The Biscuit Tin Murders #1: A Fatal Fall at King's College

The Biscuit Tin Murders #1

by Menna Van Praag

"If there was one piece of advice Olive Crisp always followed, it was that “one should never attempt to solve a crime on an empty stomach..."'

1970s. Cambridge, England.

A MYSTERIOUS MURDER AT

When a student falls from the turrets of King’s College, Cambridge and the police rule his death as accidental, Olive consults her tarot cards - which confirm her suspicions of murder - and decides to take the investigation into her own hands.

A COSY

Fortunately, the college porter is a loyal customer of Olive’s cafe, The Biscuit Tin, and when she plies him with his favourite almond croissants and cups of Earl Grey, he reveals secrets about student societies and jealousies that might prove motive for murder.

A TRAIL OF CAKE

These clues lead Olive, and her two best friends, Blythe and Millie, to Newnham College where their suspicions are confirmed and the chief suspect discovered. With the clock ticking, will Olive be able to solve the mystery before the case is closed and the truth lost forever?

A charming cozy culinary crime series set in sleepy 1970s Cambridge, England, The Biscuit Tin Murders is a sweet recipe for a delightfully comforting read, containing far too many slices of cake, along with several servings of crime, plenty of sugar and a sprinkling of magic...

WHAT READERS ARE

'I fell in love with Olive Crisp and her crime solving antics, not to mention the scrumptious cakes ... There’s a rich supporting cast of characters and dreamy Cambridge spires backdrop ... Agatha Christie but with much better biscuits.' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'I love a bit of cozy crime and this didn’t disappoint! Lots of cake, a nice juicy crime, a dog and a bit of romance. The perfect story to sink into on a Sunday afternoon.' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'A warm, witty read full of delightful characters and delicious moments.' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'I loved the vintage vibe of the book, set in a time before I got to know Cambridge but with enough familiarity to be able to picture it all. This was a very fun, lighthearted story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading on dark drizzly nights.' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'I loved the element of tarot cards readings that sent shivers down my spine and added drama to the story. Wonderful story!' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'The book is a sort of Miss Marple meets the Thursday Murder Club, with the intrepid sleuth joining forces with her friends to solve a murder, or was it in fact a murder? Well written and short it is definitely a quality biscuit from the tin.' Reader Review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

'It is a great snapshot of Cambridge in the 70's. If you like Agatha Raisin, Father Brown, Grantchester and baking, you will love this book.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy

151 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2024

About the author

Menna van Praag was born in Cambridge, England and studied Modern History at Oxford University. Her first novella - an autobiographical tale about a waitress who aspires to be a writer - Men, Money & Chocolate has been translated into 26 languages. Her magical realism novels are all set among the colleges, cafes and bookshops of Cambridge. The House at the End of Hope Street (2014), The Dress Shop of Dreams (2015), The Witches of Cambridge (2016), The Lost Art of Letter Writing (2017) & The Patron Saint of Lost Souls (2018). Her fantasy trilogy, The Sisters Grimm, was published (2020-24) by Transworld (UK) HarperVoyager (US). She's just published her first series of cozy crime novels: The Biscuit Tin Murders. The final book in the series is out January 31st...

Men, Money & Chocolate: 2009 (Hay House UK & US)

Happier Than She's Ever Been: 2011 (Hay House UK)

The House at the End of Hope Street: 2013 (Penguin US)

The Dress Shop of Dreams: 2014 (Random House US)

The Witches of Cambridge: 2015 (Random House US)

The Lost Art of Letter Writing: 2017 (Allison & Busby UK)

The Patron Saint of Lost Souls: 2018 (Allison & Busby UK)

The Sisters Grimm: 2020 (Transworld, UK & HarperVoyager US)

Night of Demons & Saints: 2022 (Transworld, UK & HarperVoyager US)

Child of Earth & Sky: 2023 (Transworld, UK)

The Biscuit Tin Murders: 2024-25 (Amazon).

Reviews

[Naz Ekin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much!

I loved reading this book, it's clever, it's fun, just the thing for the 'curl up with a good book' days with a warm cup of drink!

[Gishali Khullar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an average cozy read.

[Debra B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin??? I realize the premise behind a cozy mystery, but this cozy was totally unbelievable. I finished the book hoping it would improve, but sadly it did not. The main character is simply TSTBB (too SILLY to be believable). The whole story is based on her intuition from reading tarot cards that a young man she does not know has been murdered. She obtains dubious "evidence" by sneaking around, bribing with baked goods and hiding in a closet, then goes into histrionics when the police cannot use her "evidence" to bring in the murderer. Too bad she didn't even guess correctly on the identity of the murderer.

Thank goodness the book was short because it couldn't have ended too soon!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another "new to me" author that was introduced to me by Amazon Kindle and I loved what I read. Yes, the writing is a bit rough and the main character is a bit more naive than what is good for her. We are all a bit naive though, sooner or later. I could not have done what she did. The main characters are delightful and most of the supporting characters as well. The plot is easily followed and the premise is discovering if the boy was actually pushed off the tower or it truly was an accident. The answers were sad and a bit disgusting, but then evil actions often are. I highly recommend this book.

[Jamila Tirari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great cosy mystery 😉

[Ova Ceren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweetest cosy mystery ever 🧡

[Dodi Mawer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid read but it can be a bit scattered at times. I'll be reading the rest of the series.

[Kathleen E. Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely little cozy mystery

Quick read. This was a very nice story with no scary or gory parts. I will be getting more in the series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice fun mystery. If anything it is more a discussion on women's life in the 60's instead of a mystery. While I am not an overall fan of the virtual voice this was the best so far.

[Katja 🇧🇪 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Olive Crisp and how her story is set in the seventies. She is such a well developed character that you already can imagine knowing her after you only have read this 1st book in this quaint and wonderful mystery series. She and her little dog who are so sweet and are always full of whatever Olive has baked up in her ghostly kitchen, are always up to go on a stroll to find out if a new mystery is awaiting for them to solve.
This series is such a fun and enjoyable read that I am so grateful to discover that 4 other books are awaiting for me to be read!