Rach's Reading Club

Title: MAY CONTAIN MURDER
Series: A CHEF PAUL DELAMARE MYSTERY
Author: Orlando Murrin
Publisher: Kensington Books/A John Scognamiglio Book
Release: December 16 2025
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery: At Sea (Locked-Room)
Review Characters: 1021

I've been a tremendous fan of Orlando Murrin's delectable Culinary Mysteries since the opening pages of KNIFE SKILLS FOR BEGINNERS. In fact, I credit that Debut novel with inspiring my fascination for Culinary Cozies (and subsequently, Cooking shows).

As did KNIFE SKILLS FOR BEGINNERS, MAY CONTAIN MURDER features our delightful Feckless Hero, food writer/sometimes chef/culinary expert Paul Delamare of London, a gentle Gay individual whose devotion to his friends and loved ones is without compare. Struggling to maintain the London cottage left him by his late, lamented, life partner Marcus against the depredations of Marcus' wayward son and reputation-assassin ex-wife, Paul must cope with a (suspiciously) flooded basement so accepts the offer of long-term friend Xera, a descendant of Louis Quatorze's mistress Madame Pompadour, to ghostwrite her memoir. Unfortunately the venue is a Master Yacht sailing from England to the Caribbean, which renders this a "locked-room" situation. Unfortunately, fatalities are unavoidable. Unfortunately, greed is rampant and Secrets are rife. Fortunately, Paul is like a bulldog when detection is involved; and he will never back down this side of death.