Gourmet Detective
5 movies
The Gourmet Detective is the rare sleuth who cracks a case by tasting it. Dylan Neal plays Henry Ross, a culinary consultant whose palate doubles as a forensic instrument, paired with Brooke Burns as Maggie Price, the San Francisco detective who does the actual police work while Henry deduces a poison from a stray note of bitterness. Neal co-created the series, and the banter between the two leads is the real main course. Matthew Kevin Anderson and Samantha Ferris recur as fellow cops, and Bruce Boxleitner turns up later as Maggie's father.
There are five films, released between 2015 and 2020, loosely drawn from Peter King's mystery novels. The setting is upscale and breezy: fine dining, chef rivalries, and gleaming restaurant kitchens, with the bodies kept tasteful and the tone kept light. Henry's whole gimmick is observation, the idea that a detail on a plate gives away more than a witness will, and the show commits to it hard enough that he once serves the police department a cup of the world's most notorious coffee. If you like your whodunits with a side of brunch, this one goes down easy.
Gourmet Detective movies in order
Each mystery is standalone, but Henry and Maggie's relationship and Maggie's family arc build across the films, so release order is the smoother watch.
- 1
Gourmet Detective(2015)
A culinary expert with crime-solving skills pairs up with a female detective to figure out how a guest at a distinguished dinner party died.
- 2
Gourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die(2015)
SFPD detective Maggie's up for vacation and gourmet detective Henry's speaker at a gourmet conference with a spare suite. Reporter Kathleen is murdered there - body missing. They investigate and banter.
- 3
Death al Dente: A Gourmet Detective Mystery(2016)
When Henry Ross is hired to find the best Italian chef for a new high-end eatery, murder was not on the menu. As the body count climbs, Henry and Maggie find themselves at the heart of another mystery with deadly consequences.
- 4
Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink, and Be Buried(2017)
Henry oversees the kitchen at David's birthday gala. He brings along his SFPD detective friend, Maggie. David's son is killed. Maggie and Henry investigate.
- 5
Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery(2020)
Henry is hired to authenticate and purchase a long lost and very valuable recipe book. Soon Henry and Maggie find themselves in a murder mystery where secrets hidden within a treasured book have dire consequences for all who own it.
Gourmet Detective cast
Frequently asked questions
What order should I watch the Gourmet Detective movies?
Release order works best: Gourmet Detective (2015), A Healthy Place to Die, Death al Dente, Eat, Drink and Be Buried, and Roux the Day (2020). Each case is self-contained, but Henry and Maggie's relationship grows across the series.
How many Gourmet Detective movies are there?
There are five Gourmet Detective films, released between 2015 and 2020, with the first two arriving in 2015.
Who stars in the Gourmet Detective movies?
Dylan Neal stars as culinary consultant Henry Ross, the 'Gourmet Detective,' and Brooke Burns plays Detective Maggie Price in all five films. Bruce Boxleitner appears in the later movies as Maggie's father.
Are the Gourmet Detective movies based on books?
Yes, loosely. The series takes inspiration from Peter King's Gourmet Detective mystery novels, adapted into Hallmark's San Francisco-set films.
Where can I watch the Gourmet Detective movies?
They air on the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery and stream on Hallmark+. Check each film's page on HallmarkDB for current availability.