I found this hardcover at this Little Free Library in Tyngsboro MA while dropping off some books of my own. (It's inscribed to a previous owner as a birthday gift, with "Bada bing!" - a nod to the mobsters/food connection.)

And it is most definitely a culinary novel - the details of each course and its preparation take up a large part of the text, as sole chef and protagonist Benny crafts the elaborate multi-course banquet for some "associates", in honor of their gang boss being sent to prison - and in the expectation of learning who's going to take over in his absence.

Benny - introduced as a "food fence," whose role in the mob has to do with "finding" quantities of expensive foods and getting them into the hands of connected customers - has his own concerns about the course of the dinner, the future of the mob, and his own chances of surviving the evening, but he doesn't let it interfere with the cooking (much). And we get to enjoy a good deal of banter among the guests, some of it an amusing series of quips about various Mafia movies, from "The Godfather" to "Goodfellas". There are threats, too, and growing suspicions of a traitor in their midst - but who could it be?

Nice mix of suspense, snark, and really tempting foods - with some grisly examples of how brutal mob-life can be. (And I may run out and get some lamb shanks so I can try Benny's preparation, which sounds really good!)

Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.

I left this book in my Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2021 Wine+Food challenge. ***

I'm taking this book back as it's gone unclaimed for some time; will release it elsewhere.

Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.

I left this book in this new-to-me Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]