REVENGE, SERVED ROYAL

An 1815 contest among the most talented bakers of the ton turns deadly when the chief judge is found strangled.

It takes some time for Lady Petra Forsyth to persuade her talented cook to participate in a bake-off to be held at Windsor Castle, sponsored by none other than Queen Charlotte. But once she assures Mrs. Bing that a blind competition would not require her to be stripped of her eyesight, Petra looks forward to the festivities surrounding the bake-off. For one thing, her good friends Caroline and Lottie will also be there, and for another, she expects the celebration will give her opportunities to spend time with her lover, Duncan Shawcross. Once at Windsor, though, Petra’s hopes for a jolly old time with friends are quickly dashed. Sir Rufus Pomeroy, the former royal chef, is found in the small library, a black silken cord knotted around his neck, and his valet, Oliver, tugging on it. Oliver is quickly arrested. Because the valet turns out to be the secret brother of her maid (Annie), Petra has every incentive to find another perpetrator. But the more she learns about the circumstances of Sir Rufus’ death, the more suspicion falls on her own dear Aunt Ophelia—a solution that would be personally devastating to Petra—and Queen Charlotte’s son, the Prince Regent—a solution that would be politically disastrous for her. Think Bridgerton meets The Great British Baking Show.

Lots of plot twists, and lots of fun joining plucky Petra as she navigates them.