Master chef and wealthy socialite Angie Amalfi packs her Gucci bags and heads southwest with her fiancé, homicide detective Paavo Smith, in JoAnne Pence's thirteenth mystery, Red Hot Murder.  While Smith is helping a childhood friend investigate the death of Jackpot, Arizona's wealthy founder,  Angie's motives are less altruistic: Not only will she get to spend some quality time with the man she loves, but there's an outside chance that she may find the perfect exotic locale for her upcoming wedding.  What she doesn't expect to find is Jackpot itself, home to the wildest, motliest cast of townspeople this side of Blazing Saddles.  There's Lionel Edwards, crusty Ranch Manager; LaVerne Merritt, owner of the local greasy-spoon and self-styled "gourmet chef" (although her recipes seem to consist mainly of road kill); Dr. Loomis Griggs (an old friend of Paavo's), and a host of others, each seemingly connected to, and not overly fond of, the victim. 

If there was ever a character not meant to rough-it Wild West style, it's Angie Amalfi. Yet her gameness to ride a horse, provide food for the town's Bar-B-Que style cookout, and attempts to blend in (wearing a designer's idea of western clothes) provide many outstanding  moments of genuine humor and make her a unique, interesting and, let's face it, cute-as-a-button protagonist. Homicide detective Smith, though he doesn't get credit in the "Angie Amalfi Mystery" by-line to the title, carries the lion's-share of mystery solving here, including the discovery of a second body and the attentions of the local police, who definitely don't want him around. But, assisted by Amalfi, he determines to find the answers he's looking for, even while he draws the attention of a killer. 

RED HOT MURDER, at its heart, is a solid, good-natured murder mystery with just the right amount of danger. This being a cozy, of course there is a gimmick.  Since Angie is a chef, the book includes several recipes for exotic southwestern dishes with ingredients that include things like pablano chili peppers and bourbon. The author wisely never allows the gimmick to interfere with the story, and sets herself apart from pack with style and panache.  Fans of the series will no doubt savor the meal, but any mystery fan will enjoy meeting Angie and snacking on her latest dish.