Add Cyanide To Taste

eBook, 254 pages

English language

Published by Karmen Špiljak.

ISBN:: 978-65-00-26388-6

(1 review)

A sinister cook, a cursed cake, and a casual dinner between neighbours that goes murderously wrong.

This debut collection of dark tales and recipes by Karmen Špiljak ascends the jagged culinary heights you’ve hungered to explore but could never find on a map. As the characters swoon over every unforgettable mouthful, and sometimes bite off more than they can chew, you’ll find yourself asking: What would I be willing to pay for the meal of a lifetime?

If feasting on culinary noir leaves you hungry, extend your pleasure by preparing the dishes featured in the stories. All recipes provided are cyanide-free.

Karmen Špiljak writes across different genres. Her short fiction has been awarded and anthologised.

1 edition

Stephanie Jane reviewed Add Cyanide To Taste by Karmen Špiljak

A deft culinary noir collection

4 stars

I'm not sure that I've read any Culinary Noir fiction before, but thanks to Karmen Špiljak's new short story collection, Add Cyanide To Taste, I'm now a firm fan of the genre. Each of the fourteen tales has a foodie theme so, as Špiljak suggests in her introduction, keeping snacks to hand is a good idea. I don't think too many of the tales will ruin your appetite!

My favourite stories included the mystical Three Roses and the poignant The Recipe. In fact, the reveal moment in The Recipe is brilliantly done. I actually gasped out loud. Of course, as the stories are short, there isn't a great deal of space for character development, but I appreciated how well Špiljak captures the essentials in order to make each person feel authentic and believable. I could empathise with Hanneke in Pass The Ketchup and found myself getting quite het up on …

I'm not sure that I've read any Culinary Noir fiction before, but thanks to Karmen Špiljak's new short story collection, Add Cyanide To Taste, I'm now a firm fan of the genre. Each of the fourteen tales has a foodie theme so, as Špiljak suggests in her introduction, keeping snacks to hand is a good idea. I don't think too many of the tales will ruin your appetite!

My favourite stories included the mystical Three Roses and the poignant The Recipe. In fact, the reveal moment in The Recipe is brilliantly done. I actually gasped out loud. Of course, as the stories are short, there isn't a great deal of space for character development, but I appreciated how well Špiljak captures the essentials in order to make each person feel authentic and believable. I could empathise with Hanneke in Pass The Ketchup and found myself getting quite het up on behalf of the unnamed woman at the heart of Let It Rot. Špiljak portrays unsettling atmospheres really well too and that is absolutely the making of Add Cyanide To Taste. Luka Rejec's little illustrations are a lovely touch as is the inclusion of a number of receipes at the end of the book, almost all of which are for dishes mentioned in the stories. I'm looking forward to veganising that courgette strudel!

Lists

Vegan / Vegetarian Character Representation