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A Cook in Time |
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 A Cook in Time byJoanne Pence Harper Mystery 328 pages, 1999 ISBN 0061044547 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Chef extraordinaire Angie Amalfi is at it again. In her unending quest to prove herself, she’s concocted a new business plan – Fantasy Dinners. Fearful that her newest venture might not be quite as enduring in practice as it is in theory, she decides to plunge in on her own without enlightening long-term beau Paavo Smith. That way, if the business fails, there’ll be no recriminations or knowing looks, right? She should have known things were destined to go awry when her first client requested an alien theme instead of the romantic, historical ideas Angie envisioned. Undaunted, Angie looks up old flame Derrick Holton, an astrophysicist with NASA. Surely he can enlighten her on UFOs and aliens. Angie gets more than she expects. Attending a lecture with Derrick, she is on the premises when the featured speaker disappears, presumably abducted by aliens. Meanwhile, Paavo, a homicide investigator, is called to the scene of a gruesome crime unlike any he’s ever seen. It might almost be described as "other-worldly." As Angie continues her own investigation into the unknown, she eventually stumbles across a dead body, causing her path to cross inevitably with Paavo’s. Her insatiable curiosity drives her to determine who is after whom, while Paavo tries to solve what is fast becoming a string of bizarre murders and keeps an eye on Angie at the same time. Once again, Pence gives the readers what they want. The evolving relationship between Angie and Paavo teases with occasional glimpses into the heart, while Angie’s comical stubbornness and appealing nature elicits chuckles, groans, and cheers. A COOK IN TIME is the perfect 'new millennium' mystery, introducing futuristic ideas but reminding us that life is to be lived in the here and now. |
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