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Traveling Cook Mystery #1
The Birthday Mystery
Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. You'll be gripped from the first second to the last. These classic-style mysteries will have you scratching your head to work out who the murderer is, and look out for some real twists and turns.
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
Jenny Starling is catering the 21st birthday party of upper-class twins Alicia and Justin.
She arrives at their parents' country house and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
But the birthday party goes ahead. Then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast...and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled, and there is a whole party full of suspects.
When it comes to someone adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey and J. R. Ellis.
Please note this book was first published as Birthdays Can Be Murder under Faith Martin’s pen name, Joyce Cato.
©2019 Faith Martin (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
Jenny Starling is catering the 21st birthday party of upper-class twins Alicia and Justin.
She arrives at their parents' country house and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
But the birthday party goes ahead. Then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast...and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled, and there is a whole party full of suspects.
When it comes to someone adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey and J. R. Ellis.
Please note this book was first published as Birthdays Can Be Murder under Faith Martin’s pen name, Joyce Cato.
©2019 Faith Martin (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
229 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
7329 people are currently reading
1961 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Cato
13 books100 followersJoyce Cato is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton. She also writes under the pen names Jessie Daniels, Faith Martin and Maxine Barry.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 378 reviews
July 12, 2019
Great start
Great solid start to a new series. Jenny Starling, is a jobbing cook, who moves from assignment to assignment. But seems as if she will always find herself in the middle of a crime. She is a bit like Miss Marple only younger. Although I don't think it actually gives her age.
The stories are set in small villages bit like Midsomer Murders, in a timeless period. Doesn't really specify an era.
The story lines are well developed and so are the characters. If I had a criticism, it might be that there is an obsession with her size . She is 6'1" and curvaceous, but the story seems to repeatedly refer to it. Personally felt a bit too much.
Overall a great start and I look forward to reading more books in the series.
Great solid start to a new series. Jenny Starling, is a jobbing cook, who moves from assignment to assignment. But seems as if she will always find herself in the middle of a crime. She is a bit like Miss Marple only younger. Although I don't think it actually gives her age.
The stories are set in small villages bit like Midsomer Murders, in a timeless period. Doesn't really specify an era.
The story lines are well developed and so are the characters. If I had a criticism, it might be that there is an obsession with her size . She is 6'1" and curvaceous, but the story seems to repeatedly refer to it. Personally felt a bit too much.
Overall a great start and I look forward to reading more books in the series.
December 20, 2018
Do you want to indulge in a nice, engaging and cozy mystery in this holiday season? Then look no further!
A house full of guests. A room full of suspects. A clever murderer. A baffling crime.
Our sharp-eyed and clever Jenny Starling is a cook who is hired to cater for the birthday party of the wealthy twins, Alicia and Justin. But as soon as she arrives at the mansion, she is informed of the drowning of the assistant gardener. Everyone, including the police put it down as an unfortunate accident. But when the birthday boy drops dead and the birthday girl is rushed to the hospital with little hope of recovery, Jenny realizes the two incidents may well be connected and is determined to identify the murderer and solve the mystery.
Thanks to Faith Martin, Joffe Books and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
A house full of guests. A room full of suspects. A clever murderer. A baffling crime.
Our sharp-eyed and clever Jenny Starling is a cook who is hired to cater for the birthday party of the wealthy twins, Alicia and Justin. But as soon as she arrives at the mansion, she is informed of the drowning of the assistant gardener. Everyone, including the police put it down as an unfortunate accident. But when the birthday boy drops dead and the birthday girl is rushed to the hospital with little hope of recovery, Jenny realizes the two incidents may well be connected and is determined to identify the murderer and solve the mystery.
Thanks to Faith Martin, Joffe Books and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
April 14, 2020
When Jenny Starling arrived at the home of twins Alicia and Justin Greer where she was to cater for their 21st birthday party the following night, she had no idea what she was getting into. On seeing the police in the grounds and discovering a young man had drowned in the pond, she was a little disconcerted. But she made herself known to all – the butler, Chase, the cook, Martha and the rest of the household, and just got on with things.
Jenny was happy with progress; everything was on track for the dinner for twenty at 6.30pm, then the one hundred or so guests in the marquee who were arriving around 8pm. The ballroom was open for all when the cake would be cut and the toasts with champagne would be held. It was almost midnight when a scream was heard. And when an ashen faced Chase arrived in the kitchen, they knew something dreadful had happened. With the police on the scene within minutes, and the suspect list high, Jenny wondered if they’d ever find the culprit…
The Birthday Mystery by Faith Martin is the first in the Jenny Starling series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plenty of intriguing clues, twists and mystery; Jenny has a good brain on her. She is a wonderful cook as well as an intelligent sleuth and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
Jenny was happy with progress; everything was on track for the dinner for twenty at 6.30pm, then the one hundred or so guests in the marquee who were arriving around 8pm. The ballroom was open for all when the cake would be cut and the toasts with champagne would be held. It was almost midnight when a scream was heard. And when an ashen faced Chase arrived in the kitchen, they knew something dreadful had happened. With the police on the scene within minutes, and the suspect list high, Jenny wondered if they’d ever find the culprit…
The Birthday Mystery by Faith Martin is the first in the Jenny Starling series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plenty of intriguing clues, twists and mystery; Jenny has a good brain on her. She is a wonderful cook as well as an intelligent sleuth and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2018
Jenny Starling #1
Jenny Starling is catering for a 21st birthday party for a pair of twins. But when she arrives at her parents country house, she discovers that a young man has drowned in a pond. Then just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast. But one of the guests drops down dead. With a party full of suspects, the police are baffled.
This is the first book in a new series by the author, Faith Martin. I liked Jenny Sparrows character. She not a detective but I'm not sure if it's a detectives nose that she's got or if she just likes poking her nose into other people's business. Watching the body being pulled out of the pond and then a guest drops dead at the party, do any of the deaths have suspicious circumstances? What a nifty plot this story has. It felt (in a way) like I was reading a young Miss Marple with Jenny's straight talking and the way she solved the mystery. It looks like we are in for another great series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jenny Starling is catering for a 21st birthday party for a pair of twins. But when she arrives at her parents country house, she discovers that a young man has drowned in a pond. Then just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast. But one of the guests drops down dead. With a party full of suspects, the police are baffled.
This is the first book in a new series by the author, Faith Martin. I liked Jenny Sparrows character. She not a detective but I'm not sure if it's a detectives nose that she's got or if she just likes poking her nose into other people's business. Watching the body being pulled out of the pond and then a guest drops dead at the party, do any of the deaths have suspicious circumstances? What a nifty plot this story has. It felt (in a way) like I was reading a young Miss Marple with Jenny's straight talking and the way she solved the mystery. It looks like we are in for another great series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2019
Stunning ...... just wonderful. I think this is going to become one of my favourite characters.
December 10, 2018
The Birthday Mystery, first published as Birthdays Can Be Murder in 2010 under Faith Martin's pen name Joyce Cato, is the perfect start to the Jenny Starling series. As is often the case in Ms Martin's crime fiction she makes the chocolate-box village in the countryside a character in its own right and it reminded me a lot of the village of Midsomer in Midsomer Murders. It had me hooked pretty darn quickly and racing through the pages to discover what actually happened and who the dastardly culprit was. There are twists and turns galore, and the writing flows so effortlessly that it's very difficult to put the book down.
The characters, as always, are well developed and admirable in their intentions. They are believable and come across as the type of people who could be anyone's friends or family. Jenny is a capable, intelligent and assured amateur sleuth who is determined to get to the bottom of the murder and save her reputation in the process. This is classic crime fiction which is ideal if you prefer your reads to be clean, and this is up there with some of the best novels that pay homage to the greats such as Agatha Christie. If you appreciate Christie's books then you'll find a lot to like here. A thoroughly enjoyable story with subtle clues scattered throughout to let the reader play along in identifying the killer. All of these ingredients result in a very tasty read indeed.
Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.
The characters, as always, are well developed and admirable in their intentions. They are believable and come across as the type of people who could be anyone's friends or family. Jenny is a capable, intelligent and assured amateur sleuth who is determined to get to the bottom of the murder and save her reputation in the process. This is classic crime fiction which is ideal if you prefer your reads to be clean, and this is up there with some of the best novels that pay homage to the greats such as Agatha Christie. If you appreciate Christie's books then you'll find a lot to like here. A thoroughly enjoyable story with subtle clues scattered throughout to let the reader play along in identifying the killer. All of these ingredients result in a very tasty read indeed.
Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.
December 11, 2018
Please note this book was first published as “BIRTHDAYS CAN BE MURDER” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.
This is the first of a series featuring Jenny Starling, a traveling cook and somewhat of an amateur detective. Maybe it's because she's smart, she sees things that others miss, and she has a wonderful ability to piece together puzzles.
Jenny is catering the 21st birthday of a pair of wealthy twins, Alicia and Justin. One of them will die, and one of them will survive ...barely.
And then there's the accident or murder of a young man, recently hired as an assistant yardman.
The police are baffled and they ave warned Jenny not to meddle (as she has been known to do before) but before too long, the police are asking for her help.
This is a murder mystery with a great cast of characters. There are an assortment of possible suspects, all with motives. There are a few surprises along the way. Next to Jenny, my favorite character is the cat. This is a kinder, gentler murder mystery and I really look forward to following Jenny on her further adventures.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley / Books n All Promotions for the digital copy of THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 27, 2019
"Jenny had a nasty habit, through no fault of her own, of getting caught up in other people's problems. This time, she vowed to steer well clear of trouble."
This was such a little gem of a story! I really enjoyed Jenny and her quirky cast of characters in this fun little mystery. Jenny was a great character - sassy and sharp and yet sweet and so compassionate. I loved her love of food, animals and people. She juggled a tough situation of catering a birthday party with a grumpy daily cook, an over-the-top planner and still getting all of her courses and sauces done! The story is really well written, the story was fast to get through. I think if I hadn't guessed so early on what was going to happen and who done it, I would have really loved this one but I did love how much Jenny knew before the officers. I will definitely keep an eye on this series and keep reading!
This was such a little gem of a story! I really enjoyed Jenny and her quirky cast of characters in this fun little mystery. Jenny was a great character - sassy and sharp and yet sweet and so compassionate. I loved her love of food, animals and people. She juggled a tough situation of catering a birthday party with a grumpy daily cook, an over-the-top planner and still getting all of her courses and sauces done! The story is really well written, the story was fast to get through. I think if I hadn't guessed so early on what was going to happen and who done it, I would have really loved this one but I did love how much Jenny knew before the officers. I will definitely keep an eye on this series and keep reading!
January 9, 2019
To begin another cozy series is kind of what I don't need but I find resisting them difficult and so, here I am having read the first in a series. Actually, it was the second book that originally caught my eye as it has a Christmas/winter theme and I'm still in the mood for my mystery reads to be snowy. I like to be orderly so I read The Birthday Mystery.
Jenny Starling is a cook and reluctant sleuth, who has come to The Beeches in the village of Rousham Green, to make dinner for twenty-five guests invited to the birthday party of twins, Alicia and Justin Greer. Before too long there's more than one dead person on the premises and the police are trying to suss out if the deaths are connected and who the killer could be.
The story takes its time setting the scene and giving a look in on all the characters of the village and manor house but it never feels plodding. I enjoyed Jenny as the main character for the most part. She was a keen observer and it's also related that she has solved a murder case in the past. Additionally, there are enough hints to her own family that my interest was piqued and I think there's an interesting story or two there that may come into play later. The food she made sounded lovely and had me hoping this was one of those cozies with recipes in the back but alas, there were no recipes.
Two annoying things that are related constantly are Jenny's size (she's six feet tall and sturdily built & referred to too many times as Junoesque) and that she sighs (so much so I started to suspect some sort of respiratory ailment). I'm hoping these were just first book quirks and will not be recurrences in the next book. The remaining characters were as one expects of cozy mysteries set in chocolate box settings with foibles, oddities and class prejudices and they worked for me. The resolution was well done and the Who was not a surprise for readers of cozies to have worked out earlier on but the Why and How kept one guessing, making this a nifty light read. I do look forward to continuing the series.
Jenny Starling is a cook and reluctant sleuth, who has come to The Beeches in the village of Rousham Green, to make dinner for twenty-five guests invited to the birthday party of twins, Alicia and Justin Greer. Before too long there's more than one dead person on the premises and the police are trying to suss out if the deaths are connected and who the killer could be.
The story takes its time setting the scene and giving a look in on all the characters of the village and manor house but it never feels plodding. I enjoyed Jenny as the main character for the most part. She was a keen observer and it's also related that she has solved a murder case in the past. Additionally, there are enough hints to her own family that my interest was piqued and I think there's an interesting story or two there that may come into play later. The food she made sounded lovely and had me hoping this was one of those cozies with recipes in the back but alas, there were no recipes.
Two annoying things that are related constantly are Jenny's size (she's six feet tall and sturdily built & referred to too many times as Junoesque) and that she sighs (so much so I started to suspect some sort of respiratory ailment). I'm hoping these were just first book quirks and will not be recurrences in the next book. The remaining characters were as one expects of cozy mysteries set in chocolate box settings with foibles, oddities and class prejudices and they worked for me. The resolution was well done and the Who was not a surprise for readers of cozies to have worked out earlier on but the Why and How kept one guessing, making this a nifty light read. I do look forward to continuing the series.
April 2, 2020
Hopped from one characters head to another every couple of paragraphs. Very annoying!
December 12, 2018
From the first sentence of Faith Martin’s new novel, The Birthday Mystery, you are immersed in the world of Jenny Starling, supersized chef extraordinaire who is completely comfortable with herself. That comfort level translates to a woman who exudes confidence and sex appeal without even trying, an unusual feat for a woman who is 6’1” tall with curves in places other women don’t even have places.
Of course, Jenny’s size has nothing to do with her ability to solve a murder, that is left up to her exceptional mind and her ability to interpret situations, clues, etc. and reach the correct conclusion. This ability is recognized early on by the detective in charge of the case and his sergeant, although they are reluctant to actively involve Jenny in solving the murder. As the story moves forward, however, they begin to recognize the value of Jenny’s intelligence and abilities which leads to Jenny being able to share information and ideas with them without any sense of resentment or attempts to thwart her ability in order to preserve all the glory for themselves.
For her part, Jenny is not intent on becoming the next amateur sleuth to be covered in accolades. In truth, she would much prefer to spend her time in the kitchen, baking the perfect cake and cooking up other delightful dishes using plenty of butter and fresh ingredients. That is somewhat more difficult as, being contracted to prepare the meal for a very fancy birthday party, she is resented by the regular household staff and finds herself functioning almost completely without help. No matter, nothing seems to bother this unflappable woman who cheerfully accepts apologies and seems to be exactly the person she presents to the outside world.
In this, the first book of a new series, Jenny is hired to cook for the twenty-first birthday party of Alicia and Justin, twins to a wealthy family. Alicia has planned every portion of the party, down to when the champagne for the birthday toast will be uncorked. Not surprisingly, it is a mystery after all, the party is marred by the death of Justin during the toast. This gives rise to Jenny’s suspicion that the first death that occurs, that of Jimmy Speight, was actually murder and not an accident as it was designed to appear.
There are suspects galore, clues a plenty and red herrings to be found throughout the book. The difficulty for the reader will be determining in which category to place each of the facts in order to reach the correct solution. This was a thoroughly satisfying read and while I solved the mystery correctly, I often found myself with the same questions Jenny had, at the same time and only reached the answers at the same time as Jenny. The answers required both an understanding of the clues and the personalities involved and it was the need to understand personality that created the biggest stumbling block for the police.
This is a book I highly recommend, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. My only regret is the story which Jenny references as having happened prior to the invents in this book only exists in the author’s mind and isn’t a book I can obtain and read. I am reluctant to give specifics of the story as I think the book is best enjoyed by slowly getting to know Jenny and the other characters in the setting in which they find themselves. I look forward to additional books in this series. My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Of course, Jenny’s size has nothing to do with her ability to solve a murder, that is left up to her exceptional mind and her ability to interpret situations, clues, etc. and reach the correct conclusion. This ability is recognized early on by the detective in charge of the case and his sergeant, although they are reluctant to actively involve Jenny in solving the murder. As the story moves forward, however, they begin to recognize the value of Jenny’s intelligence and abilities which leads to Jenny being able to share information and ideas with them without any sense of resentment or attempts to thwart her ability in order to preserve all the glory for themselves.
For her part, Jenny is not intent on becoming the next amateur sleuth to be covered in accolades. In truth, she would much prefer to spend her time in the kitchen, baking the perfect cake and cooking up other delightful dishes using plenty of butter and fresh ingredients. That is somewhat more difficult as, being contracted to prepare the meal for a very fancy birthday party, she is resented by the regular household staff and finds herself functioning almost completely without help. No matter, nothing seems to bother this unflappable woman who cheerfully accepts apologies and seems to be exactly the person she presents to the outside world.
In this, the first book of a new series, Jenny is hired to cook for the twenty-first birthday party of Alicia and Justin, twins to a wealthy family. Alicia has planned every portion of the party, down to when the champagne for the birthday toast will be uncorked. Not surprisingly, it is a mystery after all, the party is marred by the death of Justin during the toast. This gives rise to Jenny’s suspicion that the first death that occurs, that of Jimmy Speight, was actually murder and not an accident as it was designed to appear.
There are suspects galore, clues a plenty and red herrings to be found throughout the book. The difficulty for the reader will be determining in which category to place each of the facts in order to reach the correct solution. This was a thoroughly satisfying read and while I solved the mystery correctly, I often found myself with the same questions Jenny had, at the same time and only reached the answers at the same time as Jenny. The answers required both an understanding of the clues and the personalities involved and it was the need to understand personality that created the biggest stumbling block for the police.
This is a book I highly recommend, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. My only regret is the story which Jenny references as having happened prior to the invents in this book only exists in the author’s mind and isn’t a book I can obtain and read. I am reluctant to give specifics of the story as I think the book is best enjoyed by slowly getting to know Jenny and the other characters in the setting in which they find themselves. I look forward to additional books in this series. My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2018
I was very eager to start reading the first book in this series by Faith Martin, because her series with Hilary Green I found very nice reads - not too spectacular, but very hard to put away once I started reading. Were my expectations met? Well, yes and no. Let me start with a short excerpt: "Jenny was six feet and one inch tall, with a heavy bone structure that was well padded, and curvaceous in many places."
So far, so good. Excellent! Jenny is a caterer and cook; she caters for all kinds of people and suddenly you see before your eyes a woman that, indeed, would look like someone who is healthy and likes cooking. Her dress size is eighteen, Faith Martin informs us.
And?
Well, this book would have been worth 4 stars if not the author had kept coming back to tell us about Jenny's looks. Every third page we read that she is big, big, big.
But she isn't! Not really. Although the áverage height of British women was 5"5 in 2017 (I've looked it up, of course), 6"1 is not that much taller and certainly not unseen. And we don't want a caterer and cook with a dress size zero, so eighteen is perfect.
Jenny is a very good caterer and cook. And in this story, we read so much from her actions and thoughts that I have the feeling I've known her for a long time already. The Greer family, whose young daughter hired Jenny to cater for a large 21st birthday party for her and her brother, are real life people too and all in all, the book is a good example of 'cozy mystery' without the lack of depth some have, and with a lot of humour too.
So why telling the readers every third page about Jenny's figure? It gets a annoying, I'm sorry to say.
I'm looking forward to the second book in this series. I hope the story is just as nice as the first one and we get to know a lot more about Jenny motives and actions - we now know very well how she looks now.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this digital copy.
So far, so good. Excellent! Jenny is a caterer and cook; she caters for all kinds of people and suddenly you see before your eyes a woman that, indeed, would look like someone who is healthy and likes cooking. Her dress size is eighteen, Faith Martin informs us.
And?
Well, this book would have been worth 4 stars if not the author had kept coming back to tell us about Jenny's looks. Every third page we read that she is big, big, big.
But she isn't! Not really. Although the áverage height of British women was 5"5 in 2017 (I've looked it up, of course), 6"1 is not that much taller and certainly not unseen. And we don't want a caterer and cook with a dress size zero, so eighteen is perfect.
Jenny is a very good caterer and cook. And in this story, we read so much from her actions and thoughts that I have the feeling I've known her for a long time already. The Greer family, whose young daughter hired Jenny to cater for a large 21st birthday party for her and her brother, are real life people too and all in all, the book is a good example of 'cozy mystery' without the lack of depth some have, and with a lot of humour too.
So why telling the readers every third page about Jenny's figure? It gets a annoying, I'm sorry to say.
I'm looking forward to the second book in this series. I hope the story is just as nice as the first one and we get to know a lot more about Jenny motives and actions - we now know very well how she looks now.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this digital copy.
December 2, 2019
Given the description of Jenny I wasn’t too sure about this book, but I had quite enjoyed the author’s DI Hillary Greene so I thought it was worth a try. In the end I really liked Jenny and the book was certainly worth a try.
Having said that, the story wasn’t without its problems. To start with the time scale for one person to make and decorate elaborate cakes, prepare a six course banquet for over twenty people and nibbles for over a hundred doesn't work.
However the most annoying thing about the book was the number of times the author refers to Jenny’s size and stature, if I every come across ‘Junoesque’ again it will be too soon.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
Having said that, the story wasn’t without its problems. To start with the time scale for one person to make and decorate elaborate cakes, prepare a six course banquet for over twenty people and nibbles for over a hundred doesn't work.
However the most annoying thing about the book was the number of times the author refers to Jenny’s size and stature, if I every come across ‘Junoesque’ again it will be too soon.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
January 15, 2019
This was a really good book. A really good story and characters. I especially liked Jenny Starling! I hope that Faith Martin will write more about her soon.
December 28, 2018
I was first introduced to Faith Martin’s writing, when I was invited to take part in the blog tour (by the lovely Jill Burkinshaw) for the second book in the series featuring DI Hilary Greene, also published by Joffe Books. Since that time, I have become a huge fan of hers. I have read each and every book of hers that Joffe has released. When I heard that she was releasing a new series featuring a new female lead, I knew that I just had to drop everything to read it. I was not to be disappointed either because I really enjoyed reading ‘The Birthday Mystery’ but more about that in a bit.
The new female lead in this series is called Jenny Starling, who is a caterer. Trouble seems to follow her around because she turns up and people start dying in mysterious circumstances. She is a bit like Jessica Fletcher from ‘Murder She Wrote’ in that respect. Jenny certainly stands out because she is rather tall for a woman and she is well built as it were. Put it this way, once you have met her, you certainly won’t forget her. She seems to intimidate people but I wasn’t sure if that was because of her size or because of the way she speaks to people or the confidence that seems to pour out of her. Jenny certainly doesn’t take any unnecessary crap and she seems to poke her nose into everybody else’s business. She seems to have a knack that means that people open up to her whereas they wouldn’t necessarily open up to police.
‘The Birthday Mystery is a different kind of read to the Detective Inspector Hilary Greene series. By that I mean that the main female lead has a different background, a different personality and a different style. The author seems to have changed her writing style a bit and I did wonder if that was because she was adopting a similar manner in her writing to that of Jenny. I hope that makes sense. That said, it didn’t take me long to get used to the different writing style and female lead and pretty much by the time I got to the bottom of the page, I knew that I had found another cracking series with a female lead that I couldn’t fail to warm to. This book soon became addictive for me. It isn’t a particularly long book and I seemed to race through it. I was so focussed on the book, the mystery, the storylines and the characters that I didn’t notice just how quickly the pages were turning- it was almost as if they were turning themselves. Before I realised what was happening I had finished the book, which I had mixed feelings about. I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how this part of the series finished but I was enjoying the book so much that I just wanted it to continue. Reading ‘The Birthday Mystery’ was much like being on an occasionally scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, ‘The Birthday Mystery’ was certainly different and I really enjoyed reading it. I would say that Jessica Fletcher should move over because there’s a new female amateur sleuth in town. I would recommend it to other readers but please bear in mind that it is different to the Hilary Greene series. I can’t wait to read the next instalment of the Jenny Starling series. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is 4* out of 5*.
The new female lead in this series is called Jenny Starling, who is a caterer. Trouble seems to follow her around because she turns up and people start dying in mysterious circumstances. She is a bit like Jessica Fletcher from ‘Murder She Wrote’ in that respect. Jenny certainly stands out because she is rather tall for a woman and she is well built as it were. Put it this way, once you have met her, you certainly won’t forget her. She seems to intimidate people but I wasn’t sure if that was because of her size or because of the way she speaks to people or the confidence that seems to pour out of her. Jenny certainly doesn’t take any unnecessary crap and she seems to poke her nose into everybody else’s business. She seems to have a knack that means that people open up to her whereas they wouldn’t necessarily open up to police.
‘The Birthday Mystery is a different kind of read to the Detective Inspector Hilary Greene series. By that I mean that the main female lead has a different background, a different personality and a different style. The author seems to have changed her writing style a bit and I did wonder if that was because she was adopting a similar manner in her writing to that of Jenny. I hope that makes sense. That said, it didn’t take me long to get used to the different writing style and female lead and pretty much by the time I got to the bottom of the page, I knew that I had found another cracking series with a female lead that I couldn’t fail to warm to. This book soon became addictive for me. It isn’t a particularly long book and I seemed to race through it. I was so focussed on the book, the mystery, the storylines and the characters that I didn’t notice just how quickly the pages were turning- it was almost as if they were turning themselves. Before I realised what was happening I had finished the book, which I had mixed feelings about. I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how this part of the series finished but I was enjoying the book so much that I just wanted it to continue. Reading ‘The Birthday Mystery’ was much like being on an occasionally scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, ‘The Birthday Mystery’ was certainly different and I really enjoyed reading it. I would say that Jessica Fletcher should move over because there’s a new female amateur sleuth in town. I would recommend it to other readers but please bear in mind that it is different to the Hilary Greene series. I can’t wait to read the next instalment of the Jenny Starling series. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is 4* out of 5*.
May 16, 2019
Jenny Starling is both highly rated and highly sought after. She is a traveling cook and her current job is to cater the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. As soon as Jenny arrives, however, she is greeted by the police. Sadly, a young man has drowned in a pond and the police have to determine whether or not it was an accident.
Nonetheless, Jenny goes right to work. Shockingly, however, a guest suddenly dies. This suspicious death has no shortage of guests because they had all gathered together for a toast. When it is determined that not only poison is suspected, but that it may have been in one of Jenny’s recipes, she is determined to get to the bottom of things. Yes, she wants justice, but she also has a reputation to uphold.
Jenny has the uncanny ability to assess a situation and discover clues that truly baffle the police. She makes a great amateur sleuth. As a matter of fact, there are five books in this Jenny Starling series, and I read each and every one of them all in just a few days. I adore Jenny and how she manages to solve these murders, no matter what the circumstances are.
Formerly published as Birthdays Can Be Murder under Faith Martin’s pseudonym, Joyce Cato.
Many thanks to Joffe Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Nonetheless, Jenny goes right to work. Shockingly, however, a guest suddenly dies. This suspicious death has no shortage of guests because they had all gathered together for a toast. When it is determined that not only poison is suspected, but that it may have been in one of Jenny’s recipes, she is determined to get to the bottom of things. Yes, she wants justice, but she also has a reputation to uphold.
Jenny has the uncanny ability to assess a situation and discover clues that truly baffle the police. She makes a great amateur sleuth. As a matter of fact, there are five books in this Jenny Starling series, and I read each and every one of them all in just a few days. I adore Jenny and how she manages to solve these murders, no matter what the circumstances are.
Formerly published as Birthdays Can Be Murder under Faith Martin’s pseudonym, Joyce Cato.
Many thanks to Joffe Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 6, 2019
Barely able to complete this unbelievable tale!
The main character shows up at all the perfect times to hear clues. She is not seen and the author uses unbelievable ways to make this happen, like having her suffer a cramp and then be unseen under a table. She heard way too many conversations while being just out of site. Even so, the reader is NOT given clues that a good mystery writer would share in order to be fair. I bought the second book when I got this one or I would not have wasted the money...Even $0.99.
The main character shows up at all the perfect times to hear clues. She is not seen and the author uses unbelievable ways to make this happen, like having her suffer a cramp and then be unseen under a table. She heard way too many conversations while being just out of site. Even so, the reader is NOT given clues that a good mystery writer would share in order to be fair. I bought the second book when I got this one or I would not have wasted the money...Even $0.99.
December 29, 2018
Over recent months I've become a great fan of cozy mysteries so, when I saw a new series featuring Jenny Starling being launched, I knew I had to read The Birthday Mystery. Also, it has a culinary theme which I love and a little light humour.
First, we are introduced to Jenny who is catering for the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. In her late twenties, Jenny is an impressive woman. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous father is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny is happy travelling the country catering for events and cooking great food. She is on a mission to bring back traditional home cooked food and to offer new and exciting recipes made with fresh ingredients. She arrives at the twins family country house located in a picturesque and charming village and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
The birthday party goes ahead and then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast . . . and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled and there is a whole party full of suspects.
Jenny finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. She is very observant, with an agile mind and an amazing ability to interpret clues and hidden meanings. Her wit and sense of humour help her sanity when all around her, people are dropping like flies. When it comes to someone possibly adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
There are many suspects in this mystery, clues a-plenty and red herrings all the way through this book. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in The Birthday Mystery was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel featuring Jenny Starling very soon and other books by the author, Faith Martin. The Birthday Mystery whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
First, we are introduced to Jenny who is catering for the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. In her late twenties, Jenny is an impressive woman. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous father is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny is happy travelling the country catering for events and cooking great food. She is on a mission to bring back traditional home cooked food and to offer new and exciting recipes made with fresh ingredients. She arrives at the twins family country house located in a picturesque and charming village and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
The birthday party goes ahead and then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast . . . and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled and there is a whole party full of suspects.
Jenny finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. She is very observant, with an agile mind and an amazing ability to interpret clues and hidden meanings. Her wit and sense of humour help her sanity when all around her, people are dropping like flies. When it comes to someone possibly adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
There are many suspects in this mystery, clues a-plenty and red herrings all the way through this book. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in The Birthday Mystery was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel featuring Jenny Starling very soon and other books by the author, Faith Martin. The Birthday Mystery whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
December 11, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of The Birthday Mystery, the first novel to feature professional cook and amateur sleuth, Jenny Starling.
When Jenny arrives as Beech House to cater for twins Justin and Alicia’s twenty first birthday party she is met by the police as a young man has drowned in their pond. Shrugging off the shock Jenny gets on with her job but is even more shocked when one of the guests at the party is poisoned.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Birthday Mystery which is a cosy read with plenty of suspects and motives. The novel is deceptively simple with Jenny’s pleasant character and a very readable style lulling the reader into a false sense of knowledge. The clues are all there but I defy most readers to reach the solution before Jenny as it is convoluted and rather old fashioned, so it simply didn’t occur to me. That and the lack of forensics give the novel the feel of a bygone era. Nevertheless it held my attention from start to finish as I tried to work out not only the perpetrator but how it was accomplished (so simple when it’s explained!).
I immediately warmed to Jenny Starling who isn’t all that different in physique and nature to Ms Martin’s best known character DI Hillary Greene, both being tall and curvaceous with the unerring ability to cut through extranities to the heart of the case. They have different professions but otherwise they’re not so different.
The Birthday Mystery is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When Jenny arrives as Beech House to cater for twins Justin and Alicia’s twenty first birthday party she is met by the police as a young man has drowned in their pond. Shrugging off the shock Jenny gets on with her job but is even more shocked when one of the guests at the party is poisoned.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Birthday Mystery which is a cosy read with plenty of suspects and motives. The novel is deceptively simple with Jenny’s pleasant character and a very readable style lulling the reader into a false sense of knowledge. The clues are all there but I defy most readers to reach the solution before Jenny as it is convoluted and rather old fashioned, so it simply didn’t occur to me. That and the lack of forensics give the novel the feel of a bygone era. Nevertheless it held my attention from start to finish as I tried to work out not only the perpetrator but how it was accomplished (so simple when it’s explained!).
I immediately warmed to Jenny Starling who isn’t all that different in physique and nature to Ms Martin’s best known character DI Hillary Greene, both being tall and curvaceous with the unerring ability to cut through extranities to the heart of the case. They have different professions but otherwise they’re not so different.
The Birthday Mystery is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
April 20, 2025
Jenny arrives at the house where she has been invited to cater for the twins 21 birthday. Although being given by the parents it is Alicia, the daughter, who has chosen Jenny. The Beeches is a grand Georgian house complete with butler, resident cook, housemaid and gardener and if Jenny accepts the job it will be her home for the next few days.
Jenny is soon aware that all is not as it should be and learns that the under gardener had been found dead in one of the lakes earlier that morning. Even so, Jenny finds herself catering dinner for 20 family and friends a day or two later followed by refreshments for 100 other guests. Alicia has been very insistent all along that everything at this party must be exactly as her brother would like. As always they each have their own table for presents and separate birthday cakes of whichever kind they prefer. Dinner is excellent and the big event, the cutting of the cake, arrives. There are speeches and the lights go out as the candles are lit all timed to the second by Alicia but, oh dear, as the champagne is drunk one person falls to the floor, dead, followed by another.
Jenny is soon aware that all is not as it should be and learns that the under gardener had been found dead in one of the lakes earlier that morning. Even so, Jenny finds herself catering dinner for 20 family and friends a day or two later followed by refreshments for 100 other guests. Alicia has been very insistent all along that everything at this party must be exactly as her brother would like. As always they each have their own table for presents and separate birthday cakes of whichever kind they prefer. Dinner is excellent and the big event, the cutting of the cake, arrives. There are speeches and the lights go out as the candles are lit all timed to the second by Alicia but, oh dear, as the champagne is drunk one person falls to the floor, dead, followed by another.
March 28, 2025
2 stars – I wanted to love this so badly, but… yikes!
I love whodunnits. Adore them. If I ever got stranded on a deserted island and could only take one book genre with me, I wouldn’t even blink, give me whodunnits and I’m good. In a world with genocide, injustices and apocalyptic headlines every day, whodunnits are the one place where good wins, wrongs get righted, and there’s always a practical, logical system to it all. Add rural England into the mix? That’s basically the whodunnit gold standard.
So with that mindset, and after having loved A Fatal Obsession, I expected to fall head over heels for this one. It had everything I usually enjoy: sleepy English village, strong female lead, even a promising start. And yet… from the first few pages, something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Then, around page 50, it hit me: the writing was just bad.
If I had a nickel for every time the main character was described as “Junoesque,” well, I’d probably have 8 or 9 nickels, but that’s like the same clunky word recycled every 25 pages or so. We get it. She’s curvy. You don’t have to beat us over the head with it.
Then there’s the throbbing figures of speech (alliteration intended) which make ChatGPT look like a literature Nobel prize laureate.
Still, I kept going, hoping the mystery would pull through. But then I guessed the killer the moment the murder happened. Emphasis on “guessed it”. And I never do that! I don’t want to solve the mystery. I live for that final drawing room moment where the detective lays it all out and I gasp, “Ohhh, I missed that!” Instead, what I got here was a lame attempt. Not only was I right, but the clues and motives were absurd. Like, Scooby Doo-level absurd.
And I can’t, for the life of me, understand how the same author who gave us Ryder and Loveday, with their perfectly flawed characters and just the right amount of feminism sprinkled in, wrote this. A weak mystery, paper-thin characters, and a lazy “rich vs working class” theme that felt phoned in.
I hate writing bad reviews. But this one really let me down. I’ll still give Faith Martin another shot because A Fatal Obsession was that good, but The Birthday Mystery is a hard pass from me.
I love whodunnits. Adore them. If I ever got stranded on a deserted island and could only take one book genre with me, I wouldn’t even blink, give me whodunnits and I’m good. In a world with genocide, injustices and apocalyptic headlines every day, whodunnits are the one place where good wins, wrongs get righted, and there’s always a practical, logical system to it all. Add rural England into the mix? That’s basically the whodunnit gold standard.
So with that mindset, and after having loved A Fatal Obsession, I expected to fall head over heels for this one. It had everything I usually enjoy: sleepy English village, strong female lead, even a promising start. And yet… from the first few pages, something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Then, around page 50, it hit me: the writing was just bad.
If I had a nickel for every time the main character was described as “Junoesque,” well, I’d probably have 8 or 9 nickels, but that’s like the same clunky word recycled every 25 pages or so. We get it. She’s curvy. You don’t have to beat us over the head with it.
Then there’s the throbbing figures of speech (alliteration intended) which make ChatGPT look like a literature Nobel prize laureate.
Still, I kept going, hoping the mystery would pull through. But then I guessed the killer the moment the murder happened. Emphasis on “guessed it”. And I never do that! I don’t want to solve the mystery. I live for that final drawing room moment where the detective lays it all out and I gasp, “Ohhh, I missed that!” Instead, what I got here was a lame attempt. Not only was I right, but the clues and motives were absurd. Like, Scooby Doo-level absurd.
And I can’t, for the life of me, understand how the same author who gave us Ryder and Loveday, with their perfectly flawed characters and just the right amount of feminism sprinkled in, wrote this. A weak mystery, paper-thin characters, and a lazy “rich vs working class” theme that felt phoned in.
I hate writing bad reviews. But this one really let me down. I’ll still give Faith Martin another shot because A Fatal Obsession was that good, but The Birthday Mystery is a hard pass from me.
January 10, 2023
I was able to pick this one up on sale. It was a find for me because I have read many of the others in series but never got around to reading the first Jenny Starling. Jenny is over six feet tall that is reiterated quite often in this one but becomes less repeated in later books despite many male characters apparently threatened as much by her height as well as her brilliant deductive reasoning (and her excellent skill in the kitchen. Jenny is able to detach herself from those who hire her as a caterer or temporary cook yet able to observe all and listen to household gossip and help law enforcement without making a big deal of it. I'm glad that I read this one as it shows the impressive improvement with each successive book.
Charlotte Worthing gives a smooth and well differentiated performance as narrator.
Charlotte Worthing gives a smooth and well differentiated performance as narrator.
September 20, 2022
A nice mystery. I do like that the reason Jenny was able to solve it had more to do with what she was privy to than inept police work. Easy to figure out but specifics were a bit harder.
I will say that I got exceedingly tired of being reminded every time Jenny appeared in front of men (or if it had been a few pages) just how tall, voluptuous, and sexy she was. the repetition became obnoxious at best.
I'd give it about 3.5 stars but since you can't do the half star, I'm rounding up. But seriously, if the next book harps on this woman's "sex appeal" as much as this one, it'll probably be my last. It really did get old.
I will say that I got exceedingly tired of being reminded every time Jenny appeared in front of men (or if it had been a few pages) just how tall, voluptuous, and sexy she was. the repetition became obnoxious at best.
I'd give it about 3.5 stars but since you can't do the half star, I'm rounding up. But seriously, if the next book harps on this woman's "sex appeal" as much as this one, it'll probably be my last. It really did get old.
July 22, 2025
This is my first murder mystery book in a few months now and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t know who the killer was until the very end which I enjoyed - I don’t like when it’s too obvious and there were many many suspects. I enjoyed the different bits of information being revealed at different times as we learn more about the people in this book as well as the main character Jenny Starling. The only thing that could have made this book better would be having some of the recipes she made because they sounded so amazing.
December 11, 2018
4 stars
Jenny Starling is a caterer extraordinaire. She is catering the birthday party for Alicia and Justin, but as she arrives at the posh mansion, the police are on the scene. A young man has hit his head and fallen into the pond. He is dead.
So begins a new series for writer Faith Martin.
Although she is 6’ 1,” Jenny is comfortable with herself and her job. She likes “real” cooking, not the goofy stuff her father, another chef, cooks. Jenny has a talent for investigation as well. She becomes invested in solving the death of the young man, especially after one of her birthday party guests drops dead at the party.
This is a well written and smoothly sailing novel. It is a departure from her DI Hillary Greene series, but it’s okay. The book moves right along as the reader gets to know Jenny and her background. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in this exciting series.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great little cozy mystery for me to read, enjoy and review.
Jenny Starling is a caterer extraordinaire. She is catering the birthday party for Alicia and Justin, but as she arrives at the posh mansion, the police are on the scene. A young man has hit his head and fallen into the pond. He is dead.
So begins a new series for writer Faith Martin.
Although she is 6’ 1,” Jenny is comfortable with herself and her job. She likes “real” cooking, not the goofy stuff her father, another chef, cooks. Jenny has a talent for investigation as well. She becomes invested in solving the death of the young man, especially after one of her birthday party guests drops dead at the party.
This is a well written and smoothly sailing novel. It is a departure from her DI Hillary Greene series, but it’s okay. The book moves right along as the reader gets to know Jenny and her background. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in this exciting series.
I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great little cozy mystery for me to read, enjoy and review.
April 30, 2020
Junoesque. Why does this author like that word? I'm getting quite tired of reading that.
The main character Jenny is ok. I didn't love her right away. I liked the fact that she is not a guest nor a helper/servant in the house. Her in-between status allows her to hear and see many things that work well for the story.
I was able to guess the murderer but not the motive in this one.
The main character Jenny is ok. I didn't love her right away. I liked the fact that she is not a guest nor a helper/servant in the house. Her in-between status allows her to hear and see many things that work well for the story.
I was able to guess the murderer but not the motive in this one.
February 4, 2021
Jenny Starling is a traveling chef it goes from assignment to assignment. And this one she's preparing a meal for a 21st birthday party for a set of twins. Everything is coming well until one of the twins turns up murdered. Jenny ends up plane detective to figure out what happened. This is an interesting setup for a British cozy mystery series.
January 19, 2019
Another Agatha Christie
I love a good, clean murder mystery, and Faith Martin doesn't disappoint. Jenny Starling is a strong female lead with amazing powers of deduction. My only complaint is Martin's fondness for the adjective "Junoesque"; that's a word that is overused if it shows up more than once in a book....and it has to be in the book a dozen times or more.
I love a good, clean murder mystery, and Faith Martin doesn't disappoint. Jenny Starling is a strong female lead with amazing powers of deduction. My only complaint is Martin's fondness for the adjective "Junoesque"; that's a word that is overused if it shows up more than once in a book....and it has to be in the book a dozen times or more.
May 28, 2019
Some kind of party
A traveling cook with sleuthing skills makes for an interesting mystery to solve. Loved the twists in the plot as I tried to figure out who dunnit.
A traveling cook with sleuthing skills makes for an interesting mystery to solve. Loved the twists in the plot as I tried to figure out who dunnit.
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