Author Rebecca Kauffman, who lives in the Shenandoah Valley, serves up a deliciously fast-paced mystery in her latest novel, “The Reservation.”
It’s a sleepy Tuesday in small-town Ohio, but the staff at a fine dining restaurant Aunt Orsa’s is all aflutter. The local university booked the restaurant for a dinner party to honor mega-famous novelist John Grisham, who is visiting from his home in Central Virginia. In addition to regular weeknight traffic, Aunt Orsa’sis also hosting a large group of pharmaceutical sales reps.
Unfortunately, 22 ribeye steaks have gone missing from the restaurant’s walk-in cooler. Who would steal from Orsa, and why? It seems almost certain that the culprit is among the staff.
Kauffman puts everyone from the owner to the guests to the waitstaff under the proverbial microscope in chapters dedicated to their roles at the restaurant. It’s a real treat to get a genuine peek behind the curtain of the characters’ lives while comparing that to how the rest of the world sees them. While keeping a narrow scope, Kauffman manages to humanize even Byron, the self-important poet/waiter.
There is, of course, some humor in this crime occurring in conjunction with Grisham’s visit. As Edgar, the prep cook, says, “Grisham’s the mystery guy, ain’t he? Why not put him on the case?”
“The Reservation” is a near-perfect balance of humor and heart with a graceful nod to one of Virginia’s most famous writers. This book is a must-read for anyone who has worked at — or eaten in — a restaurant and appreciates a well-done mystery.
