Recipes to Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook (2024)

I hope you'll have as much fun reading the recipes and character sketches in this cookbook -- as I had fun writing them.

Polaris Press
A Companion Cookbook
By Katie Bonner
Manager – Artisan Alley
Victoria Square

We were introduced to Katie in Lorraine’s first book in the Victoria Square series A Crafty Killing.Artisans Alley is the cornerstone of Victoria Square. It is an old applesauce warehouse renovated into a collection of booths for artists and craft dealers to sell their wares. Katie’s original dream was to open a Bed & Breakfast but plans changed when her husband died in a car accident and he already owned part of the Alley. Shortly thereafter, his partner is killed and Katie found herself sole owner of Artisan’s Alley, which turns into a dangerous job until the killer is tracked down.

Since setting things in order at the alley Katie realized that it was her husband who was the real cook in the family. She has been sustaining herself on just sandwiches for far too long. Katie has now gone back to preparing the food she grew up with, the food her Aunt Lizzie taught her to make. As she becomes more than just an “adequate cook” she has generously decided to share her favorite recipes and those from some of her friends on Victoria Square with all of us in this wonderful cookbook.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is an excellent little cookbook. My husband and I both come from a long line of excellent cooks. My mom even owned a small home town cafe, as did her mom. My husband has always been the main chef in our house but even more so since my accident. I couldn’t wait to share this cookbook with him. He had it full of post-it markers in minutes! “This green bean recipe sounds like something by grandma used to make!” “This pie is perfect for Thanksgiving!” The comments went on and on. This book is already a family favorite.

Today there are so many fiction books that include recipes for food mentioned in the stories. Cozy mysteries are famous for this. The problem with that is that right after you finish the book you have to make sure you copy down any recipes you might like to try because you know when you are ready to bake it you won’t remember which book that recipe was in. If you are like me and share your books, if you don’t write the recipe down, it goes right out the door with the book. Thankfully a lot of authors put the recipes on their websites or you can go to Mystery Lovers Kitchen for some of the recipes found in the books.

I love this new idea of companion cookbooks and I hope the trend continues. Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook has found a permanent home in my kitchen with recipes like Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, Aunt Lizzie’s Cream Scones and drinks perfect for Halloween like the Black Widow or Corpse Reviver. There are fun little anecdotes before each recipe. This is truly a one-of-kind cookbook that should be in your kitchen as well.

The next book in the Victoria Square series The Walled Flower
comes out February 7, 2012, but is available to pre-order today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. 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 Endorsem*nts and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What a great idea! This book is written in the voice of the main character from Lorraine Bartlett's Victoria Square Mystery series, Katie Bonner. Readers of this series are already very familiar with the vendors of Artisans Alley Crafts mall and other townspeople who populate the series on an ongoing basis. Now we learn a little more about these individual characters as they submit to Katie their favourite recipes to include in her cookbook. Beginning with "signature drinks", hilariously we learn that the funeral director's selection as his signature drink the Zombie. These unique recipes range from how to make hot chocolate from a powdered mix to Cornish Pasties, Scallops al Forno, slow cooker recipes, lunches, dinners, desserts, and more. Not one of these recipes is difficult to prepare, most are quick and easy, yet delicious. Jordan Tanner, who owns the bakery at Victoria Square, submitted a recipe for Pecan Oatmeal Pie, that looks like it would be good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, very versatile. Each recipe is prefaced by a bit about the character, or in Katie's case often a bit of a snippet about her Aunt Lizzie who raised her and taught her how to bake. Besides the cooking and baking, I also enjoyed this book as a complement to the series.

I found several recipes I'm anxious to try out, especially the Cornish Pasties which I really like but haven't seen a recipe for in my cookbooks, and I was excited to see a recipe for Peanut Butter Buckeyes, simple as can be and I absolutely love the mixture of peanut butter and chocolate. My copy of this book is already full of post-it notes, marking what I want to try. I should have just looked at the index in the back of the book! This is a handy little cookbook, great for potlucks, party hors d'oeuvres, late night snacks, almost any occasion. A very entertaining cookbook for reading and cooking. Would make a great little gift for someone who loves to cook or bake but has little time.

A delightful book complete with recipes that seem in my opinion to coordinate well with the characters from this series. There are many new recipes that I cannot wait to try for myself!

Lot's of Yummy Recips for me to try :)

Victoria Square cooking

Looks great! I look forward to trying some recipes ...they look easy and sound pretty tasty! The scones are the ones I am interested in especially in making.

Thank you

What a great cookbook! Written in the voice of Katie Bonner from the Victoria Square Mystery Series. We get to learn more fun info about these vendors of Artisans Alley Crafts mall and the rest of the townspeople. I have already made the Yummy Banana Bread and the Easy Pesto. Can wait to try more of these great and fun recipes!!

An excellent cookbook from a wonderful author! I love it when authors share their character's favorite recipes. It makes sense, since I love Lorraine ' s characters that some of them would have some great recipes! Thank you!

Love it! Lots of wonderful recipes!

This cookbook has become a recipe book we use weekly in our home. I hope there will be future additional ones as time passes.

This was a first-reads win. Excited to try the recipes in this book.