Author: Nell Hampton
Series: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 11, 2017)
Description: Chef Carrie Ann Cole is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime--an assignment as the new Personal Chef to the Royal Family at Kensington Palace. But no sooner has Carrie Ann touched down across the pond and donned her apron than a dead body crops up beneath the royal kale beds.
With one assistant dead and the other soon under suspicion for his murder, Carrie Ann is scrambling to keep her kitchen up and running. Not to mention she gets off to an immediate bad start with the tempestuous Royal Chef Butterbottom, who has a bitter taste in his mouth since the prestigious position in the Royal Family's kitchen was given to an "over-privileged, under-educated American chef."
But the Royal Family's appetites wait for no one, and Carrie Ann must solve the murder and still get supper on the table on time--even with the annoyingly handsome Head of Security Ian Gordon tracking her every move like an MI6 agent. Suspects abound as an American chef adds a bit of spice to the traditional royal household in the first in Nell Hampton's charming and tasty Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series, Kale to the Queen.
My Thoughts: Carrie Ann Cole is following her dream of being a personal chef when she takes a job working for the duke and duchess of Cambridge in Kensington Palace. But to reach her goals, she has to leave behind her boyfriend of six years who is pursuing his goal of becoming a Michelin chef. They have agreed to take a break in their relationship.
Everything is new to this Chicago girl when she gets to the palace. She certainly wasn't expecting to find one of her assistants murdered under the kale in the greenhouse attached to her kitchen on her second day in London. And, when her other assistant is arrested for the crime, Carrie Ann launches her own investigation to try to clear him of blame.
Between her rivalry with another chef at the palace and her run-ins with the security chief, Carrie Ann learns a lot about the people who work at the palace. Of course, we get tantalizing glimpses of the meals that she is preparing for the Royal family too.
This was a fun mystery of the cozy variety.
Favorite Quote:
"John..." I glanced up to see Ian leaning against my bedroom doorjamb, his gun holstered and his arms crossed. "I have to go. We'll talk about this later. Okay? I've had a bad day."I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
"Sure, baby," he said. "Sure. I'll see you soon." A good review could make a restaurant. A great review could make a chef. John's attention was not focused on me.
The combination of cooking and intrigue has to be good.
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