A Recipe for Murder

“You lot are bloody crime writers. If anyone can get away with murder, it would be one of you.”

An invitation to Burnham Manor, home of celebrity chef, television presenter and bestselling crime writer Max Wilde, is the pinnacle of a crime novelist’s career. This year’s guests include Sanjay Chakrabati, India’s pre-eminent crime writer; Margaret Hemshaw, author of many bodice-ripping 17th Century crime tales; Sydney Fletch, a young rising star in the crime world and Gareth Sebastian Black, a self-published phenomenon. Also on the guest list is former Detective Inspector Jack Finney, famous for solving the Painswick Poisoning case.

This year’s annual gathering has an extraordinary twist….

On the menu this year will be the deliciously deadly Fugu, carefully prepared by a celebrated Japanese chef. Those who partake of this starter will be hoping that it doesn’t contain any of the poison, tetrodotoxin, one of the world's deadliest toxins.

Or perhaps the guests would enjoy a Soupçon of Suspicion or a serving of Murderous Mushrooms? Also on the menu is the deservedly entitled Poisoned Quail and a helping of Bella-doner kebab, made from some of the world’s finest ingredients, all washed down with a glass of Sparkling Cyanide.

But when Max Wilde is found dead in bed the following morning suspicion naturally falls on those present. But who slipped the inimitable Max Wilde a dose of Hemlock and why?

As the list of suspects increases the body count starts to rise…