Publisher's Weekly Review
Even cozy fans who are foodies may be disappointed by Andrew's derivative first novel, the launch of a series set in South Africa. Tannie Maria, who has survived an abusive husband, channels her passion for food into a regular column for her local paper, combining recipes with romantic advice. Soon after an anonymous correspondent writes of her own domestic abuse, the woman, Martine van Schalkwyk, a supermarket bookkeeper, is found dead near a pond on the farm where she lives with her husband, Dirk. Feeling guilty, Maria decides to play amateur detective, and in the process she falls for the hunky and available officer in charge of the case, Det. Lt. Henk Kannemeyer. Maria, who frequently talks to her food, lacks the compassionate insight of Mma Ramotswe of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency fame, and her observations about the world are often less than profound ("maybe life is like a river that can't be stopped, always winding toward or away from death and love"). (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A South African woman cooks out of love while hoping for the real thing. Tannie Maria's mother was Afrikaans, her father English, and her late husband an abuser whose passing she does not mourn. She lives with her five chickens on a small property in the Klein Karoo and writes a recipe column for the Klein Karoo Gazette until her friend and editor, Hattie Christie, tells her that the head office wants an advice column and there's no room for both the new feature and her recipes. The good news is that Tannie Maria can write the new column. Since the only thing she knows about love concerns cooking, she combines the two in "Tannie Maria's Love Advice and Recipe Column" and achieves a smashing success. One of the first letters she receives is from Martine van Schalkwyk, whose equally abusive husband has recently shot the ducks she received as a gift from a female friend. The columnist sends advice and a recipe, but neither prevents Martine's death. Tannie Maria and Jessie Mostert, the ambitious young investigative journalist for the Gazette, decide to investigate, to the consternation of Detective Lt. Henk Kannemeyer, a widower who takes a shine to Tannie Maria but wishes she would stick to cooking. Although Tannie Maria, Jessie, and Anna Pretorius, Martine's grieving friend, all think Dirk van Schalkwyk killed his wife, the police arrest Anna, whose fingerprints are on the murder weapon. Anna and Dirk, each convinced the other is the murderer, nearly kill each other, but Tannie Maria and Jessie think otherwise. A delightful debut, tender and funny. The mystery takes on the worldwide problem of abused women while revealing both the beauties and problems of South Africa. And the recipes will make you want to drop everything and start cooking. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
The dry rolling hills of South Africa's Klein Karoo region serve as the striking backdrop for this winning debut culinary cozy. Middle-aged widow Maria van Harten (known as "Tannie Maria" in the traditional local term of respect) writes a local newspaper advice column that offers wisdom to the desperate and lovelorn via mouth-watering recipes. (In a typical example, a young woman is given sex advice couched in terms of instructions for making chocolate-covered bananas.) When an abused woman who sought her counsel turns up dead, Tannie Maria is reminded of her own terrifying experience with domestic assault. Armed with her wits, the help of a handsome police detective, and killer milk tart, Maria sets out to crack the case and soothe her lonely heart. VERDICT Take a pinch of Alexander McCall Smith, a dash of Diane Mott Davidson, and add a smidge of the wild veld and you'll get a taste for this lekker story (that's "delicious" in Afrikaans). While the tone is heartfelt, Andrew doesn't shy away from the realities of spousal abuse or the shadow of South Africa's tumultuous history. With a fascinating setting, engaging characters, and a full complement of drool-worthy recipes, this is sure to leave readers craving more. [See Prepub Alert, 6/1/15.]-Annabelle Mortensen, Skokie P.L., IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
