Review: Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A. Lang

Published October 12, 2015
by Purple Panda Press

Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off by J.A. Lang is the third book in the Chef Maurice series.

Chef Maurice and Arthur are at it again. Chef Maurice has been displaced as a judge for the bake off because a famous television chef, Miranda Matthews, is coming to Beakley for the Fayre. Miranda Matthews isn't the most pleasant person in real life, no matter what her adoring fans think. After her demonstration, she disappears only to reappear as a body in a brook. Miranda has so many enemies; there are so many choices for possible murderers. Chef Maurice must interview them all. Will he solve the mystery before PC Lucy and the rest of the force?

PC Lucy has her hands full investigating and trying to keep an eye on the Chef and Arthur as they conduct their own investigation. And if that wasn't enough on her plate, she is worried that Patrick, the sous chef and her boyfriend, is going to leave Beakley to work in his mother's bed and breakfast as a chef.

This is another fun installment in the series. Chef Maurice is a force unto himself once he has begun investigating, nothing will deter him. And of course, he cannot investigate on an empty stomach. Arthur is particularly grateful for that since his wife has put him on a diet.

The mystery moves along fast enough. The only thing I felt was a drawback was that more wasn't done with PC Lucy and Patrick's mother. The synopsis makes out like the bulletproof pudding Lucy makes is a big plot point, but it disappears much to Lucy's relief.  And Hamilton only had a cameo appearance. I'm guessing due to his increased girth he is no longer quite the portable micro-pig.

I liked that I couldn't guess who the killer was right up until the end. I had it all wrong. And I enjoyed the humor.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.