recipes, mystery-fiction, thriller, foodie, suspense, cookin-lessons, cooking, friends, friendship, London, investigation, cozy-crime, friction, twisty, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, police-detectives, snarky, verbal-humor, situational-humor*****

Chef Paul Delamare makes the mistake of agreeing to take over for a friend and cover the teaching at an upscale cooking school held in a private home. The adult students are something else, but it's when Paul discovers his friend's body with a meat cleaver in his head that things really get sticky. The detectives are more than just irritating and seem to have stopped looking for the murderer and focused on Paul. Paul has to do his own investigating and does a fine job, but the very best thing about this book is the laugh your sox off humor!
I requested and received a temporary e-book from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, but the premise was intriguing enough that I wanted to read it.
Thanks to an early copy from NetGalley, I was able to.

What starts as a favour to his long-time friend, Christian, ends up as a fight to prove his own innocence in a murder.
Set in London, with an eclectic cast of characters, this book is engaging and makes you want to not put it down.

There is a lot of cooking jargon that some may not be familiar with, but the setting, scenes and people are enjoyable.
I honestly did not suspect who was the killer until it was revealed. It was written well in that I could not figure it out and I usually am able to have a pretty good clue before the big reveal.
Here I was left guessing the whole time.
Paul, the main character, is often trying to get the other members of his cooking class alone so he can ask them questions, which seems a little off, until you remember that Paul is suspected of a murder and he is doing his level-best to find something, anything to exonerate him.
There were some characters that I thought would be more involved in the book as they were brought in, but it looks as though they will be saved for future books. There definitely is a few that need to be developed further.

An enjoyable read, I recommend.

First off- I loved the recipes! Those were a fun touch. As for the story, the plot was intriguing and the writing style kept the story moving. I didn't feel much of anything for any of the characters though as they just didn't seem believable. The pace definitely picks up in the second half of the book so don't feel like the entire thing is going to drag!

Interesting culinary setting. Characters not particularly believable or consistent. Excellent twist at end. Well written

This stylish, witty, fast-paced novel sees chef Paul Delamare taking on a brief stint at an upscale cooking school held in a private home in Belgravia. The luxurious setting provides lots of luscious detail and some tasty-sounding recipes, but the job is not all it's cracked up to be.

A murder is just one of the dramas swirling through the story. Paul is charming, but he's also a bit of a hot mess. His trusty work buddy supports him through the shenanigans, but he also has family, friends, and former flames bringing extra drama to his life. He also can't stay out of everyone else's drama, so things get very dramatic.

It's a rollicking jaunt with a great puzzle, snappy dialogue, and a film-worthy ending. I look forward to more from this author.

Paul Delamare agrees to do a favor for on old friend, Christian, by teaching at The Chester Square Cookery School while Christian recovers from a broken arm. Christian was once the toast of the cooking world, earning two Michelin stars, having his own show, and having a chain of restaurants. The last several years have not been kind to Christian and Paul feels like he could help him out. The students seem to be more interested in rubbing shoulders with Christian rather than learning cooking skills. Paul finds himself starting to enjoy the act of teaching as he ventures away from the plans Christian made and seems to be hitting his stride when someone ends up dead at the school. Now Paul is trying to clear his own name while also trying to figure out who committed the murder. A really well-crafted mystery with a slow burn to finding the killer.

The title of the book had me intrigued in a second, loved how it all starts with a recipe. While the book felt like a light hearted cosy mystery , the characters felt a little one dimensional and were not able to hold my attention. It surely felt like many of them were hiding a lot of secrets and I had my guesses and was left surprised in the end. Overall a good read, moderate start and the pace picks up in the second half. And I surely learned a few tricks to use for my next cook!

I cannot wait until Paul Delamare 's next adventure arrives!

Paul is a chef - a very, very good chef who is down on his luck. As he tells his backstory, we also tune in when he helps out a friend and acts as a stand in for a celebrity chef at the The Chester Square Cookery School. The students are disappointed but the celebrity chef does pop in Christian is Paul's oldest friend and may be able to help him in his time of need - if he gets a chance to speak to him.

Rushing around is the motley crew of the staff mixed in with some very interesting cooking students. Paul's outlook on life and his text conversations with his best friend bring in more hilarity. Orlando Murrin includes plenty of real recipes, cooking stories and tips amidst a perfectly plotted mystery!
I hope Paul visits a Chateaux next !
#kensington #knifeskillsforbeginners #orlandomurrin