I hope to read soon another mystery in this series and I thoroughly enjoyed this one: lovely setting, great characters, solid mystery that kept me guessing.
It's fast paced and entertaining
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Deftly Done..
The first outing in the Old Forge Cafe series of mysteries featuring chef Charlie Hunter as she arrives in the Chilterns to fulfil her long time dream of opening her own restaurant in the countryside. The dream is about to become reality - that is until a very dead body makes an unpleasant appearance and Charlie becomes suspect number one. Enjoyable and entertaining cosy crime in a well imagined setting with a deftly drawn cast of characters and a plot laced with wry humour. A most promising start to a new series.

Charlie Hunter moves to a village in the Chilterns.
She’s leaving her old life behind , the fast paced life of a busy chef in London and a former relationship.
Charlie is opening her very own restaurant The Old Forge .
Instead of the peace and quiet she craves , Charlie encounters murder and criminality that all seem to point to herself as the culprit.
Who is setting her up and why?
I think this is a solid start to a new culinary cosy mystery series.
The characters are likeable and the writing is easy to read .
One word of warning don’t read if you’re hungry!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers .

Charlie has moved to a tiny village and opened a café as part of setting up her new life. But when a dead body is found, she is considered the main suspect as the only outsider and desperately searches for the real culprit as the village closes ranks against her ...

A clever and easy cozy mystery, this is an engaging read with some good twists.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I have read a number of Alex Coombs books and have thoroughly enjoyed them so when I saw this, the start to a new series, I wanted to get right in there at the start and I wasn't disappointed.

Charlie is starting a new life after making a huge mistake. She has bought a café in a small village and is determined to fulfil her dreams of owning a successful eatery. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan - Charlie doesn't know anyone and when someone is found murdered, the finger solidly points to her. How can she prove her innocence whilst trying to start a new business?

With the help, and hindrance, of some interesting characters, Charlie goes about her task with more than a little hesitation however, the stakes are raised when more murders are committed and she becomes a target. Can she solve the case before she becomes the next victim?

With excellent characters, a great location and an intriguing story, this is a great start to a new series and one I am looking forward to getting my beady little eyes on the next instalment to see how things develop.

Many thanks to the author, Bedford Square Publishers, No Exit Press and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this start to a new series.

Chef Charlie Hunter arrived at Hampden Green, a little village in the Chiltern Hills, an idyllic English countryside, to open a new sheet to her life. She bought Old Forge cafe, and determined to transform it into a high quality restaurant with high quality foods she's capable to cook. One thing she didn't count for, is the hostility showed by the locals. First DI Slattery, who seems to dislike her from the start without apparent reason. Then there's the local builder, Dave Whitfield, who's known as a pompous bully He was found dead few days after Charlie punched him for bullying her. Of course, this automatically made her a suspect.

As a debut cozy mystery in a series, Coombs has successfully laid her foundation. We get a glimpse of Hampden Green and its inhabitants, also some backstory of Charlie's past. The café's two staffs are interesting additions to our heroine's personality. I only wish that the narrative was made more straightforward, it feels rather redundant. What's missing in this novel, though, Coombs compensated with the mouthwatering descriptions of the cafe's menu, the morning preps, mise-en-place, the cooking process itself, to the plating. These are what I've picked this book for on the first place, and for that element alone, it's paid off.

If you love reading food-related cozy mystery, this book would suit you, though for me it's a bit too violent and vulgar to be called cozy.

This book was instantly engaging. Chef Charlie Hunter has moved from London to a small village and has purchased the Old Forge Cafe. She launches into her new business with lots of enthusiasm and delicious menu ideas. She is fortunate to meet and employ, Jess, a university student who knows everyone. Business is steady, but with all the meticulous preparations that Jess requires for all her food, further help is needed. Jess provides the solution in the form of a Francis a likeable, clumsy and amusing individual who initially is more of a hindrance than a help.

Within the initial chapters key characters are introduced including an aggressive Detective Inspector, a sleazy Earl, a charming yoga teacher and a less than scrupulous council planning official. There is a good blend of murder, malicious rumours, corruption, drugs and intrigue with a sprinkling of humour. The setting is in and around the cafe and there are some nice insights about the running of a small scale catering business.

Overall a good read although some of the settings felt a little forced and false, such as a normally busy road with school run traffic is conveniently empty and an uncle turns up at a convenient moment.

This is a good start to (hopefully) a new series. I very much liked the main character and loved the cooking tips. A village setting, a cafe, a heroine who can look after herself and a cast of supporting characters. What more could you want from cosy crime.

This book is exactly what cosy crime should be. Yes there is violence and murder but there is also a likeable heroine turned amateur detective, a village setting and a cast of unusual sidekicks who somehow manage to add realism and humour to the mix. Some of the ins and outs of the dodgy business at the heart of the mystery were a little tedious but overall I enjoyed the story and would read more by this author.

I found Murder on the Menu by Alex Coombs somewhat perplexing. Like the curate's egg, it was good in parts. The plotting of the uncovering of the murderer was interesting and fairly well done. I enjoyed the way that certain characters were introduced to the reader and then developed. Charlie, the main character, was also a mixture. But for me, she was too foolish in her attempts to find the truth, stupid careless of her own well-being and far too ready to make judgements about people. That said, I think there's space to make her a more rounded character in any future books.