Red Hot Murder

Angie Amalfi #13

by Joanne Pence

Dilettante chef Angie Amalfi doubts if she'll actually survive her engagement to San Francisco homicide detective Paavo Smith, what with her meddling mom micromanaging the whole affair. So Angie leaps at the chance to spend some time away with her fiance in the sun?drenched Arizona desert town where he'd spent time as a boy-and maybe explore the possibility of a Southwestern themed wedding feast.

But her groom-to-be is going back there to help a friend investigate the murder of a wealthy local ?? and it seems this tiny desert community is a hotbed of deadly secrets. And when a second course of murder is served up, suddenly Angie's tasty getaway with her lover is starting to look more and more like her final meal.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Murder Mystery

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 31, 2006

About the author

Joanne Pence is a USA Today best-selling and award winning author of two mystery series, contemporary and historical romance, fantasy and thrillers. She is the author of the Angie Amalfi culinary mystery series, which is still in print after twenty years, and now has 15 books (the latest, COOKING SPIRITS was an April 2013 release), and a novella (Cook's Christmas Capers, Dec. 2013). She has just begun a new series, the Rebecca Mayfield mysteries. ONE O'CLOCK HUSTLE is the first full-length novel, and THE THIRTEENTH SANTA is a novella which shows how the two main characters met.

Joanne's books have won many awards and honors, including RWA's Golden Heart and Rita Award nominations, the Independent Book Seller's Golden Quill, the Daphne du Maurier award, the Willa Cather Literary Award in Historical Fiction (for DANCE WITH A GUNFIGHTER), and the Idaho Top Fiction Award for ANCIENT ECHOES.

Joanne was born and raised in San Francisco and now makes her home in the foothills of Boise. She has been president of the Boise chapter of Sisters in Crime, a founder and board member of the Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, and founding member and current board member of the Idaho Writers Guild. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a master's degree in journalism, Joanne has written for magazines, worked for the federal government, and taught school in Japan.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because it's been a while since I've read one of these book but this one was really good. Angie and Paavo are on vacation in Jackpot, AZ and become involved in some murders. The mystery was done very well and I was just as shocked as Angie as to the culprit. Great ending too - in the vane of the old west.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair, maybe I would have liked it more had I read earlier books but I doubt it. Honestly, Angie is a very annoying character. She and her detective fiancée, Paavo, are in Arizona where he's originally from to meet the man who raised him and to meet a childhood friend, while Angie scouts of potential wedding venues. However, the childhood friend has been found dead, the lodge they are staying in doesn't seem to want them (not to mention the original owner is also dead and the deaths might be connected) and the new owners are looking to a) inherit b) a way to run Angie off and if they can't c) get her to help out as a cook in an upcoming town wide party.

I found Angie to be TSTL in too many cases, like telling her fiancé she can ride a horse when she can't (and nearly gets hurt). She follows a man she thinks doesn't like her out into the desert to some isolated cave. And those are just a couple of non-spoilery examples.

I got tired of her running around talking about all her designer (and highly expensive) clothing (though it was vaguely amusing that the incompentant policeman was fascinated by her fashion sense and oh, I really dislike cozies with dumb cops).

But I think what annoyed me most was that Angie was actually annoyed that no one would tell her things she thought they should so she could gather clues. Keep in mind these people are literal strangers to her. WHY would they confide in her? Again, it made her look stupid and spoiled especially when she has a melted down and is very rude to a popular local person because no one will tell her their secrets. I about stopped reading there and probably should have.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last one of the AA series I read had the protagonist on vacation as well. I wonder if they’re all set away from home. Anyway, this one finds our chef in the Arizona desert with her fiance, San Francisco homicide detective Paavo Smith. Together, they’re looking into the death of one of Paavo’s friends, but it’s off the books. The local sheriff is none too keen for their interference, whether helpful or otherwise, until more events occur, including attacks, a fire, and another dead body. Meanwhile, AA gets a bit sidetracked looking for a cookbook from a chef from the legendary Waldorf-Astoria. The chef is said to have disappeared from a stagecoach years ago, but the recipes are still put there. Will the cookbook be AA’a claim to fame?
Dragged at the beginning, but I was in the process of moving and this was one of only 5 books I took with me, so I kept reading while awaiting a pickup from the local library. It picked up a bit, but normally I wouldn’t have given it that long.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#13 in the San Francisco gourmet chef Angie Amalfi and her fiancé homicide detective Paavo Smith mystery series.
Angie starts investigating with all the subtlety of an out of control bull dozer

Angie and Paavo’s engagement party is over and now Angie has the wedding to plan. Her mom planned the engagement party in Angie’s hope she’ll leave the wedding to her. Not so! Thus, Angie leaps at the chance to go with her fiancé to the small Arizona desert town he was raised in and maybe explore the possibility of a Southwestern themed wedding feast. Paavo is going back to help a friend investigate the murder of a wealthy local and it seems this tiny desert community is a hotbed of deadly secrets. Things quickly get complicated with a second death and the local sheriff being very uncooperative and hostile to Paavo’s inquiries.

[T.L. Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Hot Murder by Joanne Pence blends modern mystery elements with a nod to old westerns. Pence plays with stereotypes with a bit of humor in the midst of her characters, Angie and Paavo, becoming embroiled in a series of mysterious events in a small Arizona town connected to Paavo's childhood. While Pence creates characters who are easily relatable, the characters aren't necessarily likable. Sometimes Pence's choice of words distracted me from the story, but not enough to make me stop reading. As in many mysteries, sometimes the characters' decisions are hard to understand even though they further the story. Red Hot Murder proved to be a combination of intriguing, engaging, satisfying and at times predictable.

[Lynn Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Will read more in this series

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading the Angie Amalfi series this summer simply because they're quick and easy reads, even if they aren't all that great – especially because Angie is incredibly annoying. However, this book was surprisingly great!

Angie and Paavo are headed to Jackpot, Arizona to help some of Paavo's friends from his childhood find answers to a mysterious death. When they arrive, the mystery only continues to deepen. Angie was hoping to find the perfect destination wedding location in Jackpot, but instead she found ostriches falling in love with Paavo, and the strange characters who call Jackpot home – one of which is trying to scare her back to San Francisco.

Like I said, I honestly have been struggling through this series and have only kept up with it because it's a quick and easy read... plus all but one of the books are on Scribd. Angie normally annoys me to no end because of her schemes to find the perfect job or the ways she tries to show her affection to Paavo... over the top. Thankfully, the change of scenery got Angie away from all of that. It's kind of hard to hire a leprechaun to chase down Paavo when you're in the middle of no where. In this book, Angie took on a more average personality – even her "scheme" in this book was pretty tame, it mostly involved research at the town library. She was a great confident and help to many of the characters without any secret motivation for doing so, which also helped make her likable.

Plot wise, it was well developed. Great character development as well. The conclusion wasn't seen from the very beginning like in the other books in the series. I just wish the rest of the books were like this one!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, at least Angie was a bit less self-absorbed than she has been in some of the previous books. She the spoiled, youngest daughter of Italian immigrant that are an American success story and are very well off. She doesn't think she's spoiled (of course); but she is. While I admire her striving and continual tenacity to find a career for herself; but frankly, she is her own worst enemy. In one book, she was totally consumed by the details of her engagement party - not her wedding - her engagement party. She allowed her mother to plan the party, but then had trouble after she gave up control. She barely was aware and involved in the mystery of that book.

In this one, at least she is aware and involved. However, she is really not prepared for the actual location she is in - basically a dude ranch. Well, maybe dude is a bit strong. No one is herding cattle. In fact, on this ranch there aren't any cattle - just ostriches. However, her designer clothes are totally inappropriate for the situation - and she just doesn't seem to really see that or understand.

It as a good read though; a nice enjoyable, escape read.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful Angie Amalfi adventure. Angie is her delightful self as Paarvo and she head to a guest ranch in Arizona. While there Paarvo investigates the murders of old friends. Angie learns about recipe book by the chef from Walton Hotel in New York City that was lost in the area. Angie spend her time looking for the book and turning down meals from a self appointed "great" cook.

[Cyndee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, and I've read one other in the 'Angie Amalfi' series. Because I don't particularly feel any affinity for the main character, these are not among my favorite mysteries. This one, however, had a good story.

[Moondance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read books out of order, but I needed this book for a challenge. It was not difficult to fall into the story and sorta catch up with the characters. Fairly good storyline and believeable characters.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series kept getting better and better.

[Ladiibbug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quit reading by page 50 ... an ok read, but not really grabbing me.

[Deb Coon · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. Didn't really love the characters. Perhaps if I had read in order. Not likely to read another...

[Fmorlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun book with twist and turns for angie and paavo.