A bright new talent makes her fiction debut with this first novel in
a delicious crime series set in rural South Africa—a flavorful blend of The No. 1
Ladies' Detective Agency and Goldy Schulz, full of humor, romance, and recipes, and
featuring a charming cast of characters
Tannie Maria ("tannie" meaning auntie, the respectful Afrikaans address for a woman
older than you) is a middle-aged widow who likes to cook—and eat. She shares her
culinary love through her work as a recipe columnist for the local paper, until the
Gazette decides its readers are hungrier for advice on matters of the heart than for
lunch and dinner ideas.
Tannie Maria doesn't like the change but soon discovers she has a knack—and a
passion—for helping people. Of course, a recipe is always part of the remedy she
offers. Assisting other people with their problems, Tannie Maria is eventually
forced to face her own issues, especially when the troubles of those she helps touch
on the pain of her own past—like a woman who contacts her desperate to escape her
abusive husband.
When the woman is murdered, Tannie Maria becomes dangerously entwined in the
investigation, despite the best efforts of a handsome detective named Kannemeyer,
who is determined to keep her safe. Suddenly, this practical, down-to-earth woman is
involved in something much more sinister than perfecting her chocolate cake recipe .
. .