Kale to the Queen (A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery #1) by Nell Hampton

Chef Carrie Ann Cole is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime--an assignment as the new Personal Chef to the Royal Family at Kensington Palace. But no sooner has Carrie Ann touched down across the pond and donned her apron than a dead body crops up beneath the royal kale beds.

With one assistant dead and the other soon under suspicion for his murder, Carrie Ann is scrambling to keep her kitchen up and running. Not to mention she gets off to an immediate bad start with the tempestuous Royal Chef Butterbottom, who has a bitter taste in his mouth since the prestigious position in the Royal Family's kitchen was given to an "over-privileged, under-educated American chef."

But the Royal Family's appetites wait for no one, and Carrie Ann must solve the murder and still get supper on the table on time--even with the annoyingly handsome Head of Security Ian Gordon tracking her every move like an MI6 agent. Suspects abound as an American chef adds a bit of spice to the traditional royal household in the first in Nell Hampton's charming and tasty Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series, Kale to the Queen.   (Summary via Goodreads)

Kale to the Queen is the first book in the Kensington Place Chef Mystery series by Nell Hampton and boy is it a GREAT start !!!

Carrie is hired to be the personal family chef for the Duke and Dutchess and thier children.  This is a great opportunity for her and she cannot wait to get started.  Unfortunately on her second day of employement she comes across one of her assistants murdered in the greenhouse adjacent to her kitchen.  Still recovering from jet leg and trying to get around the humongous  palace, Carrie has her hands full.  But when her other assistant is arrested for the murder, she makes it her job to find the real killer.  This,  however, is not an easy task as she has just arrived in London and doesn't know anyone especially someone that would want to murder her assistant.

Kale to the Queen has a very colorful and lovable group of characters......there is the Royal Chef Butterbottom who is in charge of the Royal families event meals who dislikes all Americans and there is the Head of Security Ian Gordon who is very charming and don't get me started on the hunky gardener....

Pick up Kale to the Queen and let Nell Hampton take you on a trip across the pond....you don't need to pack or get a pass port...just pick a comfy place to sit, grab a cup of tea and a cookie and open up your mind.....You will be glad you did !!!

I can tell you this.....I cannot wait for the next installment of the Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series !!  

Review by Missi S.