Poisons, knives, and bullets riddle the stories of Agatha Christie, but so does food, which she uses to invoke settings, to develop characters, and, of course, to commit murder. In this to-die-for cookbook – Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie, (Countryman; Aug 22, 2023), author and Agatha Christie fan Karen Pierce offers unique recipes written by the author for one accessible, easy-to-follow dish or drink for each of Christie’s 66 mysteries.
* Complimentary book received for review. Post may contain affiliate links.
Recipes include Fish and Chips at the Seven Dials Club, Literary Luncheon Meringues, Oysters Rockefeller on the Orient Express, Sixpence Blackbird Pie, Orange Marmalade from Gossington Hall, and more. Along the way, you’ll learn how to make an exquisite omelet, how to roast a leg of lamb properly, and how to serve perfectly timed steak frites. Framing these dishes are insightful essays and headnotes that detail the history of the recipes, their context in Christie’s life and times, and the roles they play in the source works. Based on extensive research and investigation, all dishes appear traditional to their respective eras, so steak fried for 1923 but marinated and grilled for 1964. Completing the collection, thematic menus assemble recipes for a Halloween murder mystery gathering, a “Christie for Christmas,” a book club buffet, and other occasions, making it a filling tribute to the grand dame of detective fiction.
My Thoughts:
The hardcover cookbook contains 184 pages (including the index) with illustrated pictures of the food (no actual photographs of the prepared dish). Recipes include breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert ideas. All of them look fairly easy to prepare with readily available ingredients that you can pick up at the neighborhood grocery store. No speciality store needed.
I collect cookbooks and I’m a murder mystery fan, including a fan of Agatha Christie. Inside the cookbook you’ll find a nice variety of different recipes but I was a little disappointed that no actual photographs were included of the completed dish. Photos help to entice the reader to try out the recipe. Other than that, I look forward to make the Omelet, Hollywood Daiquiri and the Whole Chicken Soup recipes, as well as a few others.
You can purchase Recipes for Murder 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie by Karen Pierce from Amazon for a great price. It would make a great holiday gift for that cookbook collector, home cook, chef, or murder mystery lover on your holiday gift list.
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I never thought about the recipes in the books by Agatha Christie. This would be a fun new way to revisit these mysteries.
What a fun idea for those of us that our Agatha Christie fans. I love to read the books and watch any of the series and movies.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts about this cookbook. I would love to have this one it sounds fun.