Cozy Wednesday with Nell Hampton – Author of Lord of the Pies: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery #GuestPost /#Review / #Giveaway @crookedlanebks

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am excited to welcome Nell Hampton today!

London, British TV, and the Royals

London

I’ve been to London and it’s every bit as interesting as a Midwesterner could imagine. I found it fun and amazingly old. The museums and the parks and the bridges, I felt like I was breathing in the history. The neighborhoods with the Victorian mansions were as interesting as the palaces with their guards and glorious gardens. I went over Christmas which is not a busy time of year for the city. So many people leave to go spend the holidays with their families. The weather was supposed to be in the 50’s the entire time. So I thought I’ll bring a nice leather jacket and be okay. I’m from the Midwest, right? Well, it’s more damp there than I had imagined and that 50 degrees had me shivering.

I walked everywhere from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace to the Millennium Bridge which stretches across the river Thames. St. Paul’s cathedral is awesome. You can climb a staircase to the very top and look out over the city.

I can tell you if you don’t like crowds stay away from the Underground at rush hour. I squeezed inside a train so full that you could wear the shirt sleeves of the guy next to you. Then I went to Harrods’s Department store on Christmas eve when the people were four deep to any counter so there was no getting to see anything you might want to buy.

I wouldn’t want it any other way. It took a while to figure out if you wanted to eat at a pub you had to order food from the bar. They bring it around to the table, but they don’t come to the table and take your orders. I think I sat for an hour before figuring that out.

British TV

When you’re in London, there is so much to see that there is no time to watch British television. Then of course when you do catch a program it’s so different from US live television. It feels almost small town. But I love the programs. I watch Dr. Who, Father Brown, Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders, Sherlock and so many more. The humor and mystery are wonderful and I’ve always been passionate about history and all that goes into the care of keeping of a manor home or palace so those stories are fun.

The Royals

I’ve been following the Royal family most of my life. My father was a huge reader and fan of monarchies. I studied the Royal histories in college as an elective. The idea of protocol and intrigue that followed the royals for centuries. Now they are a favorite soap opera. Who doesn’t love a royal wedding or pictures of the children? When I had this opportunity to write a cozy mystery set in a palace, I had to pick the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their growing family.

So I put all that knowledge and research and respect and imagination into Kale to the Queen followed by Lord of the Pies. I think where you set a cozy is as important as what the sleuth does for a living. Since we can’t all live in London, it’s fun to go there in the pages of a book.

Where is your dream place to visit? Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Lord of the Pies.

Thank you, Nell, for visiting today!

When Carrie Ann Cole bakes a lemon meringue pie to die for that actually kills someone, she must find out who the real killer is before her time at the Kensington Palace expires.

The elegant Orangery at Kensington Palace is the perfect setting for the bridal shower of Carrie Ann Cole’s best friend’s sister. Personal chef to the royal family, Carrie Ann’s pie theme is naturally winning. But a waiter later keels over dead into the lemon meringue pie she leaves as a thank-you to the staff and Carrie Ann realizes that somebody slipped a mickey into that meringue.

Her floury fingerprints are all over that pie and the authorities suspect her distress is a cover-up for murder. Carrie Ann must set out to clear her name if she wants to stay at her dream job any longer. But all too soon, another body drops in the Orangery. This time, it’s the Orangery chef.

Murder won’t crimp her style, and as bodies pile up, Carrie Ann uncovers palace intrigue, London nightlife, and British pies scouring for the killer.

About the Author

An avid foodie and writer, Nell Hampton decided to finally combine her two loves. She lives in Richmond, VA. This is her first mystery. But you may also know her as Nancy J. Parra or Nancy Coco. Check out her webpage here. 

Written as Nancy Coco

Written as Nancy J. Parra

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 copy to give away!

The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
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Click Here For Entry Form

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”