The Golden Spoon merges two worlds I never considered combining before, murder mysteries and baking competitions. Think, clue, but with kitchenaid stand mixers and a cutthroat baking competition. I will keep this review spoiler free. Jessa Maxwell's debut novel weaves an intricate tale where everyone seems like a suspect, at first. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise, and multi-pov structure. Since each chapter was clearly labeled with the character whose point of view was featured in that chapter, I was never confused. I figured out the main twist about halfway through, but there were a couple of twists that I did not predict.

Each character had a full and interesting backstory, and the main character was more dubious than expected. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering the old manor and discovering its secrets, as well as those of the contestants. A solid 4 and I am excited to read whatever future novel Maxwell pens.

Thank you to Atria for the e-galley.

this was... for lack of a better word... delicious. i read this in one sitting on a train and was so invested in what was going happen. the perfect mix of cooking show and murder mystery. 10/10 would read again.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. all thoughts are my own.

As soon as I heard the pitch for The Golden Spoon I was sold. A murder mystery set during filming of fake (and American) Great British Bake-Off? How could a book be more targeted towards me? I love mystery, Bake-Off is one of the few shows I watch, and reality tv books in general are very much my thing. This story starts with the Mary Berry esque host discovering a body then jumps backwards in time to the night before filming for the show begins, we hop from contestant to contestant experiencing the filming of the show, watching the different tensions build, uncovering each other's secrets, and baking.

The strength of this story is the characters, I was pretty engaged with every person I was introduced to, although I was so sad that my favorite character was the first to leave so we barely spent any time with them. I had a bit of trouble remembering everyone's names for the first part of the novel, but their is a handy little character press sheet and even though I couldn't remember names the characters are so distinct from each other that I wasn't mixing up character details. In some ways this book reminded me of Lucy Foley but with less of a strong use of character archetypes. Her characters are a pretty good time though!

I am not normally a cozy mystery reader and I think this might be one so feel free to laugh at me if I am just commenting on genre conventions. This is a murder mystery so it isn't like a feel good story but the ending and the character interactions do sort of have the wholesome comradery of an Bake-Off cast. The ending also does the murder mystery thing of some endings being just and some being differently just. That is the least spoilery was I can think to say it. I sometimes find this genre convention frustrating but wasn't frustrated by it in this case. Though I do think the author was wishy-washy with her ending, kind of undermining a big authorial choice by leaving a possibility open. Which was fine.

This story does wrap everything up neatly. If you don't like open endings feel free to read this, all your questions will be answered, every crime is answered for, from whodunnit to who left the fridge open.

Where this story feel flat for me was the murder itself. The story is structured so that most of it takes place before the murder and a lot of the tension just story of dissolves after who is murdered is revealed. There also really isn't much time to care that much about discovering who the murderer is because we are busy with another plot point so when you finally get the murderer reveal it is lack luster as well. The other plot point is also interesting but the way the author wrote it also lacked tension, there was just no fear for anyone's current safety which I think is pretty vital in the end of a murder mystery. I think the last two sections of the book just needed a little bit more page time and needed more tension integrated into the revels sequences.

Maxwell also does a thing I deeply dislike where a character basically lies to the audience so that the author can reveal information at a later point. It did not really make sense for the author to use this in this case, I actually think it would have been a really good and bold choice to just show the reader the murder and not try to, rather poorly, obfuscate it from the reader.

This is going to be a Hulu series apparently, I think that the story might work better on screen than it does on paper? Although I did also listen to parts of the book as an audiobook and I will say the cast are great! I don't think the story is bad, I liked it fine overall, I just wish the tension and heart racing had been there in the end.

This was a easy-to-read story, but it wasn’t like a full blown murder mystery investigative thriller. Its more drama, character oriented story with a murder, that happens later in the story. Felt this could have been 100 pages less. Very interesting characters tho! Could read this just for the characters and their behaviours.

This was a fun mystery that leaned towards the cozy side. It was a little too predictable and cliched for me at times though.

DNF for me, this is an interesting premise, I just was having trouble keeping track of the characters enough to feel invested in the storyline.

This book was pitched to me as Great British Bake Off but with murder, but I don't know if that really describes this book which had a much darker and insidious core within. It open with the host discovering a dead body and then goes back a couple days before as the contestants for the baking show arrive. There are several interweaving plot lines with interesting ideas, but unfortunately, none of them ever seems to fully inhabit the driver's seat. There were some good twists at the end that will absolutely leave readers wanting more!

It’s a modern-day Clue game. This book kept me on my toes trying to figure out whodunit. It’s part cooking show, part game of clue.

What if the Great British Bake Off involved murder? The Golden Spoon brings together a cast of characters to compete in Bake Week for the coveted Golden Spoon prize. So many twists and turns with brilliant intricacies I didn't see coming. I was on the edge of my seat as competitors were picked off one by one, still not sure who to pin it all on. And boy was I surprised at the big reveal. Thoroughly enjoyable. I would read more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Atria Books, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a murder-mystery story set in northern Vermont at the Grafton Manor. It revolves around a baking television competition show, Bake Week, hosted by Betsy Martin, “America’s Grandmother.” The story is about six of the “country’s finest amateur bakers” for the tenth season of Bake Week. The reader gets to know each of the six contestants. Several mystery themes run through the story. The ties Lottie has with the Grafton Manor, mysterious sabotaging the competition, the excitement with Hannah, and all the strange personalities keep the story interesting.

The story ends with four mini-celebrities and a villain. Bake Week became a life changing event for some – some good changes and some not so good. Mysteries are solved. The book moves slow at times around the baking competition, but all the loose ends are tied up. I enjoyed the story overall.

This one sounded right up my alley, but the number of POVs and slow pace just didn't reel me in. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

The Golden Spoon

⭐️⭐️.5

As someone who loves a good “Great British Bake-off” marathon over the holidays or in the winter, I wish this one landed a bit more for me!

Six amateur bakers are invited to Grafton Manor to compete in a baking competition, “Bake Week,” to win the ultimate prize: the golden spoon. Their host, Betsy Martin, has been ruling over the show (and their hearts as their “America’s grandmother”) for years; for this 10th season, however, the network has added a brash new co-host, Archie Morris, to spice up the program. When a body is found in the tent of the competition, a mystery unfolds as readers (and the contestants) figure out who is dead and who killed them.

Similarly to how the “Great British Baking Show” known for its pastels and positivity, this book took a murder mystery and added lots of sugar to it (pun intended 😉). At first I was thinking we’d get more baking-related drama, but it pretty soon the plot becomes just a regular closed-room whoddunnit at the Manor. I guessed the ending fairly early on.

The bite-sized chapters following the characters’ POVs do actually makes the book fly by; at first, it was a little confusing to track who was who, but once you know everyone’s signature trait, it works. I think the author set out to build fully-fleshed contestants, but to me, they all were pretty one-dimensional to get their purpose in the plot across.

All of this being said, I think the idea and writing were interesting for a debut novelist, and it was a quick read — I’d give this author another try on her future releases! 🥄👩‍🍳🧁🏆🔪🎂

This was a fun cozy mystery! Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book! I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and really enjoyed it!
It gave me British Bakeoff vibes! I loved the setting at the historical mansion! I'm usually hesitant with books that have multiple POV but this book did a great job! It was fun seeing everything from the perspectives of the contenders and show creator/host.
It was a light and easy read! Not too serious or creepy. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it!

A baking reality show with 6 contestants, two judges who don’t like each other, a mansion for the setting, and then murder. As a fan of the British bake-off show it was fun to see the similarities to the actual cooking challenges in this book. The characters were not all like-able and it took awhile to get the full picture of each of their stories. 3.5 stars

This book's description caught my eye because it seemed like a mash-up of so many things I love. A closed door mystery set in a massive, old house, a baking reality show, and an interesting cast of characters.
I think this book will especially appeal to cozy readers and especially those who also enjoy Great British Bake Off, however one does not need to be a fan of the baking show to really enjoy the book. It is a fun, fast-paced delight.

Oh wow, y'all, this book definitely took me by surprise! Excellent storyline that kept you intrigued the whole way and then of course, an outstanding ending. Great suspense as well. I could not stop reading this novel, must read!!

this took me a while to get into but after that, i enjoyed it! i feel like because of the blurb i expected events to happen faster than they actually did and that feeling of waiting for the moment where everything falls apart i think took away from my reading experience but other than that this was a decent book! it was giving very cozy murder mystery vibes even if that is slightly off from what the actual plot was. i enjoyed all the characters, and once i got into the book fully i could differentiate them well. very happy i picked this up actually !

This book will lure you in with its sharp cover and marketing plan but don't trust it! It's an anglerfish, friend! This book will promise to meet you for brunch and then never show up. This book will borrow your shirt and return it unwashed with a ketchup stain on the cuff. This book dog ears the pages of a novel it got from the library. In summary: basic writing not done particularly well peppered with a "mystery" that is boring to the point of unreadability. Maybe read it if it's all you can find at the airport but even then I'd say just get a magazine.

I liked that the scene was set fairly quickly. We stepped right into Bake Week and the backstory of each character was sprinkled in so there was a nice flow to the story. I’m a Great British Baking Show watcher and I particularly enjoyed the elements of the reality/competition show that were included in the book - the attention to GBBS rules, elements, and the way the competition show typically flows - while still making The Golden Spoon its own fictional entity. Now, the mystery part was very good and multilayered. Without giving away spoilers, some things do become clear due to hints before the big reveal(s) but the ride was worth it. All-in-all a good mystery. I look forward to more from this author.

Delightful combination of Great British Bake Off and classic murder mysteries. Fun and light, an easy read,