Showing posts with label Richard Parker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard Parker. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2018

The Songbird Girls - Richard Parker, Author



DUCK CONFIT - Serves Four

Ingredients

4 Duck breasts.
Tbsp Freshly chopped thyme
3 Cloves garlic finely chopped.
Salt.
Freshly ground black pepper
Three jars of goose fat.

Method

Sprinkle duck breast skin sides with plenty of salt and pepper Turn over and rub with more salt, sprinkle over thyme and chopped garlic. Cover with clingfilm and leave in refrigerator overnight.
Melt goose fat in a pan or slow cooker and turn heat down low.
Add a little oil to a skillet and seal duck breasts both sides.
Drop into the goose fat so they're completely covered and slow cook for four hours. 
Turn off heat and leave fat to set. You can leave it like this for a couple of days if necessary.
When ready to serve just remove breasts from fat, shake off excess and reheat in pan until hot.

Serve with red cabbage and potatoes cooked in the goose fat with a fat glass of red.

The Songbird Girls - Review by Martha A. Cheves

When steel struck the back of her head, Polly's brain briefly took her to a safe place.  She thought she was sitting at home in her armchair, the lounge quiet except for the clock ticking.  The sensation of the cushion beneath her seemed so real but consciousness and reality surged quickly back... She tried to scream, to alert the man who had got out of the Toyota but a hand was over her nose and mouth and her panicked exclamation was held inside her head.

Three years ago Detective Inspector Tom Fabian had put Christopher Wisher, infamous London serial killer, behind bars.  He'd murdered nine people.  Mutilated them in a way only he understood.  Wisher had confessed to the murders and each had his signature - a bird laying near the body with its neck broken.  This was withheld from the public so when Polly's body was found with the signature bird and Wisher in prison, Fabian could only believe this was a very well informed copycat.  And when Wisher passes on a special item to Fabian, he finds his life will be changed for a long time.

Have you ever picked up a book, started reading and decided you know the outcome after just a few pages?  That is what I thought about The Songbird Girls.  I just knew I had this book figured out from almost the beginning.  I was sure up until the last couple of chapters.  Boy was I wrong!  This book took me totally by surprise and I must say that I've finished the book and still don't know the ending.  This book is leading me into the next book that I hope will be out very soon!  I must see what I've missed and who is truly behind the story.  So, Richard Parker, please hurry and give us all the next book in this series.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Never Say Goodbye - Richard Parker, Author

Releases August 14, 2018

TOM FABIAN DEVILLED EGGS

Makes 8 (16 halves)

Ingredients

8 eggs
3 tbsp chipotle mayo
Healthy sprinkle of smoked paprika (better depth of flavor than ordinary paprika)
Healthy sprinkle of garlic powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Sprinkle of salt
Sprinkle of white pepper
(Tsp of English mustard if you want them even hotter)

Directions

Boil eggs for 10 minutes. Tip away hot water and add cold. When they're cool, peel off shells and cut each egg in half
Scoop out yolks and put into a bowl. Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork. Spoon or pipe back into each egg half. Sprinkle eggs with a little of the smoked paprika to decorate.



Never Say Goodbye - Review by Martha A. Cheves

"Whiting hadn't made any connections between the four victims.  Each one had been murdered in a different area of the city."  Metcalfe consulted his note.  "First was female - an affluent black law student, second was a white, mail, middle-aged taxi driver.  Third a white teenage girl who worked in a supermarket and the fourth a geriatric white female, Janet Wells.... "But no witnesses."... "no.  First victim was attacked in a car park at night, second under a railway bridge, third in the garden.  Janet Wells was the first victim of a break-in.  As far as we know, the attacker wasn't interrupted on any occasion."  

DCI Alec Metcalfe has just updated Detective Tom Fabian of the latest information on victims that seem to be randomly chosen.  Each is stabbed several times, hopefully killing them, before they are stabbed with a knife to the face mutilating their facial features.  None of the victims knew each other nor had anything in common.  So, why were they chosen?

This was another of those books that took me all the way to the last few chapters before I was informed as to who and why!  I had one suspect at about 70% into the book but found that I was totally wrong and totally shocked as to who and why.

If you want a great suspense, murder mystery, I have to recommend Never Say Goodbye .  It held my interest to the extent that I finished it in under 5 nights!  Yep, that good.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Hide and Seek - Richard Parker, Author



Chunky Chicken Satay - serves 2

I've always loved this dish but my issue with it is that it's tiny.  I use 2 inch cubes of chicken thigh meat for this but feel free to use generous cubes of chicken breast. - Richard

Measurements don't need to be exact.  Adjust for your own taste and texture preference.

Marinade

1 lemon squeezed plust zest
5 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp sesame oil
2 heaped tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Chinese five spice
2  cloves of garlic crushed


Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup creamed coconut
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Drop of warm water.

For marinade combine all ingredients and marinade chicken for a few hours - no longer as lemon juice will break it down.

For peanut sauce add warm water to creamed coconut and combine remaining ingredients. Add more warm water or oil to get correct texture.

Skewer chicken and grill until meat is white.  Dip and enjoy!


Hide and Seek Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of: Stir, Laugh Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Lana heard her boy scream and shot to the back door.  The'd taken her eyes off him for only a few moments but when she entered the sunny yard there was no sign of her child.  She bolted to where he'd been sitting and found the stranger's bare legs scrambling over the fence with a sack containing Cooper dangling from his fist.  She could see Cooper twisting inside.  He was hoisted up and out of reach and her panicked wail energized is.  If she didn't act fast, the stranger would drop over the fence to the private lane on the other side.  She restrained his ankle firmly with both hands and started trying to lug him back.  Lana grabbed his clammy calf and then slammed her body against his shoe to trap him there.  Digging her nails in, she bit the skin above his heel.  She heard him cry out and she clamped her teeth down as hard as she could.  She wanted to shout that she'd murder him before she'd let him take Cooper but she wasn't about to loosen her teeth on his ankle.

Lana saved her son that day but the fear that wouldn't leave her took it's tolls on her, changing her life forever.  No longer did the home she and Todd had scrapped ends to buy seem safe.  Their move to a fourth floor apartment helped some but she still checked every window and every door at least three times before going to bed.  Her obsession also took her to an internet site called Right Where You're Standing.  It used GPS to direct you to local murder scenes.  Here she did a search seeking only those where children had been taken and murdered. She had high hopes that site would find her find the perpetrator who tried to take her son.  It's now almost a year later and the police appeared to have given up their search leaving her to be the only one to pick it back up.  What she didn't know was the involvement her husband Todd had taken on with his own investigation.  His form of involvement was one that could prove to be very deadly, not just for himself but for Lana too.

Hide and Seek is a book that will not only have you watching your own children but it will also become a book that you'll keep telling yourself "just one more chapter."  Well, that "just one more chapter" turned into another and another for me.  It takes you on a very winding road that is actually full of surprises!  The trials that Lana goes through are more than most of us could endure.  And no, I'll not give you clues, other than to say that if you like a book that will keep you on the edge of your chair, you'll want to get your hands or Kindle on this book ASAP.


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Stalk Me - Richard Parker, Author


Barbecue Shrimp
A Richard Parker Special

(This is a great communal appetizer best served on newspaper spread over the dining table.)

8 lb. Large shrimp, unpeeled
2 sticks butter
1 cup Olive oil
8 oz. Chili sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbsp. Smoky Chipotle Tabasco
2 Lemons sliced
5 Cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. Smoked paprika
3 Tbsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Cracked black pepper
1 Newspaper

Wash shrimp and spread out in a shallow pan.  Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat for about 10 minutes and pour over shrimp.  Once cooled, refrigerate, baste and turn shrimp every thirty minutes for a couple of hours.  When guests arrive pour some oil in frying pan and cook shrimp for five minutes.  Spread newspaper over table and pour shrimp in center.  Serve with beers, lemon wedges, raucous company and plenty of napkins.
 
Stalk Me - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; A Book and A Dish; Think With Your Taste Buds

Beth tried to look up and along the curving road, but her aching spine only allowed her to raise her vision enough to glimpse the bottom half of the skewed camper in front.  The chocolate-brown back doors were mangled and the French license plate lay in the other debris that had been smashed from it, but the vehicle was still the right way up.  In the gap between its underside and the road, she could see a pair of feet moving.  Dark navy trousers and black boots.  She cried out, not recognizing the mournful howl that emerged from her, but hoping it would be loud enough to attract their attention.  Her face dropped into the puddle a second time and she had to blow a few bubbles of air into the water before she could raise her head again.  Beth fought unconsciousness, and when she cracked her eyes and blinked the water from them, somebody was standing beside her, a smudgy black silhouette against the failing daylight.  She opened her mouth, fighting oblivion to alert them to Luc's predicament.  The foot swung back and kicked Beth squarely in the face.  Before the impact embedded her deep into unconsciousness, she heard the squeak of her teeth and a flat crunch as her jaw fragmented.

When Beth woke to find herself in the hospital, the doctors informed her that her jawbone had been in fragments when she was admitted and had to be replaced with plates.  She also learned that she had been in a coma for over eight weeks.   Her first question - "Luc?"  Where is he?  Did her survive the crash?  Unfortunately, the answers weren't what she wanted to hear.  But Beth was soon to learn that this was just the beginning of what awaits her as she travels from France to America in search of answers to the last word Luc uttered to her... "sorry" and the one word she was told he uttered to the emergency nurse at the site "Allegro." 

Author Richard Parker has a knack for writing books that will keep you not only on the edge of your seat but also finding it impossible to put down .  This book is no exception.  Each chapter fills the reader with nail biting action that draws you tightly into the story.   And with the chapters being 1 - 2 pages long, you'll find it hard not to read 'just one more.'  I can never get enough of his books.


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Scare Me - Richard Parker, Author

 
 
TEMPURA SCALLOPS WITH LIME WEDGES
 
(This is my favorite appetizer that's very easy to cook but looks really impressive.  The batter is bubbly, light and crispy because of the chilled soda water.  If you don't like scallops I'd suggest whole mushrooms, discs of sweet potato or trimmed spring onions/scallions.  The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't need to be too precise.  Adjust it for your own taste and add any seasonings or spices you like - turmeric is a favorite if you want a yellow rather than red look to the batter.  You can use chilled beer instead of soda water.  Richard Parker)
 

 
Ingredients
 
King Scallops - allow at least two per guest.
2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of Corn Flour
Tbsp Smoked paprika
Tbsp Garlic Salt
Tbsp Chilli Flakes
Bottle of Chilled Soda WaterOilLimesSeasoning
 
Method

Cut limes into wedges.
 
In a mixing bowl combine both flours, smoked paprika( It's worth tracking down smoked rather than plain paprika because it has an entirely different depth of flavor), chili flakes, garlic salt and seasoning.  Gradually add chilled soda water and stir until you have a batter that has the same thickness as paint.  Don't worry if it's lumpy.  Thick is better than thin.
 
In a wok or deep pan heat oil until hot enough for deep frying.  Test with a drop of batter to make sure it crisps on contact.
 
Dip scallop in mixture and coat.  Drop it in oil for thirty seconds max and then remove with slotted spoon.  Place onto kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil and serve in batches.  Eat with lime wedges and rock salt. Chili jam is also good. Let your guests have a few mouthfuls each and cook another batch.
 
Beware - guests will eat this as long as you keep serving it up!
 
 
Scare Me - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
 
***Poppy wondered if he'd locked himself in his bedroom but she had the key to that as well.  It looked like blind panic had won out, howeer.  She met Brett when she was a third of the way up the stairs.  He was naked from the waist down.  She jabbed a taser into the center of his chest and he dropped like he'd been fileted.  He juddered down the rest of the staircase on his spine and his tee shirt rode up his back.  She followed his body to the bottom.  Then she took the same broad-bladed sushi knife she'd used on the rest of the family out of the pocket of her robe.  Poppy pushed it into his stomach and his spasms haulted.  He turned to face her with incredulity.  She gripped the handle firmly and draged it towards her.  She felt it hot on the heel of her hand but Poppy didn't see the blood, had prefected the art of creating blind spots where she needed them.  Like biting down on her lip and not feeling it... as she slipps out of the white robe and kicked off her flip-flops, she only vaguely registered the footprints of blood she left before diving into the pool.  She didn't hae to worry about leaving fingerprints or hair strands because Poppy didn't really exist.***
 
Will is CEO of Ingram International.  He has great plans for his wife Carla and daughter Libby as they celebrate Will and Carla's nineteenth anniversary.  He plans to spend a few days with his wife and daughter before she leaves the nest and moves in with her boyfriend and father of her unborn child.  But things are about to happen that will change his comfortable world into total hell. 
After receiving a light night call asking "When did you last google yourself, Mr. Frost?" Will's gut feeling told him things weren't quite right.  After inserting his own name he ended at a site that brought up pictures of his house that had been taken through the windows.  Then he found pictures of his daughter Libby and her boyfriend Luke tied together in a livestock shed. 
 
After being shown pictures of 6 houses, Will is instructed to travel to 5 locations around the world on a sort of scvanger hunt to retrieve items belonging to Libby.  The 6th house on the list is his own and this is where it will all come together and possibly make sense.
 
Will's 1st house is in the U.S. in the state of Florida.  There he must go and retrieve his first item but before he gets there the house's picture is opened showing inside pictures.  Pictures of the family.  All are dead leaving Will to enter the house before the police arrive and find the item he needs.  Knowing now what to expect from the other 4 houses, Will doesn't know how he will be able to go through this little game of scavanger hunt but knows he must if he wants to save his daughter.
 
I've made this statement about other books I've read but I have to say Scare Me really does live up to these words... This Was A REAL Page Turner.  I don't think I've ever read a book that is so descript in details yet one that I simply couldn't put down.  And to make it even better, Author Richard Parker tells me that the Hollywood movie rights have already been acquired by Relativity Media and Wentworth Miller is currently contracted and working on the screen adaptation.  This is a movie I don't want to miss, even if I do have to look away when it gets too gory.  As for the actors maybe Angelina and Brad?
 
So if you're looking for a good late night keeper upper, I've just found it for you. 

 
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