For lovers of historical mysteries, Janet Laurence's "Canaletto and the Case of the Westminster Bridge" will be a welcomed addition. For readers who are looking for intriguing suspense, intense plots, clever developments, thought-provoking incidents, and multi-dimensional characters, then this book may be a disappointment. Laurence introduces us to Canaletto, the famed Venetian artist of the eighteenth century, who arrives in England with his personal fortune (he's been told that it is the correct time to make a "killing" (as it were!) by directly investing in English ventures) and his desire to "paint" London. Upon his arrival at the docks, he is nearly killed by a ruffian. Enter Fanny Rooker, who just happens to be meeting the boat. She saves his life twice early on in this book. Fanny is a rather nondescript young woman who has troubles of her own; she is an aspiring artist and is "framed" on a trumped up charge of theft. The two "down and outers" form a team that provides Laurence with her problem solving modus operandi. (Laurence does not permit this relationship to develop into anything romantic, although apparently Canaletto in reality was indeed quite the lady's man, the author hints.) Thus the plot thickens and we find Canaletto, basically, sans fortune and unlikely to find any painting commissions. His woes continue, but William Pitt gives him an offer the Italian cannot refuse--to help Pitt and the English government uncover the fraud that is keeping the newly commissioned Westminster Bridge from being completed, at least on time. Canaletto is instructed to leave no stone unturned in investigating the problems that have arisen from the quarry that provides the material for the bridge. He canvasses closely the usual suspects and with his keen eyes and excellent perspective, solves the case and, well, you get the "picture." Laurence does a very good job of providing us with a good sense of eighteenth century London. Her usage of Canaletto as a fictionalized private investigator not only is incredibly interesting but is also clever. (It does bring to question just which famous historical figure will be next: after all, other authors have already used Ben Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, King Tut, Jane Austen, to name a few to solve fictionalized crimes.) Included in the book are the usual duels, melodramatic romantic interests, and coincidental twists--all in keeping with period writing, of course, as she manages to capture the flair of the time, not only in writing style but in the landscape and atmosphere she portrays. Having Canaletto speak pidgin English sometimes gets in the way (Laurence should transcend the language barrier and simply have him speak naturally!) and (in what is hoped to be the beginning of a series!) developing her characters more fully will indeed enhance her story. The author is credited with "several cookbooks and is also the author of (a) successful culinary mystery series" (now that's food for thought!), according to the book's liner jacket information. Despite the above limitations, the book is heartily recommended. It is a good read; it is an absorbing read. Don't miss it!

In 1746, Venetian artist Canaletto has arrived in London seeking fresh fame and fortune. However, his arrival is not met with cheers. In fact, he deliberately singled out for assault and robbery twice. Both times he is rescued by neophyte painter Fanny Rooker. Unbeknownst to the talented landscape artist, there are many locally ambitious individuals who do not desire to have an expatriate Italian inadvertently interfere with their plans to obtain wealth by any means necessary. When his contact fails to meet him, Fanny and her sibling allow Canaletto to stay in their home.

Soon Paymaster General William Pitt asks Canaletto to look into why the construction of the Westminster Bridge is running behind schedule, has opposition that is very vocal and the project is stuck with outrageous cost overruns. Canaletto goes out to paint the bridge only find an even grimmer mystery waiting to confront him.

CANALETTO AND THE CASE OF THE WESTMINISTER BRIDGE is a great debut of a new historical mystery series by the ultra-talented Janet Lawrence, author of the highly regard Lisle culinary mysteries. Canaletto is a superb character and eighteenth century London is a wonderful setting as is an era where capitalism is fighting to gain a foothold. However, what makes Ms. Lawrence's novel a reading-gourmand's delight is the various ensemble of the people who made up Georgian London.

Harriet Klausner

I love the recipes in this book which are simple, and the length does not overwhelm. I especially love looking at the pictures which evoke France.

A Little French Cookbook is excellent for those who are overwhelmed by the thought of French cooking.

The recipes are classics, and are easy to follow. For example, the croque-monsieur is an excellent choice for lunch or a quick supper. Tarte Tatin is delicious (this is like an upside down apple pie); we tried this out after tasting in a restaurant while on vacation in Montreal. Another favorite in our house (which includes a French husband) is the salade verte which gives the traditional vinaigrette recipe.

The recipes are prefaced by brief 'historical' descriptions which tell of the recipes' origin.

Frankly I didn't see the murderer coming, nor the motive. [And sometimes, I can spot the murderer right away]. Since the Ingram review is so bad, here goes -

The book opens at a cooking contest, at which food writer/ amateur detective Darina Lisle has been invited to judge. The surprise winner is one Verity Fry, whose mother Constance and sister Pru (Prunella, as it turns out) run a small but successful organic farm. At the competition, Darina notices a young handsome restauranteur Simon who seems very friendly with Verity; however Verity also has a late-arriving boyfriend two decades her senior - a smart businessman, Oliver Knatchbull. [the name is that of an authentic British noble family, but the character is entirely fictional].

Darina is persuaded by the Fry women to come and see their farm. And so begins her involvement with that family who do produce wonderfully tasty meat and poultry; at the same time, she is persuaded by Simon to help him with his forthcoming cookbook. What becomes clear both to Darina and the reader is that Simon and the Frys have a complicated relationship, and that Simon is desperate for money. What is clear to the reader (but not to Simon) is that Simon seems rather close to Verity. Not surprisingly, when Constance Fry (the mother) turns up dead following a hit-and-run, Simon is one of the suspects - but is quickly cleared (Darina just happens to be his alibi).

But there is another murder to follow - and a rather involved history behind that murder. The cousin of a deceased cookbook writer has recently returned to her family home after spending years abroad; there is some mystery over her opposition to Verity's proposed marriage to Oliver Knatchbull and her fear of her cousin (and heir). There is considerable mystery about Constance Fry's romantic past, and about Verity's birth. These mysteries are largely solved, and mostly successfully, by the end. The murder involves a pate competition, and the mystery of which pate was responsible for the death of Natasha Quantrell (the writer's cousin). Not to mention the reason for her murder - which is not precisely what you might suspect. [Hint - there is a strong element of Greek tragedy here].

If you like your mystery well-flavored with culinary details, this is just the book for you. Darina Lisle can be occasionally irritating (she is rather interestingly, herself the cousin of a late writer); and both she and her boyfriend are related to the aristocracy [not typical, I assume, for a detective]. There is her own failed or not-so-failed romance playing out in the background. Both Verity Fry and her sister Pru are remarkably self-centered people, as is Simon. [If you like more sympathetic characters, this is not the book].

I have to admit that I was not entirely satisfied with all the elements. For example, Natasha Quantrell's opposition to the marriage seemed somewhat specious. Constance Fry's affection for Verity seemed overdone. Still, it was interesting to read about the lifestyle of a cookbook author, and to understand the tensions in the life of such an author.

I rated this book at 3.7. While this book is not a re-read, it is still good enough to forward (by mail) to a friend.

I was immediately repelled by the first pages of this book, in which the soon-to-be mother-in-law of the heroine, Darina, endlessly denigrates her exciting excursion into a TV cooking show. Is it just me, or do authors choose to place far too many female lead characters in modern fiction in toxic family situations in which they are abused or mistreated(emotionally or physically)? In the mystery genre, I think of Mary Daheim's Judith McGonigle Flynn series in which the mother regularly refers to the heroine as an "idiot" or "stupid", etc. or any number of other series in which the mother/mother-in-law/ husband/children/whoever treat the woman and her goals and thoughts with contempt. Aside from the fact that I don't find it enjoyable or cathartic to read this type of conversational narrative, I find the personality type that would accept this behavior to be antithetical to the personality type that would solve mysteries. After all, deductive reasoning requires confidence and solving mysteries requires aggressive thought and action. Someone willing to accept regular denigration is a more passive personality to start and over time being treated with disrespect diminishes one's confidence. While the Diane Mott Davidson series is in part about a former battered wife's reemergence as a confident woman and sleuth, too many series expect us to accept the contradictory personality. Death at the Table was also full of other flaws, including the fact that it was replete with British and Australian slang that was not full of local flavor, but rather just made the reader want to skip to the end, as did the poor editing job. Also, is Britain so far behind the U.S. when it comes to the "battle of the sexes" (to deliberately use an out-of-date term)? Isn't the time past when being called "girl" in a professional capacity and having male colleagues constantly refer to sexual matters is the norm? Although the ending is a sop to modern mores, if the book is an accurate portrayal of gender relations in the UK, I'll stay here. Finally, the unveiling of the murderer (STOP reading here if you don't want any hints) as a frustrated lesbian was so "retro" as a murder motive that I could only laugh. This book, in my opinion, is appropriate for those who want a blast from the past, when women knew their place and it wasn't solving mysteries.

This book is an excellent example of good story marred by the many grammatical, syntactical mistakes which should have been corrected, if not by the author, by the editorial staff of either Macmillan, its English publisher, or St. Martin's Press in this country. Wading through the zillion run-on sentences, as well as the same number of comma splices became so distracting, due to the fact that so many sentences and paragraphs had to be reread, that I ceased to care just "who done it" and turned to the book's final pages. This is too bad, since her last work of fiction (Cannaletto and the Westminster Bridge) was quite good indeed.

English cookbook author Darina Lisle is extremely excited over being invited to be one of the star presenters of a new London TV food series, Table For Four. Joining Darina on the panel is egotistical wine connoisseur, Bruce Bennett, who manages to charm all the ladies associated with the show, including Darina. Of course, all the men hate the Australian narcissist. The show is a monster hit with the viewing audience until Bruce dies (literally) on TV. Without the charismatic Bruce, most of the TV industry believes that the show is doomed to fail. ....... When a second person also dies, Darina, an amateur detective, begins to suspect a murderer is on the show. In spite of the warnings from her fiance, Detective William Pigram, Darina starts to investigate the two deaths. However, as she gets closer to the truth and the identity of the assailant, Darina has to wonder if she has placed herself in jeopardy of becoming the next victim? ........ Fans of gourmet mysteries will dine on this tasty morsel from Janet Laurence. The story line of DEATH AT THE TABLE is fast-paced, exciting, and filled with unexpected twists, while Darina is an intriguing amateur female detective. Readers who enjoy a culinary who-done-it will relish this delectable novel. .......Harriet Klausner