The Golden Spoon: A Novel
“This delicious combination of Clue and The Great British Bake Off kept me turning the pages all night!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut.
Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut.
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Community Reviews
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell follows six amateur bakers as they compete on the tenth season of Bake Off, hosted by famed baker and "America's Grandmother", Betsy Martin at her ancestral home Grafton Manor.
The novel features seven POVs, the six bakers and Betsy herself.
As a fan of both The Great British Bake Off and Downton Abby, I could not wait to read this cozy mystery and the book felt as cozy as both of the aforementioned shows, despite the murder plot.
The number of POVs did take some getting used to. At the beginning of the book I had to keep referencing the "baker's bios" to figure out who was who. But eventually I caught on and I came to like and root for all of the baker's. I did feel that I wanted more from each baker and it seems like the number of POVs and the overall short length of the book made it feel like each character was a little under developed.
I absolutely LOVED the part of the book that featured the baking competition. Learning each character's motivation and thought process was interesting and allowed you to get to know them and learn their back stories.
Now, the reason this isn't a four or five star read for me is the "thriller" or "mystery" aspect of the book. Every single "reveal" or "twist" could be seen from a mile away. At one point, I thought the characters already knew something because it seemed so apparent only for ten pages later them to come to the realization.
With that being said, the twists being predictable did not ruin the book for me. If you're only looking for a thriller that will make you gasp, I would probably skip this one, but if you want something that will leave you feeling transported to a world of bakes, cakes, and mysteries then I would highly recommend The Golden Spoon.
3.5/5 Stars, Rounded Down
Many thanks to the publisher, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
The novel features seven POVs, the six bakers and Betsy herself.
As a fan of both The Great British Bake Off and Downton Abby, I could not wait to read this cozy mystery and the book felt as cozy as both of the aforementioned shows, despite the murder plot.
The number of POVs did take some getting used to. At the beginning of the book I had to keep referencing the "baker's bios" to figure out who was who. But eventually I caught on and I came to like and root for all of the baker's. I did feel that I wanted more from each baker and it seems like the number of POVs and the overall short length of the book made it feel like each character was a little under developed.
I absolutely LOVED the part of the book that featured the baking competition. Learning each character's motivation and thought process was interesting and allowed you to get to know them and learn their back stories.
Now, the reason this isn't a four or five star read for me is the "thriller" or "mystery" aspect of the book. Every single "reveal" or "twist" could be seen from a mile away. At one point, I thought the characters already knew something because it seemed so apparent only for ten pages later them to come to the realization.
With that being said, the twists being predictable did not ruin the book for me. If you're only looking for a thriller that will make you gasp, I would probably skip this one, but if you want something that will leave you feeling transported to a world of bakes, cakes, and mysteries then I would highly recommend The Golden Spoon.
3.5/5 Stars, Rounded Down
Many thanks to the publisher, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
Murder mystery in a baking show... Bake Week is starting filming for its 10th season at Grafton Manor, a Vermont Mansion owned by renowned baking star Betsy Martin. Six contestants have come to the manor to compete in bakes during the week - but this season, they've introduced a co-host, Archie Morris. But nothing really goes according to plan... Bakes are being sabotaged, there's tension between the hosts some other shady things happening.
I went into this book completely blind. I had no idea what it was about. While, I love a good mystery/thriller... this was not that. It was just okay. It felt very "murder mystery dinner" like.
I felt like the plot was fairly predictable. I called a lot of the twists way before they happened. The characters were just kind of "meh". I wasn't intrigued by them. I just felt there was a lot left to be desired.
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
I went into this book completely blind. I had no idea what it was about. While, I love a good mystery/thriller... this was not that. It was just okay. It felt very "murder mystery dinner" like.
I felt like the plot was fairly predictable. I called a lot of the twists way before they happened. The characters were just kind of "meh". I wasn't intrigued by them. I just felt there was a lot left to be desired.
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
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