Tizi’s Book Review

I am for sure intrigued!

Synopsis

A deadly feast, a mobster restaurant and a family get-together with fatal results.

Savour the spicy tang of dark and twisted tales in Pass the Cyanide, a follow-up to the award-winning collection of culinary mysteries, Add Cyanide to Taste.

From an old friend hiding a deadly secret to a ravenous house with an appetite for friends, Špiljak masterfully blends the allure of food and the thrill of mystery. Each story is a rich and satisfying serving of crime, with a twist that will leave you wanting more.

A must-read for fans of culinary noir and foodies who love a pinch of danger with their suspense. All recipes included are cyanide-free.

GuestPost

Hooked on culinary noir

When I wrote ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ two years ago, I did it for my own pleasure, without worrying about the genre. Publishing, however, requires labels, only, which one to pick? Although my short stories were culinary mysteries, they weren’t exactly cosy, neither were they detective fiction. Some were classic hard-boiled mysteries, but there was also dark speculative fiction and horror.

So, how to label them and make sure that my ghosts and haunted houses don’t horrify unsuspecting readers? I didn’t want to promise a cosy read, only to sneak up behind the reader’s back and shout ‘booo’ when they put their feet up.

So I came up with culinary noir, feeling rather smug about having invented a new genre.

Noir, after all, allows for a certain mischief and darkness, while the culinary is the binding element of my stories. It means there’ll be some blood, some spooky stuff, ghosts and creepy dolls and a bit of magic, too.

Then, some months later, while preparing for the book launch, I discovered that culinary noir existed before I’d ‘invented’ it. One or two articles referenced it, but there were not so many books that carried the label. 

So I hadn’t made it up after all?

Rather than being disappointed, I was relieved. If the genre already existed, then it came with at least a few readers, who liked stories like mine. 

Once ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ came out, it was clear there were more than just a few readers. People liked the stories and were happy to add culinary noir to their bookshelves. The book won an award and kept finding new readers. Some of them were book bloggers, and some of them tagged me in their review and asked for a sequel.

Until then, I hadn’t seriously considered writing another culinary noir collection, but I paused all the same and considered the request. 

Could I write another bunch of dark culinary mysteries? Yes, I certainly could, because I had quite a few story ideas already.

Did I want to? 

Well, yes. Writing those stories was fun and easy. The only problem was that I was kind of already in the middle of writing something else, having promised my time and attention to a bunch of entirely different stories.
What to do?

The only thing that made sense: I followed my gut feeling, abandoned the plans and started working on a new collectionof culinary noir.

‘Pass the Cyanide’ has kept the spirit of ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’, but brought fresh stories and characters. There are two speculative fiction stories with my own spin on vampires, a few whodunnits and a classic noir story set in Belgrade, my current hometown. There’s a holiday-themed story inspired by TikTok and there’s a story featuring artificial intelligence. Theidea for the latter came after a brief consultation with ChatGPT3. I’ve asked the tool to generate a few culinary mystery plot ideas which involved artificial intelligence, curious to see whether it would cast itself as a hero or as a villain. It did neither, and cast itself as a sidekick, a smart move on ChatGPT’s side. Though I didn’t like any of its suggested plots, I started contemplating my own plots featuring artificial intelligence. The result is ‘Ernest’s Choice’, the opening story of the collection.

I wanted to include the recipes, too, picking a few dishes from the stories, including cocktails, which might have had something to do with the blistering summer heat while writing the stories.

Even after finishing the book, I’m far from being done with writing in the genre. If anything, I am hooked on culinary noir and already planning the next book in the series.  

I’m calling the series ‘Cooking with Cyanide’, which is guaranteed to freak out the online bots, return some interesting personalised ads, and frighten my dinner guests, especially when asking about allergies.

But hey, that’s a small price to pay for the joy of writing new stories filled with delicious mayhem.

Willing to give them a try?

Check out this wonderful cover!

Synopsis

She’s writing her story one recipe at a time…

‘A delicious story that wraps itself around your heart’ Evie Woods, bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Ingredient-Zara-Stoneley-ebook/dp/B0BF96B49J/

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-secret-ingredient-sue-heath?variant=40275147096142

Publication Date: 15th February 2024

About the author

Sue Heath lives in Cheshire, England. When she isn’t working, she can often be found running around agility courses with her spaniel, and in the evenings, she loves to cook and spend time with family and friends.

‘The Secret Ingredient’ is an uplifting story that explores how a sense of community, sharing, friendship, love, and a feeling of belonging can help us make sense of life, find comfort, and heal. How we can find our happiness in ordinary things.

Sue has also written fourteen USA Today bestselling romcoms under the pseudonym Zara Stoneley and has sold over half a million copies of her stories worldwide.

You can find out more about Sue on her website – http://www.sueheath.co.uk

The cover

Never let age stop you!

Synopsis

Recently retired, Denny Lambert is finding life just a little bit…well, dull. So when her stepsister Juliette announces she’s getting married – again! – and invites Denny on a hen do with the Old Ducks, Denny really can’t say no.

Denny knows something about the Old Ducks and their wild exploits, but she’s just glad to be somewhere hot and sunny and away from her grey life back in the UK. She’s definitely not going to be pulled into any Old Duck mayhem….

But when they arrive at their beautiful Mallorcan villa, Denny is in for a shock. Because right next door is the man who once broke her heart – Bruno Browning. Now with the Old Ducks and an old flame to contend with, Denny’s life suddenly feels anything but dull!

But if she’s learnt one thing from her time with the Old Ducks it’s that life is for living…and that’s exactly what Denny is finally going to do!

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/oldduckshensocial

About the author

Maddie Please is the author of bestselling joyous tales of older women. She had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas.

When you dream of something nonexistent… could it turn into reality anyway?

Synopsis

Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.

But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.

When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.

The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/weddingdogducksocial

About the author

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.

A great story about strong characters!

Synopsis

They didn’t forecast this!

When charismatic and handsome weather presenter Marcus Bowman walks back into Willow Roxburgh’s life three weeks before Christmas, her quiet job as an admin worker at the Old Schoolhouse residential care centre in Glenbriar is shattered. He’s not only the man she used to crush on, he’s also the one who thwarted her TV forecasting dreams.

But she’s no longer the anonymous studio assistant; she’s secretly Scotland’s new favourite weather forecaster, Rocky Rainman.

With the Schoolhouse facing closure, Marcus is on an assignment to drum up festive support. However, he’s discovered the internet sensation Rocky Rainman lives somewhere nearby and is determined to expose him after Rocky’s recent damaging comments on social media. Seeing Willow, the girl he used to obsess over, shakes his priorities.

When a blizzard hits, Willow and Marcus are snowed in, and she discovers her perception of him wasn’t as accurate as her forecasts. Marcus isn’t convinced it’ll be a white Christmas, but he’s determined to win Willow’s heart. Can their new love weather storm if he discovers her secret? Because how can there be a future for Marcus Bowman and Rocky Rainman?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/snowdown

About the author

Margaret is a Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel A Winter Haven in 2021. This is the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull. Margaret has also written six books in The Glenbriar Series with more planned for 2024.

The stories are unashamedly romantic but with lots of drama and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

This was a wonderful next chapter in a wonderful series

Synopsis

Sandy Elliot is devastated when a fire destroys her new business and doesn’t know how she can go on. When she receives a call from her grandmother’s old friend seeking her help, a trip to Bellbird Bay seems like the answer to a prayer.

Rob Andrews is proud of what he has achieved with Bay Bikes, the business he set up when he returned from Afghanistan. But the memory of his time there still plagues him and has always prevented him from forming any close relationships, afraid his deep-seated guilt and recurrent nightmares would scare off any woman foolish enough to become involved with him.

Upon meeting, it’s certainly not love at first sight. Sandy hates his beard and tattoos while Rob, though attracted to Sandy, doesn’t believe he deserves to find happiness.

But Bellbird Bay is a small town, and their paths continue to cross, making it impossible for them to ignore each other or to deny the attraction between them.

With the festive season approaching, can Sandy and Rob overcome their pasts and enjoy a celebration of their own?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/CelebrationsinBB

About the author

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!

Another tour, another adventure

Synopsis

Travel Together Tour Manager Eve Mitchell is planning a quiet Christmas at home to rest and relax before a special New Year. But she soon, very unexpectedly, finds herself in the depths of the Essex countryside looking after a singles’ group which contains some old, familiar faces and some pleasant – and not so pleasant – new ones. With its country walks, quizzes, disco and black-tie ball, the Christmas and Twixmas Break passes quickly, but just as they think it’s all over the plot takes a twist and we learn some dark secrets…

My review

Tour manager Eve Mitchell is truly looking forward her calm Christmas celebration. She needs the calm before the special New Year, as her son will be getting married. But her calm and quiet – time is being ruined when a travel group needs her rescue in the Essex countryside.
Once again Eve is seeing familiar faces between the new ones. And once again this holidays will be filled with twists and turns amongst country walks and quizzes.

Once again we can enjoy the work of this author, and enjoying Eve Mitchell’s talent as a tour manager.
This time her adventure is closer to home, but nevertheless it’s still an adventurous one! 😀

When the story starts, I wanted Eve to be more stubborn in a way. Because she made it very clear she needed this time off, yet she finds herself packing up and helping out, once again. Although it was a good thing of her, of standing her ground and demanding all the extras she also got.
But of course Eve wouldn’t be Eve if she would let a group stand in the cold without an extra thought.

The story taking place in Essex made it perhaps easier for me to imagine the setting, as it’s also for me a bit closer to home, even if my home is in Belgium. But it’s easier to imagine Essex, which has many similarities to places in Belgium, than for example India or Antigua.

And it was of course great to see some old friends again. Although I have to admit, I wasn’t that happy to see *everybody – everybody* back… 🤣
I was glad to see how some characters haven’t change a bit, but also to see the change made in the past books was still present.

Obviously it was also good to make some new acquaintances, even if also in this case, there were some nice new meetings and some not so… We see once again a diversity of people, of characters that can make your life easy or difficult.

Eve obviously is the main protagonist, and where in the first book of the series she was a rather lonely character, now her life has expanded with not only her son in the picture, but also the man she in fact never stopped loving.
But in this chapter of Eve’s life we also see glimpses of her former life, and the family she left behind. And while initially I was wondering if it were truly all that bad as she would make us believe, I was shocked to see how the reappearances behaved. I would have thought that some things would have been water under the bridge, to only realize the opposite.
Yet it was great to see Eve putting her priorities straight and doing the right thing for her and her real loved ones.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, seeing Eve doing her thing closer to home, but being still an amazing tour manager. And it was lovely to see how also in her personal life were finally falling into place. And now it’s up to the next chapter! ☺️

To keep on believing

Synopsis

People say that it’s hard not to fall in love living on the sunny island of Jersey, but for Bea Philips, still reeling from a divorce and the loss of her beloved godmother, she’s not sure she can find the time. While her soon-to-be-ex-husband is trying to take away the home she grew up in, surly but attractive builder Luke is doing it up. Her old flame Tom has just turned up as her new manager at the office, and she has no idea what the mysterious Jersey Kiss is that her godmother has bequeathed to her…

Is life going to give Bea a break, so she can keep her dream home, and maybe fall in love?

New Beginnings by the Sunflower Cliffs is the first in a gorgeous, romantic series set on the breathtaking island of Jersey. Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland and Phillipa Ashley.

My review

While on the island of Jersey it’s always sunny, Bea’s life for sure doesn’t feel light a ray of sunlight… Not only is she still grieving over the loss of her beloved godmother, also her marriage ended on bad terms. And her soon – to – be – ex – husband is making sure that he gets a piece of Bea’s home too, even if he in fact he doesn’t really need to.
Bea’s home is in dire need of renovations, making Bea meet attractive builder Luke. But with her old flame, and new manager at her office, Tom warning her for Luke, she doesn’t know what to do… And what about the mystery of the Jersey Kiss that her godmother left to Bea in her will? Will Bea ever find out what the Jersey Kiss in fact is? And will there perhaps be a real kiss in store for Bea too?

Having read several books of this author, with the setting of the island of Jersey, I was very much looking forward to return to this wonderful place, even if it’s the start of a complete new series.

At the start of this book, and to be honest, a great part of the book too, I truly felt sorry for Bea. The loss of her godmother affected her great time, and it was easy to understand why, as after losing her mother, her godmother was there for her in so many different ways, from when Bea was a young girl, to the adult she has become now.
But it was also sweet to see how that love and help was being reciprocated, as when needed, Bea didn’t hesitate to look after her godmother just like her godmother looked after her all those years ago.
So can you truly be shocked by how deep the love was between the both of them? And can you be really surprised that losing that one fixture is Bea’s life was so devastating for her?

And feeling sorry for Bea concerning her failed marriage is perhaps not the right feeling, as her ex for sure is a piece of art…

But while Bea raised many feelings of sadness over me, she also gave me hopeful and happy feelings. Because she is surrounded by the best kind of friends, and even a great (half)sister – if the sister doesn’t keep listening to her mother that is…
And while at moments Bea is acting a bit meek, we see also how she stands her ground and the lengths she takes to protects what or who she cares about.

This story was a romantic one, yes. But it was mainly about picking yourself up after a bad time. It was also about (mis)trust and (dis)honesty, and in a way also gut feelings.
Because we see some new and old people arriving in Bea’s life and we see her seeing the reality: that some people misuse our trust and that there are others that we trust for some inexplicable reason and signs of warnings against it.

I have to admit, I had my own gut feeling telling me who to trust and who not. And I was glad to proven right! J
But somehow it also saddened me, as it showed that people can go far to save themselves, not caring who they hurt meanwhile…

There are several sad and also infuriating things happening in this book. But that doesn’t take away how much I enjoyed reading this book, and how inspiring I found this book. Because no matter what happens to Bea, she never gives up hope, or just gives up period. She is determined to find a solution that will solve her problems.
Also, no matter how afraid she is of getting burned again by love, with the right person she is ready to take the plunge.

And that is what matters, do not give up, in life or love. Because it may take a while, but all’s well that ends well. Just don’t give up!

When love is the last thing you are looking for

Synopsis

A cheeky chappy comedian

Charlie is most comfortable playing the funny man in front of boisterous crowds in London’s comedy clubs. But he’s about to be swapping his routine for wedding speeches. And his new acquaintance Sarah, thinks he is anything but amusing.

The woman who’s got it covered

Weddings are always a difficult time for widower Sarah, but you would never tell – she’s too focused on making the week of her best friends’ wedding as perfect as possible. She definitely has no time for the grumpy and surly Charlie, who it’s clear her friends are trying to set her up with.

And only one room left at the rental…

When a drunken invitation adds more people to the pre-wedding holiday house than Sarah organized for, she finds herself spending A LOT more time with Charlie than she intended. If only they could both let their guards down, they might find they have more in common than they think

My review

Sarah may be a young widow, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t over the moon that her best friends are getting married. She even made sure that the week leading to the wedding is organized perfectly, even if it’s taking place on the other side of the world, London.
The one thing she didn’t take in account is that there are more people invited to stay at the rented holiday house, making her spend too much time to her liking with Charlie, also one of the best friends of the happy pair.
Because Sarah and Charlie for sure don’t get along, as it’s already clear from the moment he is the one to pick Sarah up at the airport.
But the more time spent together, the more Sarah sees of the Charlie behind all the jokes… and the more they both realize to have a lot in common… 

There are stories with the trope enemies to lovers. There are stories with the trope heart – broken characters. There are stories with the trope of a character with a difficult past. And then there is this book, that has all the above, but also handles each above mentioned trope with delicateness and lightness. That make this book so amazing to read, as there are moments that will make you sad, but also moments that will make you laugh. 

Sarah is not an unknown character, as she has made several appearances in the previous chapters of this series. And I had my fingers crossed that she too would have her moment in the spotlight. Because she may not have had the spotlight before, but for the characters she has been of an invaluable importance. 

I could see where she was coming from, regarding love. Because she had it all, and lost it all way too soon. So can you blame her that she isn’t looking for love? Not only does she still feels like it she would betray her late husband, but she also knows that she couldn’t endure the pain that would come with the inevitable heartbreak. 

But even if she is afraid of love, she loves. And how she loves… she would do anything for the happiness of her friends, even if that never gives her a moment of peace. She would rather walk around like a headless chicken if that would give her friends an amazing time. 

And seeing her clash with someone like Charlie for sure was hilarious! Because Charlie has this laidback attitude, but he is also hot and cold. He goes from one emotion to another in a blimp.
I liked it how he was described as a social extravert, as that gives you the perfect idea of how Charlie is. When around people, he for sure is the life of the party, ready for more than one joke.
But once his funny mask is off, he enjoys the quiet and the calm. 

Of course his background makes him also wary of new people and wary of changes. And It saddened me to see how he felt that he has no stability, that everything can be taken away from him in a blimp.
And my heart for sure bled to read how he grew up, feeling like he had and still has nothing to offer… 

Seeing how Sarah slowly starts to understand Charlie was truly sweet. For some inexplicable reason (is it really although), they get each other. No matter how different they may appear to be, deep inside they share the same fears. And they find that kindred, scared, spirit and find that person they can open up to. 

But they also share the same likes and dislikes. Their inside jokes land and are understood by each other. It was great to see how they spend time together, how Sarah discovers London with her own and unique tour guide.
Also there we see how well they in fact match, as Charlie just knows what Sarah will want to see. 

In each book, there is a moment where things go downhill for some reason or another. And in this book, it truly broke my heart, as we see how fear is holding the both of them back, while in fact love should make you courageous again, to take that step, on matter how scare you are.  

But the ending of the book mended my broken heart, as it was just perfect for the characters, and was truly well – fitted! 

I truly loved this fourth chapter of a series I liked from Book 1. And maybe, just maybe, this may have been my favourite one!

The importance of books in lives 

Carl Kollhoff is passionate about books. So of course working in a bookstore is the perfect place for him. For years, he ha also been delivering ordered books to special customers after closing time. And for him, those customers feel like real friends, even if each delivery only took a short time.
But when Carl loses his job, it’s so much more that Carl loses. And it takes a persistent nine – year – old girl to show Carl and his book friends that there is a whole world outside their homes and they in fact can help out each other, all together. 

This isn’t the kind of story that I usually read. You can find me enjoying romance, or cosy mysteries, or even a thriller here and there.
Yet there was something that drew me to pick up this book. Of course the bookstore was a giveaway, but the blurb made me curious to see this unlikely friendship between a man of older age and a curious and persistent nine – year – old girl.  

Once I started in the book, I discovered that perhaps it wasn’t that much about Carl and Schascha but more about the power and importance of books in people’s lives. No matter how different someone’s life is from someone else, the love of book is something universal and something that everyone can experience, no matter what genre they prefer. 

Of course the more I read about Carl, the more mixed feelings I got. Because on one hand it was truly sad to read how slowly he is somehow being disregarded, and feeling more and more alone on this world. But on the other hand, we also see the lengths he goes to keep his customers/ friends passionate about books. He goes very far for them, even if it costs him a lot, literally and figuratively. 

I have to say, from the moment Schascha enters the story, it turns into a lighter story, a more innocent one too.
Schascha is a force of nature to be reckoned with. And as expected from a nine – year – old girl, she won’t be easily dismissed. Once she put her mind to something, she will not give up.
But even if this girl puts on a big act towards Carl, we also see her purity in a way. even if she sees and understands more than any other young girl, she doesn’t understand everything and how the world works. 

In that respect, it was lovely to see the dynamics between Carl and Schascha. Carl is set in some of his ways, and Schascha forces him to do things differently, or goes behind his back. And in Carl Schascha finds in a way a lovely grandfather, sharing his wisdom with her. 

But, like I said before, there is more to this story than just the new friendship between Carl and Schascha. Because we also get glimpses through Carl’s eyes into his customers lives. And each customer couldn’t be more different from the other customer. Yet the one thing that connects them all, is their love for books and Carl delivering those books. 

It was funny but in a way also heart – warming to see how Carl finds the perfect name from a fictional character to call his customers, showing that he sees more to them than just being the delivery man.  

And how strange it can be, it’s that connection that changes each life. From a woman who pretends to be in a happy marriage, to a man enjoying stories but not knowing how to read, from a nun to a man writing his own books, Carl and his own story brings them all together, helping each other and joining forces. 

This book shows us that no matter who we are, books can truly unite people. Books don’t care about who you are or what you are. They only ask to be read and treasured. And only people with that same passion for books can understand how books can sweep you of your feet. But books can also be the link to get people out their homes, to become an united front and help out those around us. And that can be by helping with a small gesture, or by opening up your house, with or without the little nudge of a special little girl… 

For sure I had several laughs (wait until you meet Dog! 😊) but there were also heart – breaking moments, with losses. But that didn’t take away me enjoying this book, about books and people that love books!