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4.0 out of 5 stars
You must be fond of culinary mysteries..., Oct 4 2001
Frankly I didn't see the murderer coming, nor the motive. [And sometimes, I can spot the murderer right away]. Since the Ingram review is so bad, here goes -The book opens at a cooking contest, at which food writer/ amateur detective Darina Lisle has been invited to judge. The surprise winner is one Verity Fry, whose mother Constance and sister Pru (Prunella, as it turns out) run a small but successful organic farm. At the competition, Darina notices a young handsome restauranteur Simon who seems very friendly with Verity; however Verity also has a late-arriving boyfriend two decades her senior - a smart businessman, Oliver Knatchbull. [the name is that of an authentic British noble family, but the character is entirely fictional]. Darina is persuaded by the Fry women to come and see their farm. And so begins her involvement with that family who do produce wonderfully tasty meat and poultry; at the same time, she is persuaded by Simon to help him with his forthcoming cookbook. What becomes clear both to Darina and the reader is that Simon and the Frys have a complicated relationship, and that Simon is desperate for money. What is clear to the reader (but not to Simon) is that Simon seems rather close to Verity. Not surprisingly, when Constance Fry (the mother) turns up dead following a hit-and-run, Simon is one of the suspects - but is quickly cleared (Darina just happens to be his alibi). But there is another murder to follow - and a rather involved history behind that murder. The cousin of a deceased cookbook writer has recently returned to her family home after spending years abroad; there is some mystery over her opposition to Verity's proposed marriage to Oliver Knatchbull and her fear of her cousin (and heir). There is considerable mystery about Constance Fry's romantic past, and about Verity's birth. These mysteries are largely solved, and mostly successfully, by the end. The murder involves a pate competition, and the mystery of which pate was responsible for the death of Natasha Quantrell (the writer's cousin). Not to mention the reason for her murder - which is not precisely what you might suspect. [Hint - there is a strong element of Greek tragedy here]. If you like your mystery well-flavored with culinary details, this is just the book for you. Darina Lisle can be occasionally irritating (she is rather interestingly, herself the cousin of a late writer); and both she and her boyfriend are related to the aristocracy [not typical, I assume, for a detective]. There is her own failed or not-so-failed romance playing out in the background. Both Verity Fry and her sister Pru are remarkably self-centered people, as is Simon. [If you like more sympathetic characters, this is not the book]. I have to admit that I was not entirely satisfied with all the elements. For example, Natasha Quantrell's opposition to the marriage seemed somewhat specious. Constance Fry's affection for Verity seemed overdone. Still, it was interesting to read about the lifestyle of a cookbook author, and to understand the tensions in the life of such an author. I rated this book at 3.7. While this book is not a re-read, it is still good enough to forward (by mail) to a friend.
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