The Crime Brûlée Bake Off
(A Claire Walker Mystery #1)
By Rebecca Connolly
Contemporary Cozy Mystery, Romance
Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback & eBook, 320 Pages
February 4, 2025 by Shadow Mountain
Summary
The Great British Baking Show meets a cozy mystery with a contemporary romance and a Regency-era twist.
"Connolly, known for romances, ably opens this new ro-mystery series, crafting a slow, charming, sweet fall and filling the case with details of baking, estate living, and reality TV filming." --Library Journal
When Claire Walker is selected to be a contestant on the immensely popular cooking show, Britian’s Battle of the Bakers, she is thrilled. She can’t wait to spend eight enchanting weeks baking at the picturesque estate of Blackfirth Park. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air as she and her fellow contestants use historical equipment to bring pre-1900s recipes to life. If she can win the fifty thousand pounds, she’ll be able to ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.
The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. With his family’s income dwindling, he reluctantly agrees to host the entire production team, but he refuses to participate since he’s had enough of single women who see him as nothing more than a potential conquest. But when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death is eerily similar to the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier, which sends rumors racing through the estate.
Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to the Blackfirth Park ghost.
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My Review
THE CRIME BRÛLÉE BAKE OFF is a delightful start to this new culinary cozy romantic mystery series! The heroine is relatable with a dashing hero and a surprising murder to solve during a baking competition show set in England. It's a book with bakes and romance weaved throughout the mystery along with plenty of charm, that is ideal for fans of the genre.
Claire is this self-depreciating heroine who loves baking and dreams of competing on her favorite baking show. Of course, somehow she makes it on and is equally stressed and thrilled. Her love interest isn't a fan but is sacrificing to support his estate. He's a bit of a Darcy with his grumpiness and avoidance of people, but that doesn't last as he gets to know Claire. I liked how the author slowly grew the mystery and suspense alongside the romance. I also adored the setting along with Jonathan's female relatives (particularly his sister) who bring some fun teasing and humor. The amateur sleuthing was also fun although also suspenseful as the characters try to figure out who the villain is. There is a climatic ending in more than one way that tied things up nicely.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This book was a mix of baking show with delectable treats, sweet romance, mystery and great characters. It was lovely to read and full of entertainment. I'm looking forward to further releases in the series!
Content: Some off-page violence.
Source: Purchased. All opinions are my own.
Other Books in the Series
(Image linked to my review.)
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