Literary in the City

RATING: 3.75/5

“I think you need others to even be able to see yourself fully. The best way to find the value in yourself is by being good to someone else.”

The Golden Spoon

Do not read this book on an empty stomach. 

My big mistake was reading this novel on an airplane. Knees knocking the seat in front of me, I was absolutely cramped in my seat. I had nothing to feast on but crumbly pretzels and ginger ale (ginger ale is the in-flight drink, no arguments will be heard). The sheer anger I felt whilst reading this book was unparalleled. I was on the verge of crushing my tray table because there wasn’t a cookie in my hand.

The Golden Spoon is a Great British Baking Show-esque mystery novel. Six contestants travel to the house of Betsy Martin, the host of the show, to partake in her famous baking competition, Bake Week. However, sweet treats soon turn bitter when murder strikes the competition…

You know, there’s definitely a reason why mystery novels are so irresistible. Personally, the process of reading one is so relaxing and methodical. I love having a suspect. I love searching for the perfect combination of motive, means, and opportunity. I love piecing things together. When everything finally fits together, I feel an immense sense of satisfaction. In my opinion, mystery is the ultimate comfort genre.

The Golden Spoon is definitely a comfort read. Honestly, if you’re looking for a mind-blowing, world-warping novel, this might not be it. If you have a spare afternoon, though, and want to read a good old-fashioned murder mystery, this will satisfy that craving (haha get it?). 

My one gripe with this book was that it took me a while to become invested in the story. At the beginning, a lot of time is devoted to meeting each character, understanding their individual stories, and establishing the setting. While set-up is always important, I felt that, in this case, it was dragged out a little longer than necessary. The pace does start to ramp up at the halfway point of the book. By then, things move pretty fast. I was racing through the pages at the end so I could get some answers.

I also loved Jessa Maxwell’s tactic of using a variety of POVs. Having more than one character tell the story kept me on my toes. Frankly, it takes a lot of skill and planning to ensure that each POV contributes the correct details to form one coherent plot-line that doesn’t feel repetitive.

If you’ve read The Golden Spoon, please let me know what you thought about it! I’m always curious to hear from you. ❤

Digging through my pantry for baked goods,

H.