by Cynthia Chow
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Kale to the Queen, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.
It should be impossible that an American chef, just three years out of culinary school, could ever be the family chef for the future rulers of England. What makes it possible for Carrie Ann Cole is a caterer friend getting sick, replacing her as the chef at a New York City charity event, and so impressing the duchess of Cambridge that she hires Carrie to be a chef at Kensington Palace. Her experience working at a Chicago Michelin-starred restaurant is less important to the duchess than Carrie’s emphasis on modernizing, and making healthy, traditional British cuisine. It’s a style that definitely puts her at odds with the palace’s head chef Jeffrey Butterbottom, who dominates an enormous kitchen while supervising meals for prestigious international events.
Carrie has barely time to recover from jetlag before she must oversee a seven-course meal for a child’s birthday party, although with two assistants and an approved menu, it is well within her capabilities. Of course, that was before she discovered one of her assistants murdered, the other arrested for the crime, the kitchen shut down, and being forced to work out of Chef Butterbottom’s tiny test kitchen. Despite having known her assistant Michael Hargrove for barely two days, she is certain of his innocence and intent on proving it. Unsurprisingly, this puts her at odds with the proper household manager, not to mention the Sean Connery-esque palace Security Chief Ian Gordon, who is extremely frustrated with the pushy American.
The novel follows three main plots: the death of Carrie’s sous chef, her unsatisfying love life, and the continual need to produce healthy, delicious meals for the royal family. Carrie left behind in Chicago her chef boyfriend of six years who asked for a “break,” even though she continues to insist that it’s really not one. Carrie may be intent on working on a long-distance relationship, but everyone else in the palace has an opinion that she is delusional. Her boyfriend intends to be a celebrity chef, but Carrie wants to be a chef for celebrities. It’s what makes the palace position a dream job, one that by all rights should be completely implausible and out of her grasp.
This debut mystery series is at its strongest when it focuses on the fascinating and intricate details involved in working in a palace. Stringent security checks, limited secure food resources, and layers of proper hierarchy are made riveting. Fans of Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Mystery series will adore this new series, where protocol, manners, and culture morays are as important as producing delectable culinary cuisine. Carrie is the epitome of the plucky heroine who refuses to take no for an answer and risks her life to help others, all the while managing to produce healthy and delicious meals.
To enter to win a copy of Kale to the Queen, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “queen,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 13, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section.
Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:
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Thanks for the chance to win a copy of Kale to the Queen.
bah195@yahoo.com
Anything about the Queen has to be good! Adore the cover, thanks for offering to us!
Catchy title!
This cozy sounds so good and also what a play on words with the title. Love to read and review on a few sites the only thing is it has to be print as i am disabled and can’t do ebook.
Thanks for the chance, the story sounds interesting id like to read it. Im glad to find a new series. A neat location.
Ah, a British setting! I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Love the Cover…sounds like a good little cozy. Please enter me.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
This sounds like a great start to a new series. Thankyou for the opportunity! minishoes(at)msn(dot)com
Love the sound of Kale to the Queen. I’m a fan of Julie Hyzy’s Chef Mysteries, so I’m sure I’d enjoy it.
This sounds like a fun new series, I’d love to get in on the ground floor. Thanks for the chance to win a copy. crs(at)codedivasites(dot)com
Thanks for the giveaway! This one is on my TBR and I’d love to win a copy. jdzchaotickittie (at) yahoo (dot) com
What a great idea for a series. I love culinary mysteries, so would love to win this.
This looks like a fun series! Thanks for the chance to win this book! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
I really enjoy Nell Hampton’s writing- nice write up ?
Cheers-
Kelly Braun
Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds good. Love the cover! jawdance@yahoo.com
I am not a fan of Kale but this title sounds very interesting. Thank you for the chance!
johnnabooks(at)hotmail(dot)com
Sounds like a great debut series! Thanks!
Can’t wait to read this new series.
Cozies about food are my all time favorite. The recipes in the back are always delicious! Thanks for a chance to win!
I loved the White House Chef series and own them and the Manor House series. I’ve also been known to cook for private parties now and then. Pretty please, enter me into the contest. I’d like to add this to my home library.
I’m a big Julie Hyzy fan so this book really appeals to me!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
This book sounds amazing. Can’t wait to start this new series.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Title is fantastic!
This sounds like quite a busy mystery by one of my favorite authors – thank you for the chance to win this book!
Kale to the Queen sounds like a fascinating read and is a book that I have been looking forward to for some time. Thank you very much for the chance to win.
robbfan141729@yahoo.com
We have a winner
Did Nell Hampton have to get permission to use private details abou the Royals for this book?