I'm so thrilled to be part of this tour, Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang is such a fun read. Follow the link at the bottom of the page for a giveaway done by the author.
Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle
by J.A. Lang
CHEF MAURICE and a Spot of Truffle
by J.A. LANG
Cozy Mystery (British, Culinary)
Number of Pages 228
Release Date: April 7, 2014
There is a free prequel available on Amazon right now.Chef Maurice and the Rather Fishy Tale: A Chef Maurice Mystery Short Story
Synopsis:
It’s autumn in the Cotswolds, and Chef Maurice is facing a problem of mushrooming proportion.
Not only has his wild herb and mushroom supplier, Ollie Meadows, missed his weekly delivery—he’s missing vital signs too, when he turns up dead in the woods near Beakley village.
Soon, Chef Maurice is up to his nose in some seriously rotten business—complete with threatening notes, a pignapping, and an extremely well-catered stake-out.
Can he solve Ollie’s murder before his home-made investigation brings the killer out for second helpings?
My review:
This British cozy is a fun read , filled with humor and with and murder that will keep you guessing to the end. You will be pulled in from the start and won't want to stop reading. The characters are well developed and the story line will leave you wanting more. Don't miss a minute of this great read.
Interview with J.A. Lang
My review:
This British cozy is a fun read , filled with humor and with and murder that will keep you guessing to the end. You will be pulled in from the start and won't want to stop reading. The characters are well developed and the story line will leave you wanting more. Don't miss a minute of this great read.
Interview with J.A. Lang
1. Tell us about yourself?
Gosh, that’s a big question! I’m a British author, living in Oxford – a beautiful city, though the university students seem to get younger with each passing year. I’ve been a bookworm all my life, and was lucky enough grow up near a huge local library (four floors!). I love reading, eating, cooking, and wandering around landscape gardens – which, thankfully, we have a lot of here in England.
2. What inspired you to write this book?
Like many writers, I think I set out to write ‘the book I want to read’ as a fiction reader. So this meant a classic Golden-Age-style mystery plot, combined with a good dash of humour (also known as writing to make yourself laugh, as humour is such a personal thing!) and lots of food.
3. How did you come up with the main characters?
It’s the usual answer, I’m afraid, that they just popped into my head one day, out of the blue. Though I’m highly envious of Arthur’s job as a national restaurant critic – one of my dream gigs!
4. Can you give us a sneak peek on what you are working on now?
I’m currently working on the second book in the same culinary cozy series, titled Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes, which will be out this July. A sneak peak at the provisional back cover copy:
“In the rarefied world of wine collecting, murder isn’t exactly barrel of laughs…
An invitation to dinner at the home of renowned wine collector Sir William Burton-Trent soon finds Chef Maurice in the middle of an all-too-real murder mystery party, when Sir William is found dead in his own wine cellar.
The guests are acting all innocent, but which one is only playing the part? The pushy Californian film director? The seductive French winemaker?
Or could it be, against all narrative decency, the butler who did it?
With the help of food critic friend Arthur Wordington-Smythe, a large kipper sandwich, and the newly formed Cochon Rouge Wine Appreciation Society, Chef Maurice must get to the bottom of matters before events turn decidedly sour…”
5. What is the best and worst thing about writing?
Best thing: being able to work from home snuggled down in my comfy bean bag.
Worst thing: the utter lack of exercise in doing the above!
6. Who are your favorite authors?
Terry Pratchett and Agatha Christie are my two big ‘read over and over again’ favourites.
7. What five books are in your to be read pile?
Let’s see...
1. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
2. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
3. Heartless by Gail Carriger
4. A Meditation on Murder by Robert Thorogood
5. Kew on a Plate with Raymond Blanc (Anyone else read cookbooks for fun?)
8. If you could throw a dinner party for five authors living or dead who might they be and what would be on the menu?
Guest list: Agatha Christie, Terry Pratchett, Anthony Bourdain, Colin Cotterill, David Sedaris.
Menu: Whatever I could persuade Tony Bourdain to cook. I’d offer to do the washing up!
9. Tell us three things you want your readers to know about you? ( that you didn't put in question 1)
Well, here’s three random facts about me:
1. I went to culinary school in London, and learnt that there are three main ingredients in French haute cuisine: butter, butter, and butter.
2. I once queued for four hours in Tokyo for a sushi lunch.
3. I’m generally of the opinion that cake is only worth eating if it involves some form of chocolate...
About This Author
J.A. Lang is a British mystery writer, and author of the Chef Maurice Mysteries series.
She lives in Oxford, England, with her husband, an excessive number of cookbooks, and a sourdough starter named Bob.
Author Links:
Webpage: www.jalang.net
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JALang
Purchase Links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TOO2QW8/
Nook: [link will be available on April 7th]
Goodreads Book link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24955619-chef-maurice-and-a-spot-of-truffle
Here is the link for the giveaway:
The author has set up her own giveaway. Here is the link: http://www.jalang.net/chef-maurice-giveaway/
Contest open to US and UK residents over 18 years old.
Contest will end on April 30, 2015 at 11:59 PM GMT, and the winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.
this would be a new series. Sounds interesting. thanks
ReplyDeletetxmlhl@yahoo.com
Thank you for the review and link to the giveaway. The book sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteThis is a new to me author, and looks like an interesting series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance.
jen.frederick@yahoo.com