I don’t really have a favorite novel, but my favorite that I have read in the past year is State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy. It is a fun mystery about a White House chef taking on a world-class assassin. It falls into the category of cozy mysteries, meaning that there is not a lot of sex, language, or violence, but it is one of the most engaging examples of that subgenre. It is extremely well written and is narratively thrilling.
The exposition introduces us to White House Assistant Chef Olivia “Ollie” Paras. She is a talented young chef who dreams of taking over the soon to be free position as Head Chef. On her way into the White House one morning a man is running around the grounds outrunning every secret service agent. Ollie does not want to get involved but knocks out the intruder with a gift for the retiring head chef, which just happened to be a frying pan.
The rising action is her having to deal with the Secret Service that want her to stay out of the way, a new asshole authority figure in the White House, her Secret Service boyfriend worrying about both of their careers and her life, and another chef vying for the Head Chef position. Oh yeah, and being the only person who can identify the assassin, who still tries to kill her, and her struggle with the mystery continually dragging her back into it.
The book leads up to a monumental ceremony of peace talks between leaders of two nations. Ollie has barely escaped major trouble with her employment and with her life on several occasions. At the ceremony she notices several suspicious people and must decide who to watch and what actions to take.
She tries to stop the assassin, and in the mass chaos she ends up his hostage, but only because she figures out whom the assassin is pretending to be, against the lead Secret Service agent. But she is brave and makes it possible for the assassin to be no longer a threat. I don’t want to say too much because I do really recommend reading this book.
The denouement is her trying to get back to work and sort everything out. And of course she ends up getting the position as Head Chef.
As for the macbook box:
Exposition: looking at the outside of the box and seeing what we know is inside.
Rising Action: I guess figuring out the best way to open the box (there are oh so many ways to open a box, but in this case, just the one right way).
Climax: Opening the box, seeing what is inside.
Falling Action: Taking off any wrappers or coverings.
Denouement: Getting to use an awesome new macbook, well if there had been a new one that we actually got to play with.
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