World Tour Stellar Reading Challenge – South Africa
3.93/5 I hoped to find a book translated to English from one of the numerous languages spoken in South Africa. So, when the Book Girls Guide mentioned Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria Mystery Series, the thought of someone with both English and Afrikaans might be the ticket. Also, it pleased me to discover that I could check out the eAudio version of the first in the series, Recipes for Love and Murder, from my library.
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“A bright new talent makes her fiction debut with this first entry in a delicious crime set in rural South Africa—a flavorful blend of The #1 Ladies Detective Agency and Goldie Schulz, full of humor, romance, and recipes and featuring a charming cast of characters… Tannie Maria (Tannie meaning Auntie, the respectful Afrikaans address for a woman older than you) is a middle-aged widow who likes to cook—and eat. She shares her culinary love as a recipe columnist for the local paper—until The Gazette decides its readers are hungrier for advice on matters of the heart rather than ideas for lunch and dinner… Tannie Maria doesn’t like the change, but soon discovers she has a knack—and a passion—for helping people. Of course she shares her recipes and culinary advice whenever she can! Assisting other people with their problems, Tannie Maria is eventually forced to face her own issues, especially when the troubles of those she helps touch on the pain of her past, like a woman desperate to escape her abusive husband… When the woman is murdered, Tannie Maria becomes dangerously entwined in the investigation, despite the best efforts of one striking detective determined to keep her safe. Suddenly, this practical, down-to-earth woman is involved in something much more sinister than perfecting her chocolate cake recipe . . .”
At first, Tannie Maria caught my attention with early lines of Recipes for Love and Murder, talking of how she often mixes her mother’s Afrikaans and her father’s English. Also, the fact that the book provided some of Tannie Maria’s recipes in the back charmed me. The setting, the South African Outback – Klein Karoo, offered further appeal. I found Tannie Maria and her friends both intriguing and sympathetic. I liked the empathy Tannie Maria showed readers of her agony aunt column, a gentleman in particular who mentioned boiling eggs stands out in my mind. South African actress Sandra Prinsloo read the eAudio I checked out and it was a treat to hear her read this. Andrew’s writing and Prinsloo’s narration transported me to the Karoo. Yet, some parts of this book dragged for me – various comedies of errors, Tannie Maria’s misinterpretation of a number of things, and a slew of red herrings crowded this tale. While a delight in some ways, the book left other gaps I wanted filled. Still and all, I recommend this book for readers looking for a side of South Africa they might not otherwise see.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Starry Night Elf 