Lord of the Pies: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery

Hello!  I hope you are having a good week so far.  Death of a Cookbook Author by Lee Hollis will be coming out on April 24.  A Last Goodbye by Dee Yates releases on May 1.  There are so many new books coming out that it is hard to keep up with them all.  

Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton is the second tale in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series.  Carrie Ann Cole is the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kensington Palace.  Carrie Ann is busy preparing for a pie themed bridal shower being hosted by the Duchess for Penny Nethercott’s sister on Saturday.  The gathering gets moved to the Orangery and Carrie Ann will be using Chef Wright’s kitchen.  After the event, Carrie Ann leaves a lemon meringue pie as a thank you to the chef and his staff.  Early the next morning, Penny awakens Carrie Ann because there are police at the Orangery.  A waiter was found face down in Carrie Ann’s pie.  The pie was poisoned, and Carrie Ann is the prime suspect in the man’s death.  Carrie Ann sets out to clear her name and reputation before she loses the job she loves.  After competing in a pie competition, Chef Butterbottom and his staff end up severely ill.  Carrie Ann is the runner up, and she is once again under suspicion and in the tabloids.  While at the Orangery talking to the sous chef, Carrie Ann learns that Chef Wright has disappeared.  They find the flirtation chef dead in the walk-in freezer.  The bodies are piling up and the common denominator is Carrie Ann.  Can Carrie Ann find the person responsible before she ends up in the tower?

While Lord of the Pies is the second book in the series, it can be read alone.  Lord of the Pies is a busy book.  What I mentioned above in my summary is just a drop in the bucket.  There is a stalker, clubbing, baking, another new assistant for Carrie Ann, pie competition, tabloid photographs, Carrie Ann goes out for drinks with Jasper, cooking, chatting, eating and gallons of tea.  I thought Lord of the Pies contained good writing, has a steady pace and a great theme (working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington).  The author has a conversational writing style that engages the reader and soon has them engrossed in the story. I like Carrie Ann as the main character.  She is well-developed and has excellent cooking skills.  She does, though, need to wise up to the ways of the world and proper etiquette (rules) when working in a royal household.  I am not so enamored with Penny.  I am amazed she can get out of bed for work after a night of drinking and dancing (returning home in the wee hours).  The mystery is intriguing.  You never knew who the next victim would be (I kept hoping Chef Butterbottom would not recover).  Many readers will be surprised when the solution is revealed.  There was, though, too much supposition.  Carrie Ann with Agnes (her latest assistant) and Penny speculating on the crimes.  Some of the same details kept getting repeated.  I could have done with less romance between Carrie Ann and Jasper.  Her falling into his arms after a harrowing ordeal did not seem believable since the pair have yet to go one a real date (only went out for drinks once).  I did not feel any spark between them.   Now Carrie Ann and Ian are another story.  I am giving Lord of the Pies 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).   The mouthwatering descriptions of pies along with the recipes at the end of the book will have you digging out your pie pans.  If you are looking for an entertaining cozy mystery to read, then look no further than Lord of the Pies.  The first book in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series is Kale to the Queen.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  Next time I will be sharing my review of The Uninvited Corpse by Debra Sennefelder.  May you have a charming day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Kale to the Queen: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery

Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope each of you had a lovely Palm Sunday.  It is hard to believe that Easter will be here in just a few days. I went out yesterday to pick up items for Easter dinner. My mother believes in a traditional dinner of ham, sweet potatoes and rolls.  I will also make a special dessert.  What do you cook for Easter dinner?  Are you traditional or prefer something unique? I would be just as happy with Chinese!

Kale to the Queen by Nell Hampton is the first book in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series.  Carrie Ann Cole from Chicago, Illinois has just been hired to be the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  Carrie Ann arrives to work early the next morning and enters the greenhouse attached to the kitchen to pick what she needs.  In the kale section, Carrie Ann stumbles upon Frank Deems, one of her assistants.  It is obvious that Frank is dead, and Carrie Ann rushes to get assistance.  Ian Gordon, the security chief, swiftly arrives on the scene.  Blame is quickly laid on Michael Haregrove, Carrie Ann’s food prep assistant.  Though she has not known Michael long, Carrie Ann knows he did not kill Frank.  Carrie Ann is determined to clear Michael’s name so he can return to work.  Her investigation time is limited because meals still need to be cooked and served to the royal family.  Carrie Ann is off to a bumpy start in Kensington Palace, and Chef Butterbottom is less than friendly.  Chef Butterbottom does not like American’s and is very particular about his kitchen (likes the floor to be scrubbed with a brush by hand).   A further wrinkle in Carrie Ann’s new life is Chicago boyfriend, John.  John’s cooking star is on the rise and he had no wish to relocate with Carrie Ann.  But then he shows up in her quarter’s one night with unexpected offer.  Carrie Ann will need to make a decision.   To see how Carrie Ann investigation turns out and her choice, check out Kale to the Queen.

I enjoyed reading Kale to the Queen.  It has a wonderful setting, lovely descriptions of food and London, and a delightful main character.  The book is well-written and has a good pace.  I did find Carrie Ann a little too chatty with regard to the mystery.  She should have been more discreet with her investigation.  I also did not feel we needed a description of every item of food that Carrie Ann made for the royal family.  I can understand some food imagery, but not for every single dish (especially those for the children).  I liked how Carrie Ann evolved over the course of the story.  It was nice to see her grow from her experiences and face some realities about her relationship with John.  I give Kale to the Queen 4 out of 5 stars.  While the mystery was interesting, there is a very limited suspect pool.  I thought the identity of the killer was apparent.  I wish the author had made the whodunit a little more complex (added more depth and layers). There is a new love interest for Carrie Ann, and he seems to be a mysterious fellow (much better than the Chicago boyfriend).  I just hope that the author develops the relationship slowly and keeps it playing softly in the background (it is a mystery novel, not a romance novel).  Kale to the Queen captured my interest right away and held it throughout the story.  I thought this was a good first book in the series and I will definitely be reading the next book in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery.  Kale to the Queen will be out on Tuesday, April 11.

I hope each of you have a trouble free Monday.  I will be back tomorrow to evaluate The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White.  I am currently reading One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader