Joanne Pence

After talking her way into a job on a pompous, third-rate chef's radio call-in-show, Angie Amalfi has visions of a new career to go along with her hot, new romance with Paavo Smith, a gorgeous homocide detective. When a successful and much-envied restauranteur is poisoned however, Angie finds the case far more interesting than trying to make her pretentious boss sound good. Some cooks might shy away from such a sizzling case, but Angie can take the heat and stay in the kitchen.

An Angie Amalfi Mystery

Too Many Cooks

Chef Angie Amalfi can't wait to take off from the city for a week to help devise a delicious vegetarian menu for a lovely new B&B in scenic northern California. The not-yet-open-for-business Hill Haven Inn will be the perfect place to take her budding romance with her homicide detective boyfriend Paavo to the next level! But the situation awaiting them turns out to be less than ideal—with battling investors, rumors of ghosts, cold drafts, a leaky roof . . . and an owner whose idea of haute cuisine might be acceptable for farm animals. And when a furious rainstorm traps everyone inside, it becomes painfully apparent that there's a murderer among them . . . and that the only recipe being concocted in the Hill Haven kitchen is one for disaster. But Angie's determined to solve the case and salvage her romantic getaway . . . or die trying!

Cooking Up Trouble

On the run, accused of murder. One cop believes him. And it's her job to bring him in. Rebecca Mayfield has always been a by-the-book cop until Richie Amalfi enters her life--and makes her want to throw the book at him! Now, Richie's accused of murder and runs to Rebecca to help him prove his innocence. She's completely flummoxed by this, but the more she learns about the case, the more convinced she is that he's not guilty. Will she break all the rules to help him, or do her job the way she's been taught? And what are the consequences for either choice? As dangers lurk and more deaths happen, Rebecca discovers there's a lot more to Richie than she thought and a lot more to like than she imagined, she fears not only for her life, but also her heart. If you've missed TV shows like Castle or Remington Steele, you'll enjoy reading about Rebecca and Richie because they, too, give you mystery and humor with a touch of romance. Start this first book in the best-selling Inspector Rebecca Mayfield "Clock" series, and you'll soon find the hours seem to fly by ... "Joanne Pence is a master of the mystery genre. She pulls the reader in and sets the roller coaster in motion."--Carolyn Haines, USA Today bestselling author "Joanne Pence provides laughter, love, and cold chills." --Carolyn Hart, NY Times bestselling author North American Book Award recipient - Mystery Category

An Inspector Rebecca Mayfield Mystery

One O'Clock Hustle

Something's Cooking

Ancient Echoes

In this 6th delightful culinary mystery from Joanne Pence, dilettante chef Angie Amalfi plans a romantic cruise with her hunky boyfriend, but hits rough water when murder becomes part of the itinerary. Food writer and culinary entrepreneur Angie Amalfi imagined a high seas cruise aboard a ship bound for Acapulco with her homicide detective boyfriend Paavo Smith would be heaven. With no crowds or pending police business, it might even provide Paavo the perfect opportunity to propose. But Angie's "Love Boat" fantasy starts springing leaks almost immediately, beginning with the cook's bizarre attempt to jump ship...in the middle of the ocean! Add an oddball collection of fellow passengers, yawningly unimaginative onboard meals, Paavo's increasingly bizarre behavior, and the fact that someone's been rifling through her luggage, and Angie's soon ready to leap overboard herself. But it's not until she offers to help out in the galley and murder is abruptly added to the menu that Angie finds herself heading into very dangerous waters indeed.

Cooks Overboard

In this 7th delightful culinary mystery from Joanne Pence, dilettante chef Angie Amalfi gets entangled with a group of UFO–chasers and government conspiracy nuts, while trying to get her new business off the ground. Always thinking of new and better business ideas, culinary queen Angie Amalfi is sure she's got a winner with "Fantasy Dinners," one–of–a–kind thematic feasts specifically created to suit a client's unique tastes. Unfortunately no one's biting except the Prometheus Group, a crackpot cadre of UFO–chasers and conspiracy geeks. Still, even a wacko customer's better than none, and designing an otherworldly repast should keep Angie busy while her overworked policeman beau Paavo investigates a series of bizarre murders. But the more time she spends dealing with these alien abduction enthusiasts, the more Angie believes that maybe there is some kind of conspiracy afoot and that the Prometheans and Paavo's cases are somehow connected––which is inspiring just the kind of unhealthy curiosity that could end up launching Angie out of this world...for good!

A Cook in Time

Angie Amalfi is close to one of the biggest breaks of her rocky culinary career—a chance to co–write a cookbook with a famous chef. But as she scrambles to prepare for the impending interview, her realtor sister Cat is suddenly accused of a murder in a rich client's home. A priceless relic—an iron chain that was used to bind St. Peter while in a Roman prison—is missing from her wealthy client Marcello Piccoletti's home, and a murder was committed on the heels of the disappearance. The only person who can clear Cat's name is the client himself, and he's in Rome, tending to his restaurant, Da Vinci's. Heedless to Angie's stern warning, the always unpredictable Cat insists on traveling to Rome to confront Picoletti, and Angie must drop everything to accompany her sister. The Roman restaurateur has the chain with him in Rome, and exonerates Cat of the murder as well. Unfortunately, the police in the states still suspect Cat and now Picoletti, the only witness, has disappeared. Angie takes a job as a cook at Da Vinci's, hoping to get to the bottom of this complex mess. And when bodies start piling up like balls of fresh mozzarella at an Amalfi family picnic, it looks like Angie and Cat's trip to their homeland may spell arrivederci Amalfis.

The Da Vinci Cook

Nothing could drag chef Angie Amalfi away from San Francisco and her beloved policeman fiance Paavo Smith –– except for a job preparing the banquet her all–time favorite soap opera characters will consume during an upcoming Christmas Reunion Special. So Angie eagerly takes off for the estate where the now–defunct "Eagle Crest" was originally filmed. Not thrilled to be staying in the very room from which the young actress Brittany Keegan took a real–life fatal tumble years earlier, Angie is equally disturbed –– and intrigued –– when another corpse turns up in the cellar. Both deaths have been ruled accidental, but the bitter accusations flying back and forth among the reunited cast suggest otherwise. And now that Angie's a guest star in this deadly serial drama, she's suddenly in serious danger of being written out of it permanently.

Two Cooks A-Killing

With another failed business behind her, dilettante chef Angie Amalfi is cooking up a new scheme: Pairing up her best friend Connie with a handsome professional football player who just happens to be related to the owner of her favorite Italian restaurant. Soon Connie takes more interest in a suspicious loner than Angie's "dream man" and her despondent friend decides to recreate herself as a restaurant consultant. But when police begin to suspect that Connie and her new love interest are connected with a brutal murder and robbery, Angie and her homicide detective fiance Paavo must try to track down the real killer. And when the trail of clues begins to lead back to Angie's favorite restaurant, it's up to Angie to set things right -- or the only recipe on the menu may be one for disaster.

If Cooks Could Kill

A Dash of Darkness For once Angie Amalfi's newest culinary venture, "Comical Cakes," seems to be a roaring success! There's nothing funny, however, about her homicide detective boyfriend Paavo Smith's latest case. Paavo's investigating a series of baffling murders that may be rooted in satanic ritual. And when Angie is called upon to deliver a humorous confection to the mysterious owner of a decadent after-hours goth club, the inquisitive gourmet baker suddenly finds herself up to her neck in the demonic business. it gets harder to focus on pastry alone when strange "accidents" and desecrations to her delectable, fresh-baked creations begin occurring with frightening regularity. And if Angie can't help Paavo track down a maniacal serial killer with an obsessively unhealthy interest in her, she might end up as devil's food of a different kind.

Bell, Cook, and Candle

A Nasty Stew Between her latest "sure–fire" foray into the food industry—video restaurant reviews—and her concern over boyfriend Homicide Detective Paavo Smith‘s depressed state, Angie Amalfi‘s plate is full to overflowing. Paavo has never come to terms with the fact that his mother abandoned him when he was four, leaving vehind only an antique brooch to remember her by. But when the bauble vanishes, the jeweler who was repairing it is murdered, and Paavo‘s surrogate father is critically wounded by a would–be burglar, Paavo decides it‘s time to discover the truth about his errant parent‘s life and mysterious disappearance. Gourmet chef and eager sleuth Angie Smells a tasty mystery cooking. But what‘s bubbling in this pot is a lethal goulash of intrigues, betrayals, FBI deceptions, and murderous Russian mafia mayhem—an old family recipe for disaster for Angie and her policeman beau.

To Catch a Cook

Although food writer and dilettante chef Angie Amalfi is ready to start thinking about cutting a wedding cake with her delectable homicide detective boyfriend Paavo Smith, Paavo's got other things on his mind—mainly, the grisly murder of two San Francisco women. While he combs the city for clues to the brutal slayings, Angie begins a quest of her own: searching for a little gem of a restaurant for a magazine review. She discovers three grumpy old men who make a mean marinara, but seem to know nothing about how to run a business. At least not a culinary business. As Angie deals with the diamond-in-the-rough eatery and her sisters' unwelcome wedding advice, Paavo's inquiry points to Angie as next on the killer's hit list. The ever-game Ms. Amalfi takes off her oven mitts to join the investigation. But Angie's leaping head first into the stewpot for sure—because a murderer with a vendetta is more than willing to give one nosy chef her lethal just desserts.

Cooking Most Deadly

Foodie Angie Amalfi has decided to make her culinary name by creating the perfect chocolate confection: angelinas. Donating her delicious rejects to the Random Acts of Kindness Mission in San Francisco, Angie meets the jittery minister in charge. Soon she volunteers to help organize their first fund-raiser, despite the fact that her beau, police detective Paavo Smith, has warned her away from the place. Before Paavo can stop her, he finds himself facing charges that he's a murderous cop on the take. He suspects a "reformed" sinner at the mission is setting him up but Angie refuses to believe it. Then, faster than you can beat egg whites to a peak, she discovers that the mission harbors more than the needy, and that it's up to her to save not only Paavo's reputation--but his life, too.

Cook's Night Out

Top 10 Idaho Book Award Winner Past and present collide in this spellbinding tale by USA Today bestselling author Joanne Pence. Over two hundred years ago, a covert expedition shadowing Lewis and Clark disappeared into the wilderness of Central Idaho. Now, seven anthropology students and their professor vanish in the same area. The key to finding them lies in an ancient secret, one involving alchemy, gold, and immortality...a secret that men throughout history have sought to unveil. Michael Rempart is a brilliant archeologist whose colorful and controversial career has earned him admiring fans and implacable foes, but he is plagued by a troubling sense of the supernatural and a mysterious spiritual intuitiveness. Joining Rempart in this adventure are a CIA consultant on paranormal phenomena, a washed-up local sheriff, and a former scholar of Egyptology. All must overcome their personal demons as they attempt to save the students and, ultimately, the world. From the Journal of Francis Masterson, 1806-- All hope is gone. Evil is victorious. In the time I have remaining I will, herewith, impart a tale so filled with Dread and Terror that my heart overflows with immeasurable Sorrow to tell it. It began with the highest of Good Will and Promise and, on my part, great Excitement. I can only trust to Providence that one day this small account which I leave in a land of unimaginable desolation and Wildness, may be discovered, and that it will serve to warn others of the wickedness that may ensnare Good men. Ours was to be a Secret Expedition...

One by one, a horror film director, a judge, and a newspaper publisher meet brutal deaths. A link exists between them, and the deaths have only begun …. Archeologist Michael Rempart finds himself pitted against ancient demons and modern conspirators when a dying priest gives him a powerful artifact--a pearl said to have granted Genghis Khan the power, eight centuries ago, to lead his Mongol warriors across the steppes to the gates of Vienna. The artifact has set off centuries of war and destruction as it conjures demons to play upon men’s strongest ambitions and cruelest desires. Michael realizes the so-called pearl is a philosopher's stone, the prime agent of alchemy. As much as he would like to ignore the artifact, when he sees horrific deaths and experiences, first-hand, diabolical possession and affliction, he has no choice but to act. The dark legends are true. To stop the artifact's evil Michael must follow a path along the Old Silk Road to a land that time forgot, and to somehow find a place that may no longer exist in the world as he knows it.

Ancient Shadows

An eerie discovery brings danger and painful reminders of a tragic past ... When some workmen dig up a skeleton, Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield finds herself investigating a death that took place years earlier. She never imagines that it will have major repercussions on the lives of people she now cares deeply about, or that it will put each of them in danger. Despite the bitter memories resurrected, as a cop, Rebecca has no choice but to pursue the inquiry wherever it might lead. But that doesn't make it easier, especially when it's clear that the special man in her life, Richie Amalfi, wants her to stop. Dangers abound, moving quickly from warnings to out-and-out attacks. The past is shrouded in mystery, but as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes apparent that one or more people are willing to kill to keep it buried. Yet, Rebecca refuses to abandon the case because the dead, although silent, do speak. And it's her job to listen. This is a mystery you won't want to miss. Join the growing number of Inspector Rebecca Mayfield fans, as the books proceed from One O’Clock Hustle, to Two O’Clock Heist, Three O’Clock Séance, and so on. Once you start them, you’ll find the hours just seem to fly by…

Six O'Clock Silence

A foggy night. A dog's bark. This one just turned personal ... Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield hopes to come to terms with her confused emotions over alluring but troubling boyfriend Richie Amalfi, but her plans quickly change when her neighbor is viciously attacked. And it seems one of Richie's former girlfriends holds the key to the situation. As the body count grows, Rebecca's investigation takes a deadly turn when she becomes the killer's target. Rebecca and Richie find themselves on a danger-filled route from a cold and foggy Pacific Ocean beach to the chambers of City Hall to the back alleys of San Francisco's Chinatown. Between killers on-the-loose, plus new as well as old "friends" to deal with, Rebecca isn't sure which one of them might prove to be the biggest threat to her life … or to her heart. Five O'Clock Twist is the fifth book in the best-selling Inspector Rebecca Mayfield series--fast-paced mysteries with a touch of humor and a hint (or more) of romance. If you start with One O'Clock Hustle, you'll find that the hours seem to fly by ..

Five O'Clock Twist

When Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield's would-be boyfriend, Richie Amalfi, is named as one of San Francisco's "most enticing bachelors," she's not amused, but she never expected it would lead to his life being threatened. As a restaurant owner, men's upscale clothing store owner, hotelier, and more--handsome bachelors all--are attacked, Rebecca realizes the danger is very real. Who's killing the city's "enticing bachelors" and why? Rebecca must answer those questions as she grapples with her own questions and feelings about Richie. Rebecca soon discovers that where there's smoke there's fire. As she gets closer to the bachelors to learn why they're in danger, she finds their happy surface images hide troubling conflagrations below. When she's forced to dive below the steamy surfaces to learn what's really going on, only Richie has the insider knowledge she needs to do it. And while she might sizzle over Richie, the more she learns about both him and the case, the more she realizes that she may have just moved from the frying pan into the fire--with equally deadly results.

Four O'Clock Sizzle

San Francisco Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield has vowed to have nothing more to do with mystery man Richie Amalfi, but when he tells her about the strange deaths of clients of a local psychic medium, her decision changes. Rebecca has always been intrigued by the paranormal and, despite her logical and practical nature, she can't resist looking into the deaths. A handsome medium, a tormented ghost, and the FBI lurking around because of their interest in Richie and some stolen ancient artifacts, show Rebecca that the dead don't always stay dead and buried. And her emotions can't be buried, no matter how hard she might try. But following both just might lead Rebecca straight to the Great Beyond ... permanently.

Joanne Pence

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