A Dish Taken Cold by Anne Perry

Celie is a maid in the house of Madame DeStael during the turbulent time of the French Revolution. The citizens have long been denied justice and bread, and everyone, Celie included, is hungry for them, but she still supports the King.

A widow, Celie's only hope is her son, Jean-Pierre, who she leaves in the home of her friend Almandine to be looked after. But when her son dies in Almandine's care, she is shocked, distraught and despondent, but there is no way she can blame Almandine. Or can she?

When Celie learns that Almandine left her son alone to be with her lover, a man named Georges, and that this was the true reason for her son's death, Almandine settles on a cold course of revenge as her only option for redress of the wrong done to her.

But this young woman has never caused the death of anyone- not even indirectly. Can she live with herself if she actually does cause the death of Georges?

This is a very short book, more like a short story than a novel, but Anne Perry's talent shines through from the very start. It begins with Celie's finding out of her son's death and ends approximately 70 or so pages later when Paris has completely gone over to the Revolution.

Celine is angry at her friend Almandine, and at Georges, who she is convinced was with Almandine at the time of her son's death. But is it the truth? And could she live with herself if she caused the death of a man who just might be innocent?

But it made me wonder why Celie blames Georges and not Almandine? I mean, Almandine was the one who was supposed to be caring for the baby, not Georges. So why put all the blame on him? It didn't make much sense, but I could understand that Celie was more emotional than logical by that point.

I enjoyed this book, but it's so small that you can read it in less than a day, and is more like a single short story than an actual novel. Not bad, but not very satisfying, either.