When Carrie Ann Cole bakes a lemon meringue pie to die for that actually kills someone, she must find out who the real killer is before her time at the Kensington Palace expires.The elegant Orangery at Kensington Palace is the perfect setting for the bridal shower of Carrie Ann Cole’s best friend’s sister. Personal chef to the royal family, Carrie Ann’s pie theme is naturally winning. But a … winning. But a waiter later keels over dead into the lemon meringue pie she leaves as a thank-you to the staff and Carrie Ann realizes that somebody slipped a mickey into that meringue.
Her floury fingerprints are all over that pie and the authorities suspect her distress is a cover-up for murder. Carrie Ann must set out to clear her name if she wants to stay at her dream job any longer. But all too soon, another body drops in the Orangery. This time, it’s the Orangery chef.
Murder won’t crimp her style, and as bodies pile up, Carrie Ann uncovers palace intrigue, London nightlife, and British pies scouring for the killer in Lord of the Pies, the witty follow-up to Nell Hampton’s Kale to the Queen.
more
Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton is book two in the Kensington Palace Chef mystery series. Even though I have not read the first book in the series, I was able to follow along in the story without feeling lost. I realized I missed out on how Chef Carrie Ann Cole came to cooking for the Duke and Duchess of England, the second book flashed back enough bits that I was able to create the vision.
In this story Carrie Ann, Chef Cole, is still trying her best to prove that just because she is an american, she is worthy of cooking for the Duke and Duchess. So when the opportunity arises to enter a pie bake-off, she jumps at the opportunity. But when it seems someone is out to murder people with poison, the finger gets pointed at Chef Cole. Can Chef Cole prove her innocence? And what about Chef Cole’s love life? When Jasper tells her he wants to date her and Ian sort of shows he may be interested, Carrie Ann doesn’t know what to do. She is afraid that is she gives Jasper a chance and Ian does feel something, she may ruin it. What will Carrie Ann do? Will she give Jasper a chance?
This was the perfect cozy mystery. I was guessing till the end and then blown away when a new twist was revealed in one of those “I did not see that coming” moments. The book was so fun to read with loads of charm. The characters were cozy and lovable. With great plot building and character development, this book was not just cozy, but a highly enjoyable. It will draw in its readers with entertainment and a fun game of “who done it”. Are you ready to see if you can find the killer? I bet you won’t figure it out even till the very end. So get ready for some fun and pick up Lord of the Pies. You will not regret it. I can’t wait to see what is up for the palace and its crazy employees next.
Carrie Ann Cole is chef to future kings. She hasn’t been in London long but she has already developed quite a reputation. And not just for her cooking. Since relocation from Chicago, Carrie Ann has also become a bit of a sleuth, and her experience solving one murder is unfortunately going to come in handy.
The sister of Carrie Ann’s best friend Penny is getting married. The Duchess of Cambridge enlists her chef to cater the affair to be held at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. Carrie Ann delights the guests with a variety of savory and sweet pies. A waiter from the Orangery is found dead after eating a piece of a lemon meringue pie that Carrie Ann left as a thank-you, and suddenly the chef finds herself a suspect in the death.
Carrie Ann believes she is being framed by the real killer. When she begins to sort out who might want to frame her, another member of the orangery staff is found dead. Carrie Ann will not rest until the murderer is found.
This is the second book in the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. I loved it and recommend it. The author does a great job of telling the story. I was able to “see” the entire story. The characters are interesting and well-developed. The cast includes real members of the Royal family which is interesting. The plot moves at a steady pace. I listened to the audiobook in my car and didn’t want to stop even when I reached my destination. The setting is interesting as it encompasses Kensington Palace and neighboring areas of London. I hope this series will continue. It quickly became one of my favorite series.
The second book in the Kensington Palace Chef series was delightful! Of course, the main character, Carrie Ann Cole, finds herself once again in the middle of a murder mystery and is one of the primary suspects. While things are heating up with the number of people who are dying, the chef finds herself in the midst of a potential romantic liaison.
I love the characters in this book and the delightful way they handle things in the United Kingdom. The author does a great job of developing the characters and the story line. You are drawn in and can’t wait to find out who is the one who really committed murder.
So glad a friend loaned me the first book in the series so that I could be hooked and am looking forward to another book.
When I read the first book in the Kensington Palace Chef mystery series, I was immediately hooked by author Nell Hampton’s style and characters. In this second book, Lord of the Pies, I’ve found another fantastic winner. American transplant Carrie Ann Cole is chef for the Duke and Duchess of York in Kensington Palace. Everything points to them being Will and Kate, but you’re never 100% certain. It’s really not important who they are as much as the fact that readers know it’s English royalty.
Carrie Ann runs one of the 4 separate palace kitchens and finds herself often in competition both in and out of the kitchen with her colleagues. In this caper, someone spying on her is found dead after apparently eating one of her pies. When she’s tossed into a televised competition for charity purposes, another mishap occurs leading to someone’s eventual death down the line. Carrie’s just trying to keep her job, but someone seems to want her gone from the palace. Luckily, the sexy chief of security and the hunky head of gardening protect her in the background as she tries to decide which ones she really wants. Unfortunately one has a serious girlfriend, but something’s about to change there soon. Throw in some affairs, rogue reporters and crazy colleagues looking to get ahead in the game, Hampton’s got another fine story for us to devour.
The two dicey concerns… I absolutely need to make a pie right now as there were too many references throughout the book. (I’ll get you for that, Hampton!) The other — the ending was too quick. The story was driving closely to reaching 5 stars because it was just so intricate and well-paced, but then there was a rush in the last 20 pages to push through finding the culprit(s) and backstory. It was good, but it could have been a bit more evenly covered, as well as a total wrap-up on what happened with a character who seemed in the midst of things and then disappeared. That said, I adore the main character. She may be in my top 5 of cozy sleuths. The background and setting are well-developed and I like the intrigue behind her boss and the royalty she rarely interacts with… you know one day they will beg Carrie Ann to help them solve a crime for someone close. And I can’t wait to read about it… many thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane, for sending me a copy of this book, as they know I love my cozy mysteries!
Chef Carrie Ann Cole is the private chef for Prince William’s Family. Unfortunately since arriving at the palace, poor Chef Cole seems to have Murder follow her around. Someone has been poisoned and found face down in her Lemon Merangue pie. The tabloids are smearing her. Somehow, someway she needs to find out who is killing the people that work in the Orangery.
The book is well written and a fun read. You really don’t know who did it until the end. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly to all of my Cozy Mystery reading friends and there are a lot of us!
This is the first time I have read from this author. I loved the idea of reading a book that deals with any of the royals. This didn’t really have much about the royals but that didn’t take away from the story. I really enjoyed the mystery. The story line was engaging and interesting. The author did a good job with the characters and the suspense. The recipes at the end were fun to have and can’t wait to try them out. There was some romance but that also didn’t take away from the main plot. This was a very enjoyable read and look forward in reading more from this author.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Pies! Pies! Pies! Carrie Ann Cole is baking pies for a bridal shower to be held in the Orangery at the palace. She has one pie left over and leaves it for the chef usually in charge of the Orangery. When a waiter is found dead with his face in her pie she knows someone tampered with it. All the evidence points to Carrie Anne and when another chef is murdered she realizes it is up to her to find the real killer before she loses her dream of being the chef for the Duke and Duchess and their wonderful family.
Carrie Ann Cole is an American chef in charge of one of the palace’s four kitchens. Her kitchen prepares meals and teas for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She also is asked to do the food for events her royals host like the bridal shower in this story. In addition to her normal duties, she has been asked to participate in a televised cooking competition for charity. After that event concludes several people on one of the other teams get sick and again Carrie Ann is a suspect. She does have two men watching out of her, the kitchen gardener and the palace’s chief of security. She also has a new assistant that is determined to help her clear her name.
All of Ms. Hampton’s characters leap off the pages. Carrie Ann is getting comfortable in her new position but is worried about being terminated with all these dead bodies that just seem to pile up around her. She is starting a romantic relationship with Jasper, the gardener but there is also romantic vibes between Carrie and Ian, the security chief. I also liked the way she and her new assistant got along and her friend that tries to show Carrie Ann some of the area’s nightlife.
There is never a dull moment at the palace or in Carrie Ann’s life. The story has a fast pace, the pages on my Kindle where flying. Twists and turns, peeping Tom’s, a cheating chef, a cranky chef, murders, secrets and lies and or so many pies held my attention from word one. Cleverly written, Nell Hampton gives readers a mystery we can sink our teeth into. An inside look at palace life is just the meringue on the top of the pie.
Readers of Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef Mysteries will love these characters and their story. I recommend this book/series to all cozy mystery fans!
Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton is the second tale in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. Carrie Ann Cole is the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kensington Palace. Carrie Ann is busy preparing for a pie themed bridal shower being hosted by the Duchess for Penny Nethercott’s sister on Saturday. The gathering gets moved to the Orangery and Carrie Ann will be using Chef Wright’s kitchen. After the event, Carrie Ann leaves a lemon meringue pie as a thank you to the chef and his staff. Early the next morning, Penny awakens Carrie Ann because there are police at the Orangery. A waiter was found face down in Carrie Ann’s pie. The pie was poisoned, and Carrie Ann is the prime suspect in the man’s death. Carrie Ann sets out to clear her name and reputation before she loses the job she loves. After competing in a pie competition, Chef Butterbottom and his staff end up severely ill. Carrie Ann is the runner up, and she is once again under suspicion and in the tabloids. While at the Orangery talking to the sous chef, Carrie Ann learns that Chef Wright has disappeared. They find the flirtation chef dead in the walk-in freezer. The bodies are piling up and the common denominator is Carrie Ann. Can Carrie Ann find the person responsible before she ends up in the tower?
While Lord of the Pies is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. Lord of the Pies is a busy book. What I mentioned above in my summary is just a drop in the bucket. There is a stalker, clubbing, baking, another new assistant for Carrie Ann, pie competition, tabloid photographs, Carrie Ann goes out for drinks with Jasper, cooking, chatting, eating and gallons of tea. I thought Lord of the Pies contained good writing, has a steady pace and a great theme (working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington). The author has a conversational writing style that engages the reader and soon has them engrossed in the story. I like Carrie Ann as the main character. She is well-developed and has excellent cooking skills. She does, though, need to wise up to the ways of the world and proper etiquette (rules) when working in a royal household. I am not so enamored with Penny. I am amazed she can get out of bed for work after a night of drinking and dancing (returning home in the wee hours). The mystery is intriguing. You never knew who the next victim would be (I kept hoping Chef Butterbottom would not recover). Many readers will be surprised when the solution is revealed. There was, though, too much supposition. Carrie Ann with Agnes (her latest assistant) and Penny speculating on the crimes. Some of the same details kept getting repeated. I could have done with less romance between Carrie Ann and Jasper. Her falling into his arms after a harrowing ordeal did not seem believable since the pair have yet to go one a real date (only went out for drinks once). I did not feel any spark between them. Now Carrie Ann and Ian are another story. I am giving Lord of the Pies 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The mouthwatering descriptions of pies along with the recipes at the end of the book will have you digging out your pie pans. If you are looking for an entertaining cozy mystery to read, then look no further than Lord of the Pies.