The French Cookery School - Caroline James

 

Description

The recipe for a perfect summer…

Step 1: Mix together a group of mature students

Step 2: Add in a handsome host

Step 3: Season with a celebrity chef

Step 4: Bring to the boil at a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors to his beautiful French home, La Maison du Paradis. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the perfect business plan…

Divorcée caterer Caroline needs to be able stand on her own two feet. While warm-hearted Fran hopes to help her beloved husband fulfil his lifelong dream. And for food journalist Sally it’s a PR opportunity – until a certain celebrity chef gets under her skin…

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis…

Review

A great relaxing read but it might make you hungry!

This is the first book I have read by this author, I have already downloaded two others by her, as I enjoyed this one so much. 

Everyone has different reasons for attending the inaugural cooking school at La Maison du Paradis. Some are running away, others are there to hone a new skill and some are there to work. It seems someone is determined not to make friends, but is envious when she sees some of the others enjoying each others company, and having a great time. A quick witted tongue makes her a little less welcoming to more or less  everyone, and leaves her at the fringe of the group. Just one of the characters that's maybe misunderstood in the beginning. You'll get to know them all and why they are there. 

I couldn't wait to get back to this book and read about what would unfold next. It's got a little bit of everything really and that makes for a great read.

A tried and tested plot line - a group of people from different backgrounds descend on a venue to learn a skill. I do think that the author brought something new though, if only that she had more mature characters and it was interesting to read about their attitude to life. 

I liked the ending which in a way was in two parts. Not neatly tied up, but a somewhat realistic outcome. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. It will be published on 25 April 2024.

Close to Death - Anthony Horowitz

 

Description

Richmond Upon Thames is one of the most desirable areas to live in London. And Riverview Close - a quiet, gated community – seems to offer its inhabitants the perfect life.

At least it does until Giles Kenworthy moves in with his wife and noisy children, his four gas-guzzling cars, his loud parties and his plans for a new swimming pool in his garden.

His neighbours all have a reason to hate him and are soon up in arms.

When Kenworthy is shot dead with a crossbow bolt through his neck, all of them come under suspicion and his murder opens the door to lies, deception and further death.

The police are baffled. Reluctantly, they call in former Detective Daniel Hawthorne. But even he is faced with a seemingly impossible puzzle.

How do you solve a murder when everyone has the same motive?

Review

This is the first Anthony Horowitz novel I have read and it won't be the last.

A man living on a desirable Close is murdered. He's managed to alienate all of his neighbours, but did one of them actually kill him? The police call in Hawthorne a private eye, to see if he can uncover what they can't. 

I hadn't realised this book is the latest in a series of books to feature Hawthorne. Despite that I had no trouble reading this as a standalone book, and now want to read the earlier ones too (and probably everything he has ever written). I don't think I have ever been as intrigued by a book since I read Agatha Christie many moons ago. Brilliantly written it had me turn the pages so fast that I finished it in two sittings.

There are so many facets to this story and at first I struggled with too many characters and a map I couldn't memorise. I just read on and it all fell into place and I even had an inkling of what may have happened. To say I loved this writing would be an understatement. Why has it taken me this long to discover this fantastic author.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 11 April 2024.

Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame - Olivia Ford

 

Description

'As delicious and comforting as a freshly baked sponge. A most, heartwarming story and delightful debut' Ruth Jones, bestselling author of Love Untold

'An absolute delight. A lovely novel full of warmth, courage and heart, Jenny Quinn is a heroine you’ll cheer for every step of the way' A J Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird

‘Calling all Great British Baking Show fans: this charming novel will fill the cake-shaped hole in your heart with the kind of feel-good suspense we love from the likes of Paul Hollywood’ Good Housekeeping
----
Mrs Quinn is the unlikely star of Britain's favourite baking show, but could her newfound stardom cause her biggest secret to unravel?

Jennifer Quinn has a secret. Her love of baking has just won her a spot as a contestant on a primetime TV show. It's only the second time in fifty-nine years that she's kept something from her beloved husband Bernard.

She's about to be whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judges. She could be in with a chance of being crowned the best baker in Britain.

But, as Mrs Quinn's quiet ambitions turn into unexpected stardom, the other secret she's been keeping is in danger of resurfacing. It was supposed to stay hidden forever.

Will Mrs Quinn rise to the challenge? Or, will her success become a recipe for disaster?
----
'Bake Off fans, don’t miss this! Delectable food writing and a quietly loveable heroine' Daily Mail

'A charming, heartfelt and uplifting novel about love, family and the emotive power of home baking' Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido

'Perfectly baked, utterly delicious, and completely moreish' Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity Project

Review

If you love Bake Off - then you will probably love this book too.

Jenny is 77 and decides before it is too late she needs to make a mark in the world. So she applies to be a contestant on the TV programme Britain Bakes, and is successful. The BB programme has many similarities with GBBO and to me felt like a glimpse behind the scenes with all the bits you don't see, which I loved.

Whilst the story of Jenny appearing on TV is happening there is a also a flashback storyline from Jenny's youth interspersed in the pages. It was a little bit of a jolt from the lovely baking and at first I did resent it a little for intruding on my enjoyment. So many of Jenny's recipes come from her family and so the tie in with each of the storylines was a recipe. 

Wonderful descriptions of the baking which made me want to get in the kitchen, or maybe just eat cake! Jenny is a lovely character and so is her husband. That's why when she hides not one but two secrets from him it is worrying if their relationship will survive. 

A wonderful ending left me with a tear in my eye. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the down to earth writing. No trying to tie up loose ends in neat words, it was at times a little brutal even, but I still couldn't wait to get back to reading this book.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book will be published on 28 March 2024.

Way Back - Sara Cox

 

Description

'Full of Sara Cox's natural warmth and wit' PRIMA
'Relatable, observant and funny' WOMAN & HOME

Josie's life is fine. Absolutely, completely fine.

Nice husband, brilliant best friend, a gorgeous kid at uni. The big house of her dreams on its leafy London street is a lifetime away from the Lancashire farm of her childhood. So what if her mother is tricky, and James isn't in love with Josie any more, and maybe she's not in love with him either? It's great to have time to herself now Chloe's flown the nest . . . isn't it?

This is the life Josie never believed possible. The life she needed when her heart was breaking as a child, when her mum wasn't coping and Josie had to grow up too fast. So why this feeling, nibbling away at the edges of Josie's thoughts? The sense that she has lost something. That she has lost herself.

If Josie is to truly live, she must now take back the reins and confront her future. And to find her way ahead, she needs to go back - way back.

To the place where it all began . . .
_______

'A gorgeously written story of starting over, secrets, friendship... and going wild in the country' LUCY DIAMOND
'A warm and moving dive into childhood secrets' JO BRAND
'Gorgeous! Warm and funny and brimming with tenderness and heart' GRAHAM NORTON

Review

I loved Thrown, but struggled to get into this one as easily.

I could really hear Sara's voice coming through in this book. Possibly because I know she is the daughter of a farmer and often recounts tales on the radio. I think this also enabled her vivid descriptions of farm life throughout the book.

Josie is a 50 something and has split up with her husband, but what does she want out of life now she finally has the chance to find out. I certainly wasn't expecting what happened to Josie, and at times worried that she had bitten off far more than she could manage. 

I thought the first half of the book dragged a little for me. It contained a lot of descriptive writing and revisiting the past. I prefer narration so it could just be me. I never thought about not finishing it, but it didn't make me want to get back to it. The second part of the book was much more lively with a little twist, which I hadn't seen coming, as I thought I had it all sussed out.

Overall I enjoyed the book and the characters, which were well developed and had depth. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 26 March 2024.

Butter - Asako Yuzuki

 

Description

'Unputdownable, breathtakingly original' ERIN KELLY

'Delicious' i-D Magazine

'Salivatingly well-written' RENA MATSUI

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

Review

Wow! This is an absorbing read, which you need to invest time in to read. 

Rika is a journalist who rarely cooks. Food is just food to her and her boyish figure. She becomes intrigued by Manako Kajii. Kajii is awaiting a retrial for the serial murders of men she befriended and then shortly after cooking for them, they died.

Rika manages to obtain a visit with Kajii in the Denention Centre. She is further intrigued by the prisoner and her recipes, which on Kajii instructions Rika begins to cook. From thereon there is no going back for Rika and we follow her down a rabbit hole of investigative journalism and her foray and obsession into food. She begins to gain weight through the rich foods she is cooking, all with butter.

I can't really do justice to the writing of this book in this review. It's beautifully written, even the long passages on food and the preparation are just mesmerising. This is why it takes time to read, it's not a book to be rushed through.

There are so many other strands to the book besides the main relationship between Rika and Kajii. Rika's friends are also drawn into the obsession and I just read on amazed at the outcomes of the storyline. I also became a little infatuated myself, willing Kajii not to be the serial killer everyone thinks she is.

Having been to Japan the book resonated with me, but it could be a little slow for some Western readers. This would be brilliant on the screen and I hope it makes it there. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is out on 29 February 2024.

The Secretary - Zoe Lea

 

Description

The teachers thought they knew her. They were wrong...

'Must read' Bella
'A brilliant thriller' Closer
'Gripping and powerful!' Lauren North
'An addictive page-turner' Samantha Tonge
'School run revenge at its best' Jacqueline Ward
'The end was a triumph, absolutely brilliant!' Rona Halsall

When single mum Ruth has a brief fling with Rob, she's mortified to discover that he lied to her. He lied to her, because he's married. Worse still, he's the husband of Janine, head of the PTA at the primary school where Ruth works as secretary, and when the truth of their fling is discovered, Ruth suddenly has a lot of enemies at the school gates.

Threatening texts begin to arrive, rumours abound and the staff room becomes hostile. But when it also starts to affect her son, a student at the school, Ruth realises you can do anything if you convince yourself it's for the sake of your child.

Even murder.

A page-turning and deeply compulsive psychological thriller about a school secretary and how dangerous it can be to make enemies at the school gates. For fans of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and The Rumour by Lesley Kara.

Review

I read this so quickly - a real page turner.

Ruth the School Secretary in the title has a one night stand. Little does she know that despite him saying he was single and had no children, his wife is the head of the PTA and his children go to the school she works at. When a showdown ensues at the school gates life gets very nasty very quickly for Ruth.

Who would have thought so many nasty and murderous things would happen in and around a school and the secretary who works there. From silly niggles to the prospect of losing her job Ruth spends most of the time on the back front in this mystery. When she's told to grab a snake not by its head, she becomes embroiled in something far more serious than petty squabbling when she decides to fight back. She justifies it as protecting her child, but it begins to get out of hand.

Some of the time I couldn't work out whether the incidents were really happening, or if Ruth was making it up. Interspersed with letters from a prison you know something happened, but just what you are yet to find out. A really gripping, page turning story.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Road Trip - Beth O'Leary

Description

The instant Sunday Times Bestseller from the author of The Flatshare

'Read this! Absolutely loved it!' Christina Lauren

'This book is perfect' Rosie Walsh

'Beth is quite rightly earning her title as "Queen of Uplit"' Prima

Addie and her sister are on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, who she hasn't seen since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. And with four hundred miles to go, they can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship . . .

Will they make it to the wedding? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

Review

This book was not what I was expecting based on the two previous books I have read by this author. Nearly a DNF.

After a car collision on the way to a friend's wedding with her sister, Addie finds herself face to face with her ex Dylan. They are all on the way to the same wedding in Scotland, so of course with one car out of action they offer Dylan and his best mate Marcus a lift. Not to forget they also have a passenger called Roger that cadged a lift to wedding but none of them knows.

Whilst on the course of the journey there are flashbacks to when Addie and Dylan met and became an item. They are told from the perspective of both Addie and Dylan, and to be honest I was glad when they were over and the book concentrated on the present day. I just couldn't get interested in this story.

At about 40% I began to wonder if I really wanted to invest anymore time in this book. I didn't care for any of the characters and was beginning to skim read. Some comedic moments from the journey and a lorry driver called Kevin did cheer me up a little. Then we find out what actually happened when Addie and Dylan split up, and the whole book changed for me. 

I needed to read on and find out what would happen with Dylan and Addie and why exactly Roger was going to the wedding. I actually warmed to Dylan and Addie by this time and begun to understand the other characters a little more.

I am giving this book 3 out of 5 stars, mainly due to the drawn out first half of the book. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.