Slow Burn

by G.M. Ford

Book Overview

Anticipating problems, a prestigious global restaurant convention hires Leo as Special Security Officer. His assignment: monitor the movements of two adversarial steakhouse competitors whose "beef"... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380975564
• ISBN13: 9780380975563
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 281 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Clever parody of Rex Stout's "Some Buried Caesar"

I've always regarded Some Buried Caesar as one of the best Nero Wolfe novels but this homage/parody of it may actually be even better. Ford takes the basic idea of Some Buried Caasar - a controversy erupts when a champion bull is scheduled to be the main attraction at a barbeque - but updates the story with animal rights activists and a crazy helicoptor delivery sequence that is nothing short of howlingly funny. There are just enough references to Stout's characters to entertain readers familar with the Wolfe books but since the details of the crime and its resolution are completely different readers familiar with both won't be bored.

Very funny and outrageous!

Even though I figured out "who-dunnit" and why long before the ending of this book, it was still time well spent. I don't believe that I have ever read a book with a such a funny and vivid ending. I woke my husband up at 1:30am laughing while trying to finish this story (hubby, however, did not find it amusing to be woken up by a kackling wife armed with an itty-bitty-booklight :o).G.M. Ford has won over this reader with all of his Leo Waterman books. He paints Seattle's downtown life with humor, stinging wit and a big heart. Keep them coming!

The best yet

This comic takeoff on the Nero Wolfe mysteries is the best Leo Waterman yet, and the climax with the bull has to be read to be appreciated.

Absolutely Great Tough Guy Novel

This was my favorite Waterman novel. It had a little bit of everything. A good whodunit, as well as great characters and incredible confrontations........you will really like this novel........his best yet

A very different very entertaining and stimulating mystery

Seattle's Olympic Star Hotel is hosting the internationally renowned culinary convention. One of the attendees is Jack Del Fuego, whose steak houses are nearly bankrupt. Desperate, he decides to barbecue an extremely valuable steer at the convention in an effort to gain some needed publicity to save his steak house. Specifically, he hopes to gain five thumbs up from Mason Reese, an extremely influential food critic. Jack's plan upsets the culinary committee because they fear adverse public reaction to the slaughter of Bunky. They hire private investigator Leo Waterman to keep the peace and to thwart Jack's plan. However, instead of a steer being butchered, the food critic is killed. The police think Leo is the killer. Instead of sitting around waiting for to be served up as the culprit, Leo, with the help of the "boys", investigates the murder. Suspects are as plentiful as the various gourmet delights. Though the Waterman series usually requires a bit of a stretch, the novels are all wonderful reading experiences. Leo is an interesting sleuth, his support team (the drunken old-timers) are unique even if their presence in certain environments seem impossible, and Seattle has never been presented better. In SLOW BURN, all of those charming elements come together in an entertaining but weird who-done-it. This novel and the previous three Waterman books are worth reading by anyone who enjoys a different type of tale. Harriet Klausner