"Jenny had a nasty habit, through no fault of her own, of getting caught up in other people's problems. This time, she vowed to steer well clear of trouble."

This was such a little gem of a story! I really enjoyed Jenny and her quirky cast of characters in this fun little mystery. Jenny was a great character - sassy and sharp and yet sweet and so compassionate. I loved her love of food, animals and people. She juggled a tough situation of catering a birthday party with a grumpy daily cook, an over-the-top planner and still getting all of her courses and sauces done! The story is really well written, the story was fast to get through. I think if I hadn't guessed so early on what was going to happen and who done it, I would have really loved this one but I did love how much Jenny knew before the officers. I will definitely keep an eye on this series and keep reading!

Jenny Starling is a cook and she has been hired by Alicia Greer to cater for her and her twin brother Justin’s 21st birthday party. Before she arrived the police had been called as a body had been found in a pond in the grounds - Jimmy Speight was the assistant gardener and it looks like he’s hit his head and drowned. During the party Justin dies and Alicia is taken ill - their champagne has been poisoned. Initially Jenny is a suspect but the police soon realise that she can be very useful to their investigation.

I’m a huge fan of Faith Martin’s Hillary Greene series and I have a feeling I’m going to get just as hooked on the Jenny Starling series. Reminded me of an Agatha Christie story - I could just picture the tv version while I was reading.

Thanks to Joffe Books and Faith Martin for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Jenny Starling is a famous, or should I say infamous, travelling cook. She’s invited to The Beeches, a beautiful country house, to cater the 21st birthday of twin Alicia and Justin Greer but before she arrives the body of young gardener Jimmy Speight is found dead in a pond in the grounds of the house.

It’s ruled an accident but Jenny has her doubts especially as one of the guest falls down dead and another is taken ill during the birthday party.

Warned not to meddle by the police Jenny can’t resist snooping but can she figure out who the killer is before anyone else gets hurt?

So this is the first in a new series by Faith Martin (her of DI Hillary Greene fame) but unlike her other novels this is a little more of a classic cosy mystery focusing on an amateur sleuth.
The Birthday Mystery is a novel you can really get your teeth into, with a tasty mystery and sumptuous sounding food which made me feel very hungry while I was reading it!

The setting is also a little nod to the likes of Agatha Christie with a large country house complete with a resident cook, gardener and even a butler. It’s even near a small village where everybody knows everybody else’s business!

I felt that Jenny Starling is going to be one of those Marmite characters, you either love her or hate her. She’s an impressive and intimidating figure at six foot one and doesn’t suffer fools or militant vegetarians! Her dad is also a famous chef and her mum an eco warrior who is constantly getting arrested. I’d love to see a guest appearance from them in the future novels, I think they sound hilarious!

I did unfortunately figure out who the killer was quite quickly. Also I know this is an updated version of the original book but I felt there could have been a bit more done to bring it to the here and now as aspect of the story felt a little old fashioned and dated.

Overall The Birthday mystery a good cosy whodunnit that I’d recommend for those who love classic style mysteries.

Even if I read other books by this author this is the first one I’d define a cozy mystery.
It’s a very good start for a new series, exciting and entertaining.
Jenny, the heroine, is a very interesting and well written character. I liked how she feels good in her skin and her personality in general.
The cast of characters is likeable and reminded me some mystery of the Golden Age.
I loved the description of the postcard perfect village with the gossips and the small town lifestyle.
The mystery was engaging, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing till the end.
It took me some times to get into this book but then I couldn’t put it down.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this very good series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Joffe Books and Netgalley for this ARC

The main character is so decidedly elitist despite being written to not be so that it comes off as hypocritical at best. She is a size eighteen and gourgeous. It’s written as if it’s supposed to be a big deal and shocking, and subversive, but is mentioned so often it starts sounding like a broken record. This is a point a lot of people are writing about in the comments, but I would like to touch upon another point that bothered me far more. Going back to my first statement about Jenny being an elitist, she has some opinions about food that I found extremely annoying. I know several cooks and chefs, who would never dream of disparaging simple foods like sanwitches. Honestly the fact that Jenny is personally offended by having to, oh the horror, put smoked salmon between two pieces of bread just comes of ass so snobby and totally unnessacery. And smoked salmon sandwiches are delicious so that makes me question her taste, and they are very convenient as anyone who’s ever eaten smoked salmon will tell you, the oil from it get’s all over you hands. Not to mention that not everyone can affored the time and inconvenience to make something complicated when just wanting a quick bite to eat. What cook would ever disparaged a simple dish but with high quality ingredients anyway? If it were a preference for margarin over butter I would find that far more genuine, though margarin does have it’s place. Then there is the fact that she’s estranged from her own father because he, gasp, wrote a popular cook book. As if the art of cooking isn’t something you need to be taught and those sorts of cook books often serve as a gate way to «propper» cooking as Jenny calls it. I understand that a character can have faults and that we don’t have to like them for the book to be good, but the line is drawn when it isn’t aknowledged by the look that these are character flaws. In fact it’s as if the book want to paint her as a saint.

Jenny constantly looks down at every person in the story. It’s sort of started that this is because of the silly elitism that they prosess, but coming from Jenny that’s rich. She’s also a little sexist. There is a character who is described as massivly fat with unfortunately colored hair who is in love whith a young pretty blond who is going out with the handsome son of the house. Now this guy clearly is describes as unnattractive because of his weight despite our heroine being attractive at her own weight. This lept out to me as adouble standard as the only hansome men were athletically built, while women can apperantly be much larger. Then despite the young lady clearly being in love with the son of the house Jenny’s inner diologue comments that she should just go back to the fat unnattractive guy because he’s so in love that he would never cheet on her and treat her buy her pretty things, and that the son is just a pretty face that’s throw her over. Ignoring the fact that a) not cheeting on somebody is basic basic and not a huge amazing thing you should be gratefull for, and b) that the fat guy is pretty mutch attracted to the girl for the same reason that the girl is attracted to the son. He also sounds so thoroughly unnappealing to the reader that I can’t imagin her being attracted to him at all.

All in all the book was ok. Not great litterature, but not terrible either.

Jenny Starling, freelance cook, has been engaged to cater for the joint 21st birthday party of Alicia and Justin Greers. On her arrival at their home she finds that the police are on the grounds at an accidental death. But on the night of the party the police are back when at least one of the guests dies in suspicious circumstances. Inspector Mollineaux believes he recognises Jenny from somewhere, but finds she becomes invaluable to unmasking the killer.
An enjoyable mystery, a good solid start to a new series. I look forward to reading more in the series.