Description
Description
The Maid meets Knives Out with a dash of Top Chef in the debut locked room culinary mystery set in a London cooking school by Masterchef semi-finalist and cookbook writer Orlando Murrin.
"Some people are natural dancers, others marvelous in bed, but--not wishing to boast--I'm good with a knife. Most chefs are."
The Chester Square Cookery School in the heart of London offers students a refined setting in which to master the fine art of choux pastry and hone their hollandaise. True, the ornate mansion doesn't quite sparkle the way it used to--a feeling chef Paul Delamare is familiar with these days. Worn out and newly broke, he'd be tempted to turn down the request to fill in as teacher for a week-long residential course, if anyone other than Christian Wagner were asking.
Christian is one of Paul's oldest friends, as well as the former recipient of two Michelin stars and host of Pass the Gravy! Thanks to a broken arm, he's unable to teach the upcoming session himself, and recruits Paul as stand-in. The students are a motley crew, most of whom seem more interested in ogling the surroundings (including handsome Christian) than learning the best ways to temper chocolate.
Yet despite his misgivings, Paul starts to enjoy imparting his extensive knowledge to the recruits--until someone turns up dead, murdered with a cleaver Paul used earlier that day to prep a pair of squabs. Did one of his students take the lesson on knife techniques too much to heart, or was this the result of a long-simmering grudge? In between clearing his own name and teaching his class how to perfectly poach a chicken, he'll have to figure out who's the killer, and avoid being the next one to get butchered ...
About the Author
About the Author
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Dazzlingly sharp with a wit that sparkles off the page." ―Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author "Fresh, engrossing and deliciously irreverent, Orlando Murrin's debut blends murder, intrigue, larger-than-life characters and mouth-watering recipes in a literary feast for the senses. Think Wodehouse meets Christie with a side order of Delia!" --Tammy Cohen "If Agatha Christie were to go on Masterchef, this novel would be the result. A deliciously fun murder mystery - I loved it." --Clare Pooley "A real treat, as sharp as the best kitchen knife with a wonderfully acerbic protagonist who I'd be very happy to spend more time with. It has all the ingredients of the best cosy crime." --Trevor Wood "A deliciously twisty, enthralling and sharp mystery." --Nadine Matheson "In the kitchen with the meat cleaver is my favorite kind of murder and Orlando Murrin's debut does not disappoint. A protagonist in over his head, a cast of characters who aren't what they seem and the perfect London cooking school setting all make for a murderous culinary triumph." --Emma Styles, author of No Country For Girls "If you love food, a juicy murder and a rollicking read, Orlando Murrin serves up the perfect recipe." ―William Sitwell, food writer and restaurant critic "A triumph!! Intriguing, clever, funny - a real page-turner." ―Sue Lawrence, food writer and novelist
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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