Book Review: Slice and Dice

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Slice and Dice     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Ellen Hart
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Culinary
Series: Sophie Greenway # 5
Fawcett, Sep 2000, $6.50, 368 pp.

Connie Buckridge is the matriarch head of a culinary empire that includes her son, daughter, and stepson. Connie feels elated because she is coming home to Minneapolis-St. Paul to open up a cooking academy. However, on the eve of Connie’s biggest personal triumph, Pluto, a Deep Throat like character keeps sending E-mails to investigative reporter Marie Damontraville. The missives state scandal and nasty skeletons prominently lie in the Buckridge closet. Perhaps it is her belief that this Betty Crocker clone could not be so perfect or just her natural cynicism that comes with her job, but Marie believes the messages. She plans to expose Connie’s darkest secrets that will in turn crumble a growing culinary empire.

Meanwhile, the biggest detractor of the Buckridge kitchen is local food critic George Gildemeister of the Tomes Register. However, someone kills George and newly hired food critic Sophie Greenway finds the body. Suddenly a scandal that dates back to 1963 threatens to boil over and destroy the Buckridge empire.

The latest Sophie Greenway culinary mystery, SLICE AND DICE, is an entertaining story that will thrill genre fans. The fast-paced story line is filled with negative relationships that appear ready to explode at any moment. Though there are too many charcaters to keep up with (thank goodness a score sheet exists), most are fully developed with their motives understandable. One does not have to be a food critic to enjoy Ellen Hart’s tasty morsel.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

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