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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
This is a short, fun, cozy mystery. Told from the POV of 78-year-old retired detective superintendent Albert Smith and the POV of his dog, Rex, it’s a funny story. Rex is undercover as an assistance dog, when in actuality he was trained as a police dog but was pawned off on Albert because of his bad attitude. Really, Rex just gets frustrated when his human doesn’t see (or smell) the clues that are obvious to him.
Albert is making his way through the British Isles on a culinary vacation, and when he goes to take a class on how to make pork pies, a finger is found on top of the meat that is supposed to be used. Albert decides to help the daughter of the shop owner to find out who the finger belongs to—which is ends up being more complicated and potentially fatal than Albert initially anticipated.
I love stories that have dogs, even onery ones. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series, although, so far, what Albert has eaten has not inspired me to make a culinary tour of England of my own.
In writing classes, you’re taught to evoke the reader’s five senses. Because Rex observes the world largely through scent, we, the readers, do too.
Albert is making his way through the British Isles on a culinary vacation, and when he goes to take a class on how to make pork pies, a finger is found on top of the meat that is supposed to be used. Albert decides to help the daughter of the shop owner to find out who the finger belongs to—which is ends up being more complicated and potentially fatal than Albert initially anticipated.
I love stories that have dogs, even onery ones. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series, although, so far, what Albert has eaten has not inspired me to make a culinary tour of England of my own.
In writing classes, you’re taught to evoke the reader’s five senses. Because Rex observes the world largely through scent, we, the readers, do too.
Pork Pie Pandemonium is a mystery novel and the first of the Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers series. The story follows Albert Smith, a retired detective living in England, as he takes a culinary tour around the country. His vacation is almost immediately interrupted by an incident in a pork pie cooking class he is attending. Despite the warnings of local police, Albert decides to investigate the incident himself, along with the help of his service dog, Rex Harrison, and the pie shop owner’s teenage daughter, Donna. Together, they follow the clues to solve the mystery and save the shop, all the while getting into more and more trouble.
Pork Pie Pandemonium is a fun mystery set in modern day England. Albert Smith is an interesting character. He is friendly, but can also be grumpy and stubborn, insisting on solving the mystery. Donna is eager to solve the caper as well, driven and desperate to save her mother’s pie shop. The story even takes us inside of Rex’s head and hearing the dog’s thoughts on the matter is quite amusing.
Overall, Pork Pie Pandemonium is a fun story. The circumstances surrounding the incident in the pie shop are mysterious and more dangerous than initially believed. Rex is quite a character himself, often providing some comedy with his antics, but never to the detriment of the story. Mystery fans and dog lovers will be sure to enjoy this book and will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Pork Pie Pandemonium is a fun mystery set in modern day England. Albert Smith is an interesting character. He is friendly, but can also be grumpy and stubborn, insisting on solving the mystery. Donna is eager to solve the caper as well, driven and desperate to save her mother’s pie shop. The story even takes us inside of Rex’s head and hearing the dog’s thoughts on the matter is quite amusing.
Overall, Pork Pie Pandemonium is a fun story. The circumstances surrounding the incident in the pie shop are mysterious and more dangerous than initially believed. Rex is quite a character himself, often providing some comedy with his antics, but never to the detriment of the story. Mystery fans and dog lovers will be sure to enjoy this book and will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Fun and exciting
Love the thoughts of the dog and the tenacity of our hero. Good and quick read the sure built to an exciting conclusion.
Love the thoughts of the dog and the tenacity of our hero. Good and quick read the sure built to an exciting conclusion.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I was interested in this solely for the dog's POV but it was only ever random throw away paragraphs. The writing was so amateurish it was grating. I had already decided cozy mysteries weren't my thing but tried to read this in hopes the dog would make it bearable. Book club be damned, I can't finish this.
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Albert is an old detective that is touring to learn how to cook. He travels with Rex, a dog that was trained by the police and has a very particular way to get people to submit. When they stop to learn how to bake pork pie, things get Interesting when a thumb is found on a pie. This is a light-hearted mystery and it's great to relax and enjoy an easy book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first book written by Steve Higgs. This is surprising only when you realize that he has nine ongoing series and >205 individual titles. This is the first title in the “Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers” Series.
Albert Smith is a recently retired detective superintendent who has an ex-police dog named Rex Harrison “fired” for having an attitude and a fanatical fixation on food items that constitute his raison d'être after the death of his wife. Since he can’t cook he puts together an itinerary for an extended culinary tour of England. His first destination is Melton Mowbray and Agnews Perfect Pork Pie Emporium where he is scheduled to learn to recreate their “Gold Standard“ Pork Pie. The final class is interrupted by the discovery of a human finger atop the meat for one of the participants’ supplies resulting in an investigation by the Police and an escalation of a rivalry with a competitor specializing in an operation focused on quantity rather than the quality of a Gold Standard Pork Pie. Albert and Rex Harrison are drawn in to help out their new friends.
I originally became aware of this book when the cover featuring an adorable version of Rex Harrison. It is always a plus when you have a charismatic animal as a character and Rex Harrison is one of the best I have found in a while. Add in his senior citizen companion and you have a winning combination for a series of 15 culinary adventures. I had a little trouble getting into the book until we got past the setup with its gruesome kick off. After that, the story begins to focus on the characters and their reactions and relationships. This kept me involved in the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would also recommend the audio version for the portrayal of Rex Harrison. Recommend to readers of cozy mysteries, crime, animals, dogs, contemporary British literature, and food.