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by Orlando Murrin
The Maid meets Knives Out with a dash of Top Chef in the debut locked room culinary mystery set in a London cooking school by MasterChef semi-finalist and cookbook writer Orlando Murrin.
"Some people are natural dancers, others marvelous in bed, but—not wishing to boast—I'm good with a knife. Most chefs are."
The Chester Square Cookery School in the heart of London offers students a refined setting in which to master the fine art of choux pastry and hone their hollandaise. True, the ornate mansion doesn't quite sparkle the way it used to—a feeling chef Paul Delamare is familiar with these days. Worn out and newly broke, he'd be tempted to turn down the request to fill in as teacher for a week-long residential course, if anyone other than Christian Wagner were asking.
Christian is one of Paul's oldest friends, as well as the former recipient of two Michelin stars and host of Pass the Gravy! Thanks to a broken arm, he's unable to teach the upcoming session himself, and recruits Paul as stand-in. The students are a motley crew, most of whom seem more interested in ogling the surroundings (including handsome Christian) than learning the best ways to temper chocolate.
Yet despite his misgivings, Paul starts to enjoy imparting his extensive knowledge to the recruits—until someone turns up dead, murdered with a cleaver Paul used earlier that day to prep a pair of squabs. Did one of his students take the lesson on knife techniques too much to heart, or was this the result of a long-simmering grudge? In between clearing his own name and teaching his class how to perfectly poach a chicken, he'll have to figure out who's the killer, and avoid being the next one to get butchered ...
"There are many culinary mysteries, but this character-driven series opener is a cut above the rest." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[C]harming...Murrin delivers a brisk, funny variation on the classic closed-circle formula. A sequel would be welcome." —Publishers Weekly
"It might disappoint readers seeking a character-led story, but this novel speaks to budding foodies, who will appreciate the recipes and culinary setting, as well as readers who favor a neatly tied-up mystery." —Library Journal
"Delicious fun! Knife Skills for Beginners is both intriguing and mouth-watering, starring a charming hero you'll want as your best friend." —Tess Gerritsen, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Spy Coast
"If Ruth Rendell had teamed up with Delia Smith they'd have produced something like this." ―J. M. Hall, bestselling author of A Spoonful of Murder
"Dazzlingly sharp with a wit that sparkles off the page." ―Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author
This information about Knife Skills for Beginners was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Orlando Murrin is a food writer, media personality, and author who inherited a fascination with mystery from his grandfather, a Met detective who rose to become a crack MI5 interrogator. A former editor of BBC Good Food, founder of Olive Magazine, and semi-finalist on Masterchef, he currently hosts the BBC Good Food podcast with TV presenter-restaurateur Tom Kerridge and writes for Waitrose Weekend. He is the author of seven cookbooks, including Two's Company and A Table in the Tarn, and has served since 2020 as President of the Guild of Food Writers. Born in America, he lives in domestic bliss in Exeter, England and can be found online at OrlandoMurrin.com.
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