The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride [BOOK REVIEW]

I don’t recommend reading “The Tasting Menu” on an empty stomach! 

About The Book:

In this short tale from Stuart MacBride, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Dead of Winter and the Logan McRae series, sometimes a meal ends with unjust deserts…

Three friends go on a foodie road trip to the Scottish Highlands and Islands to celebrate their pending retirement, expecting stunning scenery, great food, fine wines, and a chance to reminisce about the good old days. When they somehow secure a reservation at a remote and extremely exclusive restaurant set on a private island in Loch Broom, they know they’re in for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.

The question is: what is on the menu? Because all is not as it seems. One of the three friends is a killer, one is a liar, and one will do whatever it takes to survive…

My Thoughts:

Firstly, a huge thank you to the team at Riot Communications, for sending me an e-copy of “The Tasting Menu”. I don’t usually read e-books (I prefer flipping pages and annotating), but I made an exception on this occasion. 

The book is short and packed with action and I read it in one sitting. We follow a group of older friends that are celebrating retirement, and they stay at this ultra posh and expensive restaurant set on a private island. 

Very shortly after their arrival and their first meal, things turn sour (pun was likely intended). There is non-stop action after that in a short span. The book itself had many twists and unexpected moments. 

The issue is that the book is and stays an appetiser.

There is no full course meal to follow or a desert. It was too short to my liking. And because of this, I felt like there was little to no time to get to know the characters. And when a character was betrayed, or murdered, I felt nothing. I couldn’t get a moment of shock or surprise because I didn’t get invested. This is the only reason the book gets a lower rating.

I did, however, very much enjoy the food references. Every chapter was structured as a menu, and we got various different meals and wine recommendations.

“Smoked Frog’s Legs served in a gilded White-Chocolate-&-powdered-Lobster ball, with a Lobster-&-Tarragon velouté” 
–
Hirsch Vineyards Hirsch Estate Chardonnay, 2020

I am not sure if I would recommend the book, unfortunately. Perhaps, if you are interested in a short mystery and if you are a foodie. It’s a good book to pick up if you are bored late in the night and want something quick and easy to read. If the synopsis seems intriguing to you, please do pick this book up. You never know, you might end up loving it and I hope that you do!

About The Author:

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