I would like to share a fun drama. suspensful novel with a tad bit of romance with you called The Culinary Caper (By Cook or By Crook) Paperback – May 19, 2025 by Nick Greenberg (Author) I received a copy of the book in exchange for this review. Inside this post is my affiliate links if you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the products you purchase,
First and foremost even before you sit down to read The Culinary Caper make sure you’ve eaten because with all the delicious foods the Author shares with us your going to end up hungry. Charlie says to prepare your for romance but that doesn’t take away from the story David said.
In The Culinary Caper the Author brings us a art heist, and a look at Cincinnati which I’ve been wanting to visit. I enjoyed visiting Cincinnati through the music, food, and art the Author has taken the time to share with us.
In The Culinary Caper we meet Anton Cherny, a Pierogi food truck Chef who is in debt. Anton Cherny like a lot of us is desperate for a way out. He agrees to a daring plan with his old art school buddy: while catering parties for the City’s elite, they’ll swap priceless, previously stolen paintings of Art with forgeries and collect the reward money.
This crime seems straightforward enough, doesn’t it? But nothing is as smooth as we would like and Anton’s life spirals into chaos. The first complication? His new girlfriend just happens to be the daughter of a ruthless Russian mob boss.
You know I like anything to do with the Mob so I loved The Culinary Caper and so did David and Charlie. I can’t wait to share this book not only with my friends but my mother in law Sherry as well because she is going like Tolstoy a quoting loan shark, dealing with the emotional and financial strain of supporting a son he’s never met, and navigating mounting tension with his food truck partner.
About: The Culinary Caper
Pierogi slinging, food truck chef, Anton Cherny, is up to his eyeballs in debt. Desperate to find a way out of his dire situation, he agrees to Ricky’s, his old art school buddy, daring solution: Art thievery.
The plan is straightforward. While catering parties for members of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals, who are unknowingly buying priceless works of previously pilfered art, Anton and Ricky swap out the paintings with forgeries, then return the originals to the insurance company for the generous reward money. Easy-peasy, until Anton discovers that his new girlfriend is the daughter of a ruthless Russian mob boss.
Adding to his plateful of anxieties are the emotional and financial strains of supporting a son he’s never met, fielding threats from a Tolstoy-quoting loan shark, and mounting tension with his food truck partner.
Will Chef Anton end up behind bars? Perhaps have his limbs disassembled by the erudite loan shark? Or can he employ his culinary expertise to prevail over the multifaceted morass in which he finds himself?
Meet the Author: Nick Greenberg
Nick Greenberg, a professional bassist and composer, has played a wide variety of musical styles: Classical, jazz, rock, Broadway musicals, and even the occasional polka gig. His performances have included concerts at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and in such distant locales as Taiwan.
Nick’s first job was as a busboy, but quickly climbed the ladder to dishwasher. Later, he worked for a caterer in Minneapolis, and then did a stint as a prep cook at his uncle’s restaurant. His brief career in the food industry, however, convinced him he’d much rather be playing and composing music, writing fiction, and eating his way through the world’s restaurants. Nick is a former Chocolatier, a current Winemaker, and an award-winning home Brewer.
Filled with humor, food and music, Nick’s writing draws on the colorful and eccentric characters he has encountered in the music business, as well as from the vast chronicles of his culinary quests.
In 2020, Nick published his first novel, Buried Treasure. His short story, Eat, was recently published in the literary journal, Jelly Bucket.
Nick lives in Cincinnati with his wife and golden retriever.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
