Book Description
When the greatest chefs in the world gather for a meeting, Nero Wolfe is their honored dinner guest. It is a rare vacation for the gourmet sleuth - until a four-star killer serves a side dish of murder. Then the half-baked local law cooks up an unappetizing entree. Corpulent Wolfe and sidekick Archie begin mixing the ingredients for their inimitable souffle of detection and deduction, while the killer decides that Wolfe's prix should be permanently fixed...and that his last meal should be his just desserts. A landmark Wolfe mystery for the true fan.
"It's always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore." (New York Times Book Review)
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not great, Wolfe.......2006-06-28
This early Nero Wolfe novel has frequently been out of print in recent years. Some of the language in it probably explains why. It's set at a resort in West Virginia and some of the resort's African-American staff play key roles in the plot. The local white police officials use racially derogatory language -- the "n word" gets thrown around a lot. Even Archie uses many of these terms. Wolfe does make a brief speech about racial equality, which presumably indicates where Stout's sentiments were. The language was less shocking in 1938 than it is today, and presumably it accurately reflects race relations in West Virginia at the time, but I'm a bit puzzled as to the point Stout was making. Maybe the reader is supposed to note the contrast between the behavior of the African-American characters -which is clearly better than that of the white characters - and the way they are treated. I would have been a lot more comfortable, though, if Archie weren't joining in. The mystery itself is fine, although including so many chefs as suspects greatly increases the number of names you need to keep straight while reading. For me, though, no Wolfe mystery is completely satisfying unless it's set in the New York brownstone.
No Spoiled Plot Here.......2005-05-13
Nero Wolfe is the guest of honor when the greatest chefs in the world meet in West Virginia. He's honored and looking forward to all the great food but dreading the train trip itself.
They've hardly all gathered before the sparks fly. One of the chefs is universally despised, and it's really no surprise to the reader when he turns up dead. Not wanting to get involved in anything that might delay his return to his beloved brownstone, Wolfe vows to not get involved. In spite of his efforts, he finds himself getting sucked in. Can he stay alive, find the real killer, and still make his train?
My best friend has recently started reading these books and keeps recommending them to me, so I picked this one up. I can see why he likes them. This story is a great puzzle. I thought I had the plot figured out before the end, but I was only half right. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin make for two interesting leads. I listened to the audio version, which made it a little hard to keep all the chefs straight. The further I went the easier it was, however. Michael Prichard does a great job of reading the story.
If this is an example of why Nero Wolfe a classic character in the mystery genre, I can see why. I will be looking for more books in this series.
Great Wolfe--So Why Just 4 Stars?.......2005-02-10
"Too Many Cooks" is one of my favorite Nero Wolfe novels. It finds our detective away from the brownstone, being honored by a group of celebrity chefs who meet once every five years. Of course one of them gets murdered, and of course Wolfe and Archie find themselves embroiled in the case.
So far, so good. The reparteee is excellent and pointed, the red herrings are plentiful, and, for once, most key clues are available to the reader so he/she can solve the mystery. (I, of course, missed it completely. As Wolfe once said, "I'm a genius, not a god.")
So, the four-star question: Why do I give this just four? Well, the spa where Wolfe and Archie are guests is staffed largely by African Americans, and, you see, when Stout wrote the book back in 1938, certain attitudes towards African Americans prevailed among many citizens. Wolfe, of course, displays none of this, and is noble throughout, but not so for Archie. While I realize that Stout was merely commenting on societal views at the time (and not in a nice way...the racist local authorities are NOT shown in a good light), it's a bit disconcerting to hear our hero Archie Goodwin refer to the African Americans in the story as "shines" and "boys." Of course, Archie learns his lesson, which I suppose is part of the point, but still...
From a modern viewpoint, it makes it a little hard to read at times. Therefore, I award it four stars, making it clear that this is by no means the fault of the author, who shows great respect throughout. I just don't like to hear my favorite gumshoe narrator sound like such an idiot.
If you're new to Wolfe, I suggest starting with "The Doorbell Rang," or "Murder by the Book," and save this for a time when you can read Archie's indiscretions and still like him afterwards.
One of the Five Best.......2004-10-13
If only A&E had continued the series...
It would have been great to see them do "Fer-de-lance" and "Too Many Cooks." While resonances of this story appear in A&E's depiction of the Ten for Aristology, the idea of the Fifteen Masters convening in West Virginia to hear Wolfe's disquisition on American haute cuisine is - fantasically appealing.
The Kanawha Spa is a proxy for the Greenbrier (which is actually in Virginia, not W.Va.). It's wonderful to see how Archie has to balance nursemaiding Wolfe with hunting down the killer, and even better to read Wolfe's methodical, respectful quizzing of the kitchen staff. This is the book where a character is established who, many years later, returns as an older man with ingrained beliefs.
As wise as Wolfe's sayings can be, it's wonderful to see their influence on someone's entire character and philosophy. This is an all-time great book, and, if A&E ever comes back to their senses...
The food books are the best!.......2003-10-17
The famous detective is also a famous gourmand. Anyone familiar with the series is aware that occasionally, the reader is given recipes straight out of the kitchen of Nero Wolfe. These recipes are a pretty accurate reflection of the times in which they originated - turtle soup (on the endangered list now), Steak Delmonico, etc...
This tale takes place at a meeting of chefs and the key to the solution is being able to detect ALL the ingredients in a particular dish. This is a clever, witty and very satisfying read.
Book Description
After talking her way into a job on a pompous, third-rate chef's radio call-in-show, Angie Amalfi has visions of a new career to go along with her hot, new romance with Paavo Smith, a gorgeous homocide detective.
When a successful and much-envied restauranteur is poisoned however, Angie finds the case far more interesting than trying to make her pretentious boss sound good. Some cooks might shy away from such a sizzling case, but Angie can take the heat and stay in the kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
Decent mystery, unappealing protagonist..........2006-09-03
I thought the mystery in this book was relatively good, and I therefore kept reading in anticipation of the discovery of the perpetrator. However, I really did not care for Angie. I admired her dedication to the detective, but I found her tedious, immature at times, and petulant. There were many times when I wanted to stop reading simply because I found her attitude and actions childish and foolish, but, as I wrote, the mystery was engaging enough that I continued throughout to the end. I have a few more books in this series that I will probably read, but as Angie's character develops, I hope she becomes more logical and less immature.
Blend Egghead Chef Into Kaleidoscope Scene Swirls a la Sidney Sheldon .......2005-10-16
Before I purchased TOO MANY COOKS I was drawn to its description and title, hoping for a generous portion of good grit on grits. I thought, if a chef radio show is featured, and if a restauranteur is poisoned, as the back cover blurbed, my culinary cravings would be at least addressed, if not advanced to the "third degree."
In the first paragrpah I was easily captured by Angie's anxious vulnerability in her new job as a consultant to a radio personality, an ego-puffed, egghead chef. The scene of getting herself hired was endearing and fun as well. Vulnerability (even insecurity) backed up by eternal spunk always wins the race to my reading reasons.
As I read through a variety of smoothly transition-ed vignettes, I continued to feel that this set of culinary mysteries with a romance subplot seemed more like a mainstream novel than a genre offering (though it would take both ribbons). The complex, smooth plotting and natural pacing; the strong and varied relationships which are given depth with deft, simple touches seemed to congeal into the rich wholeness of a mystery done well enough to be termed a novel instead of a "mystery" or "crime fiction" or "romantic suspense" (though I enjoy all those genres).
TOO MANY COOKS had a Sidney Sheldon feel, rising from Pence's shifting from scene to scene, each with a different character as central focus in his own world. After Angie, fretful and feisty, somewhat settled into her job with the egghead, Chef "Ahnree" (Henry La Tour), the scene shifted to Paavo's first day's return to his homicide department. The darker ambiance there was contrasted dramatically, with literary flair, to Angie's spritzy spunk.
Riding through continued crafty writing style shifts and swanky mood swings, as soon as I was solidly into Paavo's world and cohorts, and bonded satisfyingly with Paavo's new partner, the scene cut to a murder in progress, which felt realistically ... Just. Like. That.
By this time in the kaleidoscopic plot machinations, I was so far into the games, you couldn't have lifted me out of them except by a ceiling cave. And, in that case I wouldn't have been lifted. Of course I'd have been smashed. I could have only hoped I wouldn't have known what hit me.
The ending of TOO MANY COOKS produces a labyrinth of mangy machinations, giving enough mystery complexity for even the most convoluted brains. Pence is a master juggler of weaving subplots.
But, is Angie an amateur sleuth, a romance heroine, a comedienne, or a well-fleshed player in a mainstream NOVEL. The problem is she's all of these, so I haven't been able to peg her cozily into one slot. Do I care?
If I can't peg what Angie is; I can peg what her author has done to this reader. She's hooked me absolutely into this series to the point that I slipped right through COOKING UP TROUBLE without being able to make myself take time to write a review after finishing TOO MANY COOKS. I have a couple more Amalfi books ready to go, and am including in my nightly prayers a thank you that several more Angie & Paavo stories are available. Yum!
I'm really intrigued to see where this author goes next, not only in plot deviations and character development, but in expansion of her multi-faceted talent as a novelist.
I met Joanne at the Murder in the Grove writer's conference in Boise a couple weeks ago. She's a warm-hearted, nurturing, non-assuming, gracious lady; I'll be enduringly grateful for her easy friendship and encouragement of my career. She's not just "About Joanne," yet she spoke beautifully and interestingly about motivations for her books and Angie's contrast to Joanne. Warmth of soul, spontaneity of generosity, and courage for risk run along the same path for both the author and her character.
Envisioning the cover on Pence's RED HOT MURDER, coming out in February, 2006 (See my Listmania on Pence's series), I'm hoping it'll be glossed over a glowing jacket for a hardcover offering. As the 13th book in a successful series from a dedicated author who unfailingly delivers high quality, it's about time!
If RED HOT MURDER doesn't come out in hardback, the planet needs to tilt its axis a few degrees in the Amalfi direction!!
(This review was originally posted on 6/27/05 under the title, PINK GINGHAM SETS A TABLE FOR NOVEL TREASURES.)
Yes!
Linda G. Shelnutt
Cookbook Mysteries.......2005-08-28
The book was ok, but a little draggy. I read several mysteries where the main character is involved in cooking, and Angie is just not as exciting a character as the others.
Better then the First.......2005-02-10
This is better then the first book, Something's Cooking, in that she does attempt to develop Angie a bit more. Unfortunately, this book and the next, Cooking Up Trouble, is probably the best Angie is going to get: after this she just gets downright annoying because she can't see past her own viewpoint. In this one though, you can somewhat accept Angie's ditziness as inexperience in the real world and her outgoing manner... too bad as the series progresses she doesn't seem to learn anything from what she encounters. The next book is Cooking Up Trouble.
Appropriate title for great sequel.......2003-09-23
Too many cooks do indeed spoil the broth (and a few other things) in this second mystery in the Angie Amalfi series.
Angie is as naive, spoiled, annoying and hopelessly in love as ever, which for some odd reason I haven't figured out yet, turns her into an extremely endearing and likable character. Paavo and his closet full of childhood hangups is starting to get on my nerves - but let's face it - is there a woman in the world that can't sympathize with Angie in the rollercoaster romance department? While the actual crime investigation plays second fiddle in this book, you just have to read on to find out how the relationship between the two "love birds" develops.
All in all a fun, fast-paced book that is hard to put down. Highly recommended to cozy mystery fans!
Average customer rating:
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Too Many Cooks (level 3) (Hello Reader, Math)
Andrea Buckless
Manufacturer: Cartwheel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0439169666 |
Book Description
Wouldn't it be nice to surprise Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa with a delicious, super-duper soup? Cara, Jay, and Marcos think so! Cara takes charge of the cookbook. As she reads out the recipe, Jay adjusts the ingredients for six people. But does the recipe mean two tomatoes and two cups of beans per person? Jay tosses in 12 tomatoes and 12 cups of beans, just to make the pot look full. Now, the book says "carrots." But how many? Cara and Jay decide 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 baby carrots would be just right--and they do a little bunny ear dance. Meanwhile, their little brother is helping with the soup, too. He's slyly dropping in secret ingredients. . . like gummy worms!
Customer Reviews:
Math meets reading!.......2005-08-03
My 6 year old son loves math, but his teacher told me he has trouble with "number stories" (what we used to call word problems) and with reading comprehension. This book (and the similar ones from this series) are perfect! The math laced throughout the story really kept his interest and he seemed to pay attention for longer periods. He asked to read it again and again!
Customer Reviews:
I am thrilled.......2007-06-02
So many of the Disney animated movies have top notch illustrative work within the movies, but when books are made from those movies the art work is not as good. This is a major exception. Every page is a masterpiece. Many Ratatouille books have come out
in the past couple of weeks and I haven't noticed any yet in which the illustration
is indifferent, but this one is the best.
Artistic Cuisine.......2007-05-19
Delightful!
Too Many Cooks is truly a work of art -- & so unique. It is suitable for little ones who don't know their numerls yet [but are learning to count fingers toes & gourmand rats] & for cooks who need a refresher on recipe terminology. The Menu, at the end of the book, is a mini guide to French cooking.
The beautifully illustrated inside covers bracket a tour of Paris -- from sun up to moon rise. A renound city of art, gourmets, & gourmands the happy rats of Ratatouille proove that French Cuisine is indeed for Artist.
B. Joan Wragg
PS
I am not the least biased because the artist is my grandson.
Product Description
Fiction, Mystery, Nero Wolfe
Average customer rating:
- Too Many Cooks has all the RIGHT ingredients!
- My favorite bed time story!!!
- Too Many Cooks-A Passover Parable
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Too Many Cooks: A Passover Parable
Edie Stoltz Zolkower
Manufacturer: Kar-Ben Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1580130631 |
Customer Reviews:
Too Many Cooks has all the RIGHT ingredients!.......2002-10-25
Written with such zest for family participation during the Jewish Holiday of Passover! Lively pictures help weave the story of Bubbie's family as they perform the traditional tasks for Passover. Educational and fun at the same time! A real treat for young and old, which has always been the true test of great literature. "Too Many Cooks" is a great addition to your personal library collection.
My favorite bed time story!!!.......2002-10-22
This is such a cool book that kids really love! My 3rd grade teacher read this book to us around Passover time last year when we were learning about Jewish Holidays. Everyone in my class just loved the book, and many of my friends went and bought it. Too Many Cooks has AWESOME illustrations in bright colors. This is a great book for kids of all faiths. Strongly recommended! A+!
Too Many Cooks-A Passover Parable.......2000-07-09
This appealing Passover book is truly a gem for young and old alike! Too Many Cooks offers a fun-filled glimpse into the rich traditions of the Seder preparation. Through the cute characterizations of familiar family members, this story will be reread at many Passovers over years to come!
Book Description
Originally published in 1938, this book follows the gourmand Nero Wolfe to a meeting of the greatest chefs in the world, where he is to be the honored dinner guest. This is a rare vacation for the corpulent sleuth - until a four-star killer serves up a side dish of murder. In order to solve the crime, Wolfe and Goodwin must deal with inept local law enforcement, recalcitrant witnesses, and Wolfe's fervent desire to get back to his orchids and his specially constructed brown leather chair.
Average customer rating:
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too Many Cooks
Manufacturer: Pyramid
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GTJR68 |
Customer Reviews:
Ranch Theme Works Well In This Duet.......2002-01-28
Carol Finch's story takes place on a stress management ranch. Our hero's sisters have arranged for their regimented, in-a-rut older brother to be taken there for an enforced two week vacation. Without his electronics and his routine, he is lost and is *not* a happy camper. Soon though, his long-dormant instincts revive, much to his chagrin. This fish-out-of-water story humorously tells of one man's return to life and the unlikely woman who instigates it. It's an amusing, romantic and well-written tale.
A working ranch in Montana is the setting for Molly O'Keefe's story about a social worker from Los Angeles who brings a South Central gang wannabe there for a summer out of his normal enviroment. This program is her brain child and she's determined for it to succeed. Little does she know that she'll be the one seduced by the ranch and its inhabitants, specifically its emotionally scarred foreman. The main characters had emotional depth and the secondary characters were nicely developed. The humor, sexual attraction and romance were well done. This is apparently Ms. O'Keefe's first book and it is an excellent beginning. Here's hoping she keeps on writing and gives us more stories about the Cook family of Montana!
Too Many Cooks is Sizzling!.......2001-12-26
Is this the first book by Molly O'Keefe? If so, I eagerly look forward to more work from this writer. Her vivid characters will remind every reader of some individual from her own life. It's nice to see a writer effectively inject so many humorous scenes amidst the sexy ones - and the sexy ones really got my pulse racing! I hope she keeps writing about the Cooks - I'd love to see what happens with the two younger brothers in the family! Yummy!
For readers both old and new, this book is a must-read!
Very funny!.......2001-11-14
I liked the Carol Finch story best of the two, though I liked them both. Mr. Predictable has a kind of hero I really like. He is uptight and needs to let go to his real feelings. Only the heroine can get to him, and once he lets go, he is really hot.
In Molly O'Keefe's Too Many Cooks, I liked the plot of the hero's family working as matchmakers - I'm a big fan of matchmaker plots. I like the way the heroine was very big on helping people, especially kids. Like the hero of Mr. Predictable, she was also a character who needed to lighten up, and falling in love with the hero really helped her. I like this with either hero or heroine as a theme.
Very sexy, funny book!
Two fun ranch stories!.......2001-11-10
MR. PREDICTABLE
By Carol Finch
J. T. Prescott is a workaholic far too set in his ways to suit his sisters, who book him for a two-week stay at Moriah Randell's ranch for stressed-out business executives. J.T. goes along for the ride, with extreme reluctance, when his sisters guilt-trip him into it, but once he's at the ranch, gorgeous Moriah opens him up to possibilities he never dreamed of.
This is a really fun book. Stiff J.T. and easy-going Moriah make a great contrast. A lot of the comedy comes from the fish-out-of-water premise of J.T. going from the city to a ranch with some very humorous scenes. Also, the romance is deep, and the love scenes very sexy. A good combination!
TOO MANY COOKS
Molly O'Keefe
Cecelia Brady is a determined social worker from Los Angeles on an important mission to help inner-city kids. She is touring the country to find a good site for a camp for the kids, and she's led by a tip from some friends to Morning Glory Ranch. Neither she nor Ethan Cook, the ranch's handsome owner, suspect they've been set up by Ethan's matchmaking sisters.
Another enjoyable ranch story. In this case, both characters are hard-working and a bit stiff, but getting together loosens them both up and brings out the best in them. An important subcharacter is one of the kids Cecelia is trying to help, who is traveling with her and provides many touching scenes. The chemistry between the sexy hero and feisty heroine is very strong, and their conflict both funny and moving. All in all, this is a really enjoyable story!
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