First came the book, then the TV series – only just. A Taste for Murder, Matt Baker’s debut novel, was published in the UK in January 2026, with the television series adaptation following in April. To confuse matters further, it was published in the US on 4 August.
Which came first isn’t the point. That Baker is a screenwriter is much more relevant, as A Taste for Murder was clearly written with television in mind. It features an exotic Capri setting, copious amounts of Italian food, family drama and the small matter of murder. It’s almost as if Recipes for Love and Murder had a baby with Death in Paradise, minus the humour. Whether this is a good or bad thing is entirely up to your… umm… taste in crime novels.
Widowed DCI Joe Mottram of London’s Metropolitan Police murder squad is spending six weeks of enforced leave on Capri with his 17-year-old daughter, Angelica. The island was home to his late wife, Sofia, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident eleven months prior. Sofia’s parents still run their popular beachside restaurant, Da Vinale, and Joe hopes the visit will help repair his relationship with his daughter. Relations with his in-laws, particularly his father-in-law, Gennaro, are strained as they still haven’t forgiven him for taking Sofia away from the island. However, they find a way to reconnect and make peace through food – and there’s plenty of it, so read this on a full stomach.
Of course, a holiday story needs some mystery. Enter a dead body. British businesswoman Shannon Elizabeth Headley is found dead at the foot of a dangerous cliff on the north-east coast of Capri. Shannon owned the lucrative dating app Girl Cupid and was due to marry Manny Sanghera. The couple had come to the Amalfi Coast ahead of their wedding. Shannon was advised by her father to demand a prenuptial agreement and she planned to call off the wedding if Manny refused.
Suspicion naturally falls on the fiancé, but he was not on the island when Shannon died. They argued on their last morning in Positano, and she went to Capri alone. Shannon had taken a selfie on the cliff: was this death by selfie? Considering her dress and sandals, she was hardly geared for a hike. Was she pushed?
Lara Sarrancino, a young local police inspector, works the case with her colleague, Gianni Gallo. Because Shannon is a British citizen, Joe is asked to consult, which frustrates Lara. Desperate to prove herself, she is used to having her decisions second-guessed and her authority undermined. Even her father thought she was too soft to be a police officer.
Despite initial resistance, Joe proves invaluable when leads go nowhere and suspects all have alibis. Shannon had four times the safe amount of fentanyl in her bloodstream and the drug was also found in her hotel room. The couple had an open relationship and both used her app to hook up with others. She was about to sell her company for millions, but a lawsuit by a university friend and early business partner prevented the sale. Suspects include the ex-business partner, who happened to be on the island at the time of her death; Luca, a chef at Da Vinale with a criminal record; and of course, her fiancé.
Then a second body turns up. Zuzu Esposito, a waitress at a party, is found dead on a rocky beach. Joe realises that a dark undercurrent runs through his wife’s idyllic childhood hometown, hiding many secrets, including some kept by his in-laws.
At the core of A Taste of Murder are relationships. There is Joe’s relationship with Angelica, a typical teenager who promptly falls in love with a dubious local boy. Joe struggles to connect with her after his wife’s death and her reckless behaviour sows further distrust. Already strained relations with his in-laws are stretched further when he finds out they’re struggling to keep the restaurant afloat financially.
The heavy family drama, detailed cooking descriptions and a vivid setting tilt the novel more in the direction of culinary travel writing than a full-on crime novel. The title offers a hint that food would be central, but the journey is too heavy on food and too light on the crime in my opinion, even for a cosy. On the flipside, if you love a mystery in a fabulous setting, this will go down well.
Also check out Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postelle-Vinay.
Penguin/Crooked Lane Books
Print/Kindle/iBook
£9.49
CFL Rating: 3 Stars
