coated and becomes dark brown. 

 

Scoop with a spoon and form into approximately 20 balls, 1-1/2 inches in diameter. 

 

We like to eat them in place of cookies or biscuits with tea or coffee, or as a garnish with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream. They keep well in the refrigerator for at least a month in a sealed container or frozen for at least six months. They won’t last that long, though!

Toxic Torte

A Just Desserts Mystery, Book 1

 

Jess Harriet writes for the Seattle Sun, a weekly newsrag best known for its personal ads. When her latest assignment turns out to be yet another obituary, this time for caustic restaurant critic Perry Lowell, she seriously considers quitting. But before the memorial buffet is replenished, detectives appear. Perry didn't die of a heart attack after all. He was murdered...with a toxic torte, likely served at the Valentine's Day Chocoholic Ball. Jess seizes the opportunity to solve the murder and scoop the story, but she'll have to outwit Cherrie Belle, fellow Sun Reporter by week, cheerleader by weekend; Tom, a college dating disaster who holds a flame for Jess and the elusive Chocoholic Ball guest list; and a cadre of unsavory chefs who invite her to a dinner she suspects is a recipe for danger.

 

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