Review: English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack

Synopsis:

High Crimes at High Tea Things to Do in England Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

Review:

English Trifle was a fun, murder-mystery read. I did not know what to expect, but the cover sure made it look delicious! I really enjoyed the recipes that were included at the end of some of the chapters. Too bad I cannot cook. Harry Potter fans will be excited to see a few Harry Potter references mentioned throughout the book. I know I liked them!

English Trifle is, of course, a murder mystery novel, and Kilpack does an excellent job keeping you guessing who did it with all of the twists and turns. I had no idea who did it until it was revealed. I think I thought it was pretty much every character at least once. Once it is revealed who the murderer is, all the pieces fell into place. I could see all the tiny hints throughout the book now pointing towards the murderer, and it all fell into place. I loved not knowing who did it!

The main character, Sadie is a strong character and woman who can speak her mind; I really liked her for that plus she was also funny at times. I also liked that she loved food so much. I have to admit that I did not really like her at first because she seemed like a very nosy person, which annoyed me a bit. That being said, after about the first third of the book, I started to like Sadie and her quirky and unpredictable personality that got her in many interesting situations, some of which were hilarious.

English Trifle is the second installment in The Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series, but it can be read as a stand alone book. I did not even realize that it was a part of a series until after reading the book. The first book in the series is called Lemon Tart and the recently released third book is called Devil's Food Cake.

This is an adult book, and while I do not think it is unsuitable for a younger audience, they may find it a bit boring since many of the characters are on the older side, including the main character, Sadie. I definitely recommend reading it if you get the chance.

Rating: 4/5

*I received this book for review*

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