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A FATAL FEAST AT BRAMSFORD MANOR is the first book in the brand-new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series by Darci Hannah. Oh my, what a fun romp through an English manor house with things that go bump in the night! Scottish protagonist Bunny MacBride is an accomplished New York City chef and has been offered a position on the new reality TV show, Food & Spirits. In her excitement, she misses that the “spirits” mentioned aren’t cocktail-based, instead it’s a ghost hunting show. Ms. Hannah’s way with words brings the descriptions to life in the most humorous of ways, and she sets up each scene for maximum entertainment. I loved each of the characters and found it especially charming that some of them have made previous appearances in the author’s other two series (Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries and Very Cherry Mysteries). Bunny is endearing as she struggles with her own tragic loss, which makes her seem relatable. I greatly enjoyed the addition of Bunny’s clairvoyant grandmother, who brings some much-needed comfort to Bunny and is the “team grandma” who guides the hapless ghost hunters with much entertainment.
The TV crew’s first stop is at an English countryside manor house, where a long-ago bride’s wedding day turned to tragedy. Bunny is soon in for a shock when she finds the house is not only haunted, but someone is a murderer and is out to frame her. I’ve always enjoyed long ago mysteries that need to be solved alongside current day murders. Ms. Hannah expertly weaves the two together, keeping the action and the intrigue moving at a fast clip. With shocking reveals and enough suspects to keep me guessing, I devoured the book, loath to put it down for even a moment. The one and only downside is that I don’t have the second book sitting by to dive into… I can’t wait to read what’s next in store for Bunny and the crew!
Bunny has thoughtfully included several of her recipes—sweet, savory, and libations—at the back of the book “to entertain your family and friends (and ghosts, if that’s what you’re into)”. If you’ve followed me for long, you know I love cookies and I couldn’t wait to try Bunny’s Chocolate Digestive Biscuits. This British teatime treat is oatmeal based which gives it a nice chewy texture. And while the biscuit (cookie) isn’t as sweet as American desserts, the addition of the chocolate, adds a delightful flavor. I like the recipe’s tip about mixing the dough up in the food processor, which made these a breeze to mix up. Next time I’m in the mood for a delicious cookie with my afternoon tea, I’ll be reaching for this recipe!
Amazon Synopsis
It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.
Disliking spooks but loving food, Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. It’s a sumptuous meal she hopes will entice the ghostly Mistletoe Bride to take a seat and join them while the cameras roll. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!
A huge thank you to Darci Hannah for offering two signed print copies of A FATAL FEAST AT BRAMSFORD MANOR plus some swag to two lucky winners! Contest ends August 28, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Prep time: 10 minutes. Rest time: 30 minutes.
Cook time 12 - 15 minutes.
Makes 18 cookies.
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour**
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup cold buttermilk
- 1 cup milk chocolate or dark chocolate, chopped
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To make oat flour, place the 2/3 cup of oatmeal in a food processor with a metal chopping blade. Grind the oatmeal until it resembles coarse flour.
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In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, ground oats, baking powder, salt, and sugar and mix with a spoon* until well blended. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers), cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in cold buttermilk and form dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). On a floured surface, roll out dough until it's just under 1/4 inch thick. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. This will prevent the cookies from buckling as they bake. Using a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut out cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
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Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. remove to a cooling rack.
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In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate, heating it for 30 seconds at a time. Stir well between each heating until chocolate is velvety smooth. You can either dip the bottom of the cookies into the chocolate or dollop a spoonful on the bottom of each cookie. Using a knife, smooth the chocolate, making sure it covers the entire bottom of the cookie. Place cookies chocolate side up on cooling rack. Allow the chocolate to cool completely before serving
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I prefer to make this cookie dough by hand, as my mum taught me. However, if you have a food processor and are making the oat flour, by all means, make the dough in the food processor. Using a metal chopping blade, blend all dry ingredients together before adding the cold butter. Add the butter and blend again until the dough resembles coarse sand, then add the buttermilk for the final blend. Easy-peasy!
**Author Darci Hannah has also made these chocolate digestives substituting whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour with success.
Cinnamon & Sugar made a second batch and substituted the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free cup-for-cup blend. It was every bit as delicious as the original recipe.
Note: Darci’s Facebook accounts were hacked and Facebook has blocked Darci for 6 months from opening new accounts. If you would be so kind to show her support by following her Instagram account, it would be greatly appreciated! I’ve also included an entry point in the Rafflecopter to follow her, but am not able to insert a direct link to her account (which means you have to copy and paste). You can use this link instead to visit, then take the bonus entry point. Thank you for showing Darci how much we appreciate her books!
https://www.instagram.com/authordarcihannah/
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book sounds like a great start to a series! Sounds very intriguing!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy this spooky fun cozy mystery!
Looks like a series that I would definitely enjoy!
I love commercial chocolate digestives, so I’m sure homemade will be terrific!
” All the chocolate to cool completely before serving” Allow?
Thanks for catching my typo!
What an interesting name—I have never heard them called that before.
Your new book sounds so good!
It’s a British recipe and very common in England.
I’m excited for a new series! I love her books!
I look forward to this new series
I love digestives and the
New series sounds delightful!!!