Night at the Basking Iguana is a wonderfully unique and well written tale about a restaurant hunt.
The Basking Iguana is, or was, an uber-exclusive restaurant in New York and was considered by many to be the best in the world. The owner, Lorenzo, was one of the true masters of cooking and the restaurant served the most extraordinary cuisine to its high-end clients.
Ten years after opening, the stress got to Lorenzo and he closed the Basking Iguana. Then, five years later, he reopened the restaurant but ….. only for one night each year and always in a different location!
Dinner on that one evening is by invitation only and the location is not divulged until the evening of the dinner. Instead, for months, each invitee follows their own series of Cryptoquip like puzzles that lead them from one location to another; each time finding clues to the next location. At the last location they find the invitation itself and are then picked up at their hotel and taken to dinner.
The main character in the story is Alex, a twenty-five-year-old whose grandfather was a very good friend of Lorenzo’s and who arranged for her to receive his invitation after his death.
Running away from her marriage and a life going nowhere, Alex chases her unique puzzle clues and her dream to be a chef. From Taiwan, to Japan, to Bhutan, to Utah, she stays in touch with other invitees through the Iguana Wanna social network, as they help each other solve the puzzles.
Each country and excursion brings with it unique foods, new friends, new experiences and new found courage as she crosses paths with other invitees and tourists from all over the world.
I found Night at the Basking Iguana to be very different and very well written. I loved the unique plot and found it to be very believable. The descriptions of the places she travels to and the food consumed along the way are very well done and will make you drool and want to catch the next flight to where ever she’s at. Character development is excellent and you’ll be able to relate to almost everybody she runs into. I found only a few errors but certainly not enough to be annoying.
In summary: Definitely recommended! A very different, fun, easy read that will hold your attention from beginning to end.