Books and Cooks: False Impression

WE'RE READING:

I'M SERVING: BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

This is the second Archer page-turner we've selected--the first being Kane and Abel--and it was a snack of a book. I ate it in a few hours, actually. It's extremely fast-paced. The entire action takes place in the week or so following the September 11 attack. The heroine, Anna Petrescu, is a Czech refugee all grown up to be an art historian working for a slimeball. Said slimeball is working a scheme to cheat (and murder, if necessary) an English Lady out of priceless Van Gogh. When the towers come down, Anna uses the temporary chaos to cover her tracks and help the Lady save her Van Gogh and her estate. Too bad the FBI thinks she's a crook, and that slimeball is sending a trained knife-wielding assassin after her.

It's a fun read, and you pick up quite a bit of information about the international art world as you go. Seeing some Van Goghs up close at MOMA after finishing this book was a nice grace note. The writing isn't the cleanest or best, but if you're looking for entertainmnent, it'll fill the bill. For real meat about the art world, dust off your copy of Janson and have at it.