This was a quick mystery to read. My first for this author but enjoyed it! The story and the characters are enjoyable! Look forward to more in the series.

I really enjoyed book one is this new cosy crime series from TV chef Rosemary Shrager, so I was excited to be approved to read book 2 via @netgalley. The first thing to say about book 2 is it can very much be read as a stand alone novel. You don’t need to have read book 1 to be able to enjoy book 2. In this book, Prudence and her granddaughter Suki are on a new out of town cookery job - this time in the Yorkshire Dales - when a body is found and they are drawn into the murder case. This is very much an easy read. In fact, it has such a light touch that I feel some people would read this and say it lacks substance. But I enjoyed it. It was a perfect undemanding January read to snuggle down with under a blanket. Okay, there probably are better lighthearted cosy mystery series’ out there, but this is a solid entry in the genre and I enjoyed it for what it was. I think fans of the genre will enjoy it, I just don’t think fans new to the cosy mystery genre will be won over. Personally, I recommend this one! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

This is the second of Rosemary Shrager’s, Prudence Bulstrode series. And as much as I wanted to love it, I just didn’t. It’s an easy read that doesn't tax the brain, a relaxing cosy crime, although somewhat dull in places .

Rosemary’s first novel “The Last Supper” was a delight surprise of her year. I really love her presenting, and so was really thrilled to see she could turn her hand to writing too. It’s cosy crime and delightfully so.

I don’t know why I’m so surprised with the excellence of these books. It’s not like I expected her to be a bad writer, but it’s been a joy to read these books. They’re so accomplished. And whilst the stories may be a little out there, it totally works and it’s a pleasure. I’m not sure how much of what she does Prudence would get away with in real life. There’s certainly a sense of artistic licence here, but it totally works.

There’s strong very Midsomer Murders about it - and that’s no bad thing. It’s exciting and riveting, with a glorious main character and fabulous supporting characters, but it’s safe. It’s not blood and guts, but it still has twists and turns for you to get stuck into. It has all the elements you would expect from a murder mystery book. I’d love to see the books made into a TV series or movie, I think they’d be really popular.

I love that Rosemary hasn’t lost her passion for food and cooking. All the food-related scenes are described so delectably you can almost taste the food. Only someone with that much experience can write food like that.

Yes, I know there’s a murder investigation going on, but overall, it’s very cheerful and friendly and funny, but it doesn’t lose any of those elements we want from a mystery.

She’s got the pace just right. It’s not rushed, nor is it slow. It gives you time to enjoy the little nuances, the exciting clues; it gives you time to work out the murderer, before it arrives at its very satisfying conclusion. So far, I haven’t been able to confidently guess the killer in either book, and I think that makes for a very entertaining mystery.

Prudence Bulstrode is an excellent addition to the classic fictional female sleuths such as Miss Marple and Nancy Drew. She more than holds her own on every page.

I’m so happy to see there’s a third book coming out in 2024. I’m not quite ready to leave this world she’s created.

I typically enjoy cosy mysteries, and when I saw the cover of this book, I found it striking and thought it looked like my sort of thing.

This was a cheerful, charming culinary cosy mystery. I found Prudence very endearing, and the relationship between Prudence and Suki was something that made me smile. I chuckled a fair few times too. In particularly, it was Prudence's attitude towards technology that made me chuckle. I could relate to that because she reminded me a little of my own grandma in that regard.

Prudence's passion for food was something that I felt very aware of while reading, and it was something that I appreciated. This book was delicious! I think it would have made more sense to read the previous book first, but I still liked it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

The Proof in the Pudding by Rosemary Shrager

The Proof of the pudding is in the reading !
Preparing a midwinter's feast for all hundred residents of the little Yorkshire village of Scrafton Busk is exactly the kind of challenge Prudence Bulstrode adores. A chance to show off her muffin-topped winter stew,, lamb shank hotpot and Scarborough woof - and, of course, her famous figgy pudding - is just the thing to shake off the winter blues.
This is Rosemarys second outing for Prudence and a good one it is too.
The genre of the book easily sits in the description of cosy crime and one you could pass on to your aged aunt or mother. Having said that don't be put off by that sentence because it has plenty of action and goings on to keep the younger readers interested as well.
A great whodunit .

A quick and easy cosy mystery that I read in one sitting. I loved the writing, I loved the setting and I loved the story, there were parts of the story which made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed it.

Protagonist and crime fighter (and celebrity chef) Prudence Bulstrode is a bit like Mary Berry with a sprinkling of Agatha Christie. She and granddaughter Suki are on their second excursion together – the last one ended in murder, and no surprises to learn this one is the same. As Prudence is preparing for a deliciously decadent midwinter feast – you can tell just how knowledgeable Rosemary is when it comes to cooking – in the Yorkshire village of Scrafton Busk, a local man, Terry Chandler, is found dead. Entombed you might say… in a snowman. Which is bizarre, but no more unusual than as to why he would need to be killed. What did he know that someone else didn’t? and why did Terry leave his brother a note pointing to a place that no one had heard of? Prudence takes everything in her stride, and is able to throw together a feast as well as undertake her investigations. She is a marvel.

A cosy mystery set in Yorkshire in the midst of winter.. Prudence (National Treasure) Bulstrode , a celebrity chef , has been hired along with her granddaughter to prepare a feast for an entire village. Everything goes smoothly until a body is found in a snowman. A bumbling policeman, more interested in spending time with his sons than solving the crime is no help. Prudence feels compelled to get involved, much to his dismay.
The writer has a strong voice and I cannot help visualizing Rosemary Shrager in the role of Prudence.
A fun story in a beautiful setting, sure to work well as a television series.
Thank you to netgalley and Little & Brown for the advance copy.

Culinary Calamities…
Prudence Bulstrode returns in this second in the series of delightful cosy crime. Prudence is in her element. Preparing a feast for a small, snow covered village in Yorkshire is everything she loves and, with her granddaughter at her side, everything is on track. Murder, however, is in the making and Prudence is about to get another opportunity to don her sleuthing hat. This hugely anticipated cosy mystery certainly doesn’t disappoint, with an endearing and well crafted new sleuth in Prudence and an equally well crafted cast of supporting characters, a fun and frothy storyline and plenty of surprises along the way.

Celebrity cook Prudence Bulstrode and her granddaughter are catering a midwinter feast for all one hundred residents of a sleepy village. What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty. There's a body hidden in a snowman, mysterious messages, a treasure hunt - and plenty of people up to no good.

Another cracking adventure