There is so much to like about the Café La Femme series (of which THE BLACKMAIL BLEND is #1.5), that a novella drizzled into the middle of existing novels, A TRIFLE DEAD and DROWNED VANILLA is a lovely treat - dare one suggest the icing on the cake? It seems that there is a third book in the series KEEP CALM & KILL THE CHEF on it's way now as well.

For those that haven't come across these books before they are funny, clever and charming cosies with recipes, vintage clothes, spendidly elaborate friends, cafe society and a hefty dose of romance, love, lust and murder, set in Hobart Tasmania.

In THE BLACKMAIL BLEND add to that a marvellously unpleasant romance writer who is not above a lot of nasty behaviour with adoring fans and accolytes into the bargain, and the absolute CHEEK of somebody attempting to use an event at Tabitha Darling's cafe as the setting for a little revenge, and you're suddenly knee deep in cupcakes and possible suspects.

Even allowing for the novella length, this is a rapid paced read as the high-fun and high-jinks will have readers enthralled from the start. Beautifully balanced between the ancillary (recipes / clothes / friends / lust and love) and the point (murder / revenge / worthy victims), the whole series is a bit of a masterclass in the art of unforced entertainment. Of course you're going to have to be a fan of something that's just that little bit over-the-top, slightly tongue in cheek and oh so slightly silly for them to totally work. But once you're hooked, even fans of the darker side might find themselves waiting impatiently for the next outing. You may also find yourself suddenly tempted to dust off the trifle bowl and ice-cream maker and try some of the included recipes.

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The Blackmail Blend by Livia Day is a novelette set in between the novels A Trifle Dead and Drowned Vanilla. For maximum enjoyment it's probably best read after A Trifle Dead although it doesn't really contain any significant spoilers.

The Blackmail Blend features our favourite desert-making amateur detective, Tabitha, as she organises and caters a regency high tea for a romance book launch. But of course something has to go horribly wrong and it may or may not have something to do with Stewart's grudge against the author. Before long, there's a mystery to solve and food to feed potential sources of information.

If you've read Livia Day's other books, then you know what to expect from The Blackmail Blend: a fun, food-based mystery. If you haven't read the other books, this story will give you a good idea of what to expect. It's obviously much shorter, and unlike the novels does not quite involve a murder. But it's the same style and, although there aren't any recipes, it has the same fixation on food. So if you're curious about Livia Day's books and maybe aren't sure if you'd like them, definitely give The Blackmail Blend a shot. The ebook also includes the first few chapters of A Trifle Dead to give you an even better idea of what you'd be getting into.

The Blackmail Blend was a fun read and I would recommend it to all fans of cosy mysteries. Especially anyone looking for a quick read. It fits in neatly between the two novels and has made me even more excited to read the next book in the series when it eventually comes out.

4.5 / 5 stars

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