A Cotswold Killing

I was able to finish off the month of April listening to A Cotswold Killing by Rebecca Tope. This series was new to me. From what I can find there are seven books written so far in this mystery series.

In the first book, we meet newly widowed Thea Osborne and her dog Hepzibah. Thea has taken her first job as a house-sitter. The house lies in the little village of Duntisbourne Abbot where she cares for the house, two dogs and small flock of sheep while a couple go off on a cruise. Her "neighbor" stops by immediately to say hello but ends up being found dead the following day. Thea is caught up in village life and discovering the secret that will lead to the killer.

I am going to continue with this series as I found the descriptions of the Cotswold and village life as good as the mystery story line within it.

The Baker's Apprentice

I finally finished reading The Baker's Apprentice by Judith Ryan Hendricks. I must clarify saying finally finished. A couple of years ago, I read the first book of this series called Bread Alone. The book was in a word ... fabulous! I hated closing the book after the last page. I loved the characters and Wyn was a worthy person to cheer on in life. I loved the chemistry between her and Mac. I loved the setting of the Queen Street Bakery in Seattle. It was like the feeling you get inside when you pull a piece of warm crusty bread off and pop it in your mouth. This is not a review of Bread Alone as I read it before I started my blog but I would highly recommend that book. 

I was excited to start on the sequel called The Baker's Apprentice. It started out well with me back in the bakery watching Wyn working on baking the bread in the night ready for customers to arrive in the morning. I could smell the bread as it baked up golden and crusty in the oven. But...it left me flat after it was getting started. I was very irritated with how events went for both Wyn and Mac. I almost did not finish it. Almost...however I am glad I did finish as I continued and the last chapters suddenly came alive again as I remembered in Bread Alone. I found myself cheering Wyn and Mac once again to achieve a happy ending together. I cannot say it was a great read like the first book but it did redeem itself in the end. 

Happy reading!

Heidi

Roasted cauliflower

I found this recipe online but tweaked it to make it my own. It turned out to be a great substitute for potatoes but also a delicious accompaniment for an Asian tinted meal.

Roasted cauliflower
Cut up a head of cauliflower and tear into small flowerlets. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup of olive oil with freshly ground salt and pepper, a tiny bit of ground dried garlic and a little ground shitake and chili pepper flakes mix. You can also just use ground chili pepper flakes if you have that on hand. Toss in your cauliflower and coat well with the spiced oil. Transfer to a cookie sheet. I covered mine in baking parchment for easier cleanup. Place in a 400F/200F oven for at least about an hour. The flowerlets should start to color nicely and become soft.

I served my roasted cauliflower with a kebab stick of Indonesian style pork tenderloin with peanut sauce and a small salad with red beets.

Before I served the cauliflower I poured some sweet chilli sauce over the cauliflower. It gave the vegetable an extra special kick without being too hot. It is already on the list of becoming a regular recipe on our table. I would even serve this as an appetizer or food for with drinks in the evening.

Bon appitit or eet smakelijk!
Heidi

Writing Jane Austen: A Novel

This was one of the audible books that I have loaded onto my Kindle. It was narrated by Julia Whelan.

Georgina Jackson is an American author living in London. Her first book had been successful but her second is slow in coming. Her agent calls her to a meeting to inform her that she wants her to finish a Jane Austen novel that was found with only the first chapter written by the legendary author. Georgina's writer's block has set in plus she is a total novice of all things Austen. But she needs the money when she discovers her university grant has been cancelled and takes on the project.

I am still undecided as to how much I did like this novel. I found it to be tedious at times. While going to places touched by Jane Austen, Georgina sees and hears shadows of Austen's time but this story line seems to just pop up its head here and there yet never develops into anything. I found that rather a shame as it could have been played upon more. Instead it became almost irrelevant to the rest of the novel as it was touched on and then left hanging. A missed chance? Instead I found myself screaming in my mind for Georgina to get on with things until she finally starts reading Jane's novels. This became another book that starts well and ends well but leaves me flat in the middle. I loved how the book turned out for Georgina but do not want to spoil it so my lips are sealed. If you are a fan of happy ever after romance then you will enjoy this book.

Happy reading!
Heidi