Lord of the Pies: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery

Nell Hampton

Apr 2018 · A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery Book 2 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

When Carrie Ann Cole bakes a lemon meringue pie to die for that actually kills someone, she must find out who the real killer is before her time at the Kensington Palace expires.

The elegant Orangery at Kensington Palace is the perfect setting for the bridal shower of Carrie Ann Cole’s best friend’s sister. Personal chef to the royal family, Carrie Ann’s pie theme is naturally winning. But a waiter later keels over dead into the lemon meringue pie she leaves as a thank-you to the staff and Carrie Ann realizes that somebody slipped a mickey into that meringue.

Her floury fingerprints are all over that pie and the authorities suspect her distress is a cover-up for murder. Carrie Ann must set out to clear her name if she wants to stay at her dream job any longer. But all too soon, another body drops in the Orangery. This time, it’s the Orangery chef.

Murder won’t crimp her style, and as bodies pile up, Carrie Ann uncovers palace intrigue, London nightlife, and British pies scouring for the killer in Lord of the Pies, the witty follow-up to Nell Hampton’s Kale to the Queen.

Ratings and reviews

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall 3 Narration 2 Story 3 My first introduction to this author and series, and I’ll be honest and say I grabbed it because of the title and setting – I can’t resist a clever title. Ex-pat Carrie is a private chef for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, fictionalized, but clever additions that hint to it being Will and Kate, although the WHO is far less important than their status in England and the myriad of ‘social conventions’ that surround such a place and position. Understand, that if you are a stickler for “convention and proper’ there are some misses here, but if you focus on the mystery and its development, they soon fall into the background. One of the three kitchens at the palace is Carrie’s domain, with much one-upmanship and competition between the four, she’s struggling to keep her foothold in the palace, her job and perhaps discover just who wants her gone. The why is essentially obvious and immaterial, but Nell Hampton manages to make Carrie near instantly sympathetic and intriguing, even with the goings-on and moments about the palace and London. But, there’s a real problem – someone is found dead after ostensibly consuming one of her pies, and with the tensions ramping up as Carrie is asked to join a televised competition for charity, with yet another mishap waiting in the wings, she’s definitely got plenty on her plate, and a very determined foe set on seeing her gone, one way or another. When you add in some truly hunky men who are working with / protecting Carrie in the midst of all the tumult, and some romantic sparks that pit the Head of Security and the Head Gardener in the frame for Carrie to make her choice, despite a girlfriend for one and several unanswered questions, this part of the story only adds to bring Carrie’s sense of ‘home’ into the forefront, if she can manage to survive the latest threats. Complex and twisty, with plenty of depth and atmosphere, while the ending seemed to come quickly and wrapped a bit too conveniently, the story was certainly one that held my attention and had me guessing. But, beware – the many references to pies in all their glory will have your mouth watering as you may find a dormant pie-baker awakening to give it a go. Narration for this story is provided by Romy Nordinger, a new voice to my ears. Her voice for Carrie, while not particularly ‘Chicago’ was solid and appropriate for her, while her accents and other character voices were ‘problematic’ without great distinction, a fairly ‘broad’ general English accent, with little distinction between the variances that are so distinct to anyone who is familiar with the distinct and different tones. Think ‘Geico geko’ versus any show from the BBC: one gives the most ‘broadly recognizable’ accent for those unfamiliar with the nuance, the other may require a bit of auditory attention to get things straight. As this was my first encounter with this narrator, I don’t have enough experience with her other works to know if accents are a consistent problem area, but I think reading the other books in this series for myself rather than audio will be my choice. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton is the second tale in A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series. Carrie Ann Cole is the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kensington Palace. Carrie Ann is busy preparing for a pie themed bridal shower being hosted by the Duchess for Penny Nethercott’s sister on Saturday. The gathering gets moved to the Orangery and Carrie Ann will be using Chef Wright’s kitchen. After the event, Carrie Ann leaves a lemon meringue pie as a thank you to the chef and his staff. Early the next morning, Penny awakens Carrie Ann because there are police at the Orangery. A waiter was found face down in Carrie Ann’s pie. The pie was poisoned, and Carrie Ann is the prime suspect in the man’s death. Carrie Ann sets out to clear her name and reputation before she loses the job she loves. After competing in a pie competition, Chef Butterbottom and his staff end up severely ill. Carrie Ann is the runner up, and she is once again under suspicion and in the tabloids. While at the Orangery talking to the sous chef, Carrie Ann learns that Chef Wright has disappeared. They find the flirtation chef dead in the walk-in freezer. The bodies are piling up and the common denominator is Carrie Ann. Can Carrie Ann find the person responsible before she ends up in the tower? While Lord of the Pies is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. Lord of the Pies is a busy book. What I mentioned above in my summary is just a drop in the bucket. There is a stalker, clubbing, baking, another new assistant for Carrie Ann, pie competition, tabloid photographs, Carrie Ann goes out for drinks with Jasper, cooking, chatting, eating and gallons of tea. I thought Lord of the Pies contained good writing, has a steady pace and a great theme (working for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington). The author has a conversational writing style that engages the reader and soon has them engrossed in the story. I like Carrie Ann as the main character. She is well-developed and has excellent cooking skills. She does, though, need to wise up to the ways of the world and proper etiquette (rules) when working in a royal household. I am not so enamored with Penny. I am amazed she can get out of bed for work after a night of drinking and dancing (returning home in the wee hours). The mystery is intriguing. You never knew who the next victim would be (I kept hoping Chef Butterbottom would not recover). Many readers will be surprised when the solution is revealed. There was, though, too much supposition. Carrie Ann with Agnes (her latest assistant) and Penny speculating on the crimes. Some of the same details kept getting repeated. I could have done with less romance between Carrie Ann and Jasper. Her falling into his arms after a harrowing ordeal did not seem believable since the pair have yet to go one a real date (only went out for drinks once). I did not feel any spark between them. Now Carrie Ann and Ian are another story. I am giving Lord of the Pies 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The mouthwatering descriptions of pies along with the recipes at the end of the book will have you digging out your pie pans. If you are looking for an entertaining cozy mystery to read, then look no further than Lord of the Pies.

About the author

An avid foodie and writer, Nell Hampton decided to finally combine her two loves. She lives in Richmond, VA. This is her second Kensington Palace Chef mystery.