DeAnna Knippling

This culinary mystery will be delightful for those who enjoy mayhem and watching one thing after another going wrong for the main character. Sam is an incredibly talented chef, despite being a chronic overthinker, who definitely does not have her "stuff" together at the moment - divorce (although we never learn exactly why...maybe for another installment?), new catering business, and an internet troll who is determined to see her fail. Readers should note that this was written quite a few years ago and refers to landlines and answering machines...… (más)

Your Soufflé Must Die by DeAnna Knippling was very different from what I was expecting. There is a mystery but no murder, or any real danger, involved. Although there are a couple of light red herrings it is pretty clear from the start who the villain is. I’m not entirely sure that matters though, since the focus is on the wacky characters and the relationship between Sam, the lead, and her ex-husband.
I really enjoyed the food descriptions, and the over-the-top, food-network-competition-style creations. There are some strange food and combinations, but they don’t seem terribly out of place for the sort of catering company Sam is hoping to build. I also liked the character of the mega-star actor and his mom—quirky but interesting.
Sam was a more difficult character for me. She is up and down, all over the place, way too overwrought in some situations and not enough in others. Her relationship with her ex is just sort of annoying. There are some places where scenes seem just sort of shoehorned in, almost like the author wanted to write something and then find a place it would go in the story which made some parts seem pretty choppy.
There were some amusing moments, and I’ve never read anything quite like this. Thank you to the author and Library thing for the advance reading copy.… (más)

I received a complimentary copy of Your Soufflé Must Die through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program; my review is voluntary.

This was a strange ride and a bit of a mixed bag. The cozy genre isn’t my usual, but it was nice to get a taste of a murder-free mystery (though in moments there was an “and I would’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids” vibe). The stakes weren’t too high, but I still kind of cared about the outcome.

Knippling is a skilled, very sensory writer. I appreciated her descriptions and found it easy to visualize the scenes. Toward the end, at the party based on a pirate/alien movie (which I still find entirely bizarre), the descriptive nature of the writing made things uncomfortable as the scenery and foods ventured into gross territory (and upon realizing Knippling is known for horror writing, this makes sense).

The drawbacks for me: none of the characters felt fully developed. I had a hard time rooting for any of the relationships. Some scenes were jarring and unnecessary (Sam has a full conversation with items in her kitchen as if they’re in a battle; we have to sit through a lengthy scene from the aforementioned pirate/alien movie which still makes no sense). Occasional descriptors made me feel ill (bee larvae as a food; a man’s scent described as having “buttery undertones”).… (más)

Your Soufflé Must Die: Sam is recovering from her divorce and pivoting to a new career by starting a catering business with her best friend Kaley. But when she starts getting threatening messages on her blog, followed by falling soufflés, she worries her business will never get off the ground.
This is the coziest of mysteries because no one dies! Unless you count chocolate people. YSMD is also funny, which added to the coziness for me. I really liked the mystery and it was satisfying to figure out who was sabotaging Sam’s cooking. That said, it didn’t take up as much time as I would have expected. But also I didn’t care. The bulk of the book is about interpersonal relationships that I found fascinating! I was perfectly content to read about the characters. Sam is bananas, but very endearing. Her relationship with her ex-husband is weird and I hope there are more books in this series so I can read more about what is going on there. Also Sam’s burgeoning friendship with the chef she used to work for is super interesting. Lots of strange dynamics at play and I am here for it.
I am a sucker for any book that talks about food. YSMD is full of delicious food, described perfectly. Do not read on an empty stomach! Or at least keep snacks handy. Like, there is a chocolate pirate ship, so consider yourself warned.
Thank you DeAnna Knippling and LibraryThing for the ARC!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily… (más)