Judy Alter, an Extraordinary Writer and Cook by Susan Van Kirk

My friend, mystery writer Judy Alter, passed away on July 13^th. The entire mystery-writing world will miss her. Between her obituary and an excellent article about her writing life, I pieced together facts I didn’t know about her because she was such a humble person when she communicated with me. She rarely talked about herself or her accomplishments. I also discovered we had a great deal in common, similar paths that surprised me. We both attended Cornell College, a small liberal arts college in Iowa, me for only a year, and Judy for her undergraduate degree. She grew up in Illinois’ Chicago-suburban Hyde Park, even though she has always associated in her literary life with Texas. I, too, grew up in Illinois, but in a small, downstate town. We both raised families as single parents.

 Unlike me, Judy was a literary icon who wrote seventeen cozy mysteries, three cookbooks, a historical fiction book about Chicago, and two nonfiction books about 19^th and 20^th century women in Texas. From 1982 to 1987, she was the editor of the TCU Press, and from 1987 to 2009, she was a director of that press. In 2010, she was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame by the Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library. Much of her writing was about Texas, but she created a series called An Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery about a chef named Irene Foxglove who often inhabited Judy’s childhood Hyde Park area. In her final Irene book, Judy included the house where she grew up in Hyde Park, calling it 1340. It was 1340 Madison Park, and Judy wrote a separate piece about it at the end of her latest book, Irene in a Ghost Kitchen. Such a beautiful piece of nostalgia and a perfect setting.

 

Judy often reviewed my mysteries, and I read and reviewed hers. Recently, we both had new books out, her new Irene story, and my Art Center mystery. As always, I emailed Judy and asked if she’d be willing to blurb or review my new book. She said, “Of course.” Then, a few weeks later, after she received my manuscript, she emailed me that she might have to go back on her decision to review. She hated to miss deadlines, and she was going into the hospital for surgery. I had the impression it might be serious, but, of course, Judy never mentioned that. I told her to forget my book. Her health was much more important. I ordered her book and went on to other projects.

 

A few days later, an email from Judy landed in my mailbox. It was a review of my book, and, as always, Judy was the soul of kindness. I cried. How selfless of her to read and write about my book while she was—it turned out—in the fight of her life.

 

So, it’s my turn. Here’s your review, Judy, of Irene in a Ghost Kitchen. I promised.

 

A deadly conflict highlights the fourth book—Irene in a Ghost Kitchen—in Judy Alter’s Chicago Culinary Mysteries. And who brings that terror but Irene Foxglove. Henrietta James (Henny) is not surprised when her old cooking mentor shows up once again in Chicago. Earlier in their lives, Henny did a televised cooking show with Irene, who lied about her Le Cordon Bleu training. She actually graduated from a cooking program at Chicago’s Kendall College. Irene is persona non grata at the television station after her lie about her background, but Henny is doing well with the cooking show and married to Patrick, an assistant professor of astronomy. The craziness that earlier ensued when Irene came into their lives is over…until Irene shows up again.

 

Chef Irene Foxglove is planning to start a “ghost kitchen” based on French cuisine. A ghost kitchen has no seating but fulfills orders online or by phone. Strictly take-out. This stirs up a competitive frenzy with a fellow chef and friend, Toby, at La Petite Folie. But Irene has an additional motive for showing up in her old stomping ground: she brings a great niece named Anna to Henny’s home, hoping Henny can take care of her. While she is Irene’s oldest brother’s granddaughter, Anna is also one of three children abused by their father, Buster Ekberg. And she is pregnant.

 

Ekberg is a violent man, and there is every reason to figure that he will show up to kidnap Anna to Chicago. Irene is also on his revenge list. With the help of Irene’s wealthy boyfriend, Chance Charpentier, and his security employee, Jean Claude, Henny and Patrick try to keep Anna and Irene safe. Irene, in her usual fashion, ignores all threats, including a stalker who is closing in.

 

Judy Alter has created the most delightful character in Irene Foxglove. Totally oblivious to the needs of others, Irene goes through life creating upheaval while thinking only of herself. She shows up on Henny’s doorstep with a huge problem, but this situation is slightly different than usual. This time Irene is concerned about her great nieces and nephew, but still, she figures Henny can deal with it. Chaos follows wherever Irene goes, and Henny’s calm life is turned upside down. Alter has created the perfect plot for her series’ characters, and readers will enjoy sorting out all the plot difficulties needing a solution so Henny and Patrick can return to their happy, quiet lives. A five-star mystery for sure.