Beat Until Stiff

November 25, 2002
Mary Ryan, feisty pastry chef at American Fare, a trendy San Francisco restaurant, finds murder on the menu in Johnson's delicious debut, which mixes an unglamorized, behind-the-scenes view of the upscale restaurant trade with a plot replete with well-timed shocks. Horrified to discover the battered body of one of her El Salvadoran employees stuffed in a laundry bag on arriving for work early one morning, Mary debates whether to call her ex-husband, Jim, a homicide detective with SFPD. As it turns out, Jim's former partner, Inspector O'Connor, takes on the case. Lonely and emotionally fragile in the wake of Jim's leaving her, Mary comes to rely on the tough, bullying O'Connor, whose job is on the line, as more than just a friend, while innate curiosity and love of justice propel her to investigate the crime and into grave danger. The down-to-earth Mary, with her keen sense of humor, casts a sharp eye on the novel's flashier characters: American Fare's showman of an owner, an egotistical chef, the suave maitre 'd in charge of the wine, the designer-clad, social-climbing manager. Assorted wives and mistresses, immigrants and a high-profile lawyer fill out the bill of fare. The restaurant business—its food, financing and philosophy—is here in all its complexity for discriminating mystery palates. (Dec. 2)Forecast:With its obvious crossover appeal to readers of serious nonfiction books on food (after completing the California Culinary Academy's program for professional chefs, Johnson worked as a pastry chef in San Francisco and Oakland for eight years), this would not look out of place in a cookbook display, especially with subtle jacket art that gives no clue it's a mystery—a photo of a smiling chef pouring the white from an egg (thumb on yolk) into a metal bowl, with oversized steel stoves and ventilation visible in the background.