Banquet of Lies by Michelle Diener
E-book (Kindle), 352 pages
Gallery Books
October 22, 2013
★★★★½☆
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Received for review as part of HFBRT tour
“LONDON, 1812: Giselle Barrington is living a double life, juggling the duties of chef with those of spy catcher. She must identify her father’s savage killer before the shadowy man finds her and uncovers the explosive political document her father entrusted to her safekeeping.
Posing as a French cook in the home of Lord Aldridge, Giselle is surrounded by unlikely allies and vicious enemies. In the streets where she once walked freely among polite society, she now hides in plain sight, learning the hard lessons of class distinction and negotiating the delicate balance between servant and master.
Lord Aldridge’s insatiable curiosity about his mysterious new chef blurs the line between civic duty and outright desire. Carefully watching Giselle’s every move, he undertakes a mission to figure out who she really is—and, in the process, plunges her straight into the heart of danger when her only hope for survival is to remain invisible.”
I have read several books lately where the main character is a chef and there are ample descriptions of foods – enough to make you hungry while reading it. This time we are treated to some fancy French cuisine that made me yearn for the French restaurant we visited on our cruise. Food is one of those things that connect a memory with an experience and it is interesting to see a book partially told through food.
Besides the food, this book has action from the word go. There was intrigue, a touch of love story, and great characters. There were also some elements of an upstairs/downstairs storyline which kept things interesting. The ending was also something that I certainly did not see coming. I thought I knew what was going to happen and then was completely surprised – pleasantly so, because it was a better ending than I expected.
Even through the general storyline concept of a lady masquerading as a cook was a little unrealistic, I enjoyed the story overall none-the-less. The characters were entertaining and it was a fast paced read. I would certainly read some of the other novels by this author.
Author Michelle Diener also has written Daughter of the Sky, In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets, Dangerous Sanctuary, In Defense of the Queen, and The Emperor’s Conspiracy. You can visit Diener’s website for additional information about the book.
Reviews of this book by other bloggers:
Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).
You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #BanquetOfLiesTour.
I have one copy of Banquet of Lies to giveaway to one lucky reader from the USA. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your entries. The last day to enter is November 3rd.
Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court
