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Avery & Blake #3
The Devil's Feast
For lovers of Sherlock, Shardlake and Ripper Street. A hugely enjoyable heart-pounding Victorian thriller- murder, a celebrity chef and a great detective double-act.
London, 1842. There has been a mysterious and horrible death at the Reform, London's newest and grandest gentleman's club. A death the club is desperate to hush up.
Captain William Avery is persuaded to investigate, and soon discovers a web of rivalries and hatreds, both personal and political, simmering behind the club's handsome façade-and in particular concerning its resident genius, Alexis Soyer, 'the Napoleon of food', a chef whose culinary brilliance is matched only by his talent for self-publicity.
But Avery is distracted, for where his mentor and partner-in-crime Jeremiah Blake? And what if this first death was only a dress rehearsal for something far more sinister?
London, 1842. There has been a mysterious and horrible death at the Reform, London's newest and grandest gentleman's club. A death the club is desperate to hush up.
Captain William Avery is persuaded to investigate, and soon discovers a web of rivalries and hatreds, both personal and political, simmering behind the club's handsome façade-and in particular concerning its resident genius, Alexis Soyer, 'the Napoleon of food', a chef whose culinary brilliance is matched only by his talent for self-publicity.
But Avery is distracted, for where his mentor and partner-in-crime Jeremiah Blake? And what if this first death was only a dress rehearsal for something far more sinister?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2016
78 people are currently reading
992 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Carter
5 books304 followersM J Carter, biographer, historian and thriller writer, was educated at St. Paul's Girls' School and Exeter College, Oxford. She worked as a publisher and journalist before beginning research on her biography of Anthony Blunt in 1994. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. Anthony Blunt: His lives (2001), her first book, won the Royal Society of Literature Award and the Orwell Prize, and was shortlisted for many other prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and the Whitbread Biography Award. In the US it was chosen by the New York Times Book Review as one of the seven best books of 2002. Her second book, The Three Emperors (US title, George, Nicholas and Wilhelm), was published in 2009 and was shortlisted for the LA Time Biography prize and the Hesse-Tiltman History prize. In 2014 her first thriller, The Strangler Vine, the first in a series set in the first years f Queen Victoria's reign, will be published. The second in the series, The Infidel Stain, is due for publication in January 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
May 8, 2017
I haven't read the first two books in the series but it didn't really matter because the book can stand alone which I appreciate. I really loved Matty. The writing was good and the plot line was interesting. I don't care much for politics but I still enjoyed it and I really liked that the author gave some historical context afterwards. It's basis on history was pretty interesting. The only thing that confused me was when they introduced so many characters at once in the beginning I had a hard time telling who's who and sometimes I felt the descriptions were unnecessary and boring. Other than that I liked it, its a good mystery read.
October 8, 2016
This is the third Avery and Blake mystery, following on from, “The Strangler Vine,” and “The Infidel Stain.” I love M J Carter’s books – both her fiction and non-fiction – and I am pleased to say that this is a good addition to the series.
When we meet up with Captain William Avery, he is a new father. However, although he is enchanted by his baby son, he is finding his relationship with wife, Helen, difficult. Leaving his family in Devon, he visits London to try to talk to Jeremiah Blake. Having refused a recent commission from his patron, Theophilius Collinson, Blake has been imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea Prison. Of course, Blake is being his usual, stubborn self and refusing to do as Collinson wants, even though there is another inmate in the prison who has a grudge and who is rumoured to be after him.
While in London, Avery decides to visit Matty Horne, who was previously rescued from a life on the streets in an earlier book and is now working in the kitchen of the Reform Club, under the direction of Alexis Soyer. Soyer is the most famous chef in London and he invites Avery to a private dinner party. However, when one of the guests is taken ill, what at first seems to be cholera turns out to be poison. Avery is invited to try to solve the mystery of who is attempting to damage the Reform Club before they host an important banquet for Ibrahim Pasha, the Prince of Egypt.
I cannot honestly say this is better than previous novels in the series, as they are all of a high standard. However, it is certainly as good as earlier books and a very enjoyable mystery, with a good setting. Soyer was a real person and the Reform Club a real place; famous for the alliance of Whigs and Radicals – known as liberals. Carter manages to recreate the period wonderfully and the atmosphere of the busy club, and kitchens, give a real feel of authenticity. With the forthcoming banquet involving secret negotiations for peace talks in the Middle East, the club is under great pressure to make the dinner a success, but it seems someone is out to stop them. Can Avery persuade Blake to help him, or can he rely on his own abilities to get to the bottom of the mystery?
This is one of my favourite historical mystery series and I love the way that Carter weaves real historical characters into her novels. This is the third in the series and the second set in London. Wherever our heroes end up next, I look forward to reading on. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
When we meet up with Captain William Avery, he is a new father. However, although he is enchanted by his baby son, he is finding his relationship with wife, Helen, difficult. Leaving his family in Devon, he visits London to try to talk to Jeremiah Blake. Having refused a recent commission from his patron, Theophilius Collinson, Blake has been imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea Prison. Of course, Blake is being his usual, stubborn self and refusing to do as Collinson wants, even though there is another inmate in the prison who has a grudge and who is rumoured to be after him.
While in London, Avery decides to visit Matty Horne, who was previously rescued from a life on the streets in an earlier book and is now working in the kitchen of the Reform Club, under the direction of Alexis Soyer. Soyer is the most famous chef in London and he invites Avery to a private dinner party. However, when one of the guests is taken ill, what at first seems to be cholera turns out to be poison. Avery is invited to try to solve the mystery of who is attempting to damage the Reform Club before they host an important banquet for Ibrahim Pasha, the Prince of Egypt.
I cannot honestly say this is better than previous novels in the series, as they are all of a high standard. However, it is certainly as good as earlier books and a very enjoyable mystery, with a good setting. Soyer was a real person and the Reform Club a real place; famous for the alliance of Whigs and Radicals – known as liberals. Carter manages to recreate the period wonderfully and the atmosphere of the busy club, and kitchens, give a real feel of authenticity. With the forthcoming banquet involving secret negotiations for peace talks in the Middle East, the club is under great pressure to make the dinner a success, but it seems someone is out to stop them. Can Avery persuade Blake to help him, or can he rely on his own abilities to get to the bottom of the mystery?
This is one of my favourite historical mystery series and I love the way that Carter weaves real historical characters into her novels. This is the third in the series and the second set in London. Wherever our heroes end up next, I look forward to reading on. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
January 9, 2017
In this book, Avery and Blake investigate the deaths of several men who dined at an exclusive men's club in London. The kitchen is run by celebrity chef Alexis Soyer who is not only an incredible chef but the inventor of many kitchen innovations. I learned from the afterword that Soyer was a real person.
I didn't have a problem with the mystery plot, but the book was so over burdened with details that I found it tedious to read. The author obviously did a lot of research and insisted upon fitting all of it into the book. I wasn't interested in a list of every dish that Soyer cooked (including all ingredients) or of every vendor who supplied his pantry. There were also detailed descriptions of the clothing worn by all of the male characters (and there were a lot of them). Much of the book consisted of questioning people repeatedly, including every single person on the kitchen staff. I managed to finish the book, but I skimmed a lot. It was also unfortunate that Blake, who is by far the more interesting of the pair, was absent for a good deal of this book. In addition, Avery is in an unhappy marriage with a mostly missing wife, and I saw no reason at all to include her or their strained relationship in this book. Further, be warned that the book begins with a scene of gruesome animal experimentation.
This was all really disappointing since I loved the first book in this series. It was a wonderful adventure set in India. However, setting Avery and Blake in London has not resulted in scintillating story telling. This book could be read as a standalone, but if I had started with this book I doubt that I would have continued with the series.
If there is a fourth book, my suggestion is that the author kill off the unseen wife and child and send a grief stricken Avery and Blake back to India where the story started. I also think Blake should recover from whatever it is that kept him sickly throughout this book. His illness was not a useful or entertaining plot device.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I didn't have a problem with the mystery plot, but the book was so over burdened with details that I found it tedious to read. The author obviously did a lot of research and insisted upon fitting all of it into the book. I wasn't interested in a list of every dish that Soyer cooked (including all ingredients) or of every vendor who supplied his pantry. There were also detailed descriptions of the clothing worn by all of the male characters (and there were a lot of them). Much of the book consisted of questioning people repeatedly, including every single person on the kitchen staff. I managed to finish the book, but I skimmed a lot. It was also unfortunate that Blake, who is by far the more interesting of the pair, was absent for a good deal of this book. In addition, Avery is in an unhappy marriage with a mostly missing wife, and I saw no reason at all to include her or their strained relationship in this book. Further, be warned that the book begins with a scene of gruesome animal experimentation.
This was all really disappointing since I loved the first book in this series. It was a wonderful adventure set in India. However, setting Avery and Blake in London has not resulted in scintillating story telling. This book could be read as a standalone, but if I had started with this book I doubt that I would have continued with the series.
If there is a fourth book, my suggestion is that the author kill off the unseen wife and child and send a grief stricken Avery and Blake back to India where the story started. I also think Blake should recover from whatever it is that kept him sickly throughout this book. His illness was not a useful or entertaining plot device.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
September 5, 2016
Description: London, 1842. There has been a mysterious and horrible death at the Reform, London's newest and grandest gentleman's club. A death the club is desperate to hush up. Captain William Avery is persuaded to investigate, and soon discovers a web of rivalries and hatreds, both personal and political, simmering behind the club's handsome façade-and in particular concerning its resident genius, Alexis Soyer, 'the Napoleon of food', a chef whose culinary brilliance is matched only by his talent for self-publicity. But Avery is distracted, for where his mentor and partner-in-crime Jeremiah Blake? And what if this first death was only a dress rehearsal for something far more sinister?
LAWKS ALIVE: first person narrative, yet that aside, this is a lovely victoriana adventure. It seemed to work well as a one-off even though this is the third of a series.
February 9, 2017
Alexis Soyer is the first celebrity chef in London in 1842 (think Gordon Ramsey). He is preparing an elaborate banquet for the Prince of Egypt that could have international consequences. He works at the Reform Club where Whigs and the radicals hold court. The only problem? Diners are starting to die. One here and one there but it is bad for business when your patrons are poisoned.
Captain William Avery is called in by committee members to investigate. His partner, Jeremiah Blake, is in debtor's prison on trumped up charges from a former benefactor who wants Blake to do despicable things that he doesn't want to do. The benefactor is trying to force him into compliance.
As Avery wends his way through the kitchens trying to stop a murderer, Blake is released and the hunt is on.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. The cooking innovations Chef Soyer makes were still in use in the 1960's. He was the first chef to try to cook with gas for example. The workings of the kitchen were so interesting and the dance that goes on to serve an evening meal was captivating. Chef Soyer was also the first chef to start soup kitchens and one of the few who employed women in the kitchen. What made the book even more special was at the end when it was revealed that Soyer was an actual real person. The research was meticulous.
This is the third book in the series but the first one I have read. I never felt disadvantaged for not having read the first two although I plan to go back and read them. This is an exceptionally well written historical mystery and I plan to enjoy myself and read the first two. It was such a readable, enjoyable series. The only suggestion I have is that Soyer is certainly interesting enough to have his own series.
The writing was excellent, the story quite interesting, the research meticulous, the characters well developed and there's nothing negative to say. I can't wait to read more.
Captain William Avery is called in by committee members to investigate. His partner, Jeremiah Blake, is in debtor's prison on trumped up charges from a former benefactor who wants Blake to do despicable things that he doesn't want to do. The benefactor is trying to force him into compliance.
As Avery wends his way through the kitchens trying to stop a murderer, Blake is released and the hunt is on.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. The cooking innovations Chef Soyer makes were still in use in the 1960's. He was the first chef to try to cook with gas for example. The workings of the kitchen were so interesting and the dance that goes on to serve an evening meal was captivating. Chef Soyer was also the first chef to start soup kitchens and one of the few who employed women in the kitchen. What made the book even more special was at the end when it was revealed that Soyer was an actual real person. The research was meticulous.
This is the third book in the series but the first one I have read. I never felt disadvantaged for not having read the first two although I plan to go back and read them. This is an exceptionally well written historical mystery and I plan to enjoy myself and read the first two. It was such a readable, enjoyable series. The only suggestion I have is that Soyer is certainly interesting enough to have his own series.
The writing was excellent, the story quite interesting, the research meticulous, the characters well developed and there's nothing negative to say. I can't wait to read more.
August 18, 2020
Sure shot page turner. Though I listened on Storytel, if I had book I would have loved it even more.
Blake is at his best again. A wonderful take woven around semi fiction semi facts.
A recommend read.
Full stars 💫✨🌟 to the book
Blake is at his best again. A wonderful take woven around semi fiction semi facts.
A recommend read.
Full stars 💫✨🌟 to the book
January 3, 2018
Another excellent - and this time rather culinary - Victorian mystery in the always enjoyable company of Blake and Avery. I do love this series.
March 12, 2017
Quite a beautiful book, the descriptions of the kitchen, staff and then the magnificent food stuffs created were amazing.
October 24, 2016
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. This normally means that I feel obliged to finish a book, but I'm afraid that after 150 pages or so of The Devil's Feast I just got so bored that I decided that enough was enough.
It's not that it's terrible. M.J. Carter can write well and she gets the Victorian voice sufficiently accurately to be pretty convincing – although some very modern, US-originated usages do creep in, like "Are we done, gentlemen?" or an oath beginning with "What the …" which grate very badly. My real problem was that very little actually happened among the Sumptuous Detail. We were introduced to a large cast of characters in whom I found I had very little interest; there are long, long descriptions of the workings of the kitchens at the Reform Club and rather clunky expositions of the politics of the time, for example; we get seemingly endless chapters in which Avery wanders around rather aimlessly talking to people while not knowing what to do, and so on. There's also some business involving Blake which is so derivative as to be laughably transparent – except to Avery, apparently.
I'm happy to stick with a slow opening, but I'm afraid I need a little more than this by the time I've read over a third of a 350-page book. Others seem to have found this involving and entertaining, and you may find that you enjoy it, too. Personally, I'd had all I could take and bailed out. Not for me, I'm afraid.
It's not that it's terrible. M.J. Carter can write well and she gets the Victorian voice sufficiently accurately to be pretty convincing – although some very modern, US-originated usages do creep in, like "Are we done, gentlemen?" or an oath beginning with "What the …" which grate very badly. My real problem was that very little actually happened among the Sumptuous Detail. We were introduced to a large cast of characters in whom I found I had very little interest; there are long, long descriptions of the workings of the kitchens at the Reform Club and rather clunky expositions of the politics of the time, for example; we get seemingly endless chapters in which Avery wanders around rather aimlessly talking to people while not knowing what to do, and so on. There's also some business involving Blake which is so derivative as to be laughably transparent – except to Avery, apparently.
I'm happy to stick with a slow opening, but I'm afraid I need a little more than this by the time I've read over a third of a 350-page book. Others seem to have found this involving and entertaining, and you may find that you enjoy it, too. Personally, I'd had all I could take and bailed out. Not for me, I'm afraid.
April 15, 2017
>[List of food in this book]<
You don't believe a historical detective fiction can outshine chick-lits or general fictions that are supposedly all about restaurants, kitchens, cafés, teashops, or whatever places you cook food? Do go click the link provided on the top of this review to see the whole list of what was mentioned in this book. And one would think that, then perhaps it's the historical and mystery part that would in turn suffer, due to the obvious generous portion of food, food, FOOD! But NOPE, it didn't happen. At least not to me.
A digitized ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh Gawd, the food in this book! So many and so awesomely described. This is a book I WILL be rereading just because I so thoroughly enjoyed it!!! (Updated, and yup, I've finished rereading it the first time, and it won't be the last)
(BTW, when I was passed half way reading the ARC, I couldn't help it that I got the UK ebook instead, but I'm just so thankful that I was approved to read the US ARC or I wouldn't have gone out of my way to give this series a go)
I've occasionally made extra notes to further thank NetGalley for providing the ARC; this is one of those I CANNOT be MORE GRATEFUL FOR. I first spot the UK ARC up for request; it has a stunning cover, so it was no wonder that I clicked to view, however, at the time, I judged it very quickly, thinking that I was not in the slightest into historical, even less about serial killings, so this book even briefly made it onto my Listopia list: Stunning Covers from Books I Have No Intention in Reading!.
It was only until I saw fellow User Elaine Tomasso's review that actually sparked my interest, and after a quick inquiry, I sent out my request. And just as quickly, I got turned down (lol) for I wasn't a UK citizen. That was when I thought "that was it, I probably won't be reading this." Then a few months afterwards, its US publisher also offered it on NetGalley, which was how I got to read it, and how it led me to ordering all three books in UK hardbacks. I would not have believed it possible for me to take those actions, especially for a series that's of a genre I've never particular liked! Should I say more? In case you haven't noticed, this series, and THIS BOOK PARTICULARLY, blew me away.
I want to make it extra, EXTRA clear that I've basically never read any historical mysteries (nope... never read any Sherlock, and the one and only Arsène Lupin I've read was definitely an annotated/simplified version, of which I read it like I was in my 6th grade), so reading this book was like taking a leap of faith. I was pretty certain I was gonna fall down hard and crash and burn, but it turns out that I did fall, but I've fallen in love with this series. It was so ridiculously true, btw.
I'm not gonna lie, it took me a while to get used to it. Like I said before, because I really don't have things to compare it with, I'm going to say that I do feel the "authenticity" in this book, meaning, the colloquial definitely felt "aged", like, the opposite of how modern people talk. lmao. See, I have no idea how to describe it, possibly "Victorian"? (Then again, I have no real clue what "Victorian" sounds like) So, excuse me if I'm way off the mark.
As a complete amateur when it comes to British history, I'm completely convinced, which, isn't saying much, BUT, I think it is a lot better than some of the more well known works that are supposedly set in that era (alternate or not), which I've seen various reviews stating how the characters talk were just totally too contemporary thus making them not in the slightest bit believable. If you are someone sensitive on the matter, please let me know what you think about the writing of this book, so I can also get a better idea lol.
My first strong impression of this book (besides the food, that is,) was that it is EDUCATIONAL. I've shared some of the quotes on GR I personally find supremely memorable, some of which that totally made me blanched while reading, and couldn't believe what I was reading and had to reread the passages several times to make sure I was understanding it correctly. I am hundredfolds more thankful to be born in this era. Gawd... "chalk and alum have been added to bread... etc." It gives me the shiver.... No wonder people don't live long back in the days... And then there's this:
I was LingMAO while reading, yet horrified at the same time, because green happens to be my effing favorite color lol. What a way to die... But yeah, like I said, this book is unexpectedly educational, and I've been sharing this odd piece of info ever since. xP
Character wise... We are following the story through Avery's POV and Avery mostly being someone I'd really like to bash on the head; it is so odd precisely because of my dislikes towards Avery, yet through his lenses, I was still able to become so attached and passionate on the matter. Make no mistake, he truly irritates me to no end (to the point that I actually felt smug when he embarrassed the heck out of himself for jumping to the wrong conclusion), but somehow his helplessness and frustrations when it comes to the case, his emotions felt so real, and even though I'd like to punch him from time to time, I can't help feeling sympathy towards him in his shoe.
It is odd because, I don't think anyone can disagree that Avery is THE sidekick in the duo, but through him we unfold the story. Like I said, I've not read Sherlock, so I didn't have a clue if it's normal to watch the case mainly through Watson's eyes. It's just not something I would be expecting. And yes, do feel free to laugh at my ignorance, for I've just looked it up on Wikipedia right after I wrote this section, and found out the first part of A Study in Scarlet is apparently indeed narrated by Watson. See just how unfamiliar I am with detective fictions? Point is, it's still not gonna change the fact that I personally wasn't expecting it. Perhaps it's because I was used to following Edogawa Conan around that I just never thought I'd be reading from the less-of-a-detective character's POV. (And yes, 名探偵コナン is kinda the only detective-ish thing I read/watch, and not much even)
Oh, you've probably realized I haven't talked all that much about the plot. Considering this is about solving crimes, this would be one of the few moments I absolutely don't want to spoil anything. And to be frank, I just want EVERYONE to read it themselves lol.
That being said:
This is probably one of the only time I actually completely agree with Avery. I have to say, during this scene, I was so pissed off at the mob of angry people. Like seriously, poor people, I know you are effing hungry, but the soup is poisoned; you want to die? Feel free to eat that damn soup. It got on my nerve so badly that I honestly felt that Blake and Avery should have just let one of the persistent people try at their own risk; once someone actually falls ill (or comes close to dying), perhaps the rest of them could THEN CHILL THE F*CK OUT. Man, even thinking about this scene makes me angry lol.
Last but not least, thanks to this series, I've discovered the talented illustrator Dan Funderburgh (official site: http://cargocollective.com/DFgamma) , who designed the jaw-droppingly gorgeous cover for the books! Some of his works:
P.S.: For people who are interested in this book due to the food, but are unsure if they want to start this series from book 3, I'd say you can always did what I did, try it anyways and see if you'd mind. I think it was only extra hard for me because I'm familiar with neither Victorian nor mystery. I also wasn't sure who's point of view I was reading from (it's Avery lol) until a few good chapters in. It was overwhelming when this book involves so many characters (major and minor), so if you are bad with remembering names, it could be slightly difficult. I was pleased to find out that sans Blake, Avery, Matty, and Collinson, some of the characters already have good speaking roles in book 2. That was something I obviously wasn't aware of until I read the book myself, and I feel that, had I read the series in the correct order, perhaps reading book 3 would have been much easier, cuz it'd mean a few less characters "new" to me to get mixed with the people I needed to focus on.
You don't believe a historical detective fiction can outshine chick-lits or general fictions that are supposedly all about restaurants, kitchens, cafés, teashops, or whatever places you cook food? Do go click the link provided on the top of this review to see the whole list of what was mentioned in this book. And one would think that, then perhaps it's the historical and mystery part that would in turn suffer, due to the obvious generous portion of food, food, FOOD! But NOPE, it didn't happen. At least not to me.
A digitized ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh Gawd, the food in this book! So many and so awesomely described. This is a book I WILL be rereading just because I so thoroughly enjoyed it!!! (Updated, and yup, I've finished rereading it the first time, and it won't be the last)
(BTW, when I was passed half way reading the ARC, I couldn't help it that I got the UK ebook instead, but I'm just so thankful that I was approved to read the US ARC or I wouldn't have gone out of my way to give this series a go)
I've occasionally made extra notes to further thank NetGalley for providing the ARC; this is one of those I CANNOT be MORE GRATEFUL FOR. I first spot the UK ARC up for request; it has a stunning cover, so it was no wonder that I clicked to view, however, at the time, I judged it very quickly, thinking that I was not in the slightest into historical, even less about serial killings, so this book even briefly made it onto my Listopia list: Stunning Covers from Books I Have No Intention in Reading!.
It was only until I saw fellow User Elaine Tomasso's review that actually sparked my interest, and after a quick inquiry, I sent out my request. And just as quickly, I got turned down (lol) for I wasn't a UK citizen. That was when I thought "that was it, I probably won't be reading this." Then a few months afterwards, its US publisher also offered it on NetGalley, which was how I got to read it, and how it led me to ordering all three books in UK hardbacks. I would not have believed it possible for me to take those actions, especially for a series that's of a genre I've never particular liked! Should I say more? In case you haven't noticed, this series, and THIS BOOK PARTICULARLY, blew me away.
I want to make it extra, EXTRA clear that I've basically never read any historical mysteries (nope... never read any Sherlock, and the one and only Arsène Lupin I've read was definitely an annotated/simplified version, of which I read it like I was in my 6th grade), so reading this book was like taking a leap of faith. I was pretty certain I was gonna fall down hard and crash and burn, but it turns out that I did fall, but I've fallen in love with this series. It was so ridiculously true, btw.
I'm not gonna lie, it took me a while to get used to it. Like I said before, because I really don't have things to compare it with, I'm going to say that I do feel the "authenticity" in this book, meaning, the colloquial definitely felt "aged", like, the opposite of how modern people talk. lmao. See, I have no idea how to describe it, possibly "Victorian"? (Then again, I have no real clue what "Victorian" sounds like) So, excuse me if I'm way off the mark.
As a complete amateur when it comes to British history, I'm completely convinced, which, isn't saying much, BUT, I think it is a lot better than some of the more well known works that are supposedly set in that era (alternate or not), which I've seen various reviews stating how the characters talk were just totally too contemporary thus making them not in the slightest bit believable. If you are someone sensitive on the matter, please let me know what you think about the writing of this book, so I can also get a better idea lol.
My first strong impression of this book (besides the food, that is,) was that it is EDUCATIONAL. I've shared some of the quotes on GR I personally find supremely memorable, some of which that totally made me blanched while reading, and couldn't believe what I was reading and had to reread the passages several times to make sure I was understanding it correctly. I am hundredfolds more thankful to be born in this era. Gawd... "chalk and alum have been added to bread... etc." It gives me the shiver.... No wonder people don't live long back in the days... And then there's this:
‘[...] Did you also know that [arsenic] provides a colour pigment called Scheele’s green, which is found in paint, upon wallpaper and even on cloth?’
I said I did not.
‘Some years ago a young woman died after wearing a green tarlatan dress to a party. She was overcome by the fumes from the arsenic dye on her skirts. Frankly, it is a scandal, one I myself have taken pains to expose, thus far to very little effect. The authorities, with their corrupt vested interests and their criminal apathy, do nothing.’
I was LingMAO while reading, yet horrified at the same time, because green happens to be my effing favorite color lol. What a way to die... But yeah, like I said, this book is unexpectedly educational, and I've been sharing this odd piece of info ever since. xP
Character wise... We are following the story through Avery's POV and Avery mostly being someone I'd really like to bash on the head; it is so odd precisely because of my dislikes towards Avery, yet through his lenses, I was still able to become so attached and passionate on the matter. Make no mistake, he truly irritates me to no end (to the point that I actually felt smug when he embarrassed the heck out of himself for jumping to the wrong conclusion), but somehow his helplessness and frustrations when it comes to the case, his emotions felt so real, and even though I'd like to punch him from time to time, I can't help feeling sympathy towards him in his shoe.
It is odd because, I don't think anyone can disagree that Avery is THE sidekick in the duo, but through him we unfold the story. Like I said, I've not read Sherlock, so I didn't have a clue if it's normal to watch the case mainly through Watson's eyes. It's just not something I would be expecting. And yes, do feel free to laugh at my ignorance, for I've just looked it up on Wikipedia right after I wrote this section, and found out the first part of A Study in Scarlet is apparently indeed narrated by Watson. See just how unfamiliar I am with detective fictions? Point is, it's still not gonna change the fact that I personally wasn't expecting it. Perhaps it's because I was used to following Edogawa Conan around that I just never thought I'd be reading from the less-of-a-detective character's POV. (And yes, 名探偵コナン is kinda the only detective-ish thing I read/watch, and not much even)
Oh, you've probably realized I haven't talked all that much about the plot. Considering this is about solving crimes, this would be one of the few moments I absolutely don't want to spoil anything. And to be frank, I just want EVERYONE to read it themselves lol.
That being said:
‘Would you rather be hungry or dead?’
This is probably one of the only time I actually completely agree with Avery. I have to say, during this scene, I was so pissed off at the mob of angry people. Like seriously, poor people, I know you are effing hungry, but the soup is poisoned; you want to die? Feel free to eat that damn soup. It got on my nerve so badly that I honestly felt that Blake and Avery should have just let one of the persistent people try at their own risk; once someone actually falls ill (or comes close to dying), perhaps the rest of them could THEN CHILL THE F*CK OUT. Man, even thinking about this scene makes me angry lol.
Last but not least, thanks to this series, I've discovered the talented illustrator Dan Funderburgh (official site: http://cargocollective.com/DFgamma) , who designed the jaw-droppingly gorgeous cover for the books! Some of his works:
P.S.: For people who are interested in this book due to the food, but are unsure if they want to start this series from book 3, I'd say you can always did what I did, try it anyways and see if you'd mind. I think it was only extra hard for me because I'm familiar with neither Victorian nor mystery. I also wasn't sure who's point of view I was reading from (it's Avery lol) until a few good chapters in. It was overwhelming when this book involves so many characters (major and minor), so if you are bad with remembering names, it could be slightly difficult. I was pleased to find out that sans Blake, Avery, Matty, and Collinson, some of the characters already have good speaking roles in book 2. That was something I obviously wasn't aware of until I read the book myself, and I feel that, had I read the series in the correct order, perhaps reading book 3 would have been much easier, cuz it'd mean a few less characters "new" to me to get mixed with the people I needed to focus on.
April 1, 2017
It seems I have liked each book in this series a bit less than the first one. Briefly, this starts off with Blake in The Marshalsea and refusing to be manipulated by the man who put him there falsely, leaving Avery to respond to a request for help from Blake's friend, London's first famous French chef. Diners are being poisoned. Avery does his best, but things get worse. I did not enjoy the lengthy conversations in the men's club. There was a great deal of improbable bungling that I won't describe.
April 15, 2017
I must admit that this was a huge disappointment. I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one was slow and had too many suspects for the perpetrator of the crimes. It was difficult to keep them straight, so I neither liked nor disliked any of them. As a result, it mattered not who the villain was. It also contained an excessive amount of description of food and food preparation.
But, I do enjoy the relationship between Blake and Avery and will continue the series.
But, I do enjoy the relationship between Blake and Avery and will continue the series.
June 2, 2022
***one whole star is for the fantastic narration***
Well this was disappointing. I quite enjoyed the first two books in this series. Interesting historical era/setting, well researched, and fantastic audio. These qualities remain in place but there doesn't seem to be much of an actual plot.
Oh, there's tons and tons of characters, they talk. a lot but it doesn't in any further what there is of the story (someone has been poisoning members of the Reform Club in London). The author certainly demonstrates her research but unless you're reading this for information about the British political climate in the 1840s or menus from the era or detailed ingredients & preparation methods for said dishes you're out of luck.
Like the previous books this one is told from Avery's P.O.V. but that doesn't mean we know that much about him. He remains the eye through which we, the readers, encounter information, he's also still very much a naive babe in the woods, which I don't have a problem with, but still ....
Blake remains an inscrutable cypher not only to the reader but to Avery himself which begs the question as to why/how Avery remains in Blake's thrall. We've gotten glimpses of Blake but IMO not enough to sustain him as a character to love.
To add insult to injury the resolution of the mystery is beyond unsatisfying. 😡
I can only surmise that the author means/meant to tease out Avery & Blake's respective histories and their combined one over the course of the series but three books in and we got all the useful information about the characters in the first book. Very annoying.
I try to enjoy things for what they are but I really hoped that this would at least turn into an M/M adjacent story. *sigh*
I will say, and can't stress it enough, the audio by Alex Wyndham is a master class in narration. Excellent!!!
Well this was disappointing. I quite enjoyed the first two books in this series. Interesting historical era/setting, well researched, and fantastic audio. These qualities remain in place but there doesn't seem to be much of an actual plot.
Oh, there's tons and tons of characters, they talk. a lot but it doesn't in any further what there is of the story (someone has been poisoning members of the Reform Club in London). The author certainly demonstrates her research but unless you're reading this for information about the British political climate in the 1840s or menus from the era or detailed ingredients & preparation methods for said dishes you're out of luck.
Like the previous books this one is told from Avery's P.O.V. but that doesn't mean we know that much about him. He remains the eye through which we, the readers, encounter information, he's also still very much a naive babe in the woods, which I don't have a problem with, but still ....
Blake remains an inscrutable cypher not only to the reader but to Avery himself which begs the question as to why/how Avery remains in Blake's thrall. We've gotten glimpses of Blake but IMO not enough to sustain him as a character to love.
To add insult to injury the resolution of the mystery is beyond unsatisfying. 😡
I can only surmise that the author means/meant to tease out Avery & Blake's respective histories and their combined one over the course of the series but three books in and we got all the useful information about the characters in the first book. Very annoying.
I try to enjoy things for what they are but I really hoped that this would at least turn into an M/M adjacent story. *sigh*
I will say, and can't stress it enough, the audio by Alex Wyndham is a master class in narration. Excellent!!!
May 22, 2017
Yet again, a well researched book with multidimensional characters and serious social, political, and cultural undertones.
Excellent writing is also a plus with the snarky sense of humor and entertaining dialogue. No wonder these books do not sell as other cheap, preposterous thrillers or mysteries.
One has to have some semblance of IQ and decent education to enjoy them... This is not a brain candy that hit bookstores and libraries millions a day .. but this is what sells. Alas.
Feel free to call me opinionated.
Excellent writing is also a plus with the snarky sense of humor and entertaining dialogue. No wonder these books do not sell as other cheap, preposterous thrillers or mysteries.
One has to have some semblance of IQ and decent education to enjoy them... This is not a brain candy that hit bookstores and libraries millions a day .. but this is what sells. Alas.
Feel free to call me opinionated.
February 25, 2017
In 1842 London, Captain William Avery finds himself inadvertently drawn into a possible murder investigation. At the end of a fantastic meal by celebrity chef Alexis Soyer at the Reform Club in the chef’s own rooms, one man sickens and dies. At first glance it looks like cholera, but a closer look at the symptoms proves it to be poison. And it turns out not to be the only incident; another death follows, and investigation turns up some possible non-lethal cases of poison before the first death.
Normally Avery’s friend Jeremiah Blake would be leading the investigation, but he’s vanished from the debtor’s prison where he was being detained. Avery worries that he doesn’t have what it takes to solve the case before more deaths occur. And he’s under the gun; in just a few days, the club will be hosting the son of the ruler of Egypt in a fantastic dinner with heavy political ramifications.
This is the third in a series of Avery and Blake mysteries. Blake is the brainy Holmes of this detective duo; Avery is the Watson who tells the tale. And it’s a fun tale to read if you’re a foodie. Soyer was a real historical person. He was the first chef who become a celebrity; he was not only a brilliant chef, but quite an inventor of kitchen gear and an innovator; he created tools and methods that are still used today. He was a fiend for cleanliness in the kitchen, promoted the use of natural gas for cooking, and encouraged women to become chefs. He also had an oversize personality that made him the center of attention at a time when chefs were becoming stars rather than just unseen food makers. Soyer is the heart of this novel, even more than the murders are.
I loved reading this book, in large part because of Soyer and the research that went into the descriptions of the food and the way it was made. The murder investigation itself seems to take the back seat to the food, however, and I’m not sure if this is desirable in a mystery? I was fine with it, but not sure if every reader will be. There is a lot of time spent questioning everyone from meat suppliers to waiters; there is a surfeit of suspects in these crimes and it becomes a little scattered. I started having trouble remembering who was who in the kitchen. I’ve not read the first two books in this series but this seems like a fun series.
Normally Avery’s friend Jeremiah Blake would be leading the investigation, but he’s vanished from the debtor’s prison where he was being detained. Avery worries that he doesn’t have what it takes to solve the case before more deaths occur. And he’s under the gun; in just a few days, the club will be hosting the son of the ruler of Egypt in a fantastic dinner with heavy political ramifications.
This is the third in a series of Avery and Blake mysteries. Blake is the brainy Holmes of this detective duo; Avery is the Watson who tells the tale. And it’s a fun tale to read if you’re a foodie. Soyer was a real historical person. He was the first chef who become a celebrity; he was not only a brilliant chef, but quite an inventor of kitchen gear and an innovator; he created tools and methods that are still used today. He was a fiend for cleanliness in the kitchen, promoted the use of natural gas for cooking, and encouraged women to become chefs. He also had an oversize personality that made him the center of attention at a time when chefs were becoming stars rather than just unseen food makers. Soyer is the heart of this novel, even more than the murders are.
I loved reading this book, in large part because of Soyer and the research that went into the descriptions of the food and the way it was made. The murder investigation itself seems to take the back seat to the food, however, and I’m not sure if this is desirable in a mystery? I was fine with it, but not sure if every reader will be. There is a lot of time spent questioning everyone from meat suppliers to waiters; there is a surfeit of suspects in these crimes and it becomes a little scattered. I started having trouble remembering who was who in the kitchen. I’ve not read the first two books in this series but this seems like a fun series.
August 16, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for an advance copy of The Devil's Feast, the third novel in Ms Carter's Blake and Avery series.
It is 1842 and Captain William Avery is visiting his friend Jeremiah Blake in The Marshalsea debtors' prison where he has been falsely imprisoned for refusing to do Sir Theophilus Collinson's bidding. Left to his own devices Avery gets invited to dinner at the Reform Club and finds himself nursing a fellow guest on his death bed. Initially it is believed the man died of cholera but a post mortem finds poison. The club's committee ask him to look in to it and he feels obliged to agree. With Blake indisposed he soon feels out of his depth.
I have read The Strangler Vine but not The Printer's Coffin so this is my first Blake & Avery set in London. The setting is obviously very different but the characters are much the same. Avery is a thoroughly decent chap, a gentleman who has many of the prejudices of his class and is inclined to believe what he is told. Blake, on the other hand, is a wily operator. No gentleman, he has the nous and experience to see people for what they really are and work out their motivations.
I like the fact that Ms Carter peoples her novels with real historical figures, such as the chef Alexis Soyer, as it adds a certain verisimilitude to her research and writing. I would never have believed some of the dishes if she hadn't confirmed them to be real. Her descriptions of Victorian life are vivid and harsh, just as they were.
The plot seems a bit secondary to the characterisation and descriptions of early Victorian London. It consists of Avery stumbling around asking questions and people keeping things from him. It is only when the clear sighted Blake turns up that the questioning gets a bit more pointed. The denouement is a bit of a let down but the journey towards it is a good read which held my attention.
I enjoyed The Devil's Feast and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
It is 1842 and Captain William Avery is visiting his friend Jeremiah Blake in The Marshalsea debtors' prison where he has been falsely imprisoned for refusing to do Sir Theophilus Collinson's bidding. Left to his own devices Avery gets invited to dinner at the Reform Club and finds himself nursing a fellow guest on his death bed. Initially it is believed the man died of cholera but a post mortem finds poison. The club's committee ask him to look in to it and he feels obliged to agree. With Blake indisposed he soon feels out of his depth.
I have read The Strangler Vine but not The Printer's Coffin so this is my first Blake & Avery set in London. The setting is obviously very different but the characters are much the same. Avery is a thoroughly decent chap, a gentleman who has many of the prejudices of his class and is inclined to believe what he is told. Blake, on the other hand, is a wily operator. No gentleman, he has the nous and experience to see people for what they really are and work out their motivations.
I like the fact that Ms Carter peoples her novels with real historical figures, such as the chef Alexis Soyer, as it adds a certain verisimilitude to her research and writing. I would never have believed some of the dishes if she hadn't confirmed them to be real. Her descriptions of Victorian life are vivid and harsh, just as they were.
The plot seems a bit secondary to the characterisation and descriptions of early Victorian London. It consists of Avery stumbling around asking questions and people keeping things from him. It is only when the clear sighted Blake turns up that the questioning gets a bit more pointed. The denouement is a bit of a let down but the journey towards it is a good read which held my attention.
I enjoyed The Devil's Feast and have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
July 18, 2017
Same reservations I had for The Strangler Vine, the first book in the series. I haven't read the second, but will probably do that at some point. Carter has a sure handle on early Victorian London, and her descriptions of the city, the Reform Club environment and most especially the kitchen at the latter are absolutely enthralling. I am going straight from this read to a biography of Alexis Soyer, the "Napoleon of cooks" and a main character in The Devil's Feast. Carter brings Soyer and his world vividly to life. It was an historical eye-opener to read about food production and adulteration nearly two hundred years ago. Just as she did with India in her first book in this series, Carter brings the background for her mystery vividly to life. Unfortunately, just as in her first book, the mystery itself is kind of small beer. There is a deus ex machina solution as well, which doesn't help matters much.
But if you are interested in food, the development of cookery and vivid characters -- albeit too many of them, even if well drawn, it clutters the landscape for the mystery --- then you will probably enjoy this book. The actual plot needed more attention. However, the descriptions of the meals were so good that I got up and made myself an omelette at one point!
Recommended.
But if you are interested in food, the development of cookery and vivid characters -- albeit too many of them, even if well drawn, it clutters the landscape for the mystery --- then you will probably enjoy this book. The actual plot needed more attention. However, the descriptions of the meals were so good that I got up and made myself an omelette at one point!
Recommended.
June 2, 2017
Another fascinating and well researched book, this episode set in London, 1842. Carter moves her characters into a completely new scene, this time the clubs of the political and well-to-do and the growing competition between chefs to provide dining experiences to enhance the reputations and ability to generate money in competing clubs.
October 15, 2019
A true feast for readers!!!
September 25, 2025
lame ass main character.
entire plot was just walking to and fro interviewing people. so slow and boring.
entire plot was just walking to and fro interviewing people. so slow and boring.
September 20, 2017
The author clearly did a lot of research, but then put it all into this book in huge sections. I was disappointed by the murder reveal. The first book was infinitely more interesting, and I hope the author abandons the London setting and takes these characters back to India.
March 16, 2017
A novel by M.J. Carter
London, England, in the year 1842, is a great simmering beast of a city. Riches pour in from the four corners of the world; children are worked like draft animals to serve the fortunate few. The Capitol of the British Empire, on which the Sun, famously, never sets is a place where grandeur and squalor exist in equal measure. Into that teeming mass of wealth and ebullience, abject poverty and misery, Captain William Avery has come from his pastoral home in Devon. His reason? To try to convince his friend, Jeremiah Blake, to bend the knee to Collinson, his patron and employer, and by so doing be released from Marshalsea Debtor’s Prison. All his arguments are in vain, as Blake refuses to work for a man who unjustly had him imprisoned, stating that, “He (Collinson) trades my labor for favors from men I despise. I will not work at his whim.“ Dejected, but resigned to Blake’s outrage, Avery resolves to begin his journey home in the morning.
Here Fate takes a hand, and, overnight, the Captain finds himself investigating a suspicious death at the famous, and lavish, Reform Club. Soon one death becomes three, and there are suspects everywhere. Then Blake disappears and the powers that be won‘t put off the upcoming banquet. And a frustrated Avery is no closer to finding who is poisoning the club’s patrons or determining the reason for the murders.
“The Devil’s Feast” is filled with historical details that bring Queen Victoria’s London to life. Some are surprising in their modernity and not a few of them, like the description of the stockyards, or the treatment of child laborers, are very cringe worthy. The characters shine, the dialogue is believable, and the descriptions are vivid. As an avid reader of Historical Fiction, I can say that the research and blending of factual with fictional are on par with the best I have read. As far as writing goes, the book is excellent. However, as a story this novel has problems. As a reader I always want the central character of a story to be forceful, bold and heroic. Unfortunately, Captain Avery was more wobbly than anything else; too often going to and fro with little to show for it. Overall, I thought the book too long by a good bit and the pace too slow. Only after Blake joins the chase, and begins to pull rabbits out of his hat does the plot move with purpose.
Consider if you will the notes delivered to the Chef, Alexis Soyer, early on: Notes written by an educated person who is fluent in English. Why weren’t the ignorant eliminated as suspects? That certainly would have taken out of consideration the tradesmen, most of the staff and those cooks who did not speak the language.
Please, explain why are there events that seem to be tossed into the book just to flavor the pot? For instance, why have Avery arrested? Wasn’t he frustrated enough? Why have his wife show up in London as the story was coming to an end? Why have Collinson come to order Blake to save the day without also lifting the charge of indebtedness?
While I admire Ms. Carter’s writing style and ability, absent some serious editing, I cannot recommend this novel to anyone, save her most devoted fans.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House's First To Read program for providing me with an advance galley in return for this review.
London, England, in the year 1842, is a great simmering beast of a city. Riches pour in from the four corners of the world; children are worked like draft animals to serve the fortunate few. The Capitol of the British Empire, on which the Sun, famously, never sets is a place where grandeur and squalor exist in equal measure. Into that teeming mass of wealth and ebullience, abject poverty and misery, Captain William Avery has come from his pastoral home in Devon. His reason? To try to convince his friend, Jeremiah Blake, to bend the knee to Collinson, his patron and employer, and by so doing be released from Marshalsea Debtor’s Prison. All his arguments are in vain, as Blake refuses to work for a man who unjustly had him imprisoned, stating that, “He (Collinson) trades my labor for favors from men I despise. I will not work at his whim.“ Dejected, but resigned to Blake’s outrage, Avery resolves to begin his journey home in the morning.
Here Fate takes a hand, and, overnight, the Captain finds himself investigating a suspicious death at the famous, and lavish, Reform Club. Soon one death becomes three, and there are suspects everywhere. Then Blake disappears and the powers that be won‘t put off the upcoming banquet. And a frustrated Avery is no closer to finding who is poisoning the club’s patrons or determining the reason for the murders.
“The Devil’s Feast” is filled with historical details that bring Queen Victoria’s London to life. Some are surprising in their modernity and not a few of them, like the description of the stockyards, or the treatment of child laborers, are very cringe worthy. The characters shine, the dialogue is believable, and the descriptions are vivid. As an avid reader of Historical Fiction, I can say that the research and blending of factual with fictional are on par with the best I have read. As far as writing goes, the book is excellent. However, as a story this novel has problems. As a reader I always want the central character of a story to be forceful, bold and heroic. Unfortunately, Captain Avery was more wobbly than anything else; too often going to and fro with little to show for it. Overall, I thought the book too long by a good bit and the pace too slow. Only after Blake joins the chase, and begins to pull rabbits out of his hat does the plot move with purpose.
Consider if you will the notes delivered to the Chef, Alexis Soyer, early on: Notes written by an educated person who is fluent in English. Why weren’t the ignorant eliminated as suspects? That certainly would have taken out of consideration the tradesmen, most of the staff and those cooks who did not speak the language.
Please, explain why are there events that seem to be tossed into the book just to flavor the pot? For instance, why have Avery arrested? Wasn’t he frustrated enough? Why have his wife show up in London as the story was coming to an end? Why have Collinson come to order Blake to save the day without also lifting the charge of indebtedness?
While I admire Ms. Carter’s writing style and ability, absent some serious editing, I cannot recommend this novel to anyone, save her most devoted fans.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House's First To Read program for providing me with an advance galley in return for this review.
November 19, 2016
Third outing for Blake and Avery although Avery is flying solo for the beginning of the story. A mysterious death at a gentleman's club has the Committee concerned when it's revealed he was poisoned. Avery looks into matters on their behalf. I enjoy Carter's writing and the characters she's created but I didn't think this was as good as the first two books in the series.
October 23, 2016
I like the Blake & Avery series very much; set in the mid 1850s, they depict Victorian London as vibrant, corrupt, and fascinating. I did feel sometimes that the research overshadowed the writing in this one however, but there is no such thing as a 'bad' M J Carter book.
July 14, 2017
The Devil’s Feast is book three in M.J. Carter’s Avery and Blake series. I haven’t read the first two – but I really wish I had! Not because these books can’t be read as standalones, as they can, but because I found the third book in the series to be highly entertaining and engaging, a treat of a book with a compelling mystery and a vivid, intriguing Victorian London setting and timeframe.
Since this was my first introduction to the characters of William Avery and Jeremiah Blake, I was glad to say I loved them. Avery is a little naïve whilst Blake is the more shrewd and suspicious one. Together, they work brilliantly. The dynamics and dialogue between them were vibrant and amusing. At the beginning of the book, Avery is visiting Blake in the Marshalsea debtors’ prison where he has been imprisoned, wrongly. As Blake is then unavailable, it is Avery who attends dinner at a much-talked about place, The Refom Club. Shortly following the dinner, a guest dies. They’ve been poisoned.
The author had me engrossed straight away with an unusual and slightly creepy prologue which piqued my interest and turned reading “just a few pages” into reading half the book in one sitting. There were times when I found the writing veered on the bit too detailed side where I would have liked to have seen a bit more action instead – as the author had already described enough to engage me, although this was simply because I was eager to discover the culprit, not because I found the descriptive pieces uninteresting.
The mystery of who poisoned the guest had me fascinated, and through the author’s descriptive prose, the theme of the novel was never forgotten with foodie references and mouth-watering details aplenty. Someone may have been poisoned but The Devil’s Feast was still a true belly-rumbler of a book! I loved the insight into the chef’s kitchen. There were lies, deceit, jealousy, hate and an atmosphere that made me squirm at the intensity of it all. The author paints a very vibrant picture of the setting and the dynamics between the characters who were all sharply written – each one of them, even the minor characters, had something about them that was interesting and I can honestly say there wasn’t a character I didn’t enjoy reading about.
The Victorian mystery was thrilling to read, cleverly plotted and dark in both its theme and the twists and turns throughout. There appeared to be quite a strong focus on characterisation and the London setting, but this only enhanced the whole reading experience to me as I could really buy into the plot and the various, animated characters had me eager to keep turning the pages. The story of life in the kitchen was a riveting one, with all the in-house politics and principles and all this had me in anticipation of the reveal of the poisoner, intrigued by any possible motive and reward. I enjoyed the author’s delectable style of writing and her development of the characters and the mystery in The Devil’s Feast, and I look forward to catching up on the other books in the Avery and Blake series.
Since this was my first introduction to the characters of William Avery and Jeremiah Blake, I was glad to say I loved them. Avery is a little naïve whilst Blake is the more shrewd and suspicious one. Together, they work brilliantly. The dynamics and dialogue between them were vibrant and amusing. At the beginning of the book, Avery is visiting Blake in the Marshalsea debtors’ prison where he has been imprisoned, wrongly. As Blake is then unavailable, it is Avery who attends dinner at a much-talked about place, The Refom Club. Shortly following the dinner, a guest dies. They’ve been poisoned.
The author had me engrossed straight away with an unusual and slightly creepy prologue which piqued my interest and turned reading “just a few pages” into reading half the book in one sitting. There were times when I found the writing veered on the bit too detailed side where I would have liked to have seen a bit more action instead – as the author had already described enough to engage me, although this was simply because I was eager to discover the culprit, not because I found the descriptive pieces uninteresting.
The mystery of who poisoned the guest had me fascinated, and through the author’s descriptive prose, the theme of the novel was never forgotten with foodie references and mouth-watering details aplenty. Someone may have been poisoned but The Devil’s Feast was still a true belly-rumbler of a book! I loved the insight into the chef’s kitchen. There were lies, deceit, jealousy, hate and an atmosphere that made me squirm at the intensity of it all. The author paints a very vibrant picture of the setting and the dynamics between the characters who were all sharply written – each one of them, even the minor characters, had something about them that was interesting and I can honestly say there wasn’t a character I didn’t enjoy reading about.
The Victorian mystery was thrilling to read, cleverly plotted and dark in both its theme and the twists and turns throughout. There appeared to be quite a strong focus on characterisation and the London setting, but this only enhanced the whole reading experience to me as I could really buy into the plot and the various, animated characters had me eager to keep turning the pages. The story of life in the kitchen was a riveting one, with all the in-house politics and principles and all this had me in anticipation of the reveal of the poisoner, intrigued by any possible motive and reward. I enjoyed the author’s delectable style of writing and her development of the characters and the mystery in The Devil’s Feast, and I look forward to catching up on the other books in the Avery and Blake series.
November 8, 2017
This is the third in Carter's Blake/Avery Victorian mystery series. Blake, Carter's version of Sherlock Holmes, and Avery, her Watson, met in India in the very first and very best book of the series, THE STRANGLER VINE. Once the two moved back to England, however, the exotic uniqueness of this series was lost, although the quality of Carter's research into the period remains impeccable.
Perhaps part of my dissatisfaction with this third entry is the fact that we spend too much time with only Avery. Blake's the guy I find fascinating. Captain Avery is the dull, plodding sidekick who supplies the muscle when needed but not much of the brainpower to solve the mysteries.(He's also a Tory and doesn't have very progressive political ideas, so that's a black mark in my opinion of him.)
Now, the idea of this book is excellent. A real celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer, a man who really existed in 1840s London, is the main character (not counting our sleuths, of course). If there had been reality TV at the time, this outrageously extroverted, creative genius of the world of fine cuisine would have been the star of the Victorian Food Channel. Such talent. Such creativity of menus. Such innovation in the kitchen, not just of the food itself but of the kitchen setup and cooking apparatus. So we have an almost larger-than-life chef, the world of food and restaurants of the time, a look at food sourcing for restaurants and even discussion of food adulteration during the Victorian era. (In regard to the latter, suffice it to say they needed a vigilant FDA then. Well, don't we all?)
Add to the mix 1) Victorian politics, with Tories, Whigs and Radicals and their political viewpoints; 2) World politics involving England, Russia, Turkey and possible conflict in the Middle East; 3) Murder. Yes, at London's Reform Club, where Whigs and Radicals meet and where Alexis Soyer is the master chef, there have been mysterious deaths. Who is poisoning members of the club and why? Is it political? Is it personal? The murderer must be found quickly, not only to save the reputation of Chef Soyer but also to prevent a possible international incident.
That's where Blake and Avery come in, or I guess I should say mostly Avery, because Blake is AWOL for a good part of the book. He does show up eventually, making use of his abilities to work a good disguise and finally solves the mystery.
If you are a foodie, you should like this story a lot. If you're into good research in a period story, you will admire this one. Perhaps if I hadn't read the first two mysteries of this series, I would have appreciated this one more. But, IMO, this third book moved too slowly and did not interest me as much as the first two. I will, however, be reading the fourth book of the series, whenever it is published. The historical detail in a Carter book is excellent and educational.
Perhaps part of my dissatisfaction with this third entry is the fact that we spend too much time with only Avery. Blake's the guy I find fascinating. Captain Avery is the dull, plodding sidekick who supplies the muscle when needed but not much of the brainpower to solve the mysteries.(He's also a Tory and doesn't have very progressive political ideas, so that's a black mark in my opinion of him.)
Now, the idea of this book is excellent. A real celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer, a man who really existed in 1840s London, is the main character (not counting our sleuths, of course). If there had been reality TV at the time, this outrageously extroverted, creative genius of the world of fine cuisine would have been the star of the Victorian Food Channel. Such talent. Such creativity of menus. Such innovation in the kitchen, not just of the food itself but of the kitchen setup and cooking apparatus. So we have an almost larger-than-life chef, the world of food and restaurants of the time, a look at food sourcing for restaurants and even discussion of food adulteration during the Victorian era. (In regard to the latter, suffice it to say they needed a vigilant FDA then. Well, don't we all?)
Add to the mix 1) Victorian politics, with Tories, Whigs and Radicals and their political viewpoints; 2) World politics involving England, Russia, Turkey and possible conflict in the Middle East; 3) Murder. Yes, at London's Reform Club, where Whigs and Radicals meet and where Alexis Soyer is the master chef, there have been mysterious deaths. Who is poisoning members of the club and why? Is it political? Is it personal? The murderer must be found quickly, not only to save the reputation of Chef Soyer but also to prevent a possible international incident.
That's where Blake and Avery come in, or I guess I should say mostly Avery, because Blake is AWOL for a good part of the book. He does show up eventually, making use of his abilities to work a good disguise and finally solves the mystery.
If you are a foodie, you should like this story a lot. If you're into good research in a period story, you will admire this one. Perhaps if I hadn't read the first two mysteries of this series, I would have appreciated this one more. But, IMO, this third book moved too slowly and did not interest me as much as the first two. I will, however, be reading the fourth book of the series, whenever it is published. The historical detail in a Carter book is excellent and educational.
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January 31, 2022I was really intrigued by book 1 in this series, but could not find book 2 - there is some mystery with a title change in Australia and I don’t even know what is going on - regardless, I saw book 3 at the library and grabbed it. [no, I do not know why my local library tends to buy sections of a series in different formats... these things are sent to try me.]
There is something VERY wrong here. The MCs have become much less intelligent. And it is really annoying. Their friend Matty works in the suspect kitchen and Avery knows she is already the subject of gossip and bullying, but he blithely does not interview her, thus making her MORE special which only makes his job harder when threatening letters turn up made out of cut up words in Matty’s handwriting. You stupid man.
But I cannot get past the idea that people could eat a meal in a club, then die whilst projectile vomiting and the club tries to hush up the death. Blinks. Like not tell their families they are dead kind of hush up... and these are Gentlemen and Members of Parliament, not average people. And as if the members would still be lining up to eat meals that may be poisoned. Although I guess in the light of the world’s behaviour in an ACTUAL plague, we need to rethink a lot of human behaviour apparently.
Blake is MIA - and Avery is just not good enough to investigate on his own. By halfway through when Blake finally makes an appearance, the damage is done and I am forcing myself to read it.
And it also suffers from the author having the ‘I did all this research and I am going to put it in’ syndrome. NO, don’t do that. Show readers the tip of the iceberg.
I knew Soyer was a real person, having seen the art of his wife depicted in an Episode of Fake or Fortune when they were investigating the Dido Belle portrait - the young black heiress. And they visited the real club. He was the Gordon Ramsay of his day. Sadly, she dies in childbirth at 28, as too many young and talented women do, but that is a soap box for another time.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_So...
So this is a super interesting subject and it makes it somehow worse that the book is just not up to the author’s previous standard.
I am so disappointed.
Did not finish at 52%
There is something VERY wrong here. The MCs have become much less intelligent. And it is really annoying. Their friend Matty works in the suspect kitchen and Avery knows she is already the subject of gossip and bullying, but he blithely does not interview her, thus making her MORE special which only makes his job harder when threatening letters turn up made out of cut up words in Matty’s handwriting. You stupid man.
But I cannot get past the idea that people could eat a meal in a club, then die whilst projectile vomiting and the club tries to hush up the death. Blinks. Like not tell their families they are dead kind of hush up... and these are Gentlemen and Members of Parliament, not average people. And as if the members would still be lining up to eat meals that may be poisoned. Although I guess in the light of the world’s behaviour in an ACTUAL plague, we need to rethink a lot of human behaviour apparently.
Blake is MIA - and Avery is just not good enough to investigate on his own. By halfway through when Blake finally makes an appearance, the damage is done and I am forcing myself to read it.
And it also suffers from the author having the ‘I did all this research and I am going to put it in’ syndrome. NO, don’t do that. Show readers the tip of the iceberg.
I knew Soyer was a real person, having seen the art of his wife depicted in an Episode of Fake or Fortune when they were investigating the Dido Belle portrait - the young black heiress. And they visited the real club. He was the Gordon Ramsay of his day. Sadly, she dies in childbirth at 28, as too many young and talented women do, but that is a soap box for another time.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_So...
So this is a super interesting subject and it makes it somehow worse that the book is just not up to the author’s previous standard.
I am so disappointed.
Did not finish at 52%
March 24, 2017
I would like to thank the Penguin First-to-Read program for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received this book, not knowing at the time that this book was a part of a series. It was the third book in the Avery and Blake mystery series to be precise. I don’t think that my review would give the book justice, at least until I can read the first two volumes.
The story centers primarily from the perspective of Captain William Avery (Watson), who is temporarily visiting his partner in crime investigation Jeremiah Black (Sherlock), who is presently locked away in debtor’s prison. Avery soon gets invited to a splendid feast at the Reform Club, a gentlemen’s political club. The event is a grand spectacle created by the brilliant Alexis Soyer, described as “A Napoleon of food.” So great of night, in fact, that one of the diners dies of arsenic poisoning. Captain Avery now finds himself in the scene of the crime and is tasked to solve it.
Overall, the mystery was a fun Victorian historical romp. M. J. Carter’s description of the food was downright salivating. One can tell that there was a lot of research that was used to flesh out the fiction. At times this excessive research, however, took one out of the context of the plot. Carter threw in some good red herrings to keep me guessing on who the culprit is. (My problem with reading mysteries is that I usually pick the killer too quick making most of a mystery a slog to get through.) I had some hunches on the culprit, but the plot twisted and turned enough to keep me entertained.
Whenever I read a historical mystery with this dynamic, I want to learn more about the Sherlock than Watson. Without Blake, Avery’s insecurities made the case more of a muddle than anything else. I wanted to know more about scarred Blake. (Maybe there is more backstory about the characters that I missed by not reading the first two volumes.)
Honestly, the mystery had an average mix of twists and turns, with an extensive collection of characters. It is hard to analysis, however, because I jumped in the middle of a story without the previous context of the first two novels. (I will add The Strangler Vine and The Infidel Stain to my reading list) Beyond my disclaimer, The Devil’s Feast was a very entertaining read nonetheless.
Disclaimer: I received this book, not knowing at the time that this book was a part of a series. It was the third book in the Avery and Blake mystery series to be precise. I don’t think that my review would give the book justice, at least until I can read the first two volumes.
The story centers primarily from the perspective of Captain William Avery (Watson), who is temporarily visiting his partner in crime investigation Jeremiah Black (Sherlock), who is presently locked away in debtor’s prison. Avery soon gets invited to a splendid feast at the Reform Club, a gentlemen’s political club. The event is a grand spectacle created by the brilliant Alexis Soyer, described as “A Napoleon of food.” So great of night, in fact, that one of the diners dies of arsenic poisoning. Captain Avery now finds himself in the scene of the crime and is tasked to solve it.
Overall, the mystery was a fun Victorian historical romp. M. J. Carter’s description of the food was downright salivating. One can tell that there was a lot of research that was used to flesh out the fiction. At times this excessive research, however, took one out of the context of the plot. Carter threw in some good red herrings to keep me guessing on who the culprit is. (My problem with reading mysteries is that I usually pick the killer too quick making most of a mystery a slog to get through.) I had some hunches on the culprit, but the plot twisted and turned enough to keep me entertained.
Whenever I read a historical mystery with this dynamic, I want to learn more about the Sherlock than Watson. Without Blake, Avery’s insecurities made the case more of a muddle than anything else. I wanted to know more about scarred Blake. (Maybe there is more backstory about the characters that I missed by not reading the first two volumes.)
Honestly, the mystery had an average mix of twists and turns, with an extensive collection of characters. It is hard to analysis, however, because I jumped in the middle of a story without the previous context of the first two novels. (I will add The Strangler Vine and The Infidel Stain to my reading list) Beyond my disclaimer, The Devil’s Feast was a very entertaining read nonetheless.
April 10, 2020
Really does help to know that the author’s a woman. Took me to book two in the series to look it up and I feel that this knowledge helped me reconcile some of what might have irked me about the main characters always being male and the incredible cardboard cut-out role of Helen - Mrs. Blake.
Because MJ is a woman, I perhaps (can’t undo the knowledge so I can’t be sure) give these books more of a chance to develop and unwind their stories of women. Just as the first book began with a flatly told racism that seemed to take the nasty classism of the British at face value, with no counter message for the first many chapters, only to show-not-tell the horrors of colonialism - - - so too do these next two books (the Infidel Stain & this one) present women’s limited roles as natural and inconsequential by presenting the guileless Captain Avery as thoroughly obtuse to the hypocrisies & injustices inherent within his society’s gender norms. Then Maddy comes along and sets him straight.
Because we have Maddy - the scrappy girl from the streets - we have insight into why Helen seems such a thoughtless materialist. And we know from Avery’s internal musings that his wife suffers from the loss of a child and postpartum depression and can hardly have a raisin d’être besides what banal accomplishments Avery has told Maddy a woman should hold. Maddy’s handful of arguments that she should not have to pretend that sex and anything deemed sordid exist and Avery’s assistance that a lady “must not say such things” again show, rather than tell, a great deal about what the psychological makeup of such a society might have kept its members from seeing and understanding.
Blake is our stand-in. He sees gender, race and class as we do though he hardly ever says a word to argue any of those thoughts. MJ does her expository magic so that the characters he interacts with and we just know his positions on the wrongness of what is around him. So much so that we’d be hard pressed to deny him his nub of brown opium.
Because MJ is a woman, I perhaps (can’t undo the knowledge so I can’t be sure) give these books more of a chance to develop and unwind their stories of women. Just as the first book began with a flatly told racism that seemed to take the nasty classism of the British at face value, with no counter message for the first many chapters, only to show-not-tell the horrors of colonialism - - - so too do these next two books (the Infidel Stain & this one) present women’s limited roles as natural and inconsequential by presenting the guileless Captain Avery as thoroughly obtuse to the hypocrisies & injustices inherent within his society’s gender norms. Then Maddy comes along and sets him straight.
Because we have Maddy - the scrappy girl from the streets - we have insight into why Helen seems such a thoughtless materialist. And we know from Avery’s internal musings that his wife suffers from the loss of a child and postpartum depression and can hardly have a raisin d’être besides what banal accomplishments Avery has told Maddy a woman should hold. Maddy’s handful of arguments that she should not have to pretend that sex and anything deemed sordid exist and Avery’s assistance that a lady “must not say such things” again show, rather than tell, a great deal about what the psychological makeup of such a society might have kept its members from seeing and understanding.
Blake is our stand-in. He sees gender, race and class as we do though he hardly ever says a word to argue any of those thoughts. MJ does her expository magic so that the characters he interacts with and we just know his positions on the wrongness of what is around him. So much so that we’d be hard pressed to deny him his nub of brown opium.
July 3, 2017
3.5 stars.
The setting here is still Dickensian/Victorian London. This time, Avery starts out sans Blake because Blake has gotten himself in a bind (mostly due to a pissing contest between him and Collinsworth). Avery ends up being charged with investigating poisonings at the Reform Club, a gentleman's club in London. The chef, Soyer, is London's first celebrity chef. Matty from the previous book is working there, as well.
I loved the setting and historical details. I liked that Soyer is an actual historical character, but, from the author's notes, it sounds like he was even more interesting in reality than he was in the book. Erg. I do kinda feel like the story could have been a little more exciting. It all seemed so bogged down.
1. I'm still annoyed by the portrayal of Avery as such a clueless novice. I can 100% understand it in the first book, but after that, he spent years more in India and was a decorated officer in northern campaigns. He can't be an idiot, but that's the only way that Carter seems to know how to portray him. It's annoying.
2. Give Blake a break. What on earth is wrong with him? Why and how is he (the guy who knows all those cures from India) so flipping weak and sick all the time. Also annoying. Also, he's obviously miserable in London--get him back to India or Jamaica or Australia already.
3. Helen--why? I hate this plot device of underlying problems at home. Yes, annoying. Why do all modern mystery writers feel the need to add all this miserable "realism" to their characters? Blecch.
4. While I understand that this is a book based on a chef, I swear the food descriptions were over the top. I understand that she got them all from actual documents and menus, but at one point it seemed like a whole chapter was just names of dishes.
5. Avery and Blake need to go back to India---or even Australia or Canada or Bermuda or Jamaica.
The setting here is still Dickensian/Victorian London. This time, Avery starts out sans Blake because Blake has gotten himself in a bind (mostly due to a pissing contest between him and Collinsworth). Avery ends up being charged with investigating poisonings at the Reform Club, a gentleman's club in London. The chef, Soyer, is London's first celebrity chef. Matty from the previous book is working there, as well.
I loved the setting and historical details. I liked that Soyer is an actual historical character, but, from the author's notes, it sounds like he was even more interesting in reality than he was in the book. Erg. I do kinda feel like the story could have been a little more exciting. It all seemed so bogged down.
1. I'm still annoyed by the portrayal of Avery as such a clueless novice. I can 100% understand it in the first book, but after that, he spent years more in India and was a decorated officer in northern campaigns. He can't be an idiot, but that's the only way that Carter seems to know how to portray him. It's annoying.
2. Give Blake a break. What on earth is wrong with him? Why and how is he (the guy who knows all those cures from India) so flipping weak and sick all the time. Also annoying. Also, he's obviously miserable in London--get him back to India or Jamaica or Australia already.
3. Helen--why? I hate this plot device of underlying problems at home. Yes, annoying. Why do all modern mystery writers feel the need to add all this miserable "realism" to their characters? Blecch.
4. While I understand that this is a book based on a chef, I swear the food descriptions were over the top. I understand that she got them all from actual documents and menus, but at one point it seemed like a whole chapter was just names of dishes.
5. Avery and Blake need to go back to India---or even Australia or Canada or Bermuda or Jamaica.
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