Immaculate Reception: A Madeline Bean Catering Mystery

The title of this book caught my eye and I am glad it did. This is a fun, engaging mystery that involves a wonderful main character, Madeline Bean, and her friends. Madeline has been asked by her long ago former boyfriend, now a priest, to handle the catering for the Pope's upcoming visit to Los Angeles. As if that's not enough... she is also dealing with a on-off boyfriend, a murder of a priest at her sometime boyfriend's TV show set and a very interesting police detective who is interested in Madeline.It is a well written story, one that you are sure to enjoy. I finished it and went looking for the others in this series. I hope to follow Ms. Bean's adventures for a long time. They are most fun.

What do you get when you toss in the Pope, two Jesuits and Mad Bean Catering? A fun, sophisticated and well-written second mystery from the author of SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL. Maddy and friends are back and this time they tangle with priests, murders and mayhem as they organize the catering event of their lives - for the Pope. If you like contemporary mysteries and haven't discovered Jerrilyn Farmer - hurry up and buy her books!

I was afraid I wouldn't like this book from the back synopsis. But, after a friend encouraged me to try it, I'm glad I did! The story was very different from the first book of the series but equally engaging. Ms. Farmer is very knowledgeable about her subject matter and the story is very, very fascinating as well as believeable! Thanks, Ms. Farmer, for a great read!

For the past few months, the life of former Hollywood Caterer Madeline Bean has stayed quiet. Since selling her business, Madeline has opened up a new one, "Mad Bean Events". Jesuit Brother Xavier Jones provides Maddie with her first assignment, serving breakfast to the people of Los Angeles honoring the Pope. Maddie loved Xavier, but bears the mental scars of her feelings because he chose a different path. The catering goes smooth, but other events make Maddie realize that something sinister is occurring. A document from the time of the rise of the Nazis appears to have become the catalyst for the killing of two clerics whom she just met. Maddie places herself in danger by investigating the homicides. Jerrilyn Farmer proves she is no one-hit wonder (see the superb SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL) with her second Madeline Bean amateur detective tale, IMMACULATE RECEPTION, which has nothing to do with the catch. The protagonist is an everyday person, struggling to make a good life for herself. The who-done-it is entertaining and enhanced by learning why Maddie keeps males at arm's length. Fans of amateur sleuth stories will enjoy reading this novel and its prequel.Harriet Klausner

I liked the first Madeline Bean mystery, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, very much. The second is even better. I especially liked how Madeline's past and present, and personal and professional lives intersect in intriguing and sometimes very funny ways.Madeline operates a catering/party planning business with her friends Wes and Holly. Each is a distinct, likeable, fun character and they play off each other delightfully. Their witty banter is great.Madeline's company is responsible for throwing a massive breakfast in honor of the Pope's visit to Los Angeles. In SYMPATHY, Madeline threw a big party at the beginning; the rest of the book spirals off from a murder there. In a nice for-a-change twist, IMMACULATE RECEPTION's story builds up to the Pope's Breakfast, which occurs during the last part of the book.Leading up to the Pope's arrival in L.A., Madeline confronts some unusual problems. She's on a Hollywood TV show set with a young Jesuit brother and minutes later, the brother is found murdered...in the star's trailer...in her bed. The flighty star doesn't shed as much light as she does clothes -- she's naked at the time.Meanwhile, Madeline's borrowed a very old Jesuit recipe book, which just happens to contain part of an apparent murder confession. But who wrote it? And when? Madeline delves into church history for answers to those questions.Rare is the mystery that lets you learn so much interesting info about both the history of the Catholic Church *and* showbiz. The mystery plots themselves are nicely twisty and unpredictible, but never at the expense of the characters. Even the minor characters are well fleshed-out -- from a lesbian rock singer, to the elderly sister of a Jesuit Monsignor. There are also some nifty comic scenes and funny lines. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL is also a great book, but IMMACULATE RECEPTION is a little smoother, and it more deeply explores Madeline's emotional baggage. I liked the way questions were raised about Madeline's romantic life/history without pat answers being given. I should also mention that although Madeline is developing as a character, I think it's fine to read this book first, and then read SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL afterward. Some events from SYMPATHY are alluded to in IMMACULATE, but too much is not given away. This helps make IMMACULATE a great gift for people with a sense of humor -- you can introduce others to a terrific series without "spoiling" the first book.I wish every book I read was as entertaining and well-written as IMMACULATE RECEPTION!