Jeff Benedict talks about his latest book at Waterford Library

My friend Lee Hansen, way back when we were young, worked at a fast-food franchise. As an enthusiastic fan of their "secret sauce," I plied him for the recipe.

He shook his head and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand - a faraway stare in his eyes as though he were remembering a traumatic battlefield experience. Then he shuddered and gripped my shoulder. "Dude, you don't EVER want to know the answer to that question," he said.

I was reminded of this while reading Jeff Benedict's very fine and latest bestselling book, "Poisoned - The True Story of the Deadly E. coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat." A stunningly researched work, "Poisoned" reads as though Clarence Darrow had written "The Jungle" - and further proves Benedict is at the very top of those artistes whose narrative nonfiction burns like beach-happy, page-blasting thrillers.

Benedict discusses and signs copies of "Poisoned" tonight at the Waterford Public Library. You can probably access earlier Benedict, works, too, including "Little Pink House," about our own Fort Trumbull/eminent domain case.

Also of note: earlier this week, "Bill Child," a television documentary produced by Benedict based on his book called "How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy," debuted on BYUtv, a worldwide cable/satellite television channel.

- RICK KOSTER

Jeff Benedict, 7 tonight, Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford; free, copies of "Poisoned" available for purchase; (860) 444-5805, waterfordpubliclibrary.org.