Recipes for Love and Murder
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
"A bright new talent makes her fiction debut with this first novel in a delicious crime series set in rural South Africa: a flavorful blend of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Goldy Schulz, full of humor, romance, and recipes, and featuring a charming cast of characters. Tannie Maria ("tannie" meaning auntie, the respectful Afrikaans address for a woman older than you) is a middle-aged widow who likes to cook and eat. She shares her culinary love through her work as a recipe columnist for the local paper, until the Gazette decides its readers are hungrier for advice on matters of the heart than for lunch and dinner ideas. Tannie Maria doesn't like the change but soon discovers she has a knack and a passion for helping people. Of course, a recipe is always part of the remedy she offers. Assisting other people with their problems, Tannie Maria is eventually forced to face her own issues, especially when the troubles of those she helps touch on the pain of her own past like a woman who contacts her desperate to escape her abusive husband. When the woman is murdered, Tannie Maria becomes dangerously entwined in the investigation, despite the best efforts of a handsome detective named Kannemeyer, who is determined to keep her safe. Suddenly, this practical, down-to-earth woman is involved in something much more sinister than perfecting her chocolate cake recipe . . ." -- ONIX annotation.
Reviews with the most likes.
I want to read cozies from around the world and I found this South African one and half way through it I thought I have to make some soentjies for company when I read the next book (there are recipes at the end of the book, 2 chocolate cakes! But none for soentjies.)
Tannie Maria is adorable and has conversations with her food. She used to have a recipe column in the local paper but higher ups says they need to have an agony aunt so she gets the job but combines it with her love for food. One letter writer decides to leave her abusive husband and when a dead one is reported Tannie Marie knows it's the same woman and along with her friends at the paper they investigate the murder.
Charming and fun and I will read the rest. There's also a TV series that I will look into. There's a little cursing in this one.
I like this book a lot.
The love story is so sweet.
I love how she cares for battered women, giving them help, support and advice without endangering them. A victim could be reading this book without her abuser knowing she is getting tools to deal with the situation.
I like the recipes - prepare to be hungry all the time when you read this book! :-D This and Akata Witch/Akata Warrior got me googling recipes :-D
The love of nature and descriptions was another thing I loved in this book.
And even though these ladies put their fingers in police business, and in most “detective novels” like this I hate it, Sally Andrew managed to do it in a nice way. I don't know how, because apparently it isn't any different from the last amateur sleuth book I read and bashed because of that, but... I think it was the fact that the MC wasn't presented being better at police work as the police itself was, and the leads she found were practically impossible to be found by someone not like her. Her love of cooking, food, ingredients, cook books, and her history, her situation, her job... It wasn't like “i'm just smarter than everyone else, and more observant, and lucky, I guess”. Also, it wasn't “everyone is so mean to me and I'm just trying to help them!” whining like in the previous book.
Featured Series
4 primary booksTannie Maria Mystery is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Sally Andrew.
