The Secret of a Spicy Jalapeno Review

The Secret of a Spicy Jalapeño

by

Charlie Courtland

Synopsis

Beyond the urban sprawl of a Pacific Northwest city lurks the peculiar little town of Providence and in it, an organic farmer named Joe Parker. Joe’s lurid story, or rather this particular piece of it, begins when Sheriff Caine fashions the big idea to grow jalapenos, albeit with questionable methods. The gritty scheme is plucked from the undercurrent of the sheriff’s self-righteous mind and carried out with the help of Joe’s skill, two local agents, and a coroner. Everything is progressing as planned. That is, until Vera Cruz, a prostitute and girlfriend of a drug dealer, is delivered late one night on Joe’s doorstep. The new houseguest suddenly complicates his routine. The woman bunking on the rear porch not only threatens to upset the jalapeno operation, but also Joe’s conviction about what is rightly just and intrinsically wrong. Will Vera save Joe or lure him further into depravity?

The creation of The Secret of A Spicy Jalapeno derives from the unequivocal influence of acclaimed Southern gothic writer, Flannery O’Connor.

“Sometimes it takes a violent and grotesque act for a character to experience a moment of grace. Perhaps, this is the truest path toward fictional redemption.” ~ Charlie Courtland(

Review

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was a little taken back when first started reading it, but I must say that it turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. Charlie Courtland is amazing. Once I got over the immediate shock of what I was reading about, I found myself falling in love with Joe and Vera. I couldn't help but pull for them to get together throughout the entire book. Joe's quirkiness kept me smiling and the gruesome truth of his occupation kept me with my nose buried in this book. I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to turn out. One thing is for sure, I'll think twice about using any Jalapeño Chutney in the future.

I give it 5 stars.

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