Cooking Up Trouble: An Angie Amalfi Mystery (Angie Amalfi Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Joanne Pence (Author)

Book Description

Series: Angie Amalfi Mysteries | Publication Date: August 29, 2006

Chef Angie Amalfi can't wait to take off from the city for a week to help devise a delicious vegetarian menu for a lovely new B&B in scenic northern California. The not-yet-open-for-business Hill Haven Inn will be the perfect place to take her budding romance with her homicide detective boyfriend Paavo to the next level! But the situation awaiting them turns out to be less than ideal—with battling investors, rumors of ghosts, cold drafts, a leaky roof . . . and an owner whose idea of haute cuisine might be acceptable for farm animals. And when a furious rainstorm traps everyone inside, it becomes painfully apparent that there's a murderer among them . . . and that the only recipe being concocted in the Hill Haven kitchen is one for disaster. But Angie's determined to solve the case and salvage her romantic getaway . . . or die trying!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Chef Angelina Amalfi is looking forward to a week at a new resort hotel on the remote Northern California coast. She's been hired to assist the owner of a new Bed and Breakfast to develope a nutritious and tasty vegetarian menu. Besides, the secluded hideaway should be just the place to further her romance with San Francisco homicide detective Paavo Smith. Unfortunately, Angie's dream weekend turns into a disaster from the moment she shows up at the historic mansion, which hasn't exactly been renovated as she was lead to believe. The investors aren't exactly what Angie pictured either. An aging hippy, his beautiful and solemn sister, a dingy heiress, a channeler and a self-styled guru are only some of the quirky personalities Angie has to deal with. Not to mention the ghosts of past residents. As tensions rise between the owners of the business, a rainstorm maroons them at the inn. Angie and Paavo are stuck in a leaky, drafty old house with the warring investors and at least one killer. Hardly Angie's idea of a romantic weekend with her sweetie. To top it off, the mastermind behind the inn has stocked the larder with soybeans and little else. Angie's Cordon Bleu training is for naught when all she has to work with are a few tired vegetables and soy milk. Angie and Paavo work against the clock to unmask the killer before no one is left to dig out after the storm.A nice balance of romance and suspense, tension and humor! Joanne Pence paints her scenes with a masterful hand. The house is a living, breathing part of the story! A classic mystery with lots of wit and romance thrown in!Annette Carney -- Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

About the Author

Joanne Pence was born and raised in San Francisco. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a master's degree in journalism, Joanne has taught school in Japan, written for magazines, and worked for the federal government. She now lives in Idaho with her family, which includes a multitude of pets.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Avon (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061082007
• ISBN-13: 978-0061082009
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous -- ghosts and homicidal vegetarians, March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cooking Up Trouble: An Angie Amalfi Mystery (Angie Amalfi Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Fun read. Good send-up of New Age charlatans. Humor and chills. Enjoyed "ghost" story.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this series!!, August 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cooking Up Trouble: An Angie Amalfi Mystery (Angie Amalfi Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third book in the Angie Amalfi series and I have loved each of them. This is a wonderful cozy series where the combination of mystery and romance is well balanced. The mystery keeps me guessing to the end and the romance is just steamy enough to keep me coming back, but not so much that it overpowers the mystery. A good read which I highly recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Escape, November 1, 2007

By 

LL "Mschif" (Palmyra WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cooking Up Trouble: An Angie Amalfi Mystery (Angie Amalfi Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Hated to put it down. Had to read the last couple of chapters over 'cus I read through them so fast to find out what was gonna happen next. It's challenging to find a mystery that has a giggle/zinger. This one was "salted & peppered" to my taste.