Knife Skills For Beginners by Orlando Murrin

 

When celebrity chef Christian Wagner is unable to teach a cookery course at an exclusive cookery school he persuades his friend, Paul Delamare to step in at the last minute. Just as the course begins Christian's mutilated body is discovered and Paul is the prime suspect. 

Knife Skills For Beginners by Orlando Murrin has all the elements for a cosy crime mystery. The setting is an exclusive cookery school in a sprawling house in Belgravia, run by a widow who is struggling financially. The cookery course is residential, run by a TV chef apparently loved by all. The attendees are an eccentric group, each one seems to be hiding a secret.

Christian Wagner, the murder victim, is a charmer, able to easily manipulate people. It's his skill as a manipulator that sees his friend, Paul Delamare, take over the reins at the cookery school. This last-minute replacement isn't popular with the owner of the school or the attendees who are all fans of Christian. We quickly realise that Christian is a little flaky, one of those people whose word needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. 

Christian's murder takes place on the property and the body is discovered by Paul, making him the prime suspect. Keen to prove his innocence, Paul believes one of the students must be responsible and begins to investigate. Each of the students seems to be hiding something, but is it a motive for murder?

Although Paul is a little passive he is a likeable character. He's still coming to terms with the recent death of his partner and is being hounded by the son of his partner. This stalking element adds an extra dimension to the story, I feel that it could have been used to greater effect to stir up more problems for Paul.

The setting is ideal, very English, which adds an "Upstairs, Downstairs" feel to the story. An eclectic group of students studying together and sharing meals gives quite a gossipy feel to the interactions and there are quite a few funny moments. Added to this is the authenticity from the author's background as a chef and food writer.

After an engaging start, the story stuttered a bit in the middle where nothing much happened. Things did pick up again towards the end where we discovered the secrets each individual was hiding and a particularly funny scene in the kitchen.

Knife Skills For Beginners by Orlando Murrin will be published on 1st February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for a review copy.