Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown
Yo, Ho, Ho. A Barrel of Fun!
Shiver me timbers, what a great book! This is one of those books that I loved from page one. The writing is witty and descriptive; the story is original; and the book is highly entertaining.
Set in 1819, Owen Wedgwood is kidnapped by the notorious Captain Hannah Mabbot. This fierce, red-headed fiend, villain, vixen, monster, and pillar of menace orders Wedgwood to cook one delicious meal for her every Sunday—in exchange for his life. And when Mad Hannah Mabbot wants something, everyone better listen. She’s a ruthless and respected leader. “A scowl from Mabbot is like the sleet-needled wind off of a frozen lake.”[1] Before killing Wedgwood’s employer, Ramsey, Hannah roared “Tell the devil to keep my tea hot. I’m running late.”[2]
Set in 1819, Owen Wedgwood is kidnapped by the notorious Captain Hannah Mabbot. This fierce, red-headed fiend, villain, vixen, monster, and pillar of menace orders Wedgwood to cook one delicious meal for her every Sunday—in exchange for his life. And when Mad Hannah Mabbot wants something, everyone better listen. She’s a ruthless and respected leader. “A scowl from Mabbot is like the sleet-needled wind off of a frozen lake.”[1] Before killing Wedgwood’s employer, Ramsey, Hannah roared “Tell the devil to keep my tea hot. I’m running late.”[2]
Without the benefit of a well-stocked pantry, stuck in a tiny, woefully inadequate galley kitchen Wedgwood gets creative and manages to produce some mouth-watering meals such as herring pâté with rosemary on walnut bread; tea-smoked eel ravioli seared with caramelized garlic and a bay leaf; and for dessert, rum-poached figs stuffed with Pilfered Blue cheese and drizzled with honey. The descriptions of his meals almost make me drool. I want to sit right down and join them.
Meanwhile, the
motley crew of the Flying Rose sets
out to search for the elusive Brass Fox.
The crew is a colorful conglomeration of oddities. Conrad is the ship’s regular cook whose meals
taste “like a fart boiled in a shoe.”[3]
There’s Mr. Apples, a massive man with
a huge torso and little head who likes to knit in his spare time and keeps a
basket of scorpions. Feng and Bai are relentless
martial artists who give Wedgwood a very unwelcome welcome on his first day.
And then there’s Joshua, the deaf/mute cabin boy whom Wedgwood befriends and
teaches to read.
Eli Brown managed not only to pull me in with his amusing writing style
and the outlandish adventure, but also with his full descriptions. I can just picture Hannah, the Shark of the
Ocean, with her flowing red hair, long olive coat, and jade handled pistols
spitting out orders. Brown makes the
scenes come alive on the big screen of my imagination. In my mind, I walk the
decks and touch the railings and fixtures with gargoyles carved into them. I wish there was a B&B on a ship
somewhere, where I could stay in a replica of Mabbot’s cabin surrounded with teak
walls that are crowded with fine oil landscapes and still-lifes; a bed heaped with furs (faux)
and hung with silk drapes; a crowded bookshelf topped with a leaning stack of
maps, braced by a skull (again fake, I hope) with an orchid jutting out of it;
down to the last detail of
a pheasant perched atop a great mirror.
Then I would order room service and enjoy breaded cod topped in a sauce made with madeira
wine, garlic, shrimp, dried figs, and salt, thickened with a roux. I’d nibble
on a walnut crisp cake for dessert while someone played a Mozart minuet on the
harpsichord. Ahhhh, sign me up.
Blimey! This book was like finding a hidden treasure. I think Cinnamon and Gunpowder would make for a
block-buster movie.
This was a book club selection and my fellow readers had this to say…..
Big “ayes” all around. Yo, ho, ho what a barrel of fun!
Happy Reading!
Annette
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