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Member Reviews

The book is written well and the format it has been written in is unique. Author’s writing is compelling. The characters were interesting too. I liked the setting and how the book started. It begins with Max Wilde, a celebrity chef and crime writer. The annual dinner happens but when Max is found dead, it makes the book even more interesting. It takes a suspenseful turn. Everyone was suspect but unthinkable keeps happening. Killer is one among them. The twists were so unpredictable

Thanks to the Publisher

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Honestly I felt exhausted after reading this book (which sadly I couldn't finish)

It truly was a case of why use one word when twenty would do.

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A good cozy murder mystery. Hints of Agatha Christie with lots of possible suspects all invited to the country estate for a party. Naturally the host is found dead. Lots of red herrings, and interesting twist in that all the main guests are famous crime writing authors. Enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it.

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This book kept me guessing!! I love a good murder mystery with a long suspect list full of twists and turns. I do feel like the writing style is not something I fully gel with but the story made up for it. Not quite a cozy mystery but thoroughly enjoyed it.

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This book really sucked me in as soon as I started it. I really liked the longer introduction of each character. It felt like I really knew each person before it got into the details of the actual story. This book follows Max Wilde a super popular celeb chef / crime "writer" and his annual murder themed dinner where he invites other famous authors. Someone winds up dead and everyone seems to have a motive and are all suspects. I did enjoy the book - it was cozy. The things that bothered me though - there are no chapters. It lessens motivation to keep reading at times. Also perspectives change in an instant so you are constantly in different characters minds in the same paragraph. That being said if you like UK writing and a murder mystery - check it out! It's on Kindle Unlimited. Thanks to NetGalley and Mr E Entertainment for this ARC.

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A well plotted and entertaining solid mystery I thoroughly enjoyed. It kept me reading and guessing
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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I was completely engrossed in this story. The suspense built steadily and the book was engaging. It’s a slow burning but a good one, I liked it.

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When celebrity chef and writer Max Wilde hosts his annual dinner party for the great and good of the crime-writing world, the guest of honour is a retired detective famed for solving a complex case. The next morning Max is found dead and the people at the party are all suspects. Each has a potential motive but as the murder count rises, can the case be solved.
This is a very lightweight crime novel. It has good bones but the solution is obvious and clear from early on. I did love the references to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction and there is definitely more to come from this writer but it lacked bite.

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This was a fun mystery/thriller. My fav kind of whodunit for sure. It keeps you guessing right up until the end. This was a good one.

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Easy to read mystery! The characters were all a little difficult to like to be honest. But everything seemed to tie up lovely at the end!
I did struggle slightly more with the first half of the book before the murder happened as there wasn’t anything happening to pull me through to the next page!

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An easy-going whodunnit which could have done with a little bit of polishing and tightening up.

2 and a half stars rounded up.

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Having just finished A Recipe for Murder I didn't find it to be particularly compelling or to provide a complex story line which I prefer in a murder mystery. To me the story and character conversations felt very obvious and whilst an incredibly predictable story from the outset it was as though the author needed to provide obvious clues to help the reader get there. I feel this would be much more suited to my 10 year old however the frequent sexual acts which seemed out of place in the story render the book unsuitable for this audience also.

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Max Wilde is a famous chef and author who hosts an annual dinner party for other famous crime writers. The morning after the party, Max is dead and everyone is a suspect. I think this was an attempt at a modern Agatha Christie novel, but it didn't really do it for me. I didn't t enjoy the writing and disliked most of the characters. 2 stars

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Max Wilde is a cleverly constructed mystery that brings together an eclectic cast of characters, all with reasons to despise their host. Max, a celebrity chef, TV presenter, and bestselling crime writer, is hosting his annual dinner party, attended by four other crime writers, his assistant Gemma, his estranged brother Robert, and retired detective John Finney. The night’s murder-themed menu—featuring dishes like The Poisoned Quail and Red Herring—sets the tone for what follows. Yet, it’s not until the next morning that the real drama begins when Max is found dead in his bed, poisoned with Hemlock.

With every guest having both a motive and an opportunity to spike Max’s bedside water, there are no easy suspects. While the police investigate, the crime writers and Finney take matters into their own hands, attempting to outwit the authorities. But as more bodies drop, the stakes rise, culminating in a thrilling, action-packed finale.

Though the story is a slow burn, with the murder not happening until almost halfway through, the buildup is anything but dull. Each character is well-developed and intriguing, making the early chapters fly by. The pacing, while deliberate, allows for rich character development and ample tension, pulling readers in before the investigation even begins. Max Wilde is a satisfying, intelligent mystery, packed with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final reveal.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

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What a great read!! Very much in the style of an Agatha Christie classic whodunit, I literally gasped at the twists which made for an exciting conclusion! Character develop was great, with enough good and bad quirks for each person to make them likable or not and I was guessing about who the villain was until the very end! Subtle clues I missed came rushing back, and I found myself duped! Definitely recommend!

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I really enjoyed this book.

Well thought out plot and great characters. Could not put it down and did not want it to end.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

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3.75 stars
What a delicious tale of murder and mayhem! A diabolical killer has murdered a famous chef by poison, in his own home, right under the noses of some the most elite crime writers in the modern world, plus one retired detective. While the police spin their wheels, it is up to those suspects to band together and figure out which of them is likely the killer. And as more bodies start to pile up, the steaks - ahem, I mean stakes - have never been higher.

I'm not 100% sure this should be classified as a cozy mystery; there's a lot more graphic sex in this book than most of those types of mysteries. But the characters are compelling, the plot is pretty good and I really did have a hard time figuring out whodunnit? It kept me guessing right up to the end. (Literally the very end; the killer isn't revealed until the last few pages!) While I definitely prefer my mysteries of this calibre a little more on the cozy side, I had a pretty fun time reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley, author G.S. Revel Burroughs, and Mr. E Entertainment for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Here is a murder mystery that, once started, it's difficult to put down, so be warned.
One by one, the players are introduced: the TV chef Max Wilde, crime fiction writers, the detective - all to be invited to the Annual Crime Writers dinner at the Max's Cotswold mansion. The scene is set for murder. And after the murder, the hunt for clues. Even though I did get an inkling of who had committed the murder, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. The characters are well drawn, the pace of the narrative is just right and there enough twists and turns to keep you hooked.

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I really enjoyed A Recipe For Murder. Max Wilde is a celebrity chef, top selling crime writer, and extremely attractive. Once a year he hosts fellow crime writers at his Manor House for a fabulous murder themed meal. This year Max doesn’t survive the weekend. We have an interesting cast of .characters, we discover Max was not as he appeared, he was an average chef, didn’t write his own books and was a notorious womanizer. As the body count rises, you need to keep your wits about you and work out who is the murderer. There are clues, double bluffs and it will keep you engaged right to the end of the book. Great fun with a good nod to the Agatha Christie style of murder mysteries.

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There are many people involved in this murder mystery, which is akin to a dinner date with the cast of Clue or an Agatha Christie novel. Each person has secrets and reasons to dislike the host. Suddenly, he is dead, and more secrets are revealed as each person is scrutinized as the potential murderer.

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