Lord of the Pies

In Nell Hampton's Lord of the Pies, the second installment in the Kensington Palace Chef Cozy Mystery, this caper was a bit warped and twisted in every sense of the word. For Chef Carrie Ann Cole, her new life brimmed with new mysteries on her full plate. When she received a new assistant chef named Agnes, she appeared to fit right in and work with Carrie Ann to serve meals to the duchess and the prince at the place. First she had to contend with a Peeping Tom who took her photo. And when she discovered it was, she reported it in to Security Chief Gordon. And when she had the opportunity to serve a bridal shower at the Orangery, she had to contend with Chef Wright, someone who has the way with the ladies. But besides all that, she found out who spied on her and how he was poisoned with one of her pies. And that leaves her as the prime suspect once again. Then, she competed on a reality cooking show for charity, and things turn up awry, when her arch-nemesis ended up poisoned somehow. Carrie Ann believes something was fishy with the production crew, since she's been the main focus with the British tabloids. Lastly, while she skated on thin ice, she came across the slain body of Chef Wright. Now it was up to her to deal with the possibilities of one or two killers who wanted to do her in as she fought for her own life.

This was another great story set in Kensington Palace in the heart of London. I cared for Carrie Ann and how she dealt with everyone that's been thrown at her... like a potential love triangle between her, Ian and Jasper. My oh my! I'm so pleased on how she had grown into her new life in London and how she worked well with Agnes and how she dealt with her own life issues. I still think Penny is a hoot and doesn't deserve to have Evie and Rachel as her friends. I continued to love the English locations and the vast settings inside and outside of the palace. This would make you dig deep into delicious recipes and have a taste of your own with shocking twists right to the end of the novel with non-stop action, drama, intrigue and a dollop of mystery with a sprinkle of romance.

Will you be checking out the Lord of the Pies today?

Kale to the Queen

In Nell Hampton's Kale to the Queen, the first installment in the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery culinary cozy series, this would take you across the pond for a real treat in this cozy mystery. For Carrie Anne Cole, she just landed her dream job to be the personal chef for the duke and duchess in London. Other than she being American, she had came across a hard time in her first week of the job. One of her chefs was found murdered in a bed of kale in the greenhouse, while the other was placed under suspicion. Other than being the new girl in town, she had dealt about under scrutiny for the people she worked for and to make a good first expression with her culinary skills. While she had to hire new chefs and butted heads with the master chef of the kitchen, she ran into unsavory people, while trying to clear one of the chef's name. Then she had to contend with a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, while they were on break and parted ways. While she had thought on who had done it and why, she came across the killer and fought for her life to get the answers she was well sought after.

This was a terrific debut introduction to the series. I really cared for Carrie Ann and how she made new friends in the Kensington Palace. I adored Penny and thought Ian Gordon was a bit charming. I also loved the picturesque London settings inside and outside the Kensington Palace for the locations.  Although this had a list of recipes in the back, it sounded yummy to eat. This would make you want to hail and salute royalty, turn the page and keep reading with plenty of suspense, non-stop action, drama and intrigue.

Will you be ready to check out Kale to the Queen today?