Trio for Blunt Instruments (Nero Wolfe Mysteries)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Triple the homicides, triple the intrigue.
  • Overlapping Stories
  • Good as always
  • Some flaws, but fair puzzles
  • This is for the text version
Trio for Blunt Instruments (Nero Wolfe Mysteries)
Rex Stout
Manufacturer: Crimeline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:
  1. Three for the Chair (The Rex Stout Library: a Nero Wolfe Mystery) Three for the Chair (The Rex Stout Library: a Nero Wolfe Mystery)
  2. Not Quite Dead Enough (The Rex Stout Library: a Nero Wolfe Mystery) Not Quite Dead Enough (The Rex Stout Library: a Nero Wolfe Mystery)
  3. Three Witnesses Three Witnesses
  4. Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe Mysteries) Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe Mysteries)
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ASIN: 0553241915
Release Date: 1997-01-01

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Triple the homicides, triple the intrigue........2007-05-25

Another great triple murder book by Rex Stout. In Kill Now - Pay Later, did the shoeshine man kill to avenge his daughter? In Murder Is Corny, why was the corn delivery man killed and more importantly,where is Nero Wolf's select corn? And last but not least, in Blood Will Tell, the brownish spot on a tie mailed to Mr. Archie Goodwin does turn out to be blood. The blood of a promiscuous young married woman whose husband is now accused of killing her. Three murders and three clients now suspected of murder. Nero Wolf with the help of the confident and engaging Archie Goodwin dissects each case and as always, resolves each mystery.

2 out of 5 stars Overlapping Stories.......2004-10-06

Some of the stories (or novellas) in this collection are found in some of Stout's other anthologies, making it somewhat frustrating for the aficionado. Susggest skipping this one in favor of "Trouble in Triplicate," which does not reproduce the weakest of the stories here.

3 out of 5 stars Good as always.......2002-09-06

Three novellas featuring Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin and the rest of the gang. What's new here is that Stout is beginning to speak forthrightly about sex. In earlier books, he'd been cunningly vague about sexual motivation or Archie's contact with women. Here, in stories written in the early 1960s, Stout first mentions pregnancy outside of marriage.

5 out of 5 stars Some flaws, but fair puzzles.......2002-05-06

None of the 3 cases herein occur during the same year, one each occurring in 1960, 1961, and 1962. The common factor is, of course, that in each case a blunt instrument (speaking loosely) serves as a murder weapon.

"Kill Now, Pay Later" - Pete Vassos, roving shoeshine guy, regularly visits the brownstone. On this occasion, he left the offices of Mercer's Bobbins early, since Dennis Ashby (one of his regular customers) had just fallen to his death from a window. After a brief interlude as a suspect (Ashby was attempting to seduce Pete's daughter Elma, a stenographer with the company), Pete is found murdered, and Elma hires Wolfe to investigate. The fee is low, but the Vassos family hero-worships him.

The title quote is a comment made by Joan Ashby in the style of her late husband's favorite advertisements; he was a womanizer and deep in debt, although he'd saved the company from disintegration. Some of Wolfe's ploys include having his client as a guest in the South Room, and arranging for her to sue several suspects plus Cramer (!) for defamation.

"Murder Is Corny"- Adapted for A&E's 2nd Nero Wolfe season. Wolfe starts this case in a bad mood - farmer Duncan McLeod's specially picked guaranteed fresh corn-on-the-cob shipment (one every Tuesday in season) didn't show up in time for dinner. When Cramer appears at the door later that evening with the missing crate, they learn that Ken Faber has been found murdered in the alley behind Rusterman's while delivering their corn (Wolfe's still trustee). Naturally, they unloaded the corn before calling the cops. Cramer leaves with Archie in custody as a material witness - Faber had been spreading rumors about Susan's chastity, and Archie's now implicated in the murder by various lies told to the cops. While I like this story, I think it contains several clunkers in human behavior, especially known quantities on the staff of the restaurant, who should have tipped Wolfe off about the corpse before Cramer got to him.

"Blood Will Tell" - An odd item turns up in Archie's personal correspondence rather than Wolfe's - a letter on James Neville Vance's private stationery asking that he keep the enclosure until called for: an expensive necktie, stained with something that might be blood. Checking out this message from a stranger, who denies having sent it, Archie is present when the corpse of the promiscuous Bonny Kirk is found in her apartment in Vance's building - literally smashed by a bottle of vodka. When her estranged husband later asks to hire him, Wolfe accepts immediately - why is he convinced of Martin's innocence?

5 out of 5 stars This is for the text version.......2000-12-25

The listener should not feel cheated over getting three novelettes instead of a full-length Nero Wolfe adventure. Rex Stout was a master at packing in all the flavor although delivering fewer calories; unlike many "lite" foods. "KILL NOW, PAY LATER": Don't waste your time feeling sorry for the first victim. I'm not saying that he deserved to die, but had this book been published in 2000 instead of 1964, Mr. Ashby would have cost Mercer's Bobbins a fortune in sexual harassment lawsuits. It's the second victim whose blood cries to Heaven for justice. When Wolfe reveals the reason the second victim died, I trust that you will be as angry as I was. As Archie Goodwin tells us, Wolfe would rather miss a meal that have anyone think he's a softy. Do not miss Mr. Wolfe's attempt to explain that he solved this case NOT for the sake of his loyal bootblack but for far less admirable reasons. As usual, Inspector Cramer's and Wolfe's remarks about each other are a treat. Persons who collect stories where there is a lawyer who is portrayed as honorable instead of a self-serving human roach with no interest in justice will want this one because Nathanial Parker, Wolfe's lawyer, has a speaking part. "MURDER IS CORNY": I have no tears to shed for Ken Faber, either. For those of you who were born after the Sexual Revolution, what he was doing was a particularly vicious form of slander for that period. (Why Susan MacLeod didn't just go to a doctor and come out triumphantly waiting a certificate or two that proved Faber a liar beats me. It might have saved a couple of lives.) As for which of the suspects did the deed, except for Susan herself and Archie (whom she brainlessly gets into trouble), all are men who love Susan. Those of you who bother to cook might want to find out if Wolfe's corn on the cob recipe is as delicious as learning how Wolfe Saves Archie from a murder rap and reveals the true killer. Personally, I found the concept of "born come-on", which Archie assures us that Susan has and isn't aware she has, rather unnerving. "BLOOD WILL TELL": This one starts out with a minor mystery -- who sent Archie the stained tie (is or isn't that stain blood?) and later calls asking Archie to burn it. Naturally, Archie chooses to investigate instead. This is why he's on the scene when an adulteress' bloodied corpse is found. I found this story the most fun of the three because Archie became increasingly frustrated at being left in the dark and Wolfe assumed that Archie should have been able to figure things out for himself. Will you spot the clues that enabled Wolfe to know that Kirk didn't kill his wife or, as did Archie and this reader, will you have to feel DUMB when they're revealed? Continuity nitpickers may feel free to pounce on the big error Mr. Stout made in chapter 6, where Archie claims this is the first time he ever saw a man slap another man. Even if you wish to argue that, technically, Archie didn't see himself slap that uppity jerk in THE RED BOX; how could Goodwin of the Matchless Memory possibly forget the sight of his boss slapping the insufferable Inspector Ash's face in THE SILENT SPEAKER?

Even if the reading of these mysteries is no more than adequate, that's enough to recommend this book to those who need the audio version or those facing hideously tedious car trips/waits at the airport. For those who prefer the print version, you might want to try Amazon.com's Z-shops or their sister company, Bibliofind.
NERO WOLFE - TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS
Average customer rating: Not rated
    NERO WOLFE - TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS

    Manufacturer: Bantam Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000GQPDKU
    Nero Wolfe Trio For Blunt Instrument's
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Nero Wolfe Trio For Blunt Instrument's

      Manufacturer: Bantam
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000HAVHPU
      Nero Wolfe Trio for Blunt Instruments
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Nero Wolfe Trio for Blunt Instruments

        Manufacturer: A Bantam Book
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000HTFB1C
        NERO WOLFE, TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          NERO WOLFE, TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS
          Rex STOUT
          Manufacturer: Bantam
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: B000P1RGVA
          Trio for Blunt Instruments
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Trio for Blunt Instruments

            Manufacturer: Viking
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000GL4CT8
            Trio for Blunt Instruments
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Trio for Blunt Instruments
              Rex Stout
              Manufacturer: Bantam
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Mass Market Paperback
              ASIN: B000J2Z0VI
              TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS  A Nero Wolfe Threesome
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                TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS A Nero Wolfe Threesome

                Manufacturer: Viking
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover
                ASIN: B000H0U8HI
                Trio for Blunt Instruments (Nero Wolfe)
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Trio for Blunt Instruments (Nero Wolfe)
                  Rex Stout
                  Manufacturer: Bantam Books
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: B000TSZB3O
                  TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS A Nero Wolfe Threesome
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS A Nero Wolfe Threesome
                    Rex Stout
                    Manufacturer: The Viking press
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000REWZHK

                    Scarred Lands Gazetteer : Ghelspad
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • War of the Gods
                    • A first glance at the Scarred Lands
                    Scarred Lands Gazetteer : Ghelspad
                    Stephan Wieck , and Stewart Wieck
                    Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

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                    ASIN: 1588461610

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars War of the Gods.......2001-09-04

                    For those that are NOT familiar with the idea, WOTC has offered an 'Open Game License' to any publisher that would like to contribute to the further growth of the d20 system that has been implemented with D&D3Ed.

                    Sword and Sorcery Studios is one of the leaders in the race to see who will dominate the d20 market (outside of WOTC). With White Wolf Games as Publisher/Printer of their materials they stand a good chance.

                    Of all of the campaign settings to date, The Scarred Lands is easily the most imaginative, without journeying so far afield that they lose site of the core d20 rules.

                    The Scarred Lands takes the classical concept of a war in heaven and turns it on its ear. This blasted landscape of a continent and the surrounding waters is a direct result of a war between the Gods and the Titans. Gorges carved by a Titan's sword, a sea of Blood born of a wounded Titan at the bottom of the Ocean's depths... it goes on from there.

                    This setting is exactly the opposite of campaigns like the Forgotten Realms or even the venerable Greyhawk campaign. The Scarred Lands is a dangerous and dealy place, full of strange and wonderous people and things... a city of Necromancer (each and every one of them striving to be a lich), a city whose very walls are the arms of a giant mithral golem... this is NOT low fantasy...

                    So, give The Scarred Lands a try, if you are familiar with the D&D Third Edition Gazetteer or the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, the formatting will be easy for you to follow.

                    Finally, SSS has stated their manifesto to be "3rd Edition D&D with a 1st Edition feel"... with that goal in mind... I'd say they are succeeding.

                    5 out of 5 stars A first glance at the Scarred Lands.......2001-05-24

                    This book gives brief descriptions of the continent of Ghelspad and all of its kingdoms and countries and with this, it is the first publication by White Wolf that gives deeper insight into the upcoming Scarred Lands Campaign Setting.

                    Be prepared everyone! The Scarred Lands really rock!

                    If you already own the D&D Third Edition Gazetteer or the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, you will have no problems with this book. It is made up the very same way the other two mentioned books are and seemlessly fits into the 3E-rules. This is a D20-System Open Gaming License product.

                    Daily Handwriting Practice: Contemporary Cursive
                    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                    • Just what we were looking for.
                    • Practice helps, but...
                    Daily Handwriting Practice: Contemporary Cursive
                    Jill Norris
                    Manufacturer: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

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                    1. Cursive Writing Practice Pages With a Twist!: Dozens of Super Reproducible Activities That Help Kids Polish Their Handwriting - While Having Fun! Cursive Writing Practice Pages With a Twist!: Dozens of Super Reproducible Activities That Help Kids Polish Their Handwriting - While Having Fun!
                    2. Cursive Writing Made Easy & Fun! (Grades 2-5) Cursive Writing Made Easy & Fun! (Grades 2-5)
                    3. Teach Yourself Better Handwriting Teach Yourself Better Handwriting
                    4. Daily Handwriting Practice : Traditional Manuscript (Daily Practice) Daily Handwriting Practice : Traditional Manuscript (Daily Practice)
                    5. Write Now: The Complete Program For Better Handwriting Write Now: The Complete Program For Better Handwriting

                    Product Features:
                    • DAILY HANDWRITING CONTEMP. CURSIVE

                    ASIN: 155799756X

                    Product Description

                    Daily Handwriting Practice is based on the premise that frequent, focused practice leads to mastery of the handwriting forms practiced. Students practice writing letters, words, and sentences.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars Just what we were looking for........2007-06-04

                    We were happy to have discovered this series. My 2 boys had already learned the formation of the letters, but still needed practice in writing. This series of books fit the bill perfectly! The practice is divided into daily amounts and the children are learning other information through the writing. Instead of simply copying letters or words focused on one letter, they are putting the whole alphabet into practice while writing and therefore learning about the topic of the day. They have found this much more interesting and are actually enjoying their handwriting time now.

                    3 out of 5 stars Practice helps, but..........2006-09-23

                    This wasn't exactly what I had in mind. This book is strictly practice, it doesn't actually teach the child how to write cursive or show the formation at all. And it moves along very quickly, the entire alphabet is covered in four days' practice (half-page each day). Take a look at the Letter Formation Chart in the customer's images - it only shows what the completed letters look like, not how to form them.
                    Contemporary Cursive Handwriting Skill Builder (Handwriting Skill Builders)
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Contemporary Cursive Handwriting Skill Builder (Handwriting Skill Builders)
                      School Specialty Publishing
                      Manufacturer: Frank Schaffer
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

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                      Product Features:
                      • CONTEMPORARY CURSIVE HANDWRITING

                      ASIN: 0867349387

                      Product Description

                      Skill Builders are great for the child who needs extra practice, for the accelerated child who enjoys an extra challenge, and for the young learner who is developing basic concepts and readiness skills. High-interest activities use art to encourage children to have fun while learning. Well-paced activities gradually become more difficult as children progress. Includes over 100 activity pages, as well as answer pages where needed. Manuscript Handwriting Practice is packed with fun-to-do activities and appealing art to motivate students.
                      The 100+ Series Contemporary Cursive (100+)
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                        The 100+ Series Contemporary Cursive (100+)
                        Suzanne Lowe Wilke
                        Manufacturer: Instructional Fair
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

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                        ASIN: 0880128518

                        Product Description

                        A large paperback book with over 100 reproducible activities using cursive writing.
                        Basic Skills Handwriting, Contemporary Cursive (Basic Skills)
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                          Basic Skills Handwriting, Contemporary Cursive (Basic Skills)
                          Suzanne Lowe Wilke
                          Manufacturer: Instructional Fair
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback

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                          ASIN: 1568220553

                          Book Description

                          The modern cursive writing activities in this book provide excellent practice in recognizing and forming upper- and lower-case letters and in relating the letters to their sounds. Your students will learn to write the letters of the alphabet,as well as basic vocabulary words such as colors, days of the week, shapes, and more. These activities were created to supplement and enhance whatever handwriting series you are using in your classroom.
                          Handwriting Contemporary Cursive
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                            Handwriting Contemporary Cursive
                            Vicky Shiotsu
                            Manufacturer: Frank Schaffer Publications
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            ASIN: 0867349964
                            Handwriting Homework Booklet, Contemporary Cursive (Homework Booklets)
                            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                            • My daughter's favorite schoolbook
                            Handwriting Homework Booklet, Contemporary Cursive (Homework Booklets)
                            Renee Cummings
                            Manufacturer: Instructional Fair
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            Accessories:
                            1. Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

                            ASIN: 088012928X

                            Product Description

                            This book provides a variety of activities to teach contemporary cursive. To make practice fun, the activities include scrambled sentences, matching, and even composing sentences. After all, practice makes perfect penmanship!

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars My daughter's favorite schoolbook.......2000-08-28

                            Everyone compliments my daughter on her beautiful handwriting. She used this book the second half of third grade, and is nagging me to find the "next" one. Fun and useful, and at the end they can actually *learn* something, too.
                            Handwriting: Contemporary Cursive : C (Skillbuilders)
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Handwriting: Contemporary Cursive : C (Skillbuilders)
                              Clareen Arnold
                              Manufacturer: Rainbow Bridge Publishing (UT)
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback

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                              ASIN: 1887923071

                              Product Description

                              Skill Builders Handwriting, Contemporary CursiveSkill Builders uses a variety of fun and challenging exercises to give students extra practice in math, reading comprehension, phonics, spelling and vocabulary. Reproducible. 80 pages. Level: 3-8
                              I Am Thankful For...Prayer God listens when I pray ... Contemporary Cursive Handwriting Practice
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                I Am Thankful For...Prayer God listens when I pray ... Contemporary Cursive Handwriting Practice
                                Janie Schmidt
                                Manufacturer: Frank Schaffer Publications
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Pamphlet

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                                ASIN: 076470088X
                                Modern Manuscript and Contemporary Cursive Ready Reference (12-pack) (Ready Reference)
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  Modern Manuscript and Contemporary Cursive Ready Reference (12-pack) (Ready Reference)
                                  School Specialty Publishing
                                  Manufacturer: Instructional Fair
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Loose Leaf

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                                  ASIN: 0742407535

                                  Book Description

                                  The Great Ceviche Book
                                  Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                                  • Great flavors, terrible binding, short on recipes
                                  • "Si" to Ceviche
                                  • Enlightening
                                  • Nice content,, the LOUSY trendy design a big drawback.
                                  • Great Information - Dysfunctional Format
                                  The Great Ceviche Book
                                  Douglas Rodriguez , and Laura Zimmerman
                                  Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Paperback

                                  GeneralGeneral | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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                                  5. New World Kitchen : Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine New World Kitchen : Latin American and Caribbean Cuisine

                                  ASIN: 1580083250

                                  Book Description

                                  The Great Ceviche Book by Douglas Rodriguez

                                  Ever the innovator, Douglas Rodriguez was the first American chef to give ceviche the attention it deserves, creating such signature dishes as Spicy Shrimp Ceviche with Popcorn and the decadent Squid Ceviche in Black Ink Sauce. His New York restaurant, Chicama, is a temple to the bright, clean flavors of this remarkably simple dish, and patrons crowd around the ceviche bar to marvel at the day's offerings. In THE GREAT CEVICHE BOOK, Rodriguez presents over 50 traditional and contemporary recipes, as well as extensive information on ingredient basics, food safety issues, and suggestions for pairing ceviche with other dishes.

                                  Customer Reviews:

                                  3 out of 5 stars Great flavors, terrible binding, short on recipes.......2007-08-19

                                  For those who are perhaps unfamiliar with the term, `Ceviche' (I've heard it pronounced "seh-vee-chay" and "seh-veech-ee") refers to a delicate method of cooking certain foods (usually seafood) by immersing it in an acidic brine (typically a modestly salted lime juice, but sometimes a mixture a vinegar and various other citrus juices instead) for 1-3 hours. The acid has the same effect on the proteins that heat does, except that there's no heat or caramelization involved. After a set period of time, the acidic brine is then drained off and discarded, and the ceviche is dressed (seasoned) and served in much the same way that a seafood salad is - with diced vegetables and herbs, and a light finishing sauce (typically citrus based).

                                  The `Ceviche' process (which is most popular in central and south america) is related to, but somewhat different from, classic pickling, in that the former uses more acid, and is much less aggressively salted/spiced ... the intention being to serve it almost immediately (within a few short hours), rather than to preserve something for long term storage.

                                  Ok, on to the book itself. I have very mixed feelings about this particular offering:

                                  What I liked:

                                  TOPIC: There's a great paucity of books on this one particular topic, so this book is a very welcome addition to an otherwise grossly overcrowded field.

                                  FLAVORS: I've also (as of this writing) worked with several of the recipes in this book, and so far, the flavors have been impeccable. I'm also fortunate to have eaten (several times) at a restaurant owned and operated by a chef who's worked for/with the author (sample dish: diver scallop ceviche on the half-shell, lightly dressed with blood orange and grapefruit). In fact, it was the chef/proprietor of this restaurant who recommended this book to me. It's always nice to encounter a book in which virtually everything has already been tested and approved by actual use in a successful restaurant, and to see ripples from said book (and restaurant) slowly spread outward into the larger culinary community. As I write this, Sushi is all the rage here in (semi)urban America, and I can easily see ceviche following hot on it's heels.

                                  INTRO: The author has a decent introductory chapter that overviews both the method of cooking, as well as some of the regional variations in style (Ecuadorian, Peruvian, etc.). I wish that more authors were as diligent.

                                  GLOSSARY: The author includes a helpful glossary of terms and ingredients. I wish more authors would do that.

                                  TECHNIQUES: Chapter 4 (unintuitively titled "basics") provides some helpful preparation instructions on how do things like cook octopus, blanch shellfish, open oysters, etc.

                                  HEAD NOTES: Many of the recipes contain interesting head notes about what inspired the dish or where it came from. That's something else that I wish more authors would do.


                                  What I disliked:

                                  AWKWARD FORMAT: The edition I have is a 4" wide by 10" long by ½" thick soft-cover "chap-book" binding, on stiff paper, with a glued-binding. It's designed to be visually appealing on a bookstore shelf, but I cannot emphasize enough what an annoying format it is. It's awful. It's too stiff to open comfortably, you can't lay it flat on a table and work from it, and you actually have to exert hand strength just to hold it open - almost like the book doesn't want you to read it. Think hard-shell clam, struggling to close on your fingers, after having been caught gaping. The space-wasting format also causes even short recipes to spill across 2 full pages ... sometimes even 3-4, if there's a photo involved.

                                  NOT ENOUGH RECIPES: The author, on page 6, claims this book includes 60 ceviches. The back cover mentions "50 of his favorite recipes". Both numbers are WRONG. I counted - there are only 35 ceviche recipes in this book. All of the other recipes hinted at on the back cover, and in the introduction, involve recipes for things like interim procedural ingredients (ex: poaching liquids, flavored oils, etc), condiments, and accompaniments. Surely this book is a candidate for Consumer Report's infamous "black hole" award ... a book 162 pages, with a over price of $18 US, but only 35 recipes of the style implied on the cover. I'll overlook the fact that some of those 35 recipes involved shellfish & bivalves cooked by heat, rather than acid, and thus could be considered "seafood salads" rather than true ceviches (ex: "Indian Mussels", "Peruvian Black Ceviche", "Honduran Fire and Ice Lobster", "Peruvian Tuna Causa", etc.) ... but that's splitting hairs.

                                  INTRO: In my opinion, the author did not provide adequate coverage of explaining the why behind why certain types of seafood should be cooked (or handled with greater care), rather than eaten raw. There's also insufficient attention to sanitation issues (how to sanitize cutting boards to cut down on bacteria, dangers of cross-contamination, etc.), as well as concerns involving resistant parasites (nematodes, worms, etc.) ... how to spot/minimize/avoid them, techniques that can kill them, etc. A book that champions such a delicate cooking technique, and revolving around RAW flesh for it's subject matter, should show a bit more responsibility to the topic and aggressively deal with such matters head-on, rather than lazily tucking tail and short-sheeting the matter.

                                  PROCEDURAL TIPS: Chapter 4 could have been MUCH longer and more robust. I would have like to see more information (and pictures) on things like assessing fish quality; cleaning and butchering fish (esp. ones you've caught yourself); more advice on timing (such as how long the various recipes will maintain peak flavor/texture, once assembled); a fuller discussion of bivalves (size grading, point of origin labeling protections, types of knives used to open them and pictures of how to do it, etc.); a general discussion of tools (fillet knives, scalers, slicing knives, etc.) and also more supplemental information on how to make use of throw-away items (like shrimp shells, fish heads & frames, fish skins, fish innards, etc) to make things like fish stock & soups, bone cracklings, skin cracklings, etc. All of those things are a natural byproduct of making ceviche, and the book is so criminally short that there's little no reason why they chose to be so stingy with such material.

                                  NO RECIPE INDEX / DISCERNABLE ORDER: A book this short should have a convenient recipe index ... either right up front, or at the start of each of the 4 chapters. No dice here. If you want one, you'll have to type it yourself, fold it up, and stuff it in. To compound matters, the recipes do not appear to be in any discernable order within in their respective chapters ... alphabetical or otherwise. They seem to be a random jumble.

                                  PHOTOS: There's a shortage of photos of finished dishes, and a gaping void of helpful procedural photos. The photos that ARE present are far too big (taking up an entire page, and sometimes 2 pages), too few, and are often so myopically close that it's hard to tell what it's supposed to be. [Note to would-be food photographers - if the far side of the plate is out of focus, and the foreground is so close that it causes claustrophobia on the part of the reader, you're zoomed in too much. Please consider an alternate career in pornography.] There are also irrelevant photos present that have nothing whatsoever to do with making ceviche ... such as the picture of beer opposite page 1, popcorn on page 120, several pictures of the author and his friends/staff, etc. Oh, and as long as we're on the topic of popcorn, the author's recipe (p.121) is a bit weak ... the amount of oil required should be 1/3 cup, not 2 tbsp (popcorn follows a classic 2:1 ratio of kernels to oil), and the author neglects to include a 60 second rest off the heat, after the 1st kernel pops, before putting it back on the heat to finish popping (which greatly increases the yield and reduces scorching).

                                  IMPRECISION: I was pleased to see the author include a brief discussion of gourmet salts in his introduction. However, in standardizing to the generic (and vague) term "salt" in all his recipes, he neglects to mention that the two most common salts in culinary use (i.e., plain table salt and coarse kosher salt) cannot be substituted on a 1:1 basis of for each other. I find that to be a glaring omission that could lead to irregular levels of salt, from one reader to the next, depending on which salt is the default usage for their household. For those who are curious, 1 tbsp regular table salt is roughly equivalent to 1.5 tbsp of coarse kosher salt, with a slight upward or downward variation on that depending on just how coarse the kosher salt really is ... it varies. As you can see, a 50% salt difference is NOT negligible - esp. in a book dealing with raw fish. I'm also not keen on recipes that use imprecise terms like "one bunch of thyme" (p.136) and don't bother to give better guidance how big a `bunch' is, or if it's fresh or dried. For the most part, the author does a decent job of precision throughout his book, but he definitely drops the ball when it comes to salt and herbs. It's one of my recurring pet peeves with many cookbook authors.

                                  FOCUS: I think the author would have served the subject, and the reader, better if he'd focused on presenting the material from a practical home-cook standpoint (which is where the cuisine originated to begin with), rather than faithfully parroting the elaborate recipes he prepares at his restaurant. As is, many of the recipes in this book are highly impractical restaurant-only offerings, and are thus useless to most readers, even those who are fairly serious about the hobby. For instance, the "Honduran Fire and Ice Lobster" (p.81) calls for ¼ cup of lobster stock {p.136}. Speaking from personal experience, very few home cooks, even those who cook lobsters, go to the trouble of making classic lobster stock ... much less do it just to get ¼ cup to make ceviche with {and by the way, only restaurants will squander a full cup of butter just to sweat mirepoix for making stocks in general ... home cooks uniformly use oil}. I repeat - it's a restaurant-only recipe. Ditto for the "Sea Urchin Shots" (p.56) ... it's a restaurant-only recipe. Someone like Thomas Keller can get away with that sort of thing (primarily because he's famous and his books are as much about the philosophical quest for perfection as they are about documenting what he does at his iconic restaurant) ... this author cannot. Sorry. For a book pushing the $20 mark that only has 35 ceviches, I expect recipes that are practical and make-able.

                                  RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION: Several of the recipes in this book call for varieties of seafood that are either already endangered (Chilean Sea Bass), or well on their way to getting there due to overfishing (Sea Urchin, Red Snapper, etc.). I think boosting the popularity of such products still further is a bit irresponsible. I was pleased that the author mentioned the overfishing of conch, but he could have gone quite a bit further in extolling farm-raised alternatives for more of his ingredients.


                                  Bottom line: This is one of those books in which I love many of the recipes, but for which the book as a whole gets a negative review. I wish I could give it the thumbs up, but it's long laundry list of annoying shortcomings and omissions drag that back down into the below average zone. My advice is to hold off on buying this one and hope the author eventually decides to republish a greatly expanded and reformatted edition. If, however, you love ceviche, and if you're physically holding the book in your hand there in the bookstore, go grab a cup of coffee, then spend 20 mins reading the intro to overview the basic technique (i.e., ½ cup lime juice & a heaping spoon of salt, stir, use to marinate 1-1.5 lbs of sliced/diced fish for 1 hour, drain, and then dress and combine all the rest of the ingredients like you would a fancy seafood salad ... that's pretty much the gist of it), then skim a few recipes to get a general idea of flavors, and then put it back on the shelf ... you can find whatever else you need on the internet.

                                  5 out of 5 stars "Si" to Ceviche.......2007-07-25

                                  I was skeptical I could turn my kitchen into a recreation of the Mecca of Ceviche - Chicama - but a few weeks with this book turned me into a believer. Amazing recipes, light on pictures, but heavy on content, gave me the skill and knowhow to turn out amazing crowd-pleasing ceviche.

                                  Kudos to Douglas Rodriguez for sharing a little bit of heaven on each page.

                                  4 out of 5 stars Enlightening.......2007-04-12

                                  The other comments about the print quality of this book are true, but I found the insights and recipes to be well worth the extra effort to deal with the binding. There is a great story and excellent recipes. The philosophy of ceviche is revealed.

                                  4 out of 5 stars Nice content,, the LOUSY trendy design a big drawback........2007-01-28

                                  This narrow tall book is about impossible to keep open while reading or making a recipe. To copy a recipe and place the copy on a stand, you must "break" the back of the book to keep the pages apart, and the book will look tacky thereafter.

                                  There are some great ideas on ceviche, advice on related basics, even a recipe for Peru's papas huancaina (there's LOTS of variations!) , and the chef knows his stuff.

                                  Bad book design, could use more recipes, it's certainly above average with 4/5 stars.

                                  3 out of 5 stars Great Information - Dysfunctional Format.......2006-12-17

                                  Douglas Rodriguez is a terrific chef and restaurateur...so are the recipes and general information in this book (which is why I gave it 3 stars). The publishers who decided to put this book in this long, narrow, dysfunctional format are idiots. I understand the idea of identifying the series, but if it keeps people from using and buying the book, it may not be such a great idea. The sooner they wake up and understand that form should follow function, the better.

                                  Books:

                                  1. Under the Lake
                                  2. Uniform Justice
                                  3. When Red Is Black
                                  4. Without Due Process
                                  5. A Cold Day In Paradise (An Alex McKnight Novel)
                                  6. A Deadly Yarn: A Knitting Mystery
                                  7. A Dose of Murder (Pauline Sokol Mysteries)
                                  8. A Gladiator Dies Only Once: The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Novels of Ancient Rome)
                                  9. A Midsummer Night's Scream (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series, No. 15)
                                  10. A Nose for Murder

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