Fabulous Fiction Firsts #828, “Piecing together a murder was much more difficult than piecing together a cake.” ~ Ellie Alexander

Thu, 07/06/2023 - 2:36pm by muffy

The Golden Spoon * * * by Jessa Maxwell (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), an “outstanding debut, where (b)yzantine chicanery seasoned with a dash of revenge greets six contestants gathered for Bake Week on the property of a crumbling Vermont manse.” (Library Journal)

“Sabotage starts slow but early. A refrigerator door is left open; salt is replaced with sugar; a burner is turned up to high; gasoline replaces orange essence in a pie. By day three, it's clear someone isn't playing by the rules… Everything escalates to an extremely dark and stormy night (including a blackout), leading to startling revelations and a jaw-dropping confession. Sweet and savory turns deadly sour in this fast-paced, entertaining romp scheduled for a Hulu miniseries. Maxwell is off to a great start.” (Publishers Weekly) 

“There's a delightful balance of baking details and intrigue as the bakers compete through different challenges and we become privy to their secret motives and how far each is willing to go to win. The contestants hit all the character types: the beautiful ingénue, the neurotic scientist, the fluffy old woman, the bored millionaire, the anxious newbie, and the rustic craftsman. We are treated to their backstories and to some of their internal dialogue, but this is a novel that also rests comfortably, nostalgically, in its sense of formula. Despite the American setting, it’s not hard to imagine these characters creeping around the halls and grounds of a moldering British manor in the tradition of the best locked-room mysteries. A delicious concoction: two shakes Agatha Christie and a cup of Great British Bake Off.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Mastering the art of French Murder *  by Colleen Cambridge (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), is the first in An American in Paris Mystery Series that features Tabitha Knight and her best friend Julia Child, a student at the Le Cordon Bleu. 

With the return of able-bodied men to the homefront at the end of World War II, airplane machinist Tabitha lost her job at WIllow Run and decided to make her home with her French grandfather,  Grandpère and her Oncle Rafe in Paris. Fixing a broken radio led to fast friendship with neighbor Julia, another expat, whose husband Paul worked at the Embassy. Tutoring Americans in French during the day, Tabitha socialized with Dort, Julia’s younger sister, who ran a local theater. It was after one of these boozy parties at the Childs that the body of the theater’s hatcheck girl Thérèse Lognon, was found in Julia’s basement and the murder weapon - Julia’s prized chef’s knife. 

“Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha's handwriting, was found in the dead woman's pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse. Certain to appeal to a broad readership, especially fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, and Cambridge's own Phyllida Bright series."  (Publishers Weekly) 

The Michigan Connection (from the author’s note): Colleen Cambridge grew up less than 2 miles from Willow Run where our protagonist Tabitha worked as a Rosie the Riveter, a job Cambridge’s aunt took on during the war. Additional mention of Faygo pop, Vernos, Boblo Island and all things Detroit, will delight Michiganians.

BONUS FEATURE

Murder at an Irish Bakery,*  the latest in the cozy series featuring Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan, by Carlene O’Connor (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)

Kilbane, County Cork. Anticipation is high for a reality baking show is about to be filmed at Pie Pie Love, the best bakery in town, housed in a historic flour mill. Asides from the expectations of free samples, the locals, including Siobhan, are eager to get on camera, and to watch Aoife McBride (aka "the Queen baker of Ireland") at work as one of the 6 contestants.

Tension mounts as one of the anti-sugar protestors collapses and dies on site, and shenanigans among the contestants on the first day of filming put everyone on edge, but that's nothing compared to day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.

“Two accidental deaths seem a bit much, and the solicitor, who might have provided answers, has vanished. Siobhán’s husband, DS Macdara Flannery, who’s even more addicted to sweets than she is, takes over the case. The show goes on, if only to keep all the suspects in town while the married sleuths look to the past and present for motives.  Plenty of likely prospects and an endless supply of sweet treats brighten the path to the solution. “ (Kirkus Reviews) 

* * *  = 3 starred reviews

* = Starred reveiw