As Neil and Robbie leave the bar, they are suddenly in the midst of a picket line of skinheads, denouncing the gay community, and the bar in particular. In order to get through the picket line, Neil and Robbie engage in some hand to hand combat with the skinheads. One of their assailants vows to return to kill Neil. Neil feels rather smug, until Robbie mentions that Neil’s wallet has gone home with one of the skinheads, so they not only know his name, but where he lives.

Meanwhile, private investigator C.J. McDaniels, a good friend of Neil’s, is contacted by Sherwood Welles. Welles wants McDaniels to investigate Perry Stevens Catering for allegedly stealing his recipes. C.J. declines the business and soon Perry starts receiving anonymous recipes suggesting the killing of his employees. C.J. agrees to investigate the situation, which escalates when Welles is murdered, and Perry becomes the prime suspect.

Dead Man’s Broth does not suffer from lack of action but initially it is difficult to keep the various subplots straight and to figure out their relationship to each other. There is a decided rivalry between Welles and Stevens that involves most of their respective employees. Several of the key players are gay and other individuals display quite militant attitudes toward gays.

During the early chapters, just who is gay, who is straight, and what relationship, if any, this has toward the feud between the two caterers is very confusing to a newcomer to the series. I found myself floundering through the first few chapters, and probably should have made a list of the characters and their relationships to each other.

The character development, with the possible exception of Neil is spartan. I was able to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys, the strong and the weak characters, but I never felt I got to know any of them very well.

For the mystery reader with a culinary bent, Dead Man’s Broth includes several tidbits on improvisational cooking throughout the book. While these digressions are interesting, the story is sufficiently intricate that it becomes easy to lose the thread of the plot. As is the case in many mysteries where food plays a prominent role, the reader is rewarded with a recipe at the end of the book. In addition, the reader is treated to a bit of culinary lore, which is interesting and educational.

--Andy Plonka