In the June 2, 2024,
issue of the Washington Post, librarian and reviewer Karen
MacPherson named The Accidental Joe: The Top-Secret Life of a Celebrity Chef
by Tom Straw one of five new mysteries to read this summer. Published on 14
May, just in time for the long Memorial Day weekend, this clever book melds the
knowledge of a long-time television insider, which Straw certainly is, with the
conventions of the standard spy novel, yielding a fun and absorbing read with
series potential.
Tom Straw is a
television screenwriter working on comedies such as Night Court, then
serving as head writer for Whoopi, Nurse Jackie, Dave’s World
and Grace under Fire. When the television series Castle came
along, with its lead character crime fiction author Richard Castle, Straw
ghost-wrote seven detective novels under Castle’s name. In his latest book he’s
taken a composite of the tantrum-throwing, globe-trotting superstar chef and
turned him and his television show into a front for a CIA undercover operation.
Sebastian Pike is in
Paris, filming another episode in his travelling culinary show. He is aghast to
see an unknown and unplanned interview as part of his new producer’s schedule
for the next day. He has no background on Victor Fabron, no knowledge of why he
should be interested in Fabron. Pike largely ad libs an interview that is
disrupted by the noise of the cop show being filmed nearby. When Fabron
crumples to the ground, the bullet wounds in his back demonstrate the fire from
someone’s gun had been live.
A few hours later
Pike is pulled into a chat with a member of the CIA who tells him his new
producer is a plant from the agency and she had been on site to receive intelligence
from Fabron who was an agent. The news revealed that a highly placed mole in
Russia was in danger and needed to be extracted right away. The CIA
representative twists Pike’s arm into providing cover for the agency to bring
their undercover man to safety.
The story goes into full-blown espionage mode at this point. Every secret agent convention, every bit of tradecraft, I don’t think Straw missed many of the spy traditions. He’s created a fast-moving cohesive story with an entertaining set of characters, leaving the door open for a potential sequel. Immensely readable. Recommended.
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ASIN: B0CPL158T2
·
Publisher: Regalo Press (May 14,
2024)
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Language: English
·
Hardcover: 296 pages
·
ISBN-13: 979-8888452950
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4aONOcJ
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works
on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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