by Cathy Ace (her first novel) 978-192719098
Torchwood Editions.
I borrowed this Kindle eBook through my Public Library’s online Overdrive system.
Food is a large part of Cathy Ace's premier mystery novel. Protagonist Cait Morgan, is in the south of France for a criminology conference and meets a former employer at a restaurant; he invites her to a dinner party. Cait, a bit overweight and a real foodie, goes to the party and witnesses her old boss fall dead at the table. After that, many of the pertinent scenes take place over meals. Over various meals, Cait garners information from the dinner party attendees who are suspect (as is Cait) in the death. She has lunch and breakfast, and lunch with the dashing Beni, a museum director in charge of antiquities, and he gives interesting information about an ancient Celtic gold collar (legend says it's cursed), that went missing on the very evening of the murder. Cait, from Welsh background, finds the history interesting and wonders if the murder might not have something to do with the missing collar.
Beyond this, the mystery is fairly straight-forward. Like a good Poirot story, I suspected each character of being the perp—especially when another unnatural death occurs. Each suspect has an unique personality that was well defined, from the ditzy widow, to the octogenarian gardener.
The gastronomical settings are well done and fitting to Cait's first-person character profile. But Cait has another important quality as well—an eidetic memory. (A convenient gimmick? Dunno, but the idea is popular, with a TV show about a detective with this talent now going into its third season.) This recall ability and Cait's criminology background get her off the hook with local Nice officials. It also has her as an occasional consultant with the police in her hometown of Vancouver, BC.
I appreciate that this story is nicely garnished with many turns of events. Communication with her colleague in Vancouver is dotted throughout the story. I didn't anticipate the significance. The ending to the mystery is filled with tension.
The ending to the story of Cait's trip to Nice was also satisfactory—nothing canned or expected.
I look forward to reading more of Cathy Ace's Cait Morgan mysteries.
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