The Last Supper: The irresistible debut novel where cosy crime and cookery collide! (Prudence Bulstrode)

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The Last Supper is a charming, hugely entertaining book. Retired chef Prudence Bulstrode is cranky, stubborn and insightful; an utterly brilliant creation. I can't wait to see what she gets up to next' M W Craven Part Agatha Raisin, with a splash of Midsomer Murders and a squeeze of Richard Osman thrown in for added zest, Prudence is a former chef who is now spending her retirement as a private cook, driving around the British countryside in her campervan, staying in fabulous locations and solving the inevitable country house murder mystery. And the first of these adventures, The Last Supper, is set at Fairleigh Manor in the Cotswolds, where murder is very much on the menu.

Rosemary Shrager has created a welcome addition to the ranks of female amateur sleuths. The Last Supper is a witty, light-hearted mystery, in which the author has served up a tasty treat' Simon BrettI loved all the characters - really relatable and with obvious references to other well known chefs perhaps? Some little insights as to how the celebrity chef world really works maybe? In the main, this was most amusing and added to its uniqueness in this genre. In those days, you did not intervene. From the outside world, we had an incredibly privileged life; from the inside world, it was really unhappy.’ The opening to The Last Supper was immensely interesting and really brought the cosy vibes as we are introduced due Prudence Bulstrode, a famous TV chef who has left fame behind for a quiet life in the country. On the day of the annual fair her granddaughter, Suki crashes her camper van into the prize vegetables after one too many. Pru and Suki discuss her situation when she gets a phone call informing her of the death of her friend and on screen rival, Deirdre Shaw. Deirdre was hired to put on a banquet at Farleigh Manor and with her sudden death they have asked Pru to replace her and she accepts taking Suki as her assistant for the event. A great yarn - Shrager knows her food and she's cooked up a storm. Murder is the main course but the side dishes fascinate. A fascinating conclusion - Rosie can write and Prudence Bulstrode is here to stay. I look forward to more in this series.' Miriam Margolyes

The Last Supper is a charming, hugely entertaining book. Retired chef Prudence Bulstrode is cranky, stubborn and insightful; an utterly brilliant creation. I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next’ M W Craven When Prudence is seconded to Farleigh Manor to cook for the weeks hunting party, after the original hired celebrity, Deirdre, collapses and dies, she takes on a bit more than just the cooking. Books by celebrity authors can be something of a hit and miss affair leaving you either pleasantly surprised or wildly disappointed. It would appear everybody is jumping on this particular bandwagon from game show hosts, ballroom dancers and radio presenters to reverends and chefs. This cozy crime is Rosemary Shrager’s fictional debut featuring amateur sleuthing duo Prudence Bulstrode, acclaimed tv chef and her granddaughter Suki. Their catering services are required at Farleigh Manor when Deidre Shaw, Prudence’s former arch rival is mysteriously found dead. As a fan of this popular genre, what would I make of Rosemary’s attempts to combine her knowledge of all things culinary with a (hopefully) well hatched crime to challenge even the very best armchair detectives amongst us?? Well, as they say the proof is in the pudding or in this particular instance maybe it’s in another item taking pride of place on the menu as old acquaintances gather for a shooting weekend. Present day murder becomes entangled with a tragedy from the past as Prudence and Suki endeavour to dish up a sumptuous feast, solve the crime and serve justice for dessert.What I found unforgivable and I’m sorry to say it forced me to not finish the book, were the inaccuracies from shoddy research. The whole game shooting angle, fundamental to the story, was wildly inaccurate and portrayed in a very negative way. I found that particularly surprising for someone who presumably loves to cook game. It’s all a bit too cosy for me – I prefer my crime to be really dark and grisly – but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Probably more so because I was reading with my online book club and we had a laugh exchanging comments. Nothing really original here, but entertaining nonetheless. On the train, with her suitcase, she bumped into a local who casually asked where she was going. As if it were an exciting few days away.