Recipes for Love and Murder

Recipes for Love and Murder by Sally Andrew.  378 pages (not including recipes at the end of the book).
"Isn't life funny?  You know, how one thing leads to another in a way you just don't expect."   So starts this story of Tannie Maria, a woman who likes to cook and write a bit, and who writes a column for her local newspaper.   At first, it's just an advice column but then it blossoms into a blend of the right advice and the right recipe.

However, all of the anonymous letters Tannie Maria receives are easy to answer, and when she receives one from a woman whose husband beats her, things take a serious turn.   Tannie Maria tries her best at giving the woman good advice, but when a woman turns up dead, and seems to fit the description of the woman from the letter, dispensing advice turns into solving a murder.


The back of this book has a blurb from Alexander McCall Smith, and I had read that it compared to McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.   While it's longer than McCall Smith's average book, this story had a steady pace that kept me turning the pages.   Our main character is charming and easy to relate to, and there's an interesting cast of supporting characters.   Although this is a murder mystery, there's much in the book that is lighthearted.   Touching on the issues of domestic violence and fracking, there's also advice in here about life and love.  And, plenty of writing about food.  While I was familiar with some of the ingredients and foods in the book, others were completely new to me.

Although the story was enjoyable, I often had to flip to the glossary at the back of the book.  I am not familiar with Afrikaans or Dutch and there's a lot sprinkled through the story.   I'm curious about listening to this as an audiobook, to see how some of the words are pronounced.  This is a lighter mystery than what I usually read, but it was nice to take a break from my usual dark thrillers.

I would agree that this book would probably be enjoyed by fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Andrea Camilleri, and who are looking for a story that's a combination of murder mystery, romance, and food writing.