The Da Vinci Cook

by: Joanne Pence

Published by: Avon Books

Reviewed by Diane Keyes

Not having read any of the other twelve Angie Amalfi mysteries, I may be at a distinct disadvantage to critique this one. That being said, I love Italy, I love food and I love a good mystery. So The Da Vinci Cook is three for three on my “what I love” top-ten list.

The authors’ descriptions of Rome, though not poetically descriptive, located all the sights so accurately and with such detail, it felt like a walking tour of the city from the Forum to the Spanish Steps, from the Termini Station to the Vatican.

And the description of their first dinner in Rome, “an antipasto of caprese—tomatoes with mozzarella, basil, and spices—a primo of porcini mushroom risotto…and linguine with pancetta…veal scaloppine with green olives and for dessert…sliced melon and walnuts with…espresso.” C’est magnifique!

However, I do have a couple small complaints. Even though Angie is the central figure in the series, I had some trouble keeping that straight because in this book Angie’s sister Cat seems to command more attention. I assume that’s simply because there are twelve other books in the series and the author assumes the reader are well acquainted with the characters and have no trouble following along.

My other issue may sound pathetically trivial but it really bugged me. The title of the book is The Da Vinci Cook. The front cover of the book shows Mona Lisa holding a wooden spoon covered in sauce. Loving all things conspiratorial (i.e., The Da Vinci Code), I expected some connection. Except for the tangential fact that Angie and her sister work a couple shifts in a restaurant called Da Vinci’s, there is no connection. I felt duped.

Did I recover from my snit and enjoy the book, yes! Will it stop me from reading the others, no!

Armchair Interviews says: Italy, historical buildings and wonderful food—what more could you want.