First of thanks to the publishers Random House U.K for a brilliant read .

I do love a great mystery thriller and Orlando did not disappoint , i thought the author was fantastic at setting the scene some may say its bit slow to start but i think you need to to help you find all the clues . and i totally think its worth the wait , i loved the plot twists .
i thought the characters were brilliant every-one of them had me guessing the main character Paul bless him i did feel for him, talk about being thrown in the deep end !! there was great character development .

Orlando writing is wonderful it flowed very well , and i loved how you felt like you were in the story as if you were the detective love that very much .

if you love Poirot you will love this .

I'm giving this mysterious 5 stars

As a favour to his TVstar nemesis Cristian, chef Paul Delamere bites off almost more than he can chew by standing in for him as teacher in a posh but on the rocks Belgravian cookery school. Eventually even ending up as a murder suspect, like it or not Paul needs to find the real culprit to save his skin. The amusing twisty plot and the shenanigans of the quirky characters make this a perfect lighthearted mystery that is the début novel of food writer and cookery book author Orlando Murrin.

I took a few chapters to get into this originally as I felt it was quite slow but once the murder happened I really got into it. I liked Paul’s character and his backstory. I enjoyed getting to know each of the students although it was hard to keep track sometimes.

The ending was great and took it from a 3 star to a 4 for me. I guessed part of the twist (I can’t say too much as I don’t want to ruin the surprise) but I did think it was really clever and I definitely recommend.

Sadly I could not identify with any of the characters in this book. I found that the story line did not enthuse me and I could not wait to finish it. Perhaps the author should stick with his usual books.

I really liked this book, it was a good murder mystery with slices of real life and culinary skills dashed in.. I really would like to read more!

I can't rate this book highly enough.
I finished it in one sitting, it is that good!
What on earth has chef Paul Delamere got himself into after agreeing to help out his old chef friend Christian out of a pickle after he broke his arm. But help out Paul did at the Belgravia cookery school, which teaches basic cookery and knife skills for...you guessed it...for beginners.
But when Cristian is found murdered by Paul who has the motive to kill him and for what reason?
This book has some brilliant laugh out load moments and the plot twists is excellent.
Also I can highly recommend the recipes throughout the book.

Netgalley gave me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There was some very interesting advice and tips in this book, now I have to put them into practice.

Couldn’t put this down, it was smart, funny and unexpected. Great characters with a really fun and interesting plot. I’m really hoping for more in a series, as there’s so much potential here.
I foresee big things, it taps into the current market perfectly and is genuinely worth reading. And I hadn't realised it was a debut, am really surprised as it didn't feel like a first book.

There was much to enjoy about this book, a decent plot and a nice twist at the end. It was a nice touch to impart advice about how a. chef handles food on a regular basis and how that differs from household cookery. I found the narrative laboured at times and the plot a bit forced to incorporate all characters as red herrings. Still, it is a worthwhile read for those who enjoy this genre.

Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin. #KnifeSkillsforBeginners #NetGalley

This is a very pleasant entertaining and clever read with a slight pinch of Agatha Christie. The author can be proud of this debut novel. I paricularly loved the topical "MasterChef" setting. The characters were interesting and well suited to appearing in the Belgravia location. The plot was well structured and developed at a decent pace. I also liked the varying relationships that were portrayed to highlight a multitude of significant issues for couples/families/friends. All in all most enjoyable!

https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/book/296084

A murder mystery set in an exclusive cookery school! How could I resist this?
Freelance cookery writer Paul Delamare agrees to stand in for his friend, celebrity chef Christian and teach a cookery school in Belgravia. When he arrives for his second morning, he finds a dead body and that he is the police’s main suspect.
This is told in the first person by Paul and I enjoyed his view on what was happening. I thought that he was an interesting main character and I liked the bits we got to see of his normal life. The Cookery school setting is used well and the story is interspersed with occasional recipes and cookery tips which were interesting.
There was a large cast of characters which made the middle of the book a bit heavy going as it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who everyone was. I’m also not sure that we needed the sub-plot with Paul’s stepson either as it didn’t seem to add anything to the story.
Apart from that, this is an entertaining murder mystery and a great debut. I will definitely look out for the next book in this series
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A gentle 'Whodunnit' set in a cookery school in London, with all loose ends satisfyingly tied up at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

An enjoyable book. The book started a bit slow and I wasn't sure I liked the style but once I got into the book I really enjoyed it. Paul is asked to take over a series of cookery classes by an old friend, Christian who has broken his arm. Paul narrates the story describing all the members of the class. It took me a while to get all the characters straight in my head. Part of the plot was a bit obvious but, as they say, the plot thickens. I hope this is the first of a series as Paul's friend, Julie is an interesting character and I would like to read more of her.

Murder mystery ? Tick
Recipes ? Tick
Great characters ? Tick
Great story ? Tick
What more could you ask for ?
Buy me now.

“First rule of butchery: off with his head.”

When chef Paul Delamare agrees to help his old friend Christian by teaching at an exclusive residential cookery school in Belgravia, the only thing he expects his students to murder is his taste buds. But on the first night someone turns up dead and the police are convinced Paul-good with a blade and first on scene-is the culprit.

If Paul can't solve the mystery fast while his students are sharpening their knives, as well as teach them how to make a perfect hollandaise sauce, he'll be next.

Knife Skills for Beginners is a cosy mystery with an unlikeable character who is murdered, and the unlikeliest person expected to get involved-the chef-who takes it upon himself to solve the case.

If you are remotely interested in cooking, this book has a handful of recipes with some sure-fire tips and tricks to up your game in the kitchen. I loved the premise of the story and how the author played with words to add humour.

My absolute favourite character here was Julie – Paul’s editor for his freelance work with a food magazine. I’d love to get into Julie’s head if only to pick up her flair for writing coded text messages. Those were a most innovative mystery by themselves.

All things point to this becoming a series and I am definitely excited to see where the author takes Paul next, hopefully with Julie to keep him company. Until then, this is a unique page turner, perfect to use as an excuse to leave everything aside and simply relax with your favourite food and drink.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Transworld Publishers.

A murder of a famous chef at a cooking school leaves our last minute cooking teacher having to find out more about his old friend and everybody at the cooking school to clear his name. Along the way he teaches cooking classes, recipes included. The answer is well hidden and there are definitely many motives and possible suspects. Maybe too many....

In a sudden twist of fate, Paul Delamare is called upon by his friend, the renowned TV celebrity chef Christian Wagner, to step in and teach a cookery course at an exclusive school in Belgravia due to an injury that incapacitates Christian. As the course kicks off, the shocking discovery of Christian's lifeless body thrusts Paul into the spotlight as the prime suspect. The diverse group of attendees harbours their own concealed secrets.

Driven by a desperate need to prove his innocence, Paul embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind Christian's murder. Amidst this turmoil, Paul grapples with the lingering grief from the recent loss of his husband. Complicating matters further, he finds himself entangled in the disruptive behaviour of his adult stepson, who is relentless in his pursuit to force Paul out of the inherited family home.

In this debut novel, the narrative unfolds with robust ideas, featuring quirky and reasonably well-drawn characters. The story maintains a brisk pace, enhanced by the inclusion of cookery tips and recipes seamlessly woven into the plot.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Transworld for my approval to read and review this book.

Paul Delamare is asked to help out by an old colleague, Christian Wagner, to run a cookery course at Number 41 in Belgravia for Mrs Hoyt. As Paul begins his cookery course, Christian is discovered dead in his flat. The police are called in and Paul finds himself in the frame and he sets out to prove that he didn't commit the crime. I loved the stary, the descriptions and characters are well written. The ending is one I couldn't have predicted. I hope there is a second book to come.

This book took me 3 months to read, I just found myself not wanting to pick it up. I did finish it eventually though but I didn’t enjoy this at all
The characters were numerous and very one dimensional. The main character was arrogant, judgemental, and an utter fool.
I chuckled at the idea of someone intimidatingly approaching while waving an electric carving knife in a figure 8 motion. I don’t think it was meant to be funny.
The recipes were an interesting choice and didn’t feel at all relevant to the book. Most of them were pretty basic and I found this rather odd until I finished the book and learned that the author is a celebrity chef (I don’t watch a lot of cooking programs). I wish them well and hope they find their stride with future books but this wasn’t the murder mystery I’d hoped it would be
I received this book from Netgalley but these opinions are entirely my own

I really enjoyed this off beat novel with great twists& turns as Paul tries to cover for a friend & ends up at one point becoming a Murder suspect , there are some great Recipes shared ,laughs, tears & other emotions so I will be recommending this to several friends.# NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.