Hoy os traigo una deliciosa reseña de un género que se ha puesto muy de moda en estos últimos meses, el “cozy mistery” es decir un libro que gira sobre uno o más asesinatos pero que no nos muestra lo escabroso de los crímenes. Realmente, aunque parece algo en boga actualmente es el estilo que ya marcó Agatha con su Miss Marple, así que fijaos si lleva tiempo.

Os puedo decir que Exquisitos crímenes para principiantes es uno de los que más he disfrutado hasta el momento, la mezcla entre misterio y cocina, aun no siendo muy fan de esta última me ha resultado muy original.

¿Qué os vais a encontrar?

1- Una serie de dispares personajes que acuden a una antigua casa londinense en el barrio de Belgravia para asistir a un curso de cocina con Cristian un famoso y mediático Chef al que todo el mundo adora

2- Un investigador amateur que se verá involucrado de lleno al tener que luchar por demostrar su inocencia.

3- Secretos y misterio aderezados con un toque de fino humor inglés.

4- Un final bastante trepidante para ser un Cozy mistery

5- Un escenario al más puro estilo Ágatha

6- Originales recetas con nombres más que curiosos

¿Necesitáis más para leerlo?

Pues además sabed que es la primera novela de este autor, aunque es un renombrado escritor de libros de cocina y ha sido redactor en la BBC muchos años. ¡Ah! y llegó a la final de un Master Chef de UK. Interesante ¿no?

Si os gustan estos libros sin duda os lo recomiendo, eso sí, ¡¡Leed con el estómago lleno porque se os va a hacer la boca agua!!202417 s Jannelies1,118 94

I fell for the title of this book and I’m very happy I did because it made me laugh out loud sometimes. When Paul, still grieving after the loss of his husband and therefore not in a steady job, somehow ends up taking over a cookery class from his old friend Christian, you know you’re in for some surprises.
And yes, there are surprises galore! The cookery class takes place in a grand old mansion in a posh part of London but sadly it transpires the owner of the school is desperate for money. She charges and arm and a leg from mainly rich people who have not so much interest in learning how to cook fancy food, as being able to say they went to this expensive course. All characters are rather quirky, not to say quite strange but Paul tries to give them a good experience and actually teaches them something.
After a dead body is found on the premises, the whole story changes. The owner of the school and the students insist Paul stays to finish the course – after all, they are staying in the mansion during the whole course too. And so he does.
This was a very skilfully written story, with lots of surprises and engaging characters. I think it would be a good book to make a film out of (Netflix, pay attention please!). And of course, the recipes woven in between the story look all very enticing.
I hope we may soon see a second book in this series!

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this review copy.

five-stars light-mystery netgalley-202417 s3 comments Zelda FeatzReviews465 25

When I saw this book pop up on NetGalley I was immediately intrigued. I have enjoyed the cosy crime genre recently and this book fits into that perfectly. When you reach for this book, you can expect a light-hearted cosy crime novel with the added benefit of a few recipes you will be keen to try. I have written down a few I cannot wait to try. (Okay, I will be honest – baking is not my thing – I am giving the recipes to Alicia and asking her to try them for me….)
This debut novel is a light read that will leave you smiling along the way. The characters are able and full of surprises. The author tells an intriguing story that will keep you guessing while adding what he ‘knows’ to the story. By the time I reached the end of this book, I learnt a new trick or two to try out in the kitchen. If you enjoy cooking, you will learn a thing or two among the pages of this one.
Paul has withdrawn from the world after the loss of his husband. He is happy to stay home alone and avoid people as much as possible. When Christian, an old friend, reaches out asking for help, Paul cannot refuse – Christian does not give him the chance. Paul finds himself teaching a short cooking course in an exclusive residential cookery school in Belgravia. What Paul did not expect was to discover a dead body or to find himself being the prime suspect. If Paul cannot solve the mystery, he just might find himself in jail for murder.
I started this book with an open mind, not having any idea what to expect and quickly found myself deeply engrossed and eagerly flicking the pages to find out who was guilty. The addition of recipes and cooking tips and tricks along the way made this an easy-to-read, entertaining book that you find yourself racing through.
The characters in this book will keep you on your toes. It feels as if everyone is hiding something. The mystery surrounding each of the characters makes this a fun read. As each character’s story is revealed you find that everyone is there because of Christian and it is easy to think each character has a reason to commit murder.
Paul is a brilliant character; I loved his mannerisms. The way he spoke his mind, despite it not always being the right thing to say, was brilliant.
This book is a fun read that keeps you guessing and delivers a great twist at the end. If you are keen on a light, cosy crime read then you will not want to miss this book.
https://featz.com/knife-skills...4 s1 comment Not Quite A Bookshop278 6

As an avid reader of all things crime I was excited to get to read an ARC of this book. Sadly it didn’t hit the mark for me. The characters were undeveloped and one dimensional. This was particularly detrimental in the case of the protagonist who, despite being falsely accused by the police in several occasions, did not endear himself to me. The plot didn’t really fizz despite two murders and the method and perpetrator obvious. I continuously found myself making mental comparisons to the cosy crime fiction books of Rosemary Shrager and this fell short of those for me. Finally, the book begins with a recipe and I was hopeful of many more throughout the book, however a potato recipe using frozen hash browns and another for rocky road I felt patronised the reader.
I appreciate this is the author’s first published work of fiction but as a recipient of ARCs through NetGalley I have to give an honest review. 2023 read-need-to-buy5 s Lidia89 2

Cuando vi este libro, me intrigó de inmediato. Últimamente he estado atenta a las novedades del género cozy mystery y este libro encaja perfectamente en él. El autor cuenta una historia intrigante que te mantiene adivinando quien es el asesino al estilo Agatha Christie mientras está salpicada de pequeños consejos e ideas culinarias transmitidas por varios personajes. 

Comencé este libro con la mente abierta, sin tener idea de qué esperar y rápidamente me encontré profundamente absorta y pasando las páginas con entusiasmo para descubrir quién era el culpable. Los personajes de este libro te mantienen alerta, y parece como si todos estuvieran ocultando algo. A medida que se revela la historia de cada personaje, descubres que todos están ahí gracias a Christian y es fácil pensar que cada personaje tiene una razón para cometer un asesinato. Sin embargo, sentí que los personajes necesitaban más desarrollo. Paul está bastante desarrollado, pero le vendría bien desarrollar una personalidad más sólida. Y la trama real del misterio del asesinato también es buena y bastante retorcida para mí, aunque admito que tengo algunas dudas sobre la resolución, no me ha gustado mucho.

Ha sido una lectura divertida que te mantiene adivinando y ofrece un gran giro al final. Si te gusta una lectura policiaca ligera y acogedora, este es el libro perfecto.3 s1 comment Graham Sillars261 8

When a book can sew together a narrative that is both searingly funny and deadly serious, it’s truly a winning combination.

Set in an exclusive Cookery School in London’s posh Belgravia. We meet the recently bereaved, Paul, and his TV chef friend Christian in a trendy bar. Christian has recently broken his arm and is therefore unable to teach the class he heads at the aforementioned school. He asks Paul to step in for him and this is where the action begins.

All the ingredients (see what I’ve done there?
Autor del comentario:
=================================