Royal fun from beginning to twisty end. Carrie Ann, an American chef secures a position at Kensington Palace. A series of murders and attacks interspersed with love interests ensues and ends with some yummy recipes. I'll look forward to reading Nell Hampton's "Kale to the Queen".

Crooked Lane publishes lots of cozy mysteries. They have found a niche here as their books generally do appeal to the target audience, myself included, as a cozy can offer me a welcome bit of escape.

One thing that I very much enjoyed was this book’s setting. It brought back memories of being at Kensington Palace’s Orangery. Those who have not been, can enjoy a virtual visit.

Uh-oh, the lovely setting, of course becomes the location for a murder. What happened and how does a lemon meringue pie fit in? Read this one to find out.

Note that this is the second in the series. Readers may want to look for the first book, Kale to the Queen.

This book will be especially enjoyed by bakers and Anglophiles.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This has a cute theme. Entertaining with a good main character. I liked that it was set in England with Carrie Ann Cole being an American chef and cooking for the Duke and Duchess. The mystery threw me for a loop, and will have other mystery fans trying to guess the killer as well.

In the first book in the Kensington Palace Chef Mysteries, we met Chef Carrie Ann Cole who had been hired by the Duchess of York to be the family chef at Kensington Palace. Although this is the second book in the series, it will work fine as a standalone. Carrie is no longer a newbie to the palace, but there are some who still think an American has no business cooking at Kensington Palace. She is still trying to prove herself to the head chef and he is still giving her a hard time. She recently put on a wedding shower and one of other chefs allowed her to use his kitchen. As a thank-you, she left him a lemon meringue pie. When one of the servers ends up dead in the pie and it is found to be poisoned, Carrie is an immediate suspect. In order to save her reputation, she needs to solve the murder. There’s multiple murders in this one, which provides a lot of clues and avenues to pursue. Carrie has clearly become a better detective since her first crime, but she still depends on the interesting and somewhat colorful staff in the Royal Palace.

ONe of the things I like about cozies is that even though there are a couple of murders, there is not graphic violence. If you enjoy culinary cozies, this is a series for you. There is a lot of eating, baking and discussing food, as well as a bit of romance, some humour and wonderful character development. The setting of this series is quite interesting. There are four different kitchens at the palace and the murder in this one takes place in the Orangery. I enjoyed the descriptions of the various areas of the palace. Carrie is likable as a heroine, and the staff she employs respect her and want her to be successful. The formality and security at the palace are quite stringent and at one point, Carrie has to take classes to make sure she understands the staff manual after meeting with someone from the press. I enjoyed the plot and story of this book. I didn't figure out who the culprit was until the end of the book, but had a few inklings here and there. I did find that the ending was fast and furious with the reveal coming quickly after a longer buildup. The motive of the killings was believable and the other characters involved were also interesting and added much to the story.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries that are more realistic, with a more serious storyline, then pick this book up, in fact, you might want to go back and start with the first one in this series. There are some recipes included at the end that sound wonderful.

I enjoyed this second installment in the Kensington Palace Chef mysteries, though not quite as much as I did the first one. The first one swept me away and I was never bored. There were a couple times with this one where I was just plowing through and not completely enjoying it. I can't say for sure what was different though.

The characters are great. I love Carrie Ann, Penny, Jasper, Ian and the rest of them. Ms. Hampton really makes them come alive.

Being set in London is great. I'd love to visit one day. Until then, I'll enjoy books like this and Jenn McKinlay's Hat Shop Mysteries.

All in all it was a good book, just not quite as great as the first one, but I do recommend it!

A quirky murder mystery set in the Kensington Palace kitchens. The heroine is a young American Chef, hired by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who is their personal Chef. Needless to say two murders occur in which the young Chef appears to be the culprit. So she must find the real culprit while trying to find romance beneath the stairs. This book will keep even the most jaded reader's attention to the finale. With her ability to find herself in hot water, and I don't mean just tea, I fully expect to see series of unfortunate murders being solved by this intriped Chef. After all, don't we all enjoy a flight of fancy from time to time.

I have rated this book 4.25 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me this book in exchange for a honest review.

I have read a couple of books in this series. This installment was disappointing. The premise was high but the execution lacked depth. I did not like any of the characters and more background could have been given. Neither the bride nor the groom were likeable. The family theme of a distant cousin allowing a wedding in her home was not believable. I really wasn’t interested in the murder or the victim toward the middle of the book. Not all books are as enjoyable in a series so I will continue to read from the beginning and see what happens.

Transplanted American chef Carrie Ann Cole is still a bit at odds with the other palace chefs when she is asked to provide pies for a bridal shower at Kensington. With the permission of the Duchess, Carrie Ann ably delivers the goods to the Orangery and after clean up, leaves a pie for the chef and staff of the kitchen they used. This was a fun second book in this series. Carrie Ann has settled into her role at the palace, even if not everyone has been welcoming. In addition to the original murder, I liked the addition of the bake-off. It was cross between a reality show and charity event that Carrie Ann takes very seriously. This was a fun, easy to read mystery that offered enough red herrings to keep it interesting.

I liked this book very much and for the most part, most of the characters as well [there are always going to be some that you are not supposed to like and there are definitely some of those here!]. The plot was very good [it flowed better than the first book] and only the end was a bit unbelievable, even for a cozy.
I loved that there was no swearing or vulgarity in this book as there has been in other cozies that I have read recently and that I didn't know who the killer was - this all made for a very good story that I enjoyed. I am looking forward to the next one in this series.
Very good read!

Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton is the second book in the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. Carrie Ann is the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She is put in charge of a bridal shower but must borrow another chef's kitchen. She leaves a pie as a thank you, but becomes a suspect when a waiter is found dead in the pie. When other chefs are poisoned, she sets out to clear her name before she becomes the next victim. I enjoy the royal setting, and all of the characters in this series. I read the previous book in the series. While I highly recommend it, it is not necessary to enjoy this particular book. This is a fun twist on the typical cozy mystery, and I look forward to more from the series.

When I read Kale to the Queen earlier this year, I thought it had a lot of potential - a unique premise, a fun and interesting setting, and strong characters - but it was lacking a bit on the execution. At times, it read almost like an unpolished draft, and there were some inconsistencies. That being said, I really did enjoy the characters, premise, and setting, so I was eager to read Lord of the Pies.

I feel like Ms Hampton found her stride with this second book. This series is so much fun. As someone who’s always been interested in the royal family and has a particular interest in the Cambridges, these books feel like they’re meant for me. I enjoy reading about Carrie Ann and her (mis)adventures, the food she prepares (I got so many ideas!), and her life in the palace, plus the side characters were great too. I like the hints of romance and wondering who Carrie Ann will end up with, if anyone. The mystery kept me guessing, and the story went along at a nice pace, with lots happening and lots to keep me smiling and giggling.

I finished reading Lord of the Pies several weeks ago, but I think about it almost every day, and have recommended the series to friends. I can’t wait for more books in the series!

Royally entertaining!

This is the second book in the Kensington Palace Chef mysteries and combines two of my favorite things: cozy mysteries and the royal family. This book had a great twist, you think the mystery is solved, which was shocking by itself, but then more is revealed and "boom" an extra piece of the puzzle is uncovered to make for a very interesting ending. I hope Nell Hampton is hard at work on book #3.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

American Carrie Ann Cole returns for her second adventure as a chef at Kensington Palace. She's working late one night when she sees someone looking in the window of her kitchen. When they discover who it is he is warned, but he does it again. Days later he's found dead, with his head in a pie that Carrie Ann baked.

When a second body turns up, authorities look at Carrie Ann, who knows she has to get to the bottom of things before her dream job in London ends all too soon.

This series has become one of my favorite in the cozy mystery genre. I love Carrie Ann. She is down to earth, independent, and all to ready to stick up for herself. But she does it without acting as if she is better than everyone else, which is one of the things I like about her. Watching her serve the royal family and solve mysteries is great entertainment.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the pie competition. Ms. Hampton wrote it wonderfully and I could imagine spending the day watching the filming and soaking in the atmosphere.

I thought I had the mystery figured out partway through, but it turns out I was wrong, which always impresses me when I'm reading a book. As much as I like solving the mystery, it is always good to me when I'm surprised at the end.

I eagerly await the next entry in this series. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Carrie Ann Cole is an American chef who happens to be in charge of one of the palace’s four kitchens.
She is a busy woman. She and her staff prepare meals and teas for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with any events they host. She is also on tap to participate in a charity televised cooking contest.
Carrie Ann is the suspect of multiple murders in this book. I have not read the first one in this series and felt that I followed the story quite well. In fact, I felt like I was there.
I enjoyed the humor, the reality of working in a kitchen, and the palace intrigue. Definitely looking forward to the next one in the series.

This second Kensington Palace Chef mystery is frothy and light, with a lot of chick lit overtones. American chef Carrie Ann faces some difficulties and resentments as a non-Brit chosen to cook for royals. Her problems escalate when an employee who has been spying on her is found dead, poisoned after eating one of Carrie Ann's pies.

I found the frequent detours into the chef's love life to be distracting. Carrie Ann is pretty bold in many ways, so you must wonder why she allows a girlfriend to commandeer her for nights out, tart her up to the point where she's uncomfortable and even steal her phone so she can text guys on Carrie Ann's behalf. This meek behavior seems at odds with her usual forthright and professional demeanor.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this entry, the second in this series, even more than the first one. Now Carrie Ann has settled into life in one of the Palace kitchens and is holding her own knowing that there are some who are thinking Yankee, go home. There is some possible romance in her life, too. If Carrie Ann can't figure out who is trying to frame her for murder she will be packing her bags soon. She has made the pies for a bridal shower and the one extra pie is tampered with resulting in the death of a member of the kitchen staff. Add to that a peeping tom is taking pictures of her and she is involved with a tv cooking show to raise money for a charity. Homicide follows and she needs her wits about her and a bit of help from two men - one a gardener and the other chief of security.
From the Palace setting to the well crafted mystery along with yummy pies that made me want to make a midnight run to the closest grocery store for pie, I had no trouble giving this one five stars and two thumbs up - it's a plum of a read.

Chef Cole is to prepare a meal for a bridal shower hosted by the Duchess. At the last minute the Duchess has a state obligation so the bridal shower moves to the Orangery, which is overseen by Chef Wright. Chef Cole goes to see Chef Wright to make sure he will be all right with her serving food in his domain. A waiter in the Orangery, Wentworth, has been spying on Chef Cole and the day after the bridal shower he is found dead with his face in the lemon pie Chef Cole left as a thank you for Chef Wright and his staff.
There are many interpersonal relationships that affect the story. Chef Cole has a new assistant Agatha. Chef Cole has a date with Jasper. Another person dies before the perpetrators come to light.
This is a well developed story and problems the characters face are fairly real to life.
I like the characters and the idea of an American cooking for the Duke and Duchess in Kensington palace.

Kensington Palace chef Carrie Ann Cole is catering the bridal shower of her best friend Penny’s sister and decides to make a set of pies. The event is a success but a peeping tom waiter is found dead the next morning near the lemon meringue pie Carrie Ann had left to thank the Orangery staff. The pie was poisoned and Carrie Ann becomes the prime suspect. Then during a pie baking competition involving the palace chefs, Carrie Ann's nemesis, Chef Butterbottom, and his staff are poisoned. And shortly afterward, another body is found in the Orangery freezer. This time, the victim is the Orangery's womanizing chef Wright. Carrie Ann is determined to clear her name and does her snooping with the help of her friend Penny.

This is another yummy entry in the Kensington Palace chef mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.