Ian Porthos Wallace feels lucky to live in the lovely (fictional) town of Port City on the coast of North Carolina. There, he makes his living as a local food critic and photographer, and indulges in his love for wearing the kilts of his Scottish ancestors whenever he can. He most definitely isn’t a detective, but because he tries his hand now and then at writing mystery novels, his friend Demos Spyros begs him to help solve a case. Their mutual friend Nick has been falsely accused of murdering his boss, chef Mitchell Reede, and Demos is convinced that Ian can prove Nick innocent. Ian isn’t so sure–he’s no professional gumshoe–but eventually he agrees to give it his best shot. It helps that Demos’s attractive sister, and Ian’s off-again-on-again girlfriend, Athena, owns a store near the crime scene. Athena, traumatized years ago by an abusive husband, has been more than a little distant up until now, but lately Ian is convinced that she’s making a real effort to open up to him. The sensitive food-critic-turned-investigator does what he can to encourage her feelings, but he is distracted by the murder, which only gets more mysterious as the evidence piles up. Worst of all, it’s starting to look as though Athena’s no-good, abusive ex is back in town, and possibly involved with the crime. As the situation heats up, it’s all Ian can do to keep Athena safe and solve the mystery at the same time.
Check the availability of this title in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
