Review: "HOT STUFF: A Novel" by Don Bruns

HOT STUFF is the latest in a series that began with STUFF TO DIE FOR and another very well done mystery read. This one finds Skip and his longtime girlfriend, Em, out for the evening at L’Elfe in Miami. The French restaurant on Bayshore Drive is quite famous as its owner is Chef Jean Bouvier. Known for his signature television line, “But can you do this?” on cooking shows on the Food Network, his line of cookbooks, spices, cutlery, etc., Jean and his wife, Sophia, are celebrities and envied by many. Including James, Skip’s friend and business partner who, despite his own culinary degree and cooking promise, works for a fast food chain when he isn’t helping with security installations or investigations. 

Both guys are still going nowhere fast and money is always an issue. That is until Em’s friend, Amanda Wright, is brutally killed by a dumpster at the back of L’Elfe while Em and Skip are inside having dinner. In fact, they had just seen her minutes earlier when Amanda had stopped by their table to tell them her great news. Amanda was the sous-chef and was being promoted to take over as executive chef at Bouvier’s new restaurant on South Beach, La Plage (The Beach). Now she is dead as a result of numerous stab wounds to the stomach using some sort of knife.

For various backstory reasons that gradually become clear over the course of the book, Em arranges with Chef Bouvier and his wife Sophia to put the investigative team of Skip Moore and James Lessor on the case. For six grand over two weeks, they will work the case with James going undercover in the restaurant to replace Amanda. His skills are a little rusty, but his culinary degree will gain him admittance and acceptance by a staff of suspects that will also be told that James “shows promise” and might be the new executive chef at La Plage. Em is to provide online research help and liaison with various contacts while Skip is to provide support as needed. It isn’t long before Skip is also inside working undercover at L’Elfe trying to find a killer and clearing James from being a murder suspect himself.

In a complicated book that spends plenty of time inside the restaurant and out, James, Skip, and Em have their hands full with  the case and other matters. If you have read this series from the beginning, you know that is how Don Bruns keeps things going as he piles complications upon complications upon complications. Such is true here while also creating a read that once again is funny at times and suspenseful most of the time.

While HOT STUFF could be read as a stand alone, the book works much better if you have read the preceding books in the series so that you understand how the characters have evolved to this point. Billed as a thriller by the publisher, author Don Bruns takes readers on another very complicated mystery ride featuring some humor, plenty of suspense, and a long list of suspects. If it is not clear already, HOT STUFF is another very good book in a series that is consistently well done and worth your time.

HOT STUFF: A Novel

Don Bruns

http://www.donbrunsbooks.com

Oceanview Publishing

http://www.oceanviewpublishing.com

November 16, 2012

ISBN # 978-1-60809-061-7

Hardback

296 Pages

$25.95

ARC was supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012

Reviewing: "Stuff To Spy For" by Don Bruns

Stuff to Spy For is the third novel in the series (Stuff To Die For and Stuff Dreams Are Made Of) and another mystery that has its comedic moments. James and Skip are back, still stuck in their dead end jobs, and still dreaming of their big pay day. Finally, things might be taking an upswing.

Skip Moore still sells security systems and this time has landed a whale of a client, Synco Systems. Synco Systems has a major client of its own, the Department of Defense, so Synco has to upgrade their security systems. It means a huge commission for Skip. But, anything good involving Skip and James means there has to be at least one catch.

Skip knew the beautiful Sarah Crumbly back in the day. If he didn’t have Emily, a woman that he loves and calls “Em,” he might make a run at Sarah. Too bad she is having an affair with Sandler Conroy, the married president of Synco Systems. All Sarah wants out of Skip, besides the security contract, is for Skip to play the role of boyfriend to provide cover for her affair. If he will do that, there will be a private financial bonus for him

If only things were that simple.

Deception is of paramount importance in the spy game and that is certainly the case in this enjoyable novel. While the read has a significant logic problem in this day of internet mapping services and internet tracking services, it does work on many levels and angles. While not as funny as earlier reads in the series, this book which could be read as a stand alone, does provide a number of chuckles while things go from bad to worse. Character interaction between Skip, James, and Em works well as do most plot points.

According to marketing materials, many reviews and readers see this series “… as the Hardy Boys grown up.” I absolutely never have. The Hardy Boys were significantly smarter. Instead, I see this series more like the couple of well natured guys we all knew in High School who, despite their best intentions, never could pull much of anything major off. No matter what situation they got themselves into and no matter how good the deal, they would screw it up somehow. Bumbling good guys that just never could quite make it happen.

Such is the case here in Stuff To Spy For. The deal sounds too good to be true from the get go. It is and before long the guys are mixed up in adultery, murder, international espionage and a bunch of other stuff and bumbling along they best they can in a search to get the truth and get paid. Easier said than done in this enjoyable novel that is part comedy, part mystery and all pretty good.

Stuff To Spy For

Don Bruns

http://www.donbrunsbooks.com

Oceanview Publishing

http://www.oceanviewpub.com

November, 2009

ISBN# 978-1-933515-22-9

Hardback

305 Pages

$25.95

Material provided by Publicist MaryGlenn McCombs in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010