Patterns in Silicon (A Lea Sherwood Mystery) (A Lea Sherwood Mystery)

Lea Sherwood opened Panache, a restaurant, in San Francisco recently. Her ex-boyfriend Keith Whitten decides to come to dinner there with a couple of his executives. Just that day his company Whitten Systems Corp. had taken over Decision Ace, a company run by her current boyfriend Paul Boyd. During dinner Keith is poisoned and dies. Since Lea served him, she becomes a prime suspect. Lea is determined to uncover the real killer to salvage the reputation of her restaurant and herself. Due to the bad publicity, reservations to her restaurant are canceled daily. This just fuels her desire to uncover the truth. Can she do so without putting herself or her restaurant in harm's way? I really enjoyed this novel. Lea is a fun character. You can tell the author has real knowledge of the restaurant world, as well as technology. This is an interesting mix and is blended together expertly in this book. I like the setting of San Francisco for the book. It really adds to the ambiance. Having it set in a restaurant makes it yummy as well! I highly recommend this book. Check out www.mysteryloverscorner.com

One of the things I have noticed lately is the number of books using food directly as a murder weapon or serving as a backdrop to crime, murder, and mayhem. One wonders why and one wonders if it is really safe to eat anywhere but home. Even then, one may not be safe depending on what gets recalled five months after it hit the nation's food supply. Food and the creation of it is one of several themes in this recent release titled Patterns In Silicon: A Lea Sherwood Mystery by Maureen Robb. Having someone you just served dinner to in your restaurant become ill and within a short time die at the hospital is pretty bad. Being accused of being the murderess or assisting in it is worse. Both things happen to Lea Sherwood in short order in this very good mystery. Five months ago, Lea opened Panache in San Francisco. So for, critics have been kind, business is pretty good and other than the usual problems associated with running any small business, things have been going well. Her ex-boyfriend Keith Whitten also is doing well as head of Whitten Systems Corp. Just today Whitten's company had taken over Decision Ace, run by her current boyfriend, Mr. Paul Boyd. Keith's decision to come to dinner at her restaurant with a couple of his executives quickly becomes fatal as within hours he is dead, a victim of poisoning. Having served him, Lea, quickly becomes the number one suspect in both the eyes of the police and the voyeuristic media hungry for another sensational cause. While she is the prime suspect and her business begins to suffer, the police don't seem inclined to either publicly clear her or search for other suspects. Instead, it is left to Lea to snoop and ask questions both in her culinary world as well as Paul's high tech computer world. Using detailed scenes in the restaurant and the company the author shows readers a world where creative input is valued into both arenas. Lea, a complex character doing her best, is left to hang in the media whirlwind and forced to fight for her economic and personal survival with little help from others, several of whom she had previously thought of as friends. The result is an engrossing read that steadily moves forward towards a fully satisfying conclusion. According to the small author bio at the back of the book, the author is currently working on the next novel in the series. That is very good news as this book provides an excellent foundation for a series while leaving plenty of character growth opportunities to be explored. This is definitely a series to keep your eyes open for in the future. Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

Restaurant owner Lea Sherwood thought things were going great until her ex dropped dead at his table. Now branded a suspect along with her current boyfriend, Lea finds herself investigating the murder that has her probing the white collar world of computer companies. What she finds is that these computer geeks and executives are as ruthless as any mugger or drug dealer, but to save her loved ones and her restaurant she's willing to risk it all. This was a thoroughly engaging mystery that offers glimpses into the tantalizing worlds of San Francisco restaurants and software technology. Lea is a witty, very likeable character whom I hope to see again soon.

Title: Patterns in Silicon Author: Maureen Robb Publisher: Drake Valley Press ISBN: 0972818642 Genre: Mystery Ever see someone choke in a restaurant? Lea Sherwood did--her restaurant. The victim didn't merely choke, he died. And she became a suspect in a murder. This wasn't the best publicity a new restaurant or its owner could receive, especially at a critical time in its struggle to achieve recognition and become a landmark on the San Francisco must see-must visit circuit for discerning diners. The murder threatened all she held dear, her business and the man she loved, so she began to ask probing questions as to why Keith Whitten had been killed. She uncovered a vast network of deceit in Keith's business dealings, other murders are committed, and money promised investors isn't there. Will she be able to help the man she loves save the business he was hired to run, since he too is a suspect? A fascinating look into the running of a restaurant and the worries an owner can have when things go so wrong, a cast of characters you will find credible with their conniving and efforts to undermine each other, and a mix of subplots that result from the deviousness of the characters. A tale you'll enjoy, especially you food buffs. Some yummy sounding dishes for you. Enjoy. I did.

I can't wait for the NEXT Lea Sherwood mystery! The characters are deep and varied and captivating (not just the main character), and the action is realistic and NOT cliche--rare qualities for a mystery these days! Robb does a great job of conveying life and people behind the scenes at top-notch restaurants as well as at fast-paced Silcion Valley tech businesses. Characters in each realm are believable--not flat or stereotypical, but individual and robust. The setting in Patterns in Silicon is fascinating, too--modern San Francisco is the perfect metropolis for a murder mystery, and Maureen Robb brings the city to life. If you've never been there, you'll feel like you have after reading this book. I was impressed with the way the sounds, sights, and scents of each scene were so well-described that I felt I was there. As a reader I felt drawn into the mystery with Lea as she followed her instints and did what she could--as any of us would do--to solve the case and clear her name, while simultaneously struggling to keep her business afloat. And, after reading this book I came away feeling more intelligent--I now know more about the restaurant business and the high-tech industry than before. What I love about this book is that it is real in every sense. Too often I finish a book only to feel like I have wasted hours of my life reading it. Not this time!