Welcome to Grafton, a New England estate that serves as the setting of Bake Week, a weeklong television baking challenge. Grafton is home to celebrity baker and Bake Week host, Betsy Martin, who has carefully cultivated a grandmotherly persona. As the six contestants try to bake their way to winning the Golden Spoon, they realize that both Grafton and Betsy hold dark secrets. By the end of the week, one person will be dead. This is a fun read for those who enjoy The Great British Baking Show and mysteries.

This book was highly recommended from someone on tiktok and I knew I needed to read it. Its not my usual kind of read but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the jump. I stayed up way to late too many nights dying to know what was going on. The bake-off world was everything I wanted. The multiple narrators. A creepy house with secrets. It was great. Would have rated higher as I loved the first two thirds, but the ending felt rushed and there was so much info I wanted to know more about!

I love supporting debut authors! This was marketed as “a deliciously suspenseful thriller for murder mystery buffs and avid bakers alike,” and I’d agree, to a point. I don’t know that I’d categorize it as a thriller. Regardless, it was just what I needed on a rainy afternoon. You may want to have a cup of tea and a cupcake to nibble on as the delicious narrative will have you salivating!

✔️great premise
✔️good balance between bake-off tension/shenanigans and secrets being revealed
✔️diverse range of characters
✔️plenty of backstories and hidden agenda
✔️character driven story
✔️multi POV
✔️inter-character tension
✔️great murder mystery
✔️focus on food
✔️locked-room cozy mystery
✔️quick read
✔️fantastic cover
✔️atmospheric

😠 S.L.O.W. burner - took too long for the BIG reveal
😠 ending - left me underwhelmed
😠 connection to the characters - I wasn’t rooting for anyone

An amazing offering for a debut author, this book seems primed for a sequel.

I was gifted this copy by Atria Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was exactly as much fun as I’d hoped! It’s the perfect combination of The Great British Bakeoff meets Agatha Christie. That’s right - it takes place on the set of a popular baking show, and then there’s a murder. Not only are you trying to figure out who the murderer is, but for a while you don’t even know who was murdered, which was a fun element. The baking elements were very cozy (and made me crave cinnamon rolls) and I especially loved the setting at Grafton Manor; the house itself felt like a character. I was nervous at first about the number of characters there were to keep track of (about 8 or 9) but they were all so distinct I got my bearings pretty quickly. I’d definitely recommend this quick read if the premise sounds intriguing to you.

Thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

I don’t know if this qualifies as a “cozy mystery,” but it’s fun, and I felt like I was reading it at Grafton, wrapped in a blanket by the fireplace, with a hot cup of tea. If you’re a fan of The Great British Baking Show, and if you like mysteries, this is the book for you. I had pretty much figured out most of the twists in the story, but it was entertaining to see it unfold. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

when i heard this was the GGBO meets clue meets only murders in the building… i knew it was for me. i love stories that keep you guessing and trying to figure out the ending without being so predictable you know everything from the first ~100 pages… and this book kept me guessing. the character development was really in depth without dragging; i felt connected to the characters without becoming bored of their stories.
in the best way possible, this felt like a thriller wrapped in a hug.

This novel brings together the delightfulness of a baking competition show with the comfort of a locked-room cozy mystery, culminating in a quick, fun story that was a winner for me!

This story features a cast of about eight different characters - six bakers chosen to compete in the competition show Bake Week, along with two show judges/hosts - all gathered to spend a week at Grafton Manor in Vermont to film the show. Each short chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, and it’s not long into this year’s stay at Grafton when we start to see things going awry for just about everyone. The suspenseful narrative progresses from first trying to get to the bottom of sabotages to eventually uncovering a murderer, keeping the pages turning until the very end.

It’s almost hard to call this one a ‘cozy mystery’ since the pacing was a little different that one would typically expect from that genre - although the reader is aware of a murder occurring within the first few pages, it takes until ~75% into the story for it to actually happen. But make no mistake - despite not investigating a murder for most of the book like a more typical mystery novel, there was plenty of suspense along the way to keep the plot moving. There were just a few times that I found myself a little bogged down waiting for the murder we knew would be coming to actually happen, but the short chapters and changing POVs between all of the unique characters kept me engaged. Each character was unique with their own distinct personality, and each had the perfect balance of things to like/dislike about them, as well as their own ulterior motives to keep the reader guessing.

All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this baking-themed mystery story! It was engaging, while being light and fun, and overall, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from this debut author. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Here we are, in the familiar baking tent, meeting the hopeful amateur bakers striving to achieve the illustrious “Golden Spoon”. Instantly, I am transported to the Great British Baking Show’s tent. And from there, these cozy, comforting vibes continue despite the very threat that the contestants face.

We open at the crime scene, a murder, and then quickly revert back to the beginning where we meet the six contestants and Betsy Martin (creator and host of the show). It is a clever combination of story telling from the different character’s points of view and several flashbacks which give insight into the Manor and its occupants. We learn bits and pieces from each character:
- The intentional sabotaging of contestants
- The hidden backstories
- The sneaking about the mansion, uncovering truths
All the characters are up to something, which makes for a wild ride!

Final thoughts: a cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of the Great British Baking Show and true crime fans alike.

Go to @bookclubtreats on Instagram for a treat to go along with the book

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an easy breezy Murder mystery set against the backdrop of a Great British Bake Off show. This had a slow beginning and a rushed ending. I also felt that it was mismarketed and was a bit Hallmark-y.

This had so much potential but just wasn’t there for me. I love a cozy mystery and obsessed with baking but this was so flat. A murder is teased at the beginning and then doesn’t happen until 75% of the way in! That is way too long to wait for a murder to happen in a murder mystery. The end basically unfolded in two chapters and then it just ended.

I also thought it was very predictable. I don’t need to be shocked but I would like to at least be entertained by the outcome. The characters were enjoyable if not a little one note. This is a first book so I will be intrigued to see something in the future.

QUICK TAKE: easy, breezy murder mystery set against the backdrop of a Great British Bake-off show. I enjoyed the read, but would have liked more drama surrounding the baking show, as it quickly delves into a bit of a run-of-the mill mystery and the characters are a bit tropey. Overall, fun concept, but execution a bit lacking.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. I loved the premise of the baking show based at a country estate. While the story is told from multiple character’s viewpoints, it is easy to follow. The characters themselves are all interesting and most are quite likable. I really enjoyed this and found it to be an easy, satisfying read.

Only Murderes in The building meets Great British Bake Off!!! Heck Yesss!! I really enjoyed my time reading this book, the story was so intriguing and kept me at the edge of seat.

This book is marketed as a thriller and is likened to other authors whose works this book is nothing like. In fact, it reads more like a cozy mystery than a thriller.

"The Golden Spoon" takes place on the set of "Bake Week", which is essentially "GBBO" with some minor differences. The main death that takes place in the book doesn't happen until far later, and instead a majority of the book focuses on a bunch of smaller stores and side plots - some of them come together for a more satisfying pay off, and others get lost in the shuffle and when they are given closure, it feels hastily done without being fully thought out.

All these little subplots and the multiple characters muddy the plot and detract from the main story. In fact, the main story isn't even the one we're presented with at the very beginning.

That isn't to say it was a horrible read. Some of the characters were truly delightful. The female characters largely felt more developed than the men, who played stock roles as opposed to anything else that's more well-rounded. The idea of reading a book that takes place in a GBBO setting was pleasing to me, and it did feel like I was getting a strange bonus season of the show.

Overall, the book could have used fewer side storylines and more time developing the actual mystery. (Which, once apparent, became really easy to solve.)

Side note with errors for the publisher:

At one point in the book, Lottie mentions that Betsy used her mom's recipes to become famous. Later in the book, it is stated that she realized this all of a sudden once someone pointed it out to her. But, she'd already know this. So, this was something in the book that contradicted itself.

There are also moments in Betsy's chapters where is switches from third person to first randomly, then goes back to third.

While THE GOLDEN SPOON is very much as advertised, I found the premise to be way more interesting than the actual book itself. The characters' voices weren't different enough to warrant multiple perspectives, and the central mystery was very easy to solve. It was a fun read for a plane flight home but otherwise I hope the TV series is more compelling.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for this review.

Ok this book was written for me. I absolutely ate it up! I loved the premise, and although I can see why other reviewers felt that the mystery aspect was a tad lacking, overall it was cozy and utterly enjoyable! Sure, a bit more tension or creepy atmosphere would have been great, but the charm of the baking show and slow build to the end wasn’t lost on me. I liked the slow slow quick pacing and loved to hate some of the contestants. Definitely a fun, quick read! 3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review!

A combination of Clue and the Great British Bake Off?! This was one of my most anticipated reads and that description fits perfectly. The Golden Spoon follows six contestants competing to prove their culinary talents. When the competition starts, so does the sabotage and eventually a murder is committed.

The Golden Spoon is told from the contestants perspectives. I typically don’t like books with so many different point of views, but it worked really well with this story!

This is definitely more of a cozy mystery than a thriller, but well worth the read!

This book is so good. I hope the author continues to write, as this, I believe is her first novel, I’m not a fan of cozy mysteries, and wouldn’t describe this as one. It’s sooo much better. Well written, humorous, suspenseful and I could not put this book down, it’s like a your favorite dessert with a perfectly layered story nestled between delicious twists and turns.

Read this immediately.

When a small group of contestants find themselves at Grafton Manor to compete for the much coveted grand prize on the beloved Bake Week television show, they quickly find appearances aren't all they seem.

This is a campy, cozy little mystery story. There was a little too much context taken directly from The Great British Bake Off (lingo, hosts, the entire show format, etc.) for my liking. The baking show aspect would have been more appealing if it felt more original. And the mystery was predictable to the point of feeling like an afterthought. But the characters are likable and well fleshed out to the extent that this was a quick and easy read. Definitely not one of my favorite mystery novels out there, but it's highly consumable.