BLOG TOUR: Chef Maurice and the Bunny Boiler Bake Off by J.A.Lang

Book Information

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 246

Publisher: Purple Panda Press

Publication Date: October 12, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1910679081

Synopsis: They say all’s Fayre in love and baking... 

Spring has sprung, the bunting is up, and for the residents of the little Cotswold village of Beakley, this can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Beakley Spring Fayre.

Drawing the crowds this year is stiletto-strutting celebrity chef Miranda Matthews, a woman for whom making enemies is a piece of (shop-bought) cake. And one of them is lurking around the Fayre, ready to make sure Miranda hangs up her apron—for good.

Faced with a murderer with a possible penchant for top(ping) chefs, Chef Maurice must sift through the clues and weigh up the suspects—not to mention contending with a sous-chef with mummy issues, a food critic on a diet, and a bulletproof pudding—as he finds himself on the trail of a killer who’s not cooking by the rules...

Review: Chef Maurice is in the middle of yet another murder mystery.  I love reading this series, and this installment reinforces that feeling. Chef, his employees, their friends and family--all the characters are fun and personable. The mystery is very well written, and the identity of the murderer totally surprised me.

I was glad to see Chef's pig, Hamilton, back in this book, as I think he is adorable!  I'm also enjoying the development of the relationship between Patrick and PC Lucy.

This book provides plenty of twists and turns, and has a great deal of suspense and action. If you haven't met these folks yet, I hope you will get to know them soon.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

J.A. Lang is the author of the Chef Maurice Mysteries, set in the fictional Cotswold village of Beakley, conveniently located within driving distance of her home in Oxford, England. She lives with her husband, an excessive number of cookbooks, and a sourdough starter named Bob.

Her favourite authors include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.

When not at her writing desk, she enjoys cooking, eating, travelling to places with good food, drinking good wine, and thinking about her next meal. (Please note that any similarities between J.A. Lang and her main character, Chef Maurice, are purely coincidental.)

BLOG TOUR: Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes by J.A. Lang

Title & Series: Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes (Chef Maurice Mysteries Book 2)

Genre: Cozy Mystery (English Village, Culinary)

File Size: 489 KB

Print Length: 168 pages

Publisher: Purple Panda Press (July 13, 2015)

ASIN: B00WET7X64

Synopsis:  In the rarefied world of wine collecting, murder isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs…

An invitation to dinner at the home of renowned wine collector Sir William Burton-Trent soon finds Chef Maurice in the middle of an all-too-real murder mystery party, when Sir William is found dead in his own wine cellar.

The guests are acting all innocent, but which one is only playing the part? The pushy Californian film director? The seductive French winemaker?

Or could it be, against all narrative decency, the butler who did it?

With the help of food critic friend Arthur Wordington-Smythe, a large kipper sandwich, and the newly formed Cochon Rouge Wine Appreciation Society, Chef Maurice must get to the bottom of matters before events turn decidedly sour…

My review: Chef Maurice and his kitchen staff are back, along with critic Arthur and PC Lucy. Ms. Lang is a wonderful storyteller, and this installment is no exception. She kept me guessing till the very end as to the identity of the murderer. 

Chef Maurice is a real character, in every sense of the word. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery heroes.  I also enjoy the budding romance between Patrick and Lucy. 

Thanks to Ms. Lang, I learned a great deal about wine lore--and the food described in her books always sounds SO delicious.   I'm already looking forward to the next book, Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off, due out in October.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

My rating: Four stars

About the author: J.A. Lang is the author of the Chef Maurice Mysteries, set in the fictional Cotswold village of Beakley, conveniently located within driving distance of her home in Oxford, England. She lives with her husband, an excessive number of cookbooks, and a sourdough starter named Bob.

 Her favourite authors include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.

When not at her writing desk, she enjoys cooking, eating, travelling to places with good food, drinking good wine, and thinking about her next meal. (Please note that any similarities between J.A. Lang and her main character, Chef Maurice, are purely coincidental.)

Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang

Synopsis: First book in a series of British culinary mysteries.

“They say one should never trust a thin chef. By this measure, Chef Maurice was very trustworthy indeed.”

It’s autumn in the Cotswolds, and Chef Maurice is facing a problem of mushrooming proportion.

Not only has his wild herb and mushroom supplier, Ollie Meadows, missed his weekly delivery—he’s missing vital signs too, when he turns up dead in the woods near Beakley village.

Soon, Chef Maurice is up to his nose in some seriously rotten business—complete with threatening notes, a pignapping, and an extremely well-catered stake-out.

Can he solve Ollie’s murder before his home-made investigation brings the killer out for second helpings?

Thoughts: A new cozy mystery series set in England. Lots of humor, and a very engrossing murder mystery. I loved the nods toward other mystery writers...one character mentions a Belgian man who asked a lot of questions, and Chef Maurice gathers all the suspects for a dinner where he methodically explains why each one couldn't be the murderer--except, of course, for the one who IS the murderer.

There is also a blossoming romance which I hope we will see more of in future books...and I also hope that Hamilton (the truffle pig) will continue to be a part of the series.

Rating: Four stars