by Jerrilyn Farmer

Avon, February, 2003.
Hardcover, 272 pages.
ISBN: 038097889X

The bad economy is taking its toll on Tinseltown caterer to the stars, Madeleine Bean. When bookings dry up, producer Greta Greene comes to the rescue and offers Madeleine a temporary job as a writer for the wildly popular quiz show, Food Freak. The show's head writer, Tim Stock, is missing which is causing Greta quite a bit of annoyance. Madeleine is enjoying her stint in the wild world of game shows, with all its bizarre personalities, until someone bashes her over the head when she starts to look into the disappearance of the head writer. Now Madeleine is more determined than ever to find out what is going on behind the scenes at Food Freak -- before somebody gets killed.

Author Jerrilyn Farmer knows the game show business: she worked in the industry and actually created the hit Supermarket Sweep. She also knows how to craft a gripping mystery story. Madeleine Bean is an endearing heroine who solves puzzles by continually asking questions. She's a modern woman with a rapier wit and a brave, kindly heart. Jerrilyn Farmer keeps the plot moving along briskly; the characters are an interesting lot, and the dialogue is snappy and hilarious. The inside peek behind the scenes at the prodigious amount of work it takes to produce one episode of a game show is fascinating, as well.

Mumbo Gumbo is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the September-October, 2003 of The Internet Writing Journal.

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