Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoWho's Afraid of Virginia Ham? by Phyllis Richman
HarperCollins, May, 2001.Hardcover, 256 pages.
ISBN: 0060183896.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
For restaurant critic Chas Wheatley, all is right with the
world. She loves her job at the Washington Examiner,
and her relationship with her
daughter and her boyfriend Dave, an investigative reporter.
But when a new reporter is hired at the Examiner,
Chas' happy life is suddenly filled with misery.
Ringo Laurenge is the rising star
reporter at the Washington Examiner.
On the surface, he is brilliant and charming, but
as time goes by it becomes clear to everyone in the
newsroom that Ringo is a pathological liar, a
determined schemer, and a ruthless opportunist.
As he works his way through the newspaper,
stealing reporters' stories, destroying the reputation
of a local restaurant just for the fun of it and even assaulting
the theater critic, Ringo slowly amasses more
enemies than he can count. When he dies a horrible death,
most people are secretly thrilled. But Chas can't let it go, and
determines to find a killer.
This is the third entry (See, The Butter Did It and Murder on the Gravy Train) in the wonderful culinary mystery series by famed food critic turned mystery novelist, Phyllis Richman. In Who's Afraid of Virginia Ham? Richman presents a fascinating character study of Ringo, the victim that everyone wants to see dead. Most large offices have a Ringo in their midst -- the person who sucks up to the boss, steals credit from his co-workers, and generally manipulates people and events to his advantage. Chas does everything she can think of to be fair to the new reporter, and her boyfriend Dave seems especially tolerant of his antics -- until Ringo goes too far, that is. From the opening chapter where the oily Ringo steals Chas' story, to the shocking denouement, this is one culinary mystery you'll feel compelled to devour in one gulp. With a slightly darker feel than the first two books in the series, and an unusual and intriguing plot set up (the murder happens later on in the book), Richman flexes her skills as a novelist, with great success. Her glimpses behind the scenes of the world of fine dining are fascinating, and her descriptions of food and meals are absolutely enticing. This is an excellent series which gets better with each book.
--Claire E. White
Last of the Dixie Heroes by Peter Abrahams
Ballantine, May, 2001.Hardcover, 287 pages.
ISBN: 0345439376.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Ron Hill is a divorced father who takes good care of his
son Rhett, and is up for a promotion at work.
His ex-wife Marcia, who he is still deeply in love
with, left him for a loathsome man, a lazy day-trader
who ignores Roy's son and even tries to
talk Roy into finding him some insider information
about his company.
Roy is drawn into a Civil War reenactment group by a
coworker. The group does everything from buying
actual uniforms and bullets to camping out on
the battlefield. When Roy is unexpectedly laid off from
work and the hopes of a promotion are gone,
Roy relies more and more on the battlefield. But
things turn dangerous when the battles and bullets
start becoming much too realistic.
Peter Abrahams is a terrific writer, who was nominated for an Edgar Award for his novel, Lights. Abrahams is known for his way of getting deep inside a character's head and he does this again with Roy Hill -- a very likeable character who has managed to stay upbeat through some difficult circumstances. If you are looking for a thriller that has something different and is a little off-beat, Last of the Dixie Heroes is a good choice.
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