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A review by literatehedgehog
Recipes for Love and Murder by Sally Andrew
4.0
An appetizing murder mystery set in rural South Africa.
It reads both like and unlike the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books - certainly they are both set in Southern Africa (No. 1 set in Botswana) and both are wholly immersed in the culture and language of their settings. Both series also humorously, lovingly even, portray well-rounded, fascinating characters. But while No. 1 Ladies books are incidentally mysteries, this Recipes is much more focused on the mystery and murder. Add in delicious food descriptions (and recipes), chuckle-worthy capers and thrilling twists, and you have one delectable read.
Cover note
I like this edition's cover better than the paperback I have, although both editions feature, in different amounts, a red-headed white person. Since the protagonist and the majority of the characters are black or mixed race, this is confusing to me. My only guess is that the murder victim was red-headed (maybe I missed that? Because who cares?), but she's not the person I would have picked for the design.
*Reread note : I may have misread Maria, she may be a white or multi-racial Afrikaans. But I still feel strange about such a contrast of color on the cover.
It reads both like and unlike the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books - certainly they are both set in Southern Africa (No. 1 set in Botswana) and both are wholly immersed in the culture and language of their settings. Both series also humorously, lovingly even, portray well-rounded, fascinating characters. But while No. 1 Ladies books are incidentally mysteries, this Recipes is much more focused on the mystery and murder. Add in delicious food descriptions (and recipes), chuckle-worthy capers and thrilling twists, and you have one delectable read.
Cover note
I like this edition's cover better than the paperback I have, although both editions feature, in different amounts, a red-headed white person. Since the protagonist and the majority of the characters are black or mixed race, this is confusing to me. My only guess is that the murder victim was red-headed (maybe I missed that? Because who cares?), but she's not the person I would have picked for the design.
*Reread note : I may have misread Maria, she may be a white or multi-racial Afrikaans. But I still feel strange about such a contrast of color on the cover.