Can you imagine Mary Berry being anyone but herself? Or Paul Hollywood as a weirdo? No! So why?! Why create this alternative universe where everyone we liked turns into some evil force?! Why bring murder into colorful, freshly baked pastry smelling tent?!

6 people called in for American version of Great British Bake Off. Some decided to join because they did not know what to do with their lives. Some joined because they really wanted to make a career out of baking. Some joined because they had some secret agenda. After their first day, they started to feel there was something unusual about this season and they might have to do more than just baking

It's a bit different set up for a murder mystery. I'm sure a lot off GBBO watching happened when writing this book :) If you are interested in baking and murder mysteries, this could be your jam (no pun intended)

Why was this marketed as a mystery novel? It is not that. That's not the book's fault, but I was thrown off by it when I started reading. Yes there is a murder that needs to be solved, but the reader pretty rapidly finds out who is not the killer, so that took some of the suspense out for me. However, I still really enjoyed this read. I love a food competition show. I love baking. I love total strangers being thrown into chaotic situations together. I did not love the characters. The characters in this book are a bit flat. I wish that we had gotten more life out of them. Overall, an easy read that I enjoyed.

Synopsis:
"Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut."

My Thoughts:
This is a fun read with a unique premise. Told through multiple POV's the reader is rewarded with the perspective of each baking contestant as well as the hosts. I absolutely loved being inside everyone's head, it adds such a great build of the story and events. We know right away that someone has mysteriously died, then flash back to the beginning of bake week to watch the events unfold.
An engaging story with interesting characters this book is perfect for anyone that's looking for a good murder mystery.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the gifted copy of this book.

This was a quick, fun mystery that was very character driven. I was pulled in by the multiple POVs and the fun cast of characters and felt like I really got to know them.

This isn't your typical mystery/thriller book.

It starts out with a murder and then, we're taken behind the scenes of a baking reality show and its contestants, their lives, what they're hiding, and their famous host.

Even though this was a very slow burn, the story grabbed me from the start. All the characters were super interesting and compelling and I needed to know what was going to happen next. The suspense was there haha

I did feel that the murder, since it's on the blurb should have been sooner than it was, but after knowing that the author made it this way intentionally and having seen it done in many tv shows and movies, I totally get why it wasn't all revealed until the last part of the book.

It never stops being interesting or fun, and it gave me a cozy feeling which I really enjoyed! The characters were well written too. I especially liked Pradyumna and Lottie, they were a fun bunch.

Overall, a very solid debut!

Looking forward to reading whatever this talented author writes next (and the tv show!!)

I am a simple woman, I see alternate universe sinister Bake Off and I simply must read. I loved the ensemble cast of this novel, in part because their conflicting motives and personalities reminded me of Knives Out or Glass Onion. The suspense is more in the interpersonal conflicts than in the central murder itself, which leaves lots of room for intrigue. Definitely more cozy than creepy at parts, so if you are looking for a thriller this may not be for you.

There were a bunch of small things I appreciated about this book, like how all the baking scenes felt authentic and true to their source. Sometimes it can be confusing to have four or five perspectives competing for space but I thought the technical aspects were well done. Overall, highly recommend if you want a whimsical whodunnit.

I thought I would love “The Golden Spoon” since I love a good thriller. This started off with such promise, but the background of the characters had limited relevance. Further, the story developed in such a way that there was little intrigue or buildup, which is pretty surprising for a mystery or thriller. How does one make a whodunnit story involving reality TV boring? I’m not sure, but this one fits that bill. This was just a underwhelming read for me. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

Combines The Great British Show and a murder mystery. With the murder taking a backseat to all the other shenanigans.

At the start of the book, I found it confusing as all the characters were introduced without any context to allow me to remember who was who. However, by the end of the book, when each character was reintroduced with insight into missing parts, everything fell into place perfectly.

While a few issues caused me to backtrack a page or two, overall, I appreciated the unique qualities each character brought to the story. Although the book wasn't flawless, I still found it enjoyable. Jessa Maxwell is an author worth keeping an eye on.

Baking shows are hot - and this book takes the concept a little further - into murder. Betsy Grafton, "America's Grandmother" is the owner of Grafton House, a large mansion. To keep the house maintained, she has created Bake Week, a baking competition with prizes and fame for the winner. However, she is not excited about being paired with Archie Morris as a co-host.
As the 6 contestants arrive, each one is excited about the competition for various reasons. However, someone is sabotaging several of the dessert's and/or their ingredients. The characters each provide their reasons in various chapters. The most engaging, to me, was the elderly woman who lived in Grafton House as a child.
As the story develops, there is a murder, and a long ago secret comes to light. The story of the young girl being wowed by the older man and the promise of fame disappointed me.
Just OK.

3.5 *

This one was essentially a Cozy. I'm rounding it up because even though it's not my general type of genre I thought it was a fun and easy story. The writing is really good and it reminded me of an old-time mystery.

The story revolves around a tv show called, "Bake Week." It stars celebrity judge Betsy Martin. I first could not help but picture Mary Berry in my mind as this character but she quickly turned into Martha Stewart for me 🤣 Her co-host is Archie Morris and it features Six Bakers who are competing for, "The Golden Spoon." The show takes place at Betsy's childhood home called, Grafton Manor.

The story begins with a murder and we then go back 5 days to the start of the competition. I enjoyed reading about the contestants backstory and the baking competition. Some of those desserts had my mouth watering! 🧁 I only wish that some recipes were included at the end of the book👩‍🍳 If you enjoy baking shows and like mysteries I would recommend this one wholeheartedly!

Apparently this will be turned into a series. I'll definitely watch it!

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.


available March 7, 2023 and onwards

If you love cozy mysteries and TV baking or cooking shows, this one may be an entertaining choice for you. It features a group of participants trapped by a storm in a spooky mansion. But I am not the target audience, and also didn’t enjoy the shifting narrations each chapter. However, reviewers previewing the book gave it a 4-star average.

The description of The Golden Spoon as a combination of Clue and The Great British Baking Show piqued my interest. However, I struggled to get into this one. Things moved slowly and there were multiple POV switches, making things a big confusing. Given a choice, I'll stick to watching Bake Off but pass on this novel. However, if you love a cozy mystery it may be a better fit for you.

As a fan of The Great British Baking Show I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was fun to follow the story through the contestants’ eyes and to learn the backstory of each one. The sprawling manor was the perfect setting. There were some good twists and I found the ending to be satisfying.

This book has a great premise & I really enjoyed the setting and reality show aspect of the plot.

Unfortunately I struggled with this book a lot due to an overwhelming lack of dialogue, too frequent switching between a whole lot of POVs, and the overall pacing of the book.

It made it very hard to get into the actual story and crime, and with a thriller you want to be engaged from the get-go. While the prologue does a great job dumping you right into the action, the story halts from there and drags for at least another 100 pages before sprinkling in more action.

I was also discouraged for the use of SA in this book merely to serve as a minor conflict to push the plot along, rather than handled with more care especially given the current state of our world. Trigger and content warnings regarding this would be incredibly useful in the future.

I REALLY loved the set up for this book. I found all of the main characters compelling, thought the competition show aspect was a great set up for a murder mystery, and was pretty engrossed by the writing. I think Maxwell has talent and will definitely take a peak at her next book, but I thought this fell apart pretty abruptly at the end. The central mystery is wrapped up very briefly in the end and all of the twists are far from surprising. Nothing happens at the end that gives you that "ah ha!" moment that is so welcoming at the end of a mystery. Ultimately, it fell short of what I was hoping after loving the first hundred or so pages.

This story has baked in layers of secrets and with a gooey murder center wrapped in a baking show with multiple points of view that progress the time line of interlinking events and relationships deftly. 5/5

I found it hard to reach for this book… And would reach for others instead of this one. Hence the super late feedback.

I’ve decided to DNF for now, but may circle back to it in the future…..

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Golden Spoon.

A mystery that takes place during a baking competition? Count me in!

The only similarity The Golden Spoon has to The Great British Bake Off is the show's format and setup, except Betsy is no Mary Berry and Archie is a sleazier co-host than Paul Hollywood.

This is not reminiscent of Clue; Clue was fun, quirky, with memorable, engaging characters.

The Golden Spoon is a slow moving novel revolving around the contestants, despicable co-hosts, and a producer's desire to boost ratings.

The mystery is barely a plot; someone unlikeable is killed (boohoo) but that's a minor point. That doesn't happen until past the midway point of the novel.

Instead, the narrative is filled with each character's personal stories and issues, Lottie's true reason for gaining access to the estate, and Betsy's desperate need to hold onto her show, as ageism has made her expendable, despite her pedigree and the fact show is filmed on her family estate.

The writing is good, but the narrative is painfully, agonizingly slow; there's no urgency, no suspense, no drama or chills.

The subplot involving Lottie makes up most of the plot, but you know what's going to happen at the end.

When the big reveal occurs, you move on. It's nothing earth shattering.

The epilogue is a quick wrap up; the good guys stay good and the bad guys get their comeuppance.

I did enjoy the delicious descriptions of the pastries and baked goods, but The Golden Spoon didn't meet my expectations at all.

I loved The Golden Spoon! Yes, the murder bookends the story but the way the chapters flip through the different characters made me feel like I was reading a book and binge watching a baking show season at the same time. The writing was solid and the pacing was spot on. It was hard to put this one down when I actually had to do things like go to work...

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read and exactly how I wanted to spend an afternoon. The characters were all interesting and I liked spending time with them.