Killer Tiramisu

By: S. Y. Robins

Narrated by: Gwenn Dawson

Hannah is a 22-year-old apprentice chef who dreams of greatness. Unfortunately, her dreams don't quite meet up with reality, and she spends just as much time in the kitchen accidentally starting fires, mixing up ingredients, and ruining functions as she does cooking.

However, she gets her chance at a big break when the regular dessert chef calls in sick and Hannah is asked to make the dessert for a huge wedding reception that the restaurant is catering. Hannah decides to make her famous Tiramisu recipe - a family recipe that has been passed down for generations, and taught to her by her grandmother. Hannah is sure nothing can go wrong with a recipe she knows so well.

However, disaster strikes when the restaurant manager dies after sampling a trial version of the dessert. Has Hannah's carelessness struck again? Or are one of her coworkers out to get her? After Hannah is fired and disgraced, she sets out to clear her name - and to restore her Tiramisu's reputation.

©2016 Lovy Books Ltd (P)2016 Lovy Books Ltd

A short cozy mystery.

This was a very short who-dun-it based in an Italian restaurant kitchen. Hannah is accused of killing her boss with the dessert she prepared for sampling in order to be given the job of making it for a big catering job. She's determined to figure out who really did it in order to clear her own name.
The story by S.Y. Robbins was cute and the narrator, Gwenn Dawson used a variety of voices for the multiple characters that were fun to listen to.

I'll give a different book in this series a try

I've struggled with this review for my negative about this audiobook is in the realm of personal preference territory.
My only dislike I have with this audiobook being a personal preference has really has bothered me for the author and narrator are real people. This is what they do for fun,  or joy in life. It also helps them put food on the table.
So one more time, just for clarity. Anything negative in this review I have with this audiobook is a personal preference on my part. Thanks.

Killer Tiramisu, as far as short cozy mysteries go, is a cutesy pie non commital story. 
When I say short cozy mystery, I mean just that.
If I were to equate the length of a story to candy bars,  this one is totally a "bite size"
Less than 5 dollars buys you slightly over an hours worth of entertainment to help pass time while waiting at the dr, dentist, driving to work- Whatever it is you do when listening to an audiobook.

Part of me liked the story. Give me a food related cozy mystery, and a cup of coffee & I'm all in. I'm a happy camper.
Here we have Cozy Mystery apprentice chef Hannah.
Saying Hannah is a accident prone is a bit of an understatement. This woman makes more mistakes in the kitchen, than she does food...
Until Hannah gets her moment to shine at the restaurant she works at after the desert chef calls in sick. Hannah gets to make a dessert for a wedding reception the restaurant is catering. Yay! Hannah catches a break and gets a chance to be dessert chef! WooHoo!
Annnnnd then the restaurant manager drops dead sometime after sampling Hannah's Tiramisu. Ouch! Thats gonna put a damper on Hannah's culinary career.....unless she can find out who really killed her coworker.

Then there was the other part of me that hated the narrative "voice" of the main character, Hannah, in this particular story. (if that makes sense.)
Tone and pitch for Hannah imo a good portion of this audiobook drove me up the wall.
Hannahs narrative often sounded like a whiny angsty over dramatic tweenager,  instead of a 22 year old grown woman.
There was just a high enough pitch and tone with a touch of sing song to Hannahs narrative that it often "sounded" to me like this was a children's story being read,  not an adults.
If this where a 3rd grade childs mystery, that Hannahs narrative voice would be spot on. But it's not. 
For that reason alone, I struggled at times trying to get past that personal pitch/tone preference to pay attention and listen to the story.

However, at times Hannahs tone and pitched dropped slightly,  and BAM! What a game changer.
Hannahs narrative of the story to me went from sounding like an annoying child drama queen in a children's story  where absolutley everything becomes an overdramatic end of the world disaster.
To sounding like a 22 year old woman whom unintentionally is a master of disaster to practically everything she touches. Cozy mystery and calamity ensues.
That sounding Hannah, I liked. That was the voice of the lovable accident prone Hannah, and wanted to hear more of, and pay attention to to find out what was going to happen next.

That said.....
There was just something there overall in Killer Tiramisu that I want more of.
I liked how Gwenn Dawson narrated the story even if I didn't care for the pitch/tone she used of how "Hannah" was sometimes telling the story. (make sense?)
I want to hear more of S.Y. Robins Hannahs disasters in the kitchen, and the cozy little death toll that is sure to follow Hannah wherever she goes.

This particular audiobook may not have been "my cup of tea" because it didn't suit my taste the whole entire cup. It wasn't a bad cup of tea. There were parts of it I liked.
I'd give it another go and purchase another book in this series.

A short & sweet cozy

The only thing more frustrating than "chef" Hannah being a total disaster in the kitchen (and burning/breaking everything in her path) was the fact that everyone so easily believed Hannah's tiramisu killed her boss. How did they know the poison came from there & why does no one question it? I felt sorry for Hannah, and in that sense the author did a good job of garnering sympathy. Even though Hannah is a walking disaster & a bit annoying as a character, I would say the narration is what saved this story. It was still a fun little short cozy which I enjoyed listening to & felt fairly surprised by whodunit & why. If you're looking for a quick cozy treat this will fit your bill! I was gifted this book in exchange for my honest review.