Murder on the Menu

An Old Forge Café Mystery #1

by Alex Coombs

'An irresistibly delicious mix of cooking and murder' Trisha Ashley

'Takes two of the world's greatest pleasures - food and mystery writing - and combines them exquisitely. I devoured it!' Thomas Mogford

Chef Charlie Hunter's arrival in the beautiful Chilterns is the fulfilment of a long-held to open her own restaurant in an idyllic countryside location. The Old Forge sits on the village green (complete with duck pond and flint-faced houses) and seems just the place for the high-quality cooking she wants to be known for.

But instead of rural peace and a chance to lick her wounds, Charlie finds something ugly stirring under the chocolate box perfection. When a prominent local builder is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Charlie the outsider becomes a suspect. And the only way to clear her name seems to be to find out who the real killer is.

Luckily she has her student waitress, a kitchen porter making up in muscles what he lacks in brain and a briskly efficient clairvoyant. Using all the craft Charlie's learned in kitchens – discipline, timing, preparation and grim determination – she will be as relentless in her quest to bring a murderer to justice as she is in creating the perfect meal.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Murder Mystery, Mystery Thriller

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2023

About the author

Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef,

Alex Coombs was born in Lambeth in south London. Silenced for Good is the first of a new series of novels featuring Hanlon as a PI. He lives in South Bucks but has family in Scotland and spends a considerable amount of time in Edinburgh and Argyll.
He is the author of four previous novels featuring Hanlon in the police ( the DCI Hanlon series). He also writes light-hearted crime fiction as HVCoombs for One More Chapter/Harper Collins.
Visit his website at www.alexcoombs.co.uk or Facebook@AlexCoombsCrime

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was full of bollocks, quite literally....

It started off quite promising and then I liked bits of humour however using the same joke over and over was actually quite irritating after a few chapters.

The murderer was, in my opinion, completely obvious. The story had so much more potential and could have gone so many different routes but the most plain and boring plot was taken.

I gave an extra star because the start did have potential and it was funny in places. Just a shame the writing and obvious plot let it down. Oh and the continual mentioning of big hairy bollocks.

Overall it was very disappointing and it would probably put me off reading the author's other work.

[lorenzodulac · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ONE mystery book I didn’t even have fun reading. I only bought it because it was a 3 for £6 deal. It’s short and it read quickly, I’ll give it that, but it was just so predictable, so boring. That’s now what you want in a mystery book.
Sometimes I’m just along for the ride with them, not even trying to guess the twist, or even if I do guess it, it’s still a fun time.
Not with this one, I saw the twist from a mile away and actually could not wait for it to be over. And there’s like a million other books in the series?? No.
2.5/2.75 because I’m nice but I’m rounding it down.

[Rose McPhee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book for £2.50 at the works, so maybe it’s my fault for expecting this to read like anything but a book I got for £2.50 at the works. Plus I really don’t ever go for this type of thing, I think this is honestly the first crime story I’ve ever read ????? I am not a natural fan of this genre, it does not intrigue me, I am not the target audience, so my opinion is likely tainted darkly and irrevocably with intrinsic haterism!!!!!!!! SO: THIS WAS GARBAGE!!!!!! it was generally mediocre until the last 50 or so pages when it suddenly becomes instantly, astonishingly bad!!!! I was compelled (compelled is a strong word but I was so hungry I could have eaten dirt. And I did) by exactly two characters, luckily one of them was the lead so I managed to keep reading the whole way through (another piece of context is that I am deeply averse to dnf-ing books, to the point where I finished THIS, something that I knew that i disliked and felt was wasting my time, so I’m sure a large amount of the blame for this single star lies with me. I could have stopped. But I didn’t.) with some struggling form of interest in the conclusion. I SHOULD NOT HAVE BOTHERED

some favourites from the dull wine-hangover headache that is my memory of this book:
- the sheer extent and intensity of the descriptions of both a man’s balls (having been covered in celery dip, for texture) and another, entirely irrelevant man’s arsecrack. Both of these descriptions went on for so long that I was actively removed from the flow of the narrative. Alex had something he really needed to get off his chest apparently
- the main character discovering a fresh, mutilated corpse and her only inner monologue being to the effect and length of “ew. Well, none of my business. I’m off home”. Genuinely quite captivating in its randomness, and a large part of the reason why I liked the character herself. In my mind this was not bad writing but instead a display of latent psychopathy that rounded her out as an empty, violent vessel for the kitchen gods and nothing more. A man with his face blown off inspires nothing in her but mild confusion. She is not human. She is a chef.
- the author MAKING UP tarot cards like the Blind Fool and pretending the Jack of Spades is part of a tarot deck????? THIS INFORMATION IS ONE GOOGLE SEARCH AWAY ALEX. I was absolutely floored
- ALSO ABOUT TAROT CARDS, THE MAIN CHARACTER (her name is Charlie, I don’t know why I’m avoiding saying it lest I summon her) CALLING ONE OF THE ANIMALS ON THE MOON CARD “a strange, crab-like creature” WHEN IT IS SO INDISPUTABLY A FUCKING LOBSTER THAT I HONESTLY HAD TO REREAD THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH TO MAKE SURE I SAW THE WORDS RIGHT. I WILL SOON BE WRITING AN EMAIL TO GOODREADS DEMANDING THEY INTRODUCE A FEATURE THAT ATTACHES IMAGES IN REVIEWS BECAUSE I NEED YOU PEOPLE TO SEE THIS TAROT CARD. I NEED YOU TO SEE WITH YOUR EYES JUST HOW MUCH THIS LOBSTER LOOKS LIKE A LOBSTER. CHARLIE IS A CHEF!?? HOW DOES SHE NOT KNOW WHAT A LOBSTER LO9KS LIKE. BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE BOOK. I LOST MY MIND. SHES NOT HUMAN
- Charlie, inches away from blowing the top off the whole mystery and having just been foretold death and betrayal and that she has to travel to slough to find Answers that heavily implicate the man she is in love with in SEVERAL murders, rolls on into slough with an inner monologue comprised of nothing but facts about slough . “It’s probably safe to say Slough won’t be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, despite the innovative, linked traffic light system, the country’s first, to be more specific.” Charlie three people are dead. The more I think about it I’m kind of obsessed with her
- sexy love interest turning on the dimiest dime to ever dime and with NO motive to it either. The conclusion that is eventually drawn about him is that he’s a criminal because he’s bad and likes doing awful things I’m not even joking
- the phrase in said sexy love interest’s villain monologue “Oh yes, Charlie. I’ve set you up from the very beginning. It’s like a game of chess, but I’ve been two moves ahead all the time.” which is so profoundly hackneyed that I began to get a headache the second I reached the end of this line that did not go away for the rest of my time with the novel

One star because I liked Francis

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a number of Alex Coombs books and have thoroughly enjoyed them so when I saw this, the start to a new series, I wanted to get right in there at the start and I wasn't disappointed.

Charlie is starting a new life after making a huge mistake. She has bought a café in a small village and is determined to fulfil her dreams of owning a successful eatery. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan - Charlie doesn't know anyone and when someone is found murdered, the finger solidly points to her. How can she prove her innocence whilst trying to start a new business?

With the help, and hindrance, of some interesting characters, Charlie goes about her task with more than a little hesitation however, the stakes are raised when more murders are committed and she becomes a target. Can she solve the case before she becomes the next victim?

With excellent characters, a great location and an intriguing story, this is a great start to a new series and one I am looking forward to getting my beady little eyes on the next instalment to see how things develop.

Many thanks to the author, Bedford Square Publishers, No Exit Press and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this start to a new series.

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Hunter moves to a village in the Chilterns.
She’s leaving her old life behind , the fast paced life of a busy chef in London and a former relationship.
Charlie is opening her very own restaurant The Old Forge .
Instead of the peace and quiet she craves , Charlie encounters murder and criminality that all seem to point to herself as the culprit.
Who is setting her up and why?
I think this is a solid start to a new culinary cosy mystery series.
The characters are likeable and the writing is easy to read .
One word of warning don’t read if you’re hungry!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers .

[Amy's reading again]

📚 25/10/24  - 27/10/24
DNF at P127

This is the first time I DNF a book.  Generally, especially when I have brought a book, I feel like I have to finish it.  Maybe it was because I borrowed this from my works little library that allowed me to not finish it. 

I was just bored.  I did not care about the characters. I did not care about finding out who the murderer was.  I guessed at who it was, and from reading reviews, I was right.  This was just not for me.  Although it was small town, it was not cozy.  It just fell flat on everything for me.

[Joop · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not one star cause it has a pretty cover and Lina gave it to me

[Lina H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mid

[Judith McAteer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was meh.. started well.. Then just got dull.. How can multiple killings in a small village and conspiracy theories be dull .
I didn't really care for any characters, put the book down and it was 3 months before I picked it up again.
Now let's never speak of this again

[Fanda Kutubuku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chef Charlie Hunter arrived at Hampden Green, a little village in the Chiltern Hills, an idyllic English countryside, to open a new sheet to her life. She bought Old Forge cafe, and determined to transform it into a high quality restaurant with high quality foods she's capable to cook. One thing she didn't count for, is the hostility showed by the locals. First DI Slattery, who seems to dislike her from the start without apparent reason. Then there's the local builder, Dave Whitfield, who's known as a pompous bully He was found dead few days after Charlie punched him for bullying her. Of course, this automatically made her a suspect.

As a debut cozy mystery in a series, Coombs has successfully laid her foundation. We get a glimpse of Hampden Green and its inhabitants, also some backstory of Charlie's past. The café's two staffs are interesting additions to our heroine's personality. I only wish that the narrative was made more straightforward, it feels rather redundant. What's missing in this novel, though, Coombs compensated with the mouthwatering descriptions of the cafe's menu, the morning preps, mise-en-place, the cooking process itself, to the plating. These are what I've picked this book for on the first place, and for that element alone, it's paid off.

If you love reading food-related cozy mystery, this book would suit you, though for me it's a bit too violent and vulgar to be called cozy.

[Belinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

The opening of this book: “I first met Slattery on the day I had my very low-key opening. Any less low-key and it would have been invisible.”

An unforced error in the second sentence? I’m literally 22 seconds into the book and already disappointed. That level of carelessness on the part of everyone involved in the publication is mind boggling. Coombs isn’t a new author and surely knows the difference between less and more. Twenty five words into the novel is too soon for “you know what he meant” excuses.

I’ll update if it gets better but I don’t expect to get far.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was OK felt a bit silly at times and the ending was rushed

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was was my final book tour read of the year. It was also the first book I've read by Coombs and a great introduction to their work, combining two of my favourite things, food and crime.

I was expecting a cozy-esque type read, but it surpassed that and was deliciously dark and highly enjoyable.

Am I wrong in assuming this is the start of a new series featuring chef Charlie as the new sleuth in town? She was such a likable character and determined to clear her name. Can you imagine moving from London to the countryside to start over and the first thing that happens is you're accused of murder! She's definitely a character I could become emotionally invested in.

It's also worthy of note that snacks will need to be in abundance because there's some tasty sounding food on the menu.

[Susan Kumar-Merino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the characters and story , love how she is more than capable of beating people up…. Would love to read more

[Millie Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointed with this book, took a while to get into and once I started enjoying it the ending was just too predictable

[Mrs L · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of cosy crime, but this was sadly a little mediocre at best.

The killer was far too easy to guess from very early on, and many of the characters were very two dimensional.

Plus I'm not entirely sure the author has ever met a 40(ish) year old woman in recent times. He has her, a woman who he's described as loving a good sturdy boot, out shopping for 'a nice blouse and skirt' which in 2024 feels rather dated. There are other oddities, but this one really stuck out.

So glad this only cost me a few quid at the book shop, I would have been now disappointed if I'd paid full price.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnfed page 30. Was so boring. Couldn’t even finish it. Was a real struggle to read.

[Mackenzie - PhDiva Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d categorize Murder on the Menu as an edgy cozy mystery—a bit more violence than is typical with cozies, but very light on the gore and it successfully avoids anything too dark or descriptive. On the spectrum of cozy mysteries, this is a culinary cozy that features a feisty lead in a small town setting and is light on the puns and kitsch but delivers biting humor.

Charlie Hunter is a chef who has relocated from London in the wake of a bad break up to open her own restaurant in Hampden Green, a small village in the English countryside. Old Forge Café is perfect for someone starting out. Charlie is able to live in the small (and poorly heated) quarters above the restaurant, while slowly growing her business.

Charlie has years of experience on the cutthroat London restaurant scene so she knows what it takes to make a restaurant successful. She decides to open in January, knowing business will be slow enough to allow her to manage the kitchen alone to start. The menu is small and relies on food that works for lunch crowd at a café and uses lower-cost ingredients. She has to turn a profit, after all, and that can be hard to do until she is approved for a liquor license and a larger kitchen staff.

She’s able to hire a waitress to manage front of house and lucks out with a fiery university student named Jess. Not only is Jess great at her job, but she provides running colorful (and often quite heated) commentary on the townspeople who come in for lunch. Her first guest is DI Slattery, who informs her of a pork thief in the area and seems instantly suspicious of Charlie. He lets her know in no uncertain terms that her café is on his turf and he has his eye on her.

Business picks up enough that Charlie is able to hire Jess’ large but dull cousin, Francis. Lunch service is steady and Charlie is slowly making steps to grow her business. But the postcard perfect veneer on the village is hiding a dark underbelly that Charlie literally stumbles upon when she encounters the dead body of a prominent local builder, murdered and she is the clear suspect. Charlie realizes she may need to solve the murder herself if she hopes to clear her name, reputation, and keep her restaurant in business.

Charlie is in quite the pickle, as Francis would say. She meets a variety of characters in the village, the most prominent of whom are shady at best. There’s a local drug dealer who may have gotten poisoned at her own restaurant. A group of men with outrageous descriptions who beat her up one night. A handsome yoga instructor who shows her kindness despite Jess’s eye rolls in his direction. A busty woman who seems smart but spaced out. An earl who could be naughty or nice (leaning towards naughty). A councilman with attractive connections around town and a love of a good mousse. A tarot card reader who looks more like a corporate businesswoman than a mentalist. The chef at a local four-rosette restaurant who respects her efforts at a toad-in-the-hole. Patrons at a local country pub who know who she is but aren’t exactly welcoming.

The opening to this book hooked me immediately. Charlie is not a typical lead in a cozy mystery series. She is very flawed yet her humor and good intentions redeem her. Unlike most cozy mysteries that open in the wake of their partner being unfaithful to them, Charlie was unfaithful to her partner—a man who she doesn’t seem to have a bad word to say about (though she does mention the ups and downs of a normal relationship). Rather than moving home to a cute and rambunctious town of family and friends, Charlie has moved to a village where she knows no one.

This is the first glimpse we get of Charlie’s boldness and independence (characteristics that are reinforced throughout the mystery). Jess is an interesting character because she knows all of the town gossip and isn’t short on her own (often negative) opinions of others. It’s unclear how accurate some of Jess’s assessments are, since many of them seem to carry an air of personal grievance. Jess is great at her job and it’s clear Charlie appreciates her, but there relationship isn’t remotely warm and fuzzy (perhaps this is me, writing as an American, though. We are a bit more sensitive and mushy than our friends across the pond!

The towns people are mean. So mean! So much so that I had to assume the description of the village as idyllic meant the appearance and not the community. Thankfully by the end of the book its clear there is a balance and Charlie (being an outsider) may still have a few people to try to win over. I actually felt quite sorry for Francis, who she hires to wash dishes and help in the kitchen. He tries so hard and he has a kind and humble disposition, but Charlie is accustomed to the cutthroat London restaurant scene and she fits the characteristic of a slightly temperamental chef who may not be known for their patience. I actually worried for much of the book about her treatment of Francis. He makes a lot of mistakes but I also thought some of the tasks she assigned him may require more oversight at first than she provided. I won’t spoil anything but Francis gets a redeeming moment thankfully and is appreciated for the pure person he is!

The mystery is complicated, and it was hard to keep the thread at times because it felt as though it spun in a lot of directions. That was partly intentional though, since it involves several victims and thugs who seem intent on repeatedly beating up Charlie without clear intent. She’s called nasty names more than once, though before you worry too much about her just know that she’s a woman unafraid to throw a punch or swing a rolling pin at someone!

Her relationship with yoga instructor Justin is surprising and it intrigued me. It added a bit of personal element that Charlie needed to soften her character up for the reader. Since Charlie starts out the book alone with no personal connections, the relationships she builds in this story are needed to set up a future book in the series. And I’m certainly interested to know what Charlie will do next!

The mystery is intriguing and slightly more violent than the typical cozy mystery (though not gory or overly dark). Charlie stumbles through learning to sleuth, but her boldness and inherent London skepticism serve her well. Jess and Francis provide some welcome humor and connections for Charlie. The food sounded positively delectable and I loved any time Charlie was in the kitchen or talking about food.

I will absolutely read the next book in the series! Charlie is such an atypical lead for cozy mystery, she will appeal to readers from a variety of genre. The conclusion to the mystery got me with the twist but made sense in retrospect—which always speaks to expert plotting and clues that I may or may not have picked up on!

Thank you to Random Things Tours, No Exit Press, and Bedford Square Publishers for my copy. Opinions are my own.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this book well written? No. Does it have a good storyline? No. Surely the killer can’t be the painfully obvious suspect that the main character keeps dismissing because she fancies him? Surely not. Fine for a spot of light reading but don’t expect to be on tenterhooks. I couldn’t even remember which character was which half the time so it took me ages to read.

[Maya Kumar-Merino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked, I really enjoyed it the characters were really likeable and it a smooth easy read. The short chapters kept the pace up and I liked how it was written from the perspective of the main character as you got to hear how she figured things out as some of it was obvious to the reader but was interesting to see how her emotions played out.

[Alexandra]

DNF @ 102 pgs

[Kimberley Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why did the plot start halfway through the book?
P.s No one cares about what's in the oven or how to make mirangue

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review of Murder On The Menu by Alex Coombs

I got into this book straight away as the story is very enjoyable and a lovely cozy mystery to read. I haven’t read anything by this author before but I like his writing style. The story is easy to read and the plot is a great one. Charlie Hunter has bought the Old Forge Cafe in a little village in the beautiful Chilterns with a village green and duck pond. She wants it to be a traditional cafe but she wants to try some specialty dishes too and do catering for parties as well. She is calling on her years in the catering and kitchen as a chef to do this. She hasn’t been in the village long but the local DI Slattery has introduced himself and made her aware that he is keeping his eye on her. Then there is the problem with a neighbour who’s lit up obelisk is set on fire, she is accused of doing that but she denies it, she was running by the property, that was all. Then, she had an altercation with the same neighbour, where she knocked him to the floor and he was found dead the next morning. She was accused of that as well. Again, she denied it. DI Slattery wanted to lock her up for something, she was positive but why did he hate her so much? What had she done to him? This is a corker of a read and a really good mystery to find the killer. I will be looking into reading more books by this author.

Blurb :

Chef Charlie Hunter's arrival in the beautiful Chilterns is the fulfilment of a long-held dream: to open her own restaurant in an idyllic countryside location. The Old Forge sits on the village green (complete with duck pond and flint-faced houses) and seems just the place for the high-quality cooking she wants to be known for.
But instead of rural peace and a chance to lick her wounds, Charlie finds something ugly stirring under the chocolate box perfection. When a prominent local builder is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Charlie the outsider becomes a suspect. And the only way to clear her name seems to be to find out who the real killer is.
Luckily she has allies: her student waitress, a kitchen porter making up in muscles what he lacks in brain and a briskly efficient clairvoyant. Using all the craft Charlie's learned in kitchens – discipline, timing, preparation and grim determination – she will be as relentless in her quest to bring a murderer to justice as she is in creating the perfect meal.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Hunter has left the busy restaurants of London and ex-fiancé Andrea behind to open The Old Forge Café in the picturesque village of Hampden Green in the Chiltern Hills. Within a week she has had a visit from surly chef-hating DI Slattery abut a major sausage heist, watched a neighbouring builder’s garden monstrosity go up in flames and now has gained a graffiti writing enemy. This cosy village is certainly not all it seems, with residents including an Earl with a taste for younger ladies and a resident drug dealer. At least she has found a nice waitress in IT student Jess and soon acquires Jess’ disastrous cousin, the very sturdy Francis, as a kitchen porter. Then trouble strikes when the builder is found dead. Although the police are calling it suicide, rumours in the village abound that Charlie murdered him and so there’s only one thing for it. To prove her innocence, she must track down the killer herself, especially when another villager drops dead. But who around her can she trust and does she have all the ingredients to make a successful sleuth?
Despite the dark deeds going on in this insular little village, there are plenty of humorous and witty moments in this highly enjoyable opener to a new series. It features lots of cooking tips and ideas, and the author has certainly done some thorough research into running a professional kitchen. I really enjoyed meeting Charlie (who certainly packs a punch!), Jess and Francis and am definitely looking forward to more stories.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have given this book 3 stars due to its ability to engage. This story was fast paced and easy to read, resulting in it taking just 3 days for me to finish it. I really enjoyed the cooking element of this book aswell, which I had not before seen within a crime novel of this style.

However, this book did have a few issues which I will discuss now.
Firstly, I found that too many characters were introduced within this book. I often left a chapter feeling confused as to who we were talking about. Perhaps if this had been the second or third book of a series, and we already knew Charlie and Francis and the others, then this would have been less jarring, but since every character within this book is being introduced for the first time, I found it to be too much.
Furthermore, I found the ending of this book to be somewhat rushed. I’m still not entirely sure who the culprit of the murders was, or why they did it. The final twist was exciting and took up the majority of the ending’s room, and thus the questions we had been asking this whole time (eg: who killed the other characters) appeared to be swept under the rug. This book was trying to do a lot of things, and in some of them it succeeded, but the sheer number of elements meant that it often fell short.

Overall, I thought that this book was a great, quick read. However, in the knowledge that this novel is the first of a series in the making, I wish it had simplified the plot and character list somewhat. In this case, less would have been more!

[Zarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on my blog: https://www.pagetostagereviews.com/20...

I absolutely whizzed through Murder on the Menu by Alex Coombs! The murder mystery was fast-paced and the characters were great fun to get to know. I love that protagonist Charlie didn't take crap from anyone. She is a real go-getter and gets stuff done – including investigating a murder in-between making the most scrumptious sounding starters and desserts for her brand-new restaurant.

I am also very fond of the two people she hires to help out in the restaurant: local student Jess, who is a great support to Charlie, and Jess' cousin Francis, who has more bulk than brains but nonetheless charms people off his feet as he's so genuinely lovely. I imagine this is the start of a brand-new series and I really hope these characters will return, the stories will just have to work around Jess' university schedule!

On top of this being a solid whodunnit, Author Alex Coombs is a qualified chef and his food knowledge really shines through the pages. It made the scenes in Charlie's restaurant kitchen feel incredibly realistic while also making my mouth water as he described some of the delicious dishes on the menu in such wonderful detail. I'm now desperate to try Charlie's passionfruit mousse.

The one thing I'm disappointed by is that Hamden Green is a fictional place. Because despite the dead bodies rapidly piling up, it really does sound like a great place to visit. If only to try Charlie's detectable menu and meet the quirky cast of villages she encounters along the way...

Murder on the Menu by Alex Coombs is a delight for classic crime readers and foodies alike. If you like your Masterchef with a dash of murder and mayhem, then this is just the book for you.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosy mystery fans will race through Alex Coombs’ delectable culinary thriller Murder on the Menu.

Charlie Hunter has always dreamed of opening her own countryside restaurant and at long last it looks like her long-held ambition is about to come true. The Old Forge sits on the village green in the Chilterns and is everything Charlie had been looking for. But no sooner had she settled into her new restaurant that things start going seriously awry when a local builder is found dead in mysterious circumstances and as the newcomer to the village, Charlie is the chief suspect!

Having worked too long and hard for her dream, Charlie is determined to prove that she is not the killer and vows to clear her name and find out who the murderer is. Luckily for her she has plenty of allies willing to lend a helping hand, but will Charlie manage to bring a dangerous murderer to justice? Or is she about to go down for a crime she didn’t commit?

Murder on the Menu is a fun, entertaining and exciting mystery set in a picturesque part of England that readers will have a hard time putting down. Alex Coombs is a terrific writer of murder mysteries who brilliantly balances humour, tension, action and intrigue in an irresistible page-turner that will keep readers gripped from beginning to end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 6P review: Publication, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

Charlie Hunter has left London to own and work in a cafe in Chilterns countryside. The Old Forge is her new home set on the village green. Instead of the peaceful country life she was hoping for, she becomes a suspect when a prominent builder dies under suspicious circumstances.

I love the PI Scanlon series and was intrigued to see Coombs plunge into the cozy mystery genre.

I loved that Charlie Hunter was a chef and Coombs used the correct culinary terminology. The menu descriptions and food preparation made my mouth water, and I loved the reference to the infamous Escoffier.

This was the saving grace for me. It just didn’t work for me. I didn’t particularly like the characters, and I actually found Charlie to be a bit irritating.

The setting was lovely mind you.

I also found the ending a bit rushed and it felt like a writer’s “dump” of information rather than well-paced.

If you love reading cozy mysteries, you will like this one.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plain old corruption this time but with a twist. Charlie Hunter breaks up with partner Andrea (the sex names are reversed) and starts a restaurant in lovely little village Hamden Green, where it very very wet and has some very unlovely characters. She buys the Old Forge Café and is told city people are not welcome here. She woos them with some fantastic cooking – Coombs is very good and authentic in his recipes and tips – but she finds a body. Then another. Then another with her knife as the weapon. She is being set up. What she does about all this is dictated by Tarot cards, which I found disappointing, a bit of a deus ex machina. Who is responsible for all this mayhem I picked early on the usual rule of the opposite of appearances. Very well written, imaginative and suspenseful, as expected of Coombs, but storywise a bit of a disappointment. There is a sequel on the way, Death in Nonna’s Kitchen, and I will read, sure to be some excellent cooking tips.

[The Book Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light- hearted , very unbelievable cosy murder mystery that makes Midsomer Murders look realistic.

You really need to take a very tongue in cheek approach to the plot and its characters whilst relaxing on a cold winter's evening snuggled up somewhere warm.

Alex introduces the characters at intervals throughout the storyline, a lot of whom appear to have a hatred towards Charlie for no apparent reason , other than that she is a newcomer !!!.

For me the storyline was actually missing some normal people to ground it and I have to be honest I guessed who the instigator behind it all was from the moment Charlie came across them so consequently it didn't keep me hooked waiting to find out the ending.

However, if you like a cosy murder mystery that will keep you occupied for a few hours then this will meet the criteria.