I found this at my local library and the synopsis had me excited to read it. About 25% of the way in, I wasn’t sure I was going to get through it; at the end, I’m eager to get to the library and check out the second book, and likely buy them for my personal library.

The biggest hurdle for me with this book is my almost total ignorance about South Africa. I know it’s in Africa; I know it’s in the south; I know it was colonised by the Dutch, and I know about apartheid and Nelson Mandela. Oh, and they (and the rest of Africa) are tied with Australia for coolest animals. Beyond that, I got nuthin’. That made a lot of the cultural references a mystery to me and there was a time or two where I struggled to understand. The list of things I need to research to cure just a tiny fraction of my ignorance is long. I was helped a bit by a familiarity with Dutch, which allowed me to decipher some of the Afrikaans vocabulary that is liberally sprinkled throughout the text.

The other hurdle I initially had with the book was understanding the MC, Tannie Maria. I just couldn’t get a handle on what kind of character she was meant to be; a time or two she came across as slow of mind, but she’s not. She’s got a tragic background she survived, but she has this kind of passive strength and spirit that frankly leaves me confused. This could be fallout from my cultural ignorance in the same way that my BFF’s husband sometimes leaves me confused (he’s Dutch) and a few Aussies too. Different environments influence different personalities. I liked her; I just didn’t understand her.

I really waffled between 4 and 4.5 stars, but ultimately settled on 4 because of the above and because there was a bit too much sentiment about the power of love towards the end. It’s beautifully written, but not the kind of thing that resonates with me. The mystery itself was pretty good, though I’d argue it’s not strictly a fair-play plot. The style is what I’d call a ‘gritty cozy’ if forced to describe it. There’s a dark side to the crimes and spousal abuse is a strong theme, but the characters and mood are uplifting, with food playing a major role in the story. There’s a side story that almost stole the show for me at the end, and there’s a low-key romance brewing between the mc and the detective that I have a hard time getting excited about because, frankly, he has a handlebar moustache and those things creep me out.

But what really makes the book is the atmosphere; the author brings the veldt to life on the pages in a way that kept me glued to the story when the language and cultural references left me floundering. When I wasn’t sure I cared about the characters, the Klein Karoo kept me coming back for more. By the end, it was the characters, the writing and the Karoo that makes me want to pick up the next book in the series, The Satanic Mechanic. ( )

Tannie Maria knows food and loves her cooking column. So, when the corporate offices demand an advice column, she finds ways to provide people with advice and recipes to meet their needs. However, this effort connects her to the murder of an abused woman. Partnering with Jessie, the young investigative reporter at the paper, and their boss, Harriet, the three find themselves on the trail of a killer while trying to survive themselves both physically and emotionally.

Tannie Maria works at small newspaper (the Gazette) in a small city in South Africa and writes a recipe column but is reassigned to write a “Dear Abbie” column. She turns out to have a knack helping people, in the middle-aged southern African way of Precious Ramotswe, and always includes a recipe in her advice. (“tannie’’ meaning auntie, the respectful Afrikaans address for a woman older than you)

Really, very clever. Would absolutely read a second. ( )

Too much unnecessary explanations & running on & on & on & on & on: in other words "Much Ado About Nothing".

I was immediately put off by the narrator's verboseness... would she ever just get to the point?

I have no idea what the author was trying to prove: She's "Literary"? She knows all about "Afrikaners" & being South African?

This book could have been wonderful had it been 200+ less pages.

The author was obviously out to prove herself as being culturally in the know via overkill.....

Even the recipes were difficult to read & follow....

Won't be wasting my time again on this author & her needless verbosity..... ( )

Recipes for Love and Murder is a delightful mystery set in Klein Karoo, Tanzania from Sally Andrew.

Tannie (Aunty) Marie is the Klein Karoo’s Gazette recipe columnist, but with recent budget cuts affecting the small three person newspaper, she is also tasked to take over the role of Agony Aunt. It’s a job Tannie Marie takes seriously, dispensing wisdom, and recipes, to suit any situation. However it is a letter from ‘Bereft Woman’ suffering at the hands of her abusive husband that greatly worries Tannie Marie, and when she learns of her death she is determined to see justice is done.

Sprinkled with Afrikaans words and phrases Andrew creates such a wonderful sense of both place, and character. Marie relies on her colleagues, and friends, Hattie and Jessie to help her investigate the murder, and meets a slightly over protective but well meaning, and handsome, detective.

Despite the delicious appeal of the recipes in this story, Andrew explores some sensitive issues, such as domestic violence, of which Marie was once a victim, PTSD, homosexuality and of course, murder..there is not just one but two by the end of the book, plus a kidnapping and a near miss for Tannie Marie.

While similarities can be drawn between this book and Alexander McCall Smith’s No.1 Lady Detective series set in Botswana, Recipes for Love and Murder has its own distinct charm, and I hope to read more from Sally Andrew ( )