Southern Fried by Rob Rosen
07 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in MLR Press, Rob Rosen Tags: MLR Press, Rob Rosen
Title: Southern Fried
Author: Rob Rosen
Publisher: MLR Press
Pages: 244
Characters: Trip Jackson, Zeb Jones
POV: 1st & 2nd Persons
Sub-Genre: Mystery
Kisses: 4
Blurb:
Southern Fried, the romantic misadventure of Trip Jackson and his stable boy, Zeb Jones, is about the love of family, the love of one’s heritage, and the love between friends, both old and new. It’s as antebellum as Tara ever was, but with a deliciously suspenseful and sexy twist. Because what our heroes are quick to discover is that not all is as it appears to be, and sometimes life can get turned upside down when you least expect it. Especially when lip-smacking romance, deep-dish humor, and a side of mystery fall on your plate, all, of course, served up southern-style.
Review:
Southern Fried is a culinary crusade that brings the South to life through the voice of Trip Jackson, the grandson of an old money family with a skeleton or two in its aristocratic closets. Trip invites the reader right along with him and his merry band of amateur sleuths and suspects to take a peek at the mischief and mayhem that occurs when politics, bribery, murder, coercion, deception, betrayal, and scandal come together for a deep fried, grit eatin’, Hoppin’ John of a joy ride.
Granny Mary Jackson, the matriarch of the Jackson clan, has recently gone to her glory, and along with her went some closely guarded family secrets. Secrets to Trip, at least, who grew up believing he was an only child. Yeah, not so much. Seems one of those closeted little skeletons happens to be Beau Pellingham, Trip’s heretofore unknown half-brother, born out of wedlock to Trip’s mother and a certain conservative Republican senator’s son, then given up for adoption to cover up the scandal.
The distinct issue with a cover up, however, is that there’s always the risk of an explosive uncovering, which is exactly what happens when Granny blows the lid off the long held and closely guarded existence of a second Jackson heir, naming him in her will. For Trip, whose parents had died in an automobile accident many years before, the idea of another family member to welcome to the fold is a dream come true. For Beau? No, Beau’s not a happy man. Seems Granny was pulling off some pretty sneaky behind-the-scenes machinations of her own to ensure Beau and Trip would never come face to face until after she’d passed. Why? Well, that’s where the politics, bribery, murder, coercion, deception, betrayal, and scandal come into play.
The Pellingham family has a lot to lose if their dirty laundry is aired. Political campaigns live and die by muckraking and mudslinging. The more muck to rake and mud to sling, the deeper the politician gets buried. The last thing Robert E. Pellingham or his father needs is for the voters to catch wind of the family’s sordid affairs, which also includes Robert E.’s closeted gay son, Portnoy. Seems the closets are a bit crowded in this comical, carnal romp that’s part murder mystery, part guide to Southern cuisine, and part touching look into the importance of belonging to a family, regardless of whether those you love share your DNA.
Trip, his love interest, Jeb, the stable boy; along with Jake, the pool man, and Stella, the handyman-woman help to unravel this twisted tale, all while trying to avoid becoming part of the murder mystery themselves. Did the butler do it? The gardener? The maid, perhaps? I’ll never tell.
What I will say, however, is that Rob Rosen has a perfect sense of comedic timing and a knack for creating both memorable narrators, as well as some entirely charming and entertaining supporting cast members. Even Granny, who never spends a single moment alive within the pages of this story, is, herself, a commanding presence, which is no small feat, yet provides for some touching moments.
Southern Fried was a funny, heartwarming and erotic journey through Dixieland, though for me, the adventure would’ve been a bit less bumpy had it gone through another copyedit to tidy up some of the grammatical issues. That didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the story at all, but it did make it a bit difficult for me to remain in the flow of the plot, from time to time.
Otherwise, I’d say pour yourself a, blech, peach brandy, hold the horse tranquilizers, and enjoy.
Reviewed By: Lisa
