Call number
MYST MAX
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Publication
Atria Books (2023), 288 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:"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 darkly beguiling locked-room mystery 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 a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incre… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member smorton11
A very fun and delightful Great British Bake Off meets Agatha Christie mystery! I'm not a big mystery reader so I was excited to find a book that has the things I love (baking), relatable characters, and an air of mystery without being too dark. A delightful book for any time of the year, I'm sure
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it will be greatly enjoyed by all who read it! Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
I enjoyed this debut mystery way more than I thought I would. I'm usually not a fan of `cozy mysteries` and prefer true thrillers and suspense novels. But this was very entertaining and a quick and easy read. I look forward to the Hulu series and reading more from Jessa Maxwell. Thanks to Goodreads
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for the ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmyM3317
Every year six amateur bakers gather on the grounds of Grafton Manor to film the fan-favorite show Bake Week while competing for the coveted Golden Spoon. Famed baker Betsy Grafton has been hosting the show since the beginning. Despite being known as "America's Grandmother" to the outside world,
Regardless with how the season is shaping up, Betsy needs the income from Bake Week to keep Grafton Manor - her family's legacy - afloat. So this time around, Betsy welcomes Stella - a former journalist who picked up baking after quitting her job; Lottie - the oldest contestant of the group who has always loved baking; Pradyumna - who became a millionaire after selling an app and now becomes invested in various hobbies; Gerald - a math teacher who expects to win with his precise recipes; Peter - who works in construction and love baking for his family; and Hannah - the youngest contestant this season who hopes to make her day-job as a server into a full-time life as a baker.
All come to the tent with a love of baking, but each also has their own secrets, and someone will wind up dead.
For me, The Golden Spoon really captures what I want out of my behind-the-scenes look at a popular baking competition. Not necessarily the murder aspect mind you, but we get a lot of the thoughts of the bakers and their prep, where they're coming from in regards to how baking has insinuated itself within their lives. The anxiety and the rush of doing something that you love, that you know you're good at in front of millions of viewers.
Then we add in the mystery which I think Jessa Maxwell does to perfect effect. The story kind of starts off at the end, so the most of the book is building up to how we get to those opening moments. We don't know who is murdered (although it's not difficult to figure out) and we definitely don't know who committed the crime. Everyone is a suspect, but it also stands that everyone could be the victim as well. I found this an interesting path to take. Also, there's the history aspect of Grafton Manor. Being Betsy's family for generations as well as the hosting location of Bake Week, there are plenty of skeletons in the closet so to speak.
I thought that the story moved along at a good clip. It is sectioned off into baking days and then further from each contestant's point of view which offers an in-depth views into what has brought each contestant to the tent, and also their potential motivations. I was invested in these characters and figuring out how things were going to go down.
I will say that while I feel like we do get a satisfying ending, I'm not sure the build up pays off in the end. I kind of wish there was a different twist.
Regardless, I'm interested to see where Jessa Maxwell goes with her next book. I would have no reservations about picking it up.
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Betsy is cold, calculating, and precise in everything she does. So is comes as a shock, when the producers of Bake Week decide to stick her with a co-host for the upcoming tenth season. And not just any co-host, but Archie Morris - a younger, hipper, award-wining baker who also has hosting experience on the show Cutting Board. Regardless with how the season is shaping up, Betsy needs the income from Bake Week to keep Grafton Manor - her family's legacy - afloat. So this time around, Betsy welcomes Stella - a former journalist who picked up baking after quitting her job; Lottie - the oldest contestant of the group who has always loved baking; Pradyumna - who became a millionaire after selling an app and now becomes invested in various hobbies; Gerald - a math teacher who expects to win with his precise recipes; Peter - who works in construction and love baking for his family; and Hannah - the youngest contestant this season who hopes to make her day-job as a server into a full-time life as a baker.
All come to the tent with a love of baking, but each also has their own secrets, and someone will wind up dead.
For me, The Golden Spoon really captures what I want out of my behind-the-scenes look at a popular baking competition. Not necessarily the murder aspect mind you, but we get a lot of the thoughts of the bakers and their prep, where they're coming from in regards to how baking has insinuated itself within their lives. The anxiety and the rush of doing something that you love, that you know you're good at in front of millions of viewers.
Then we add in the mystery which I think Jessa Maxwell does to perfect effect. The story kind of starts off at the end, so the most of the book is building up to how we get to those opening moments. We don't know who is murdered (although it's not difficult to figure out) and we definitely don't know who committed the crime. Everyone is a suspect, but it also stands that everyone could be the victim as well. I found this an interesting path to take. Also, there's the history aspect of Grafton Manor. Being Betsy's family for generations as well as the hosting location of Bake Week, there are plenty of skeletons in the closet so to speak.
I thought that the story moved along at a good clip. It is sectioned off into baking days and then further from each contestant's point of view which offers an in-depth views into what has brought each contestant to the tent, and also their potential motivations. I was invested in these characters and figuring out how things were going to go down.
I will say that while I feel like we do get a satisfying ending, I'm not sure the build up pays off in the end. I kind of wish there was a different twist.
Regardless, I'm interested to see where Jessa Maxwell goes with her next book. I would have no reservations about picking it up.
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LibraryThing member bibliovermis
A fun whodunit with a good cast of intriguing characters, set on a cozy cooking competition show. I thought it was a bit strange and confusing to set a clear homage to the Great British Bakeoff, with characters, social classes, and the reality of our different strains of reality T.V. clearly taken
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from the UK side of the pond, in the U.S. I didn't really understand that choice, as there wasn't anything in the novel that seemed particularly American and instead a lot that seemed particularly British! Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Six contestants and two co-hosts gather for a baking competition at a stately home in rural Vermont. All is going smoothly (well, not really, as there have been several incidents that look like sabotage) until one dark and stormy night, when a dead body is found in the baking tent.
The premise is a
The premise is a
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clear homage to the Great British Bake-Off, which was what initially appealed to me about the book. It's a great setting for a murder, especially when you throw in the mysterious old house in the middle of nowhere. The author does a good job of distinguishing the characters from one another with their descriptions and backstories, though not always with voice when they are the character narrating the chapter. I had some issues with the plot, and some logistical questions about the murder itself. There's some unreliable narrator stuff going on at one point that feels like cheating when the solution to the mystery is revealed. None of these were real deal-breakers for me, and as this is Maxwell's first book, I would certainly be willing to give future books a try. All in all, a mystery with the cozy factor of a baking show. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
Baking shows are hot - and this book takes the concept a little further - into murder. Betsy Grafton, "America's Grandmother" is the owner of Grafton House, a large mansion. To keep the house maintained, she has created Bake Week, a baking competition with prizes and fame for the winner. However,
As the 6 contestants arrive, each one is excited about the competition for various reasons. However, someone is sabotaging several of the dessert's and/or their ingredients. The characters each provide their reasons in various chapters. The most engaging, to me, was the elderly woman who lived in Grafton House as a child.
As the story develops, there is a murder, and a long ago secret comes to light. The story of the young girl being wowed by the older man and the promise of fame disappointed me.
Just OK.
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she is not excited about being paired with Archie Morris as a co-host. As the 6 contestants arrive, each one is excited about the competition for various reasons. However, someone is sabotaging several of the dessert's and/or their ingredients. The characters each provide their reasons in various chapters. The most engaging, to me, was the elderly woman who lived in Grafton House as a child.
As the story develops, there is a murder, and a long ago secret comes to light. The story of the young girl being wowed by the older man and the promise of fame disappointed me.
Just OK.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Betsy Grafton, the longtime host of Bake Week and "America's Grandmother", discovers a dead body in the baking tent. We're then transported a couple weeks back to meet the six baking show contestants, who each have their turn narrating this story that Janet Evanovich described as a mashup of "The
An intriguing premise for a first novel, but unfortunately suffers from the drawbacks of the same. The baking and competition description are the best part of the novel, while the characters were a little flat to me and the secrets that started coming out were not all that surprising. Despite the dead body in the first chapter, we don't even know who died until well over half the book, and the mystery of what happened is not the point after all, as we're told only a few chapters later. A light and fast read, but skippable.
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Great British Bakeoff" and Clue. An intriguing premise for a first novel, but unfortunately suffers from the drawbacks of the same. The baking and competition description are the best part of the novel, while the characters were a little flat to me and the secrets that started coming out were not all that surprising. Despite the dead body in the first chapter, we don't even know who died until well over half the book, and the mystery of what happened is not the point after all, as we're told only a few chapters later. A light and fast read, but skippable.
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LibraryThing member KallieGrace
This is a fun drama about a baking show (that of course is all too similar to the GBB). There happens to be a body drop around 80%, and then the final chunk is a bit of a murder mystery/unraveling of secrets. While there is some mischief involved in the actual bake-off competition, it was largely
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unrelated to the murder (which I feel was pretty obvious, I don't think that's a spoiler). This is definitely a fun one if you enjoy the GBB and a taste of crime. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
fiction - murder and suspense on the set of a baking contest show against the backdrop of a New England country manor.
I enjoyed the way each contestant's backstory unfolded in this delightful light read.
I enjoyed the way each contestant's backstory unfolded in this delightful light read.
LibraryThing member scmdanforth
A very fun and delightful Great British Bake Off meets Agatha Christie mystery! I'm not a big mystery reader so I was excited to find a book that has the things I love (baking), relatable characters, and an heir of mystery without being too dark. A delightful book for any time of the year, I'm sure
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it will be greatly enjoyed by all who read it! Show Less
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
The Great British Bake-Off is one of my favourite television shows so I couldn’t resist the premise of Jessa Maxwell’s debut cosy mystery novel, The Golden Spoon.
It's season 10 of ‘Bake Week’, the nation’s most popular cooking competition show hosted by grandmotherly celebrity chef Betsy
Learning that Betsy Martin is unhappy with the show’s new co-host, foisted upon her the production company, is the first sign not all is well behind the scenes of ‘Bake Week’. Archie Morris is a boor, but it soon becomes evident he is not Betsy’s only problem after she overhears an upsetting conversation between her PA and a cameraman. The intrigue then ramps up as the first of the contestants is eliminated due to the use of salt instead of sugar in his chocolate-custard filled horns. It could have been a simple mistake due to nerves, but as filming progresses, sabotage seems more likely.
There are plenty of suspects for both the sabotage and murder, including among the six contestants of varying backgrounds who range in age from 22 to 74, and come from all over the country. Though all of them want to win the Golden Spoon, some seem to have other motives for participating in the show. I liked how Maxwell introduced these characters and expanded upon their personalities, revealed as the narrative switches between their first person perspectives. As for the hosts, it’s hard not to visualise Mary Berry (as opposed to Prue Leith) and Paul Hollywood as Betsy and Archie.
There’s not really much in the way of suspense in The Golden Spoon, which is reflected by the measured pace. The murder doesn’t happen until quite late in the book but the resolution doesn’t feel rushed. It is a little melodramatic though, with an unexpected, and slightly odd, twist. I appreciated the happy ending though.
It’s perhaps a shame that a bonus recipe or three isn’t included, but The Golden Spoon is an entertaining cosy mystery.
It's season 10 of ‘Bake Week’, the nation’s most popular cooking competition show hosted by grandmotherly celebrity chef Betsy
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Martin. Filmed in the grounds of Martin’s ancestral home, Grafton Manor, six contestants will compete in a series of day long competitions over a week, leading to a showdown between the final two bakers, one of whom will be awarded the coveted Golden Spoon. A prologue introduces the mystery with the discovery of a body in the bake-off tent in the midst of a storm. The story is then told from seven points of view revealing the actions of the hosts, crew, and contestants prior to the murder. Learning that Betsy Martin is unhappy with the show’s new co-host, foisted upon her the production company, is the first sign not all is well behind the scenes of ‘Bake Week’. Archie Morris is a boor, but it soon becomes evident he is not Betsy’s only problem after she overhears an upsetting conversation between her PA and a cameraman. The intrigue then ramps up as the first of the contestants is eliminated due to the use of salt instead of sugar in his chocolate-custard filled horns. It could have been a simple mistake due to nerves, but as filming progresses, sabotage seems more likely.
There are plenty of suspects for both the sabotage and murder, including among the six contestants of varying backgrounds who range in age from 22 to 74, and come from all over the country. Though all of them want to win the Golden Spoon, some seem to have other motives for participating in the show. I liked how Maxwell introduced these characters and expanded upon their personalities, revealed as the narrative switches between their first person perspectives. As for the hosts, it’s hard not to visualise Mary Berry (as opposed to Prue Leith) and Paul Hollywood as Betsy and Archie.
There’s not really much in the way of suspense in The Golden Spoon, which is reflected by the measured pace. The murder doesn’t happen until quite late in the book but the resolution doesn’t feel rushed. It is a little melodramatic though, with an unexpected, and slightly odd, twist. I appreciated the happy ending though.
It’s perhaps a shame that a bonus recipe or three isn’t included, but The Golden Spoon is an entertaining cosy mystery.
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LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
I wasn't sure if I would like this novel, but surprisingly I totally enjoyed it - it wasn't at all what I expected.
Instead of a cozy mystery or take on reality TV, it's a sweet dive into various characters and personalities. I really enjoyed "meeting" Gerald, Stella, Peter, Pradyumna, Hannah and
And, although I'm not a baker, I also liked reading about the pleasure folks find in the baking process.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Golden Spoon! I am eager to check out Ms. Maxwell's next book when she writes it.
Instead of a cozy mystery or take on reality TV, it's a sweet dive into various characters and personalities. I really enjoyed "meeting" Gerald, Stella, Peter, Pradyumna, Hannah and
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Lottie. And, although I'm not a baker, I also liked reading about the pleasure folks find in the baking process.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Golden Spoon! I am eager to check out Ms. Maxwell's next book when she writes it.
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LibraryThing member authorjanebnight
Synopsis: Betsy runs a baking show out of the family manor home she grew up in. Her producers want to bring in a new assistant host/judge to spice the show up a bit. Unfortunately, as the Baking Show's season begins contestants believe someone is sabotaging their bakes. Then, murder happens.
My
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The concept of a murder mystery held in a Great British Bake off setting checks so many of my bookish boxes. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but I read this as an audio book and there was an excellent ensemble cast so I didn't have too much trouble keeping straight who was who.
All the characters were complex and most of them had detailed back stories. This book also had a diverse cast of characters, which I always appreciate seeing. I enjoyed learning about each character almost as much as I enjoyed the baking part of the book.
There are actually three mysteries going on in the book. The book opens with one mystery but it takes quite a while in the book to get back to that mystery and by the time we do there are two other mysteries happening. I wasn't equally invested in the mysteries and I cared about some more than others. I also liked the outcome of some of them more than others. There were a couple places where I really needed to suspend my disbelief but I was having such a fun time I didn't care.
I also think the "justice" at the end was a bit lacking. I generally like to feel that the bad guys in mysteries I read got what was coming to them and I didn't feel that way with how this book ended.
Despite some mild disappointments about the mystery elements I had a great time reading this and would recommend to other readers who also love the Great British Baking show.
My
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rating: 4/5Overall I really enjoyed this book. The concept of a murder mystery held in a Great British Bake off setting checks so many of my bookish boxes. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but I read this as an audio book and there was an excellent ensemble cast so I didn't have too much trouble keeping straight who was who.
All the characters were complex and most of them had detailed back stories. This book also had a diverse cast of characters, which I always appreciate seeing. I enjoyed learning about each character almost as much as I enjoyed the baking part of the book.
There are actually three mysteries going on in the book. The book opens with one mystery but it takes quite a while in the book to get back to that mystery and by the time we do there are two other mysteries happening. I wasn't equally invested in the mysteries and I cared about some more than others. I also liked the outcome of some of them more than others. There were a couple places where I really needed to suspend my disbelief but I was having such a fun time I didn't care.
I also think the "justice" at the end was a bit lacking. I generally like to feel that the bad guys in mysteries I read got what was coming to them and I didn't feel that way with how this book ended.
Despite some mild disappointments about the mystery elements I had a great time reading this and would recommend to other readers who also love the Great British Baking show.
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LibraryThing member mutantpudding
The obvious Bake Off rip off i can forgive, the bad writing less so.
LibraryThing member katiekrug
I couldn't resist a book described as a mashup of the movie [Clue] and 'The Great British Baking Show.' Sadly, I should have paid more attention to the lukewarm reviews I saw of it and at least tempered my expectations...
[The Golden Spoon] started off well enough, setting up the plot and
3.25 stars
[The Golden Spoon] started off well enough, setting up the plot and
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characters. Betsy Martin is a grande dame of American baking and hosts a baking competition at her family home in Vermont. This year, 6 contestants will be vying for the coveted Golden Spoon. We meet the characters in alternating chapters as they prepare for and arrive for the show. And then weird things start happening - someone is sabotaging some of the bakes, strange footsteps are heard at night, some people appear to be keeping secrets.... It really could have been a fun novel, but the characters are incredibly flat, the writing barely rises above pedestrian, and the ultimate denouement is just kind of dumb. I'm not sorry I read it, as there were some good moments, but overall, it was a big bowl of meh.3.25 stars
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Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Longlist — 2024)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
Denver Public Library Staff Picks for Adults (Fiction — 2023)
Pages
288
ISBN
1668008009 / 9781668008003