A locked room thriller set in a creepy manor while a baking competition show is being filmed (think The Great British Bakeoff vibes). If you want blood and cupcakes, The Golden Spoon is your next read. Grab a cup of coffee, and maybe some cake, and let’s chat.

Before we get started, I’d like to give a huge hug to NetGalley, Jessa Maxwell, and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was one of my most anticipated releases for March, so I’m honored to have received a copy.

a fun premise

If someone were to ask me to describe this thriller in one word, my response would be fun. This was such a joy to read, which is odd since it’s a thriller and there’s a murder involved. But there’s also cake. I loved the baking show backdrop and it got me in the mood to watch a few episodes of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.

I don’t want to give a bunch away because it’s a thriller, but the story starts out a lot like Lucy Foley’s thrillers.

a peephole prologue

If you liked The Guest List or The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, you’ll probably love this book.
This isn’t the technical term (I don’t know if there is one), but I call this writing device a “peephole prologue.” The first chapter in the book offers a peephole into the murder. We see someone dripping blood from the top of the baking tent and we know that it’s Betsy, the host, who discovers the body.
And then the timeline zooms back to whenever the story starts and we work our way up to the point in the prologue.

Personally, I don’t like this writing style. This is morbid as fuck, but I don’t like how nobody dies until eighty percent into the book with these thrillers. I like the whodunnit, but I need that to happen after the murder takes place instead of hunting for clues beforehand.

It’s just a personal preference.

multiple pov

To say that this is a multiple point of view thriller is an understatement. We’re told this story from seven (I think) perspectives: one for each contestant and then we get Betsy’s. This was a little disjointing at first before we knew who everyone was, but it does settle. There were bits that were confusing, but it didn’t detract from the book much.

As a side note, I really loved the short chapters. It made the plot go so much faster. We see some scenes from multiple perspectives, but it’s not repetitive. The perspectives will switch at the same point, so we’re not retracing steps.

the ending

Again, I’m not going to go into detail… but the ending was fine. It was predictable, but I don’t think a thriller needs to take you by complete surprise in order for you to have a good time. I saw the murder-related twists coming from a mile away, but I still loved the journey getting there.

What really held my attention was Lottie’s story. Her story is a subplot that feeds into the bigger plot and it’s amazing. I honestly would’ve loved more background and information on her part of the story.

Overall, this was a fun read. I wouldn’t say it’s the best thriller I’ve ever read, but it was a blast. I recommend reading The Golden Spoon for the characters and the setting, especially if you’re into baking and/or competition shows.