Today we are looking at Baking Bad, by Kim M. Watt. It is a cosy murder mystery with dragons! So it is different from a lot of the books I have been reading recently, it happens in a almost real world setting – that’s different enough, right?
First, let’s all agree, Baking Bad is a terrible pun and thus I know we must all adore it. So I was already coming to this book with a bit of glee and looking forward to what was to come. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Set in the cosy village of Toot Hansell, it is a classic and perfect example. We have a busy Women’s Institute**, summer fetes, a bullied vicar, and oh yes, murder and dragons too.
Given the setting, one of those last points is probably more expected than the other.
I mean a cosy village like this is just where murders happen, right?
But let’s talk about the dragons instead.
The dragons are still in hiding from the centuries of hunting they faced in the middle and medieval ages, but they are working with the ladies of the Toot Hansell WI to make their lives better and to acclimate to the modern world. They have an entire system. The local hippy runs an Etsy store, so they sell works of art made from melted wire and dragon scales through that, and then use the money to buy things like gas-powered barbecues.
It’s a smart system, everything is going great for Beaumont, High Lord of the Cloverly Dragons, he’s seeing his people flourish and is getting lots of treats from the lovely WI ladies along the way.
Then the local vicar is poisoned.
Poor lad, he apparently made his life over after a time in the slammer, so there are plenty of dodgy types in his backstory to point fingers at, but the interest most people have is towards the people he is currently surrounded by.
Who mostly seem to be members of the WI, because of course they are. What kind of cosy mystery would this be if we didn’t have the locals getting neck deep in trouble?
In particular, we see a lot from Alice, head of the WI, who has a few skeletons in her own closet, and Miriam, who found the poor vicar after his untimely demise. But we also get a point of view from the officer investigating the case, DI Adams, came up from London after experiencing vague and undetermined trauma that might have a magical origin, something to find out in the later books in the series, I assume. She’s another older lady, too, by the way, so basically all the point of view characters are ladies of an indeterminate age – or dragons!
I particularly loved the byplay between these characters. The fact that we have a window into each of their heads, and so can see how they react to one another, is really enjoyable. They are each ridiculous in their own ways, but also practical and they make sense to themselves.
I love a character who makes bizarre choices but rationalises them.
So if you are looking for a fun, cosy mystery, with dragons, then I think this is one you should pick up! It is the first in a series of nine books so once you have finished this one there will be plenty more for you to stick your teeth into.
Let me know what you think,
K
** Just adding a little note here. If you are unaware, the Women’s Institute is the biggest women’s group in the UK and are basically iconic. They help women to connect with people in their local communities, encourage art and education, and do a lot of charitable work.
Leave a Reply