About the Book
Synopsis from Goodreads:
While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . . It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night. Disliking spooks but loving food, Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. It’s a sumptuous meal she hopes will entice the ghostly Mistletoe Bride to take a seat and join them while the cameras roll. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!
My Review
Bunny MacBride is excited when she signs a contract to be the chef of a new TV reality series, Food & Spirits. She’s sent to an English manor which is rich in history and dark secrets. What she doesn’t know is it’s also haunted, and the ghosts can’t rest until their mystery is solved. This is way more than Bunny thought she’d be getting when she agreed to do this show.
Bunny is a trooper and takes it all in stride. She works with her new ghost hunter team to solve a three-hundred-year-old case. They never expect a murder in the present time and now they must solve that as well. In fact, the current death is priority since it could mean they have a killer in their midst.
This series is a combination cozy mystery with paranormal overtones. It’s a good premise and the series has much potential.
It got off to a slow start for me. It took me awhile to warm up to these characters. There were some slow spots in the middle, but then the story took off and I was intrigued. The story stayed in the present day with the characters investigating the past. I was totally absorbed in the story as it moved along. I wanted to know how it would all end.
I liked our main character, Bunny, as well as the supporting cast. Her grandmother was fun, as were the group of ghost hunters. This could be really entertaining and I’m looking forward to reading the next entry into this series. It felt very much like a gothic adventure set in an old manor.
The series is off to a solid start.
Craving for the Cozies Reading Challenge 2024
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2024
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sounds like a good read. I love a good mystery.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and week. Scritches to the kitties. ♥
That looks good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun premise! This looks like a good start to the series and I've heard great things about this author. Glad to see you enjoyed it and I"m looking forward to reading it soon!
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