J. Michael Orenduff
Old Town Albuquerque potter and merchant, Hubie Schuze agrees to create unique chargers for the table settings in a soon-to-open restaurant. The fee is too enticing to pass up, although the restaurateur is not negotiable on the potting site...the plates must be made at the restaurant in Santa Fe. Grumbling about forfeiting the comforts of his tailor-made shop and home, Hubie arranges for his absence, packs his equipment into his Bronco and heads to Santa Fe... Once onsite, Hubie is immersed in the politics, procedures and polemics of the restaurant business. Things quickly spiral out of control at Schnitzel, forcing the eatery to close its doors after the first night. Unwilling to cede defeat, Hubie rallies the troupe and they reopen with a Mexican-Austrian fusion menu.The reviews are rave and the money rolls in, but soon Hubie is faced with that old prophecy ...no good deed goes unpunished.About the Author: On the day Mike Orenduff got his drivers license, his father gave him a 1950 Oldsmobile coupe that stranded him in so many New Mexico towns that he got to know every mechanic south of Truth or Consequences. By the time he entered graduate school at the University of New Mexico, he and his wife Lai were driving a more reliable car - a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle - and they drove the wheels off it exploring the northern half of the state. His love of The Land of Enchantment is evident in his Pot Thief mysteries which have won The New Mexico Book of the Year Award, the national 'Eppie' award for best mystery, The Dark Oak Mystery Award, and Fiction Book of the Year from The Public Safety Writers Association. He enjoys hearing from his readers and can be contacted at ThePotThief@gmail.com
Mystery,Humor
The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier