Quick Looks at Books

THE CLEVELAND CONNECTION by Les Roberts
DEEP SHAKER by Les Roberts

More of theMilan Jacovich mysteries. In The Cleveland Connection Jacovich investigates the disappearance of a grandfather which, predictably, turns into a murder investigation after the old man has been found as the apparent victim of gang-style execution. This takes us to an examination of the deep seated hostilities between Serb and Slovenian ethnic groups, both in their homelands and in Cleveland. Deep Shaker looks at Jamaican drug peddlers and the way that the drug trade preys upon school children as Jacovich helps out an old friend whose son has fallen in with the wrong crowd.

VEGETABLE LOVE by Barbara Kafka
An extensive tome that is lightened considerably by Kafka's winning personality which is evident throughout the book without ever becoming too cute, which is a trap into which many less experienced authors might fall. Just because the book is about vegetables doesn't mean that meat is eschewed. The recipes are designed to showcase vegetables but it is not a vegetarian book by any means, although there would be plenty that vegetarians could use here. It is worth reading simply for the introduction to many new uses Kafka presents for vegetables that have escaped the general American home cook, such as Jerusalem artichokes. I'd recommend checking it out of the library for a test run, if at all possible, as this is quite pricey. I won't be buying it but am glad that I read it.

These are #7, #8 and #9 of books read in 2006.