Praise for Knife Skills For Beginners 

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'Not before time the guillotine has fallen on a culinary débâcle. Someone is found murdered at a Belgravia cookery school and all the students appear to have a motive. Orlando Murrin lards his intrigue with a smorgasbord of clues peppered with culinary tips and advice, recipes and inspiration from foodie heroes. The dénouement will leave you gasping. A must for foodies and sleuths alike.'

Lindsey Bareham

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'Knife Skills For Beginners is a joy, packed full of fabulous culinary tips and recipes you'll want to make, alongside a decent dollop of murder and mystery. Orlando Murrin is an established chef and cookery writer, and it shows. I loved TV chef Paul Delamare. I think we should be friends.’ 

S. J. Bennett

'A clever, elegant, and unexpectedly scary story. And foodies will love it - the recipes are great.'

Simon Russell Beale

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'Knife Skills for Beginners, by the well-established cookbook writer Orlando Murrin, is his first detective novel, and works well for me. There are useful recipes and cooking hints aplenty as the protagonist is teaching a general course at a London cookery school in difficulties, but this works as a mystery. Who killed Christian, the flamboyant cook and failed entrepreneur at the cookery school with a cleaver? Paul, the protagonist, a conscientious cook in difficulties, is a suspect but also an observer of a very well etched group of characters. Very well written with lots of fine observation on people and circumstances. A good fair-play resolve which I did not get. This is much better than the Cooking Club Detectives, the Dinner Lady Detectives, and other modern staples of the sub-genre. Deserves reading.'

Jeremy Black, The Critic

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'This book is an homage to classic mysteries, especially those written by Agatha Christie...The culinary world makes for a fun setting, and the red herrings and misdirects lead to a compelling whodunit. Fans of stories in which everyone is a suspect will enjoy this clever take on the locked-room mystery.'

Booklist, USA

'What a joy this book was! Filled with vibrant characters, authentic dialogue and surprises galore, Knife Skills For Beginners had me entranced from start to finish. So smart, so bitingly witty, so well observed, it made me smile a lot. But what sets Orlando apart is his unique premise of setting a 'cosy murder' in a cookery school. Hilarious as well as instructive.

I loved the protagonist, Paul, and could feel his grief for Marcus on every page. I loved being transported through Belgravia, and could visualise the smallest house in Belgravia as though it was my neighbour.

A sparkling début with psychological depth, I shall be first in the queue to see what Paul, Julie, Lady Brash and troublesome Jonny get up to next. What a great array of characters! I can't wait to meet them again.'

C J Carver

'Fresh, engrossing and deliciously irreverent, Orlando Murrin's début blends murder, intrigue, larger-than-life characters and mouth-watering recipes in a literary feast for the senses. Think Wodehouse meets Christie with a side order of Delia!'

Tammy Cohen

'Dazzlingly sharp with a wit that sparkles off the page, Knife Skills For Beginners is a dish to be savoured and re-ordered again and again. I always read at night and this gem of a debut made me go bed early so we could curl up together.'

Jane Corry

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'Fasten your aprons and lock away the meat cleavers, there’s murder on the menu at Chester Square Cookery School!
Orlando Murrin's s darkly comedic crime thriller Knife Skills For Beginners is a joy. So sharp, so clever, the plot belts along and the dialogue fizzes. Paul Delamare is an inspired invention and his narration is laugh-out-loud funny. Murrin nails the ‘voice’ with incredible skill. Original and brilliantly entertaining, this book is a delight.'

Elizabeth Delo, author of 'Becoming Elizabeth

'An intriguing and murderous trip into the world of the professional chef. Most enjoyable and highly recommended.'

Kate Ellis

'Delicious fun! Knife Skills For Beginners is bothg intriguing and mouth-watering, starring a charming hero you'll want as your best friend.'

Tess Gerritsen

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'Knife Skills For Beginners, Orlando Murrin (HarperCollins Canada, 325 pages) Devotees of British cooking shows may already know Orlando Murrin for his appearances on the BBC and his Masterchef wins, as well as his flock of cookbooks. His talent for British mystery is every bit as stellar as his culinary prowess and his first novel is a witty little British cozy.

Paul Delamare, a recent widower and an expert chef, is lured by his friend Christian, a celebrity chef, into teaching a class at an exclusive Belgravia cookery school. Christian promises to put in an appearance on a regular basis and Paul will get out of the house and make a little money. The students – mostly women, mostly rich – will get some basic skills and a photo-op with Christian and everyone should leave happy.

As we can predict, this is not going to happen. Pretty soon bodies start to drop and Paul finds himself accused and confused. Murrin gives us a lot of insight into what goes into making a star chef. The full-page description of his knives is worth the price of the book and that’s only one of many smart bits. Will this be a series? I hope so."

The Globe and Mail, Canada

'I absolutely loved Knife Skills For Beginners and read it in two days flat. Orlando's style is forensic and precise, yet at the same time deeply perceptive… the characters are an expertly crafted blend of the sweet and the dark, like the perfect salted flapjack. If Ruth Rendell had teamed up with Delia Smith they'd have produced something like this.'

J M Hall

'Orlando Murrin’s personality is sprinkled throughout the pages of his debut, Knife Skills for Beginners. It’s warm, it’s humorous, it’s different from anything I’ve read before. If you’re into cosy crime, this one is irresistible.'

Mari Hannah

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'A delightful cast of characters, seasoned with plenty of acerbic wit, this culinary cosy crime debut is a moreish treat'

Heat magazine

'A delicious treat with a sweet filling of murder and mystery. I'll definitely be back for seconds.'

Antony Johnston

‘A triumph!!  Intriguing, clever, funny  - a real page-turner.’

Sue Lawrence

'This novel speaks to budding foodies, who will appreciate the recipes and culinary setting, as well as readers who favor a neatly tied-up mystery.'

Library Journal, USA

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'Another stylish cosy crime novel comes from chef and cookery writer Orlando Murrin... Colourful, entertaining and full of social observations, the account of Paul's odyssey also has some moments of genuine emotion.'

The Literary Review

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‘Enjoyably readable, great characters, and cooking recipes as well. Who could ask for more?’

Faith Martin

'A deliciously twisty, enthralling and sharp mystery.'

Nadine Matheson

'If Agatha Christie were to go on Masterchef, this novel would be the result. A deliciously fun murder mystery – I loved it.'

Clare Pooley

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'If you enjoy Iron Chef and The Great British Bake Off, but often think to yourself, this would be so much better if only there was a murder or two tossed in, why I’ve got the book for you...A recipe for fun.'

Parade Magazine, USA

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'MasterChef semi-finalist Murrin puts his culinary expertise to good use in this charming debut mystery...Murrin delivers a brisk, funny variation on the classic closed-circle formula. A sequel would be welcome.'   

Publishers Weekly, USA

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'When a book can sew together a narrative that is both searingly funny and deadly serious, it's truly a winning combination. 

A main protagonist who oozes the sort of dark comic quippy genius that’s rarely seen in books like this nowadays alongside a story about a very gruesome killing, throw in a handful of mostly unlikeable (and therefore compulsively readable!) characters and you have the perfect confection!

With a twist you won’t see coming and a third act you’ll want to reread for the sheer comic value but also the nail bitingly tense action. Cannot wait for book 2.'

@grahamsillarsreadsbooks

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'No good deed goes unpunished in this cutting-edge food-infused mystery.

London-based chef Paul Delamare is depressed by the death of his lover, Marcus, who left him a charming cottage in Belgravia, and unhappy that one of Marcus’ relatives is harassing him. But Paul’s friend Julie, a food editor, gets him work at her magazine and keeps his spirits up. Paul has long been friends with Christian Wagner, a self-obsessed celebrity chef fallen on hard times. Because Christian has broken his arm, Paul—who’s too nice for his own good—agrees to fill in for him with the intensive beginners’ course he’s supposed to lead at the posh Chester Square Cookery School, located in a mansion where Christian lives as well as teaches. The students are naturally disappointed that Christian isn’t teaching, but the oddly mixed group members all seem to appreciate Paul’s first lesson on knife techniques. On his way to work the next morning, Paul sees that the glass door to Christian’s flat is smashed—and when he goes in to investigate, he finds Christian with his head nearly hacked off by the cleaver Paul had used in class the day before, and promptly faints. A Chester Square employee finds Paul passed out and calls the police. Since the students want the classes to continue, a shaky Paul carries on even though he senses that the police suspect him for his knife skills. Paul slowly learns more about the students and things he never knew about Christian. When one of his students dies, Paul realizes that he’d better uncover the killer before the police pin the murders on him—and his determined search to unravel the serpentine puzzle may be just what he needs to restart his life.

There are many culinary mysteries, but this character-driven series opener is a cut above the rest.'

Kirkus Reviews, USA

'Smooth and delicious.'

Shelf-Awareness, USA

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'In the kitchen with the meat cleaver is my favourite kind of murder and Orlando Murrin's début does not disappoint. A protagonist in over his head, a cast of characters who aren't what they seem and the perfect London cooking school all make for a murderous culinary triumph.'

Emma Styles

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'The combination of detailed cuisine with carefully plotted mystery makes for an entertaining read. "Knife Skills for Beginners" is a wonderful mixture of intrigue and charm that will make it a must-read not only for cozy mystery fans but also for cooking enthusiasts.' 

Suspense Magazine, USA

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'A lethally delicious soufflé of a crime novel – light and witty at first taste, but with rich, dark undertones. I loved the combination of crime and cookery – and how one is used to enrich the other (and vice versa). This will develop into a wonderful series with memorable recurring characters.'

Andrew Taylor

'Exciting but not scary – I was completely surprised by the end. Great book – an easy but enjoyable read.'

Caroline Waldegrave

'A deliciously dark slice of murder and mystery. Funny and fun, frightening and charming.'

Chris Whitaker

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'The first novel from real-life chef Murrin is a whodunnit set in a smart but struggling Belgravia cookery school, where waspishly charming Paul Delamare steps in at the last minute to run a residential course in the place of his old friend Christian. Funny, and at times unexpectedly moving, this thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery is packed with interesting recipe ideas, fascinating culinary facts and some jolly useful cooking hacks.'

Laura Wilson, The Guardian