#Blogtour Death in Nonna's Kitchen by Alex Coombs

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Death in Nonna's Kitchen by Alex Coombs. It's the second book in the An Old Forge Café Mystery series.

About the Author

Alex Coombs was born in Lambeth in South London and studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. Murder on the Menu was his first book in the new series: the Old Forge Café Mysteries. Alex lives in the Chilterns. Follow @AlexCoombsCrime on X

About the book

When famous TV chef Matteo McLeish turns up at the Old Forge Café and offers chef Charlie Hunter a place in his kitchen for the duration of Hampden Green’s local opera festival, she thinks it’s because he rates her cooking skills. In fact it’s because he’s heard she’s good in a crisis. The wholesome star of Nonna’s Kitchen is being blackmailed by one of his team.

Tempted by an improbably large pay cheque and the boost to to her CV, Charlie accepts his offer. Does the threat lie close to home, or back in Italy with Matteo’s culinary roots? And can Charlie find the blackmailer before she’s swept up in an avalanche of death and scandal?

Review

At first Charlie thinks Matteo the celebrity TV chef wants her for her kitchen talents, but it turns out her sleuthing skills are a much higher priority for him. Oh well, as long as everyone thinks Matteo has picked her to be part of his skilled staff, because she is an excellent chef, that's all that matters, right? Charlie doesn't take appearances that seriously, she does however put her restaurant first - always.

Matteo expects Charlie to find a blackmailer, a snake hidden among his own team. Someone intent on destroying his reputation and that of his loved one. At least it seems as if that is all that is at stake, until death comes knocking and that changes everything.

Although the cast of characters from the first book come into play, they do stand in the shadow of Matteo and his team of kitchen experts a wee bit. I'd love to see a little more of some of the characters who had quite comical moments before, although Charlie is definitely the one at the centre of everything. 

I can envision this as screen series, with plenty of food and dessert shots for the foodies of course, but it definitely has a quaint cosy mystery element to it, despite the fact it does wander into more subjects at times. This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone book. 

Buy Death in Nonna's Kitchen at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: No Exit Press; pub date 11 April 2024 - £9.99. Buy at Amazon com.