2024 ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger (nominee)
“This delicious combination of Clue and The Great British Bake Off kept me turning the pages all night!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this “deliciously entertaining whodunit” (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author) where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is “as addictive as bingeing your favorite culinary competition and as satisfying as a piece of your favorite cake” (Kellye Garrett, author of Like a Sister).
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this “deliciously entertaining whodunit” (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author) where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is “as addictive as bingeing your favorite culinary competition and as satisfying as a piece of your favorite cake” (Kellye Garrett, author of Like a Sister).
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Praise for this book
"Clever, atmospheric, and creepy, with a spooky mansion, the kind of quirky, reality-TV-ready ensemble you can't help but adore, and storylines as expertly interwoven as a blue-ribbon challah. I can't wait for whatever Maxwell bakes up next." - Andrea Bartz
"Two things I love are great food and a great mystery - and The Golden Spoon has both. This delicious combination of CLUE and The Great British Bakeoff kept me turning the pages all night!" - Janet Evanovich
"The Golden Spoon is as addictive as bingeing your favorite culinary competition and as satisfying as a piece of your favorite cake. It's a complex, layered mystery featuring an unforgettable cast of characters who could be either America's next great baker or its next most famous cold-blooded killer. Jessa Maxwell has crafted a debut that's mouth wateringly good." - Kellye Garrett
"A fantastically fun mystery with a perfect setting. It's Knives Out meets Agatha Christie. I was delightfully surprised throughout." - Sarah Langan
"A delicious confection - in this multi-character CLUE meets the British Bake Off everyone is suspicious, and the solution will surprise you. I ate it up." - Catherine McKenzie
"Who knew that the one thing to make me love the Great British Bake-Off even more was to add a (fictional) dead body? Take a cozy setting like Grafton, add in a diverse cast with their own hopes and dreams and hidden agendas, and toss in a couple of hosts who are not as perfect as they'd like you to think, and you've got a foolproof recipe for a great read. If you're a fan of character-driven mysteries and delicious bakes, you absolutely have to check out The Golden Spoon." - Mia P Manansala
"At last, a baking show with a murder; cleverly constructed so we not only wonder who is the murderer, but who will be the victim. A delightful bake." - Christopher Moore
"Jessa Maxwell's debut is a deliciously entertaining whodunit - charming characters, baking mishaps, and a mouthwatering murder mystery. Readers and baking enthusiasts will savor every bite of The Golden Spoon." - Sarah Penner
"Two things I love are great food and a great mystery - and The Golden Spoon has both. This delicious combination of CLUE and The Great British Bakeoff kept me turning the pages all night!" - Janet Evanovich
"The Golden Spoon is as addictive as bingeing your favorite culinary competition and as satisfying as a piece of your favorite cake. It's a complex, layered mystery featuring an unforgettable cast of characters who could be either America's next great baker or its next most famous cold-blooded killer. Jessa Maxwell has crafted a debut that's mouth wateringly good." - Kellye Garrett
"A fantastically fun mystery with a perfect setting. It's Knives Out meets Agatha Christie. I was delightfully surprised throughout." - Sarah Langan
"A delicious confection - in this multi-character CLUE meets the British Bake Off everyone is suspicious, and the solution will surprise you. I ate it up." - Catherine McKenzie
"Who knew that the one thing to make me love the Great British Bake-Off even more was to add a (fictional) dead body? Take a cozy setting like Grafton, add in a diverse cast with their own hopes and dreams and hidden agendas, and toss in a couple of hosts who are not as perfect as they'd like you to think, and you've got a foolproof recipe for a great read. If you're a fan of character-driven mysteries and delicious bakes, you absolutely have to check out The Golden Spoon." - Mia P Manansala
"At last, a baking show with a murder; cleverly constructed so we not only wonder who is the murderer, but who will be the victim. A delightful bake." - Christopher Moore
"Jessa Maxwell's debut is a deliciously entertaining whodunit - charming characters, baking mishaps, and a mouthwatering murder mystery. Readers and baking enthusiasts will savor every bite of The Golden Spoon." - Sarah Penner
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