Review: Amazingly Appetizing: South American Flavored Anthology
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2013
In this anthology, the unifying idea is genre. Also, Mr. Roger Bowman, a private detective, who once was a patent lawyer and a police detective, is our protagonist in all five stories. Another commonaity is setting. Each story more or less has a South American flavor: Argentina, Los Angeles and Brazil.My favourite story was "The Empanada Affair." I could relate to this story on many levels. Firstly,I Live In Chilewhere delicious "empanadas" are commonly eaten. They are amazing as an appetizer. An empanada is a delicious stuffed bread or pastry that can be either baked or fried. This story, The "Empanada Affair", transcends genre. I firmly believe we read books to grow our world knowledge. I want to be entertained and educated at the same time. Author Jerold Last clearly has intimate knowledge of the country, culture, and customs he is writing about.Another story I liked was "The Dog with No Name". I could relate to this story, as I am a dog lover. If you love dogs, you will also love this lovely story. "Someone Did It to the Butler" and "The Body in the Parking Structure" are cleverly written. If you enjoy solving the case, then this will be enjoyable reading. Whodunnit? You will be surprised. It's not the butler...Finally, "The Haunted Gymnasium" will capture your attention if you like ghost stories. Prepare yourself for Brazilian Jiu-‐Jitsu, the Kimura arm lock, and the Masahiko Kimura Curse. What would a ghost story be like without a curse, right?Reviewed by Thomas Jerome BakerAuthor ofTeaching Debate in Chile: Age of Wisdom, Season of Light, Spring of HopeMany thanks to the author, Mr. Jerold Last, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.