Customer Reviews

Hard Evidence: A CAT MARSALA MYSTERY (Cat Marsala Mysteries)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

one part essay on food and food customs(including menus, recipes and a glimpse at meat processing), one part lesson in anatomy and one part introduction to embalmimg all simmered in a classic whodunit base.authoritative and entertaining narration and steady pacing.

There were lots of things that interested me about this book--reading about the gourmet food industry, what it must be like catering to the rich and famous etc. But I did not come away from this book caring about any of the main characters--Cat Marala, the heroine, her boyfriend doctor Sam, her coworkers etc. The only one that came off believable was the italian co-owner Angelotti--you could feel his pain as news of the human bones found in the soupbones closed down the business. I enjoyed "listening" to the woman in the store lecture on the uses of olive oil and the details of how precise and prepared you need to be to be a top notch caterer. Maybe this wasnt her best book, I may try again....

Loved the leisurely beginning of an evening over dinner, the entertaining pet conflict, and the way it slipped easily into an engrossing situation of a human bone disrupting the peace.

I was drawn in wanting to know how the problems with the public exposure situation would evolve, and how the conundrum would be concluded of the grocery owners trying to cooperate with the murder investigation yet remain solvent. The reader wants such an enterprising, awesome gourmet grocery to be able to stay in business.

This is a special series in the sense that it has the ingredients of great mysteries worked by Cat Marsala, an investigative journalist, and her trauma surgeon boyfriend, Dr. Sam Dividian, who wants to be married to Cat, but she's dragging her independent woman's high heels. In some unusually intriguing ways, Cat tests Sam's ability to treat her as an equal, and his responses don't disappoint.

This is a winner series on which I've posted a Listmania, hoping to stimulate interest in the earlier books, some of which are (VERY wrongly and unfortunately) out of print and don't have cover graphics presented on Amazon. I was happy to see that the cover art is viewable on Ms. D'Amato's web site:

http://www.barbaradamato.com/books.html

Each of the Cat novels use her investigative journalism well in presenting interesting insider tidbits into various subcultures which relate to the case/theme at hand.

In this book, the gourmet grocery daily routine work machinations are to drool for, and the contrast to insider forensic and funereal dealings with vacated bodies is definitely an effective relief from one to the other. How ironically appropriate (and fascinating) for a culinary mystery to dig into the dirt and jewels of two industries so uncomfortably on opposite ends of the stomach workings continuum.

If I could use a magic wand to surge a new lease of life force into this series I would be happy to do so. It deserves to remain on the shelves for at least a few more decades.

Likely Barbara was at the Bouchercon (World Mystery Writers Conference) in Chicago this past weekend. Possibly she made some contacts which will renew a publisher's commitment to this series. I hope so.

Linda G. Shelnutt

If you want to shop at the best food and drink emporium in Chicago, you must try Spenser and Anglotti's. The two owners proudly operate a store that they claim has everything anyone wants. Freelance reporter Cat Marsala has written a story about the duo. Riding an air of euphoria, Cat gives her guest, a friend's canine, a juicy bone from the emporium. She looks forward to an enjoyable evening with her lover Dr. Sam Dapper.

However, her romantic evening abruptly end when Sam recognizes that the bone comes from a human. The police concur. Cat wonders how a human remain can become part of the stock of the emporium's meat department. She goes undercover as part of Spenser and Anglotti's catering service. She mingles with customers and staff. Soon the identify of the victim surfaces, but it takes an Agatha Christie revelation for Cat to determine the identity of the perpetrator. That accomplished, the culprit tries to add Cat's remains to the meat department.

Barbara D'Amato writes another excellent who-done-it. However, readers need to be aware that HARD EVIDENCE needs two warnings. Anyone on a diet, needs to read this novel on a full stomach because the gourmet food waters the mouth. Additionally, anyone with a squeamish stomach needs to be aware that the discussion of preparing a body for burial becomes a bit graphic. That aside, the female protagonist is a delightful independent individual and her boyfriend perfectly complements her. With all that and a fast-paced story line, the evidence proves that this novel is a winner.

Harriet Klausner

Hello- Amazon - what is a review of Hard Bargain doing being included with Hard Evidence?

I had a hard time reading Hard Bargain, but I bought Hard Evidence and finished up Hard Bargain so I coudl get to the next one. I don't know now why Hard Bargain was hard to finish. I put it away until Hard Evidence came out and then finished the one before I read the other. Kat Marsala is an excelelnt character. I must confess I started reading these in the library and then went to used bookstores to add them to my collection, but once I got started I've been faithful.

I recommend this and all of Barbara D'Amatos works to all those who love a good mystery and have the skill to suspend their disbelief. Who reads to solve the problems of the world? Read for pleasure and enjoyment. There is time enough to work on the problems of the world in daily life without working during your leisure hours.

Good plot, good characters, and some witty repartee. Better than the last one I read, Hard Christmas (I've so far missed Hard Bargain).

My wife Barbara D'Amato has a tremendous sense of humor. HARD EVIDENCE -- referring to a human bone as the "hard evidence" -- is the wittiest murder mystery you've ever read. Although I am hardly qualified as an "objective" reviewer--after all, Barbara and I have been happily married for 41 years!--I must object to the unfairness of Amazon.com including a reader's comment on this book that was not about this book at all. The reader named "Jangella" wrote a review of Barbara D'Amato's HARD BARGAIN in 1998. I don't understand why his review is repeated under the title of a new book, HARD EVIDENCE, that has just been published! It certainly misleads the loyal readers of Amazon.com who are looking for comments about the book that they have identified. Jangella's comments about an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BOOK are being repeated unfairly in a book that has just been published. Unfortunately, there is no indication that Jangella's comments do not apply to HARD EVIDENCE. I would expect that Amazon.com's decision to repeat Jangella's review under the wrong title was inadvertent and not intentional. Nevertheless, it tends unfairly to damage the reputation of THE BEST MYSTERY WRITER SINCE AGATHA CHRISTIE!!!!

Sincerely, Tony D'Amato April 1999.