A fun start to a new cozy mystery series. I loved that a Darci Hannah used characters from the other series.
This story had great characters, a fun plot, and an interesting ending. Truly enjoyed.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Bridget "Bunny" McBride has signed on to be the chef on a new show, unaware that it is a cooking and ghost
hunter show. Her task is to recreate a meal to draw out the ghost being investigated. First stop is Bramsford
Manor in Scotland for the Mistletoe Bride. When the historian is murdered with her boning knife. She becomes the prime suspect. Fortunately, the tapes filmed prove her innocence. Bunny is able to see ghosts and spirits and contacts her grandmother to uncover the killer. As she, her grandmother and the ghost crew investigate, they seek to discover the big reveal the historian had planned and is most likely the reason for his murder.
Interesting characters - look forward to their next adventure.
#AFatalFeastatBramsfordManor #Kensington #NetGalley

TV/Film-industry, ghost-hunting, family, relatives, psychics, medium, paranormal, clairvoyant, new-series, first-in-series, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, murder, investigations, verbal-humor, situational-humor, Hampshire*****

The story is as gentle as the MC, not sassy like her Scottish grandmother. But it is as fun as her ghostly bunny and her denial that she is clairvoyant in any way. Not like the guy on the film crew who Knows he isn't but pretends that he is.
Bunny is a known American TV chef who has been talked into returning to the UK to be in a new series called the Food & Spirits with the first one set in picturesque Hampshire. So she wasn't prepared to find a recently dead body nor be tossed in the cells as the primary suspect. And then it really gets laughable! Did I mention that the "Spirits" means ghosts, not potables?
Great story in a new series from a fun author of cozies.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Aug 20, 2024

I must admit I stayed on the fence about this first in a new series book pretty much the whole way through until the end. I did not immediately warm to the characters with the possible exception of Granny Mac. Interesting concept combining food and ghost hunting. Also a different concept with each future book taking place in a different location rather than the same town with all the same friends and neighbors. I considered giving it 3 stars but added one for originality. I do love ghost stories though so I will read the next book. I love the Beacon Bakeshop series and I have no doubt Darci Hannah will draw me in with this new series as well.

This is the first in a new series by a new to me author.

It has great potential, and I am looking forward to the next book already

A new mystery series centering on a television chef who creates meals to entice ghosts for her ghost hunting co-stars. Book 1 is set in an English manor house and includes some great minor characters. Loads of fun

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A FATAL FEAST AT BRAMSFORD MANOR (Book 1 of the Food and Spirits mystery series) by Darci Hannah in exchange for an honest review. Bridget “Bunny” MacBride has a regular spot on a popular cooking show. When the hostess of the cooking show asks Bunny if she would be interested in hosting her own cooking series called Food & Spirits, Bunny thinks her dreams have come true and signs on the dotted line. Bunny is surprised, therefore, to discover the “Spirits” in the title have nothing to do with alcohol. Since Bunny is spooky-averse, she realizes she has been tricked into signing up for her nightmare instead of her dream. Their first episode brings them to Bramsford Manor to investigate the hauntings there. When one of their local experts is killed and left in a chest featured in the episode, Bunny is arrested for the murder. Bunny calls in her support, and her gran arrives to help Bunny and the film crew identify the killer before the episode wraps.

I liked this book and look forward to future books in the series. I am a fan of other series by Darci Hannah. I recommend this book to fans of cozy paranormal murder mysteries featuring historic locations, food television, and ghost hunting.

#AFatalFeastatBramsfordManor #NetGalley

A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor has everything you could want in a cozy mystery series starter! There’s ghosts, murder, secrets, food, and a budding romance. It has several twists, most of which I didn’t see coming. It even has some recipes in the back that correspond with the food in the book.

If you’ve read the author’s other two series, Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries and Very Cherry Mysteries, then you may recognize a character or two. However, if you haven’t read either of the other two series, you won’t feel like you’re missing any information for this book.

I loved this book and can’t to see where the series goes from here!

Bridget "Bunny" MacBride is a Scottish chef who's come to live in the USA. She's part of a cooking show with a famous chef, having her own segment. But when she clashes with the woman, suddenly her life has changed. She's offered her own show -- Food & Spirits, -- and jumps at the chance. What she doesn't know until later is that the "spirits" part isn't about alcoholic beverages. It's about actual spirits. In other words, ghosts.

Bunny isn't happy about this, since she left Scotland to get away from ghosts of her old life. But soon enough she finds out that they're traveling to England to contact the Mistletoe Bride -- a woman who died on her wedding night at Christmas -- and there's no way out for her. What she really doesn't expect is to see the ghost of her white rabbit, Hopper, or to need the help of her grandma, who is an actual psychic. But here, the unexpected becomes reality, and she soon finds that reality isn't all what it's cracked up to be...

This is the first book in a new series by Darci Hannah, one of my favorite authors. It's a sort of a spin off from the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries, in that Brett Bloom, who was a 'guest' ghosthunter in that series, and turns up again in this series, as part of the group. Saying that, let's get to the story without giving away any spoilers (if I can).

The crew is invited to the Manor by a historian who is chronicling the past of the manor and the tale of the Mistletoe Bride, and wants them to attempt to contact her. But on the night of the dinner -- being made magnificently by Bunny, and filmed by the ghosthunters, she sees the ghost of Hopper, and her life changes. Suddenly she's now a murder suspect, and calls her grandma for help. During the investigation, she doesn't know who believes her and who doesn't; but it doesn't matter anyway because she and grandma -- and the crew -- are trying to figure out who killed the person.

Unfortunately, it has to be someone who was at Bramsford Manor that night, which includes all of the staff, and even the owners. Can Bunny figure it out? But what's even more important, can she figure out what is going on with her, and can she stop running from herself at last?

I have to say that I just loved this book. It had all the elements of a good story -- a protagonist with a tragic background (explained in the book so no cliffhangers!); interesting characters all around, and the best, a little paranormal activity to keep you interested. And interested I was, finishing this book far too soon and wanting more! Giff is a hoot, and when he's with grandma, you have two hoots and a half...if I may say so (ha). Brett is a bit more skeptical, but being a ghosthunter, he'd better figure it out, and he does; but I think unwillingly, anyway. I also liked many of the secondary characters as well, which is a big plus.

When the ending comes and we finally figure out the murderer, I have to say that I was completely surprised by this. That's a good thing. I read far too many mysteries where I figure out the killer way before our protagonist does. But this also was intriguing in the fact that we find out more than the motive -- the killer gives us enough reasons to wonder how anyone in the manor couldn't even suspect them. They go to great lengths to keep it all hidden, and do so magnificently.

In the end, we are given a hint of what is to come in future books (which I hope will happen soon) and some truly delicious-looking recipes that I plan to try myself! Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

an interesting premise of a ghost hunting show that combines serving a typical meal the ghost would have liked to try to bring them forth. Bunny is the newly hired chef of the first show as they head to England to film at a large manor house that was known to have a ghost of a young bride who disappeared on her wedding day to be found years later to have been trapped in trunk. When the local historian is found inside the trunk with Bunny's knife in his chest she is obviously a prime suspect. Enjoyed this one, but at times the ties to the heritage and who was who became a bit much to keep track of. Might just be me, as in here in the colonies this is not such a common occurrence. Still though, enjoyed the mystery and really liked Bunny's grandmother. Would recommend.

#AFatalFeastatBramsfordManor #NetGalley is a really good story that kept me guessing until the end.
Bunny doesn't like ghosts, but she loves too cook, so when the opportunity to cohost a paranormal reality show, she thinks it maybe fun.
Unfortunately, Bunny has to face her fears but while doing so, solves a few ancient murder mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

A FATAL FEAST AT BRAMSFORD MANOR is the first book in the brand-new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series by Darci Hannah. Oh my, what a fun romp through an English manor house with things that go bump in the night! Scottish protagonist Bunny MacBride is an accomplished New York City chef and has been offered a position on the new reality TV show, Food & Spirits. In her excitement, she misses that the “spirits” mentioned aren’t cocktail-based, instead it’s a ghost hunting show. Ms. Hannah’s way with words brings the descriptions to life in the most humorous of ways, and she sets up each scene for maximum entertainment. I loved each of the characters and found it especially charming that some of them have made previous appearances in the author’s other two series (Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries and Very Cherry Mysteries). Bunny is endearing as she struggles with her own tragic loss, which makes her seem relatable. I greatly enjoyed the addition of Bunny’s clairvoyant grandmother, who brings some much-needed comfort to Bunny and is the “team grandma” who guides the hapless ghost hunters with much entertainment.

The TV crew’s first stop is at an English countryside manor house, where a long-ago bride’s wedding day turned to tragedy. Bunny is soon in for a shock when she finds the house is not only haunted, but someone is a murderer and is out to frame her. I’ve always enjoyed long ago mysteries that need to be solved alongside current day murders. Ms. Hannah expertly weaves the two together, keeping the action and the intrigue moving at a fast clip. With shocking reveals and enough suspects to keep me guessing, I devoured the book, loath to put it down for even a moment. The one and only downside is that I don’t have the second book sitting by to dive into… I can’t wait to read what’s next in store for Bunny and the crew!

Bunny has thoughtfully included several of her recipes—sweet, savory, and libations—at the back of the book “to entertain your family and friends (and ghosts, if that’s what you’re into)”.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.