2 Book Lovers Reviews

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 Suspense/Mysteries

​As a fan of The Great British Bake Off, I was pretty excited to sink my teeth into this novel. But wait! This isn’t just a novel set in the world of a baking competition, it’s also a murder mystery.

Set on the lush grounds of the original host’s Vermont estate, six contestants were selected to be among the bakers of Bake Week’s next season. Who would cave to the pressure in the tent? Who would wow the two judges? Who would win the coveted Golden Spoon award? Who would stay alive?

The book begins with a bang. Someone from the show is found dead. The story is then told in alternating chapters from the contestants’, as well as Betsy Martin’s perspective, the show’s beloved grandmotherly host and judge, and the estate’s owner.

I love books that are told from alternating perspectives, and in this book’s case, it worked perfectly. It enabled me to get acquainted with each of the contestants, to see what made them tick, and to see what their motivations were. I also got a glimpse into Betsy Martin’s world, and I would be lying if said that I didn’t picture her to look exactly like Mary Berry.

Did I trust any of the contestants, the judges, or the crew of Bake Week? Absolutely not. That’s the fun part about these types of novels, we get to become amateur sleuths and try to decipher who is truly just in it for the cake and ganache and who is the guilty party.

The Golden Spoon was an entertaining read. While it wasn’t an edge-of-your-seat mystery, I still enjoyed my time in the tent and on the grounds of Bake Week. As someone who found solace while baking and watching baking competitions during the pandemic, this book was a real treat!

*4 Stars