“The Great British Baking Show” meets Knives Out in The Golden Spoon, Jessa Maxwell’s scrumptious, atmospheric debut.
Celebrated baker Betsy Martin has hosted her well-liked present “Bake Week” from the grounds of Grafton, her Vermont household property, for the previous decade. This yr, change is within the air: The community has foisted a brand new co-host on her, and Betsy had much less enter than ever earlier than when choosing which six contestants would compete for the present’s coveted Golden Spoon award. Still, “America’s Grandmother,” as Betsy’s recognized amongst her followers, chooses to push forward with the brand new season. When the competitors will get underway, issues begin to go haywire. The contestants consider somebody is sabotaging their bakes—and when a useless physique is found, everybody within the baking tent turns into a homicide suspect.
The Golden Spoon is inconceivable to place down, particularly for followers of exhibits like “The Great British Baking Show.” Maxwell expertly unspools her thriller, switching among the many views of all six contestants, plus Betsy. The bakers’ voices and observations are a excessive level of the novel: Each character is distinct and effectively drawn, with their very own motivations for becoming a member of the present and secrets and techniques to cover. There’s Stella, a former journalist and probably the most inexperienced baker; Hannah, the youngest contestant, who hails from a small city; Gerald, a inflexible instructor who compares recipes to mathematical formulation; Pradyumna, a tech millionaire with nothing to show; Lottie, a retired nurse with a particular connection to Grafton; and Peter, who specializes within the reconstruction of historic buildings.
The novel begins with an eerie prologue from Betsy’s perspective earlier than leaping again in time to when “Bake Week” first began filming. Readers know from the prologue {that a} grotesque discovery awaits, however most of the e book—80%!—is dedicated to following the characters by means of “Bake Week” and attending to know their motivations for competing. It’s not till the final fifth of the e book that Betsy’s preliminary discovery is revealed, and from there, the plot rapidly unfolds. Mystery style followers could discover many of the twists simple to identify, however Maxwell’s knowledgeable characterization and lyrical prose make The Golden Spoon a delight to devour.
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