Set in an old family house, Grafton Manor, where a yearly baking contest is held, The Golden Spoon is the best combination of a game of Clue with the well-loved television show, British Bake Off.

Betsy Martin, better known as America’s grandmother, was born and raised at Grafton Manor. So, it’s fitting that Bake Week has been held there for many years since its inception. Every year, six home bakers descend upon Grafton to compete in a weeklong contest to win the highly coveted Golden Spoon which will prove their baking skills. But things aren’t quite so golden this year…

There’s a new co-host on set, invited by producers to increase the waning ratings, much to Betsy’s chagrin. His presence makes some contestants uneasy, and that’s before small mishaps start happening: salt and sugar are mixed up, things are burned on too high heat, and ingredients go bad. Something is afoot at Grafton Manor!

This is Jessa Maxwell’s debut, and it’s a stellar one. Fast paced with delicious descriptions of the treats being baked, The Golden Spoon kept me flipping pages well into the night, wanting to figure out what was going on. The mystery was two-fold, as one of the contestants has a personal connection to Grafton and she tries to solve that, amidst the other sabotage that is ongoing.

The six characters have unique personalities, with intriguing backstories, which makes you feel bad when they’re booted off the show. There’s a spurned journalist, a handsome contractor, a bored millionaire, the youngest home baker ever on the show, the matronly grandmother, and the perfectionist eccentric. Maxwell does a great job at slowly divulging her characters’ secrets so that the plot unravels like a peeled onion.

Another unmentioned character in the novel is Grafton Manor itself. The contestants stay at Grafton every year during the competition, while the crew stays in town, but they are forbidden from entering the East Wing, as it is Betsy’s private residence. But that doesn’t stop some of the characters from snooping and discovering the secrets that the manor is hiding.

The story flies and it is a quick read, as the narration switches between the contestants and Betsy. The beginning is stronger than the end, but everything ties up nicely, making The Golden Spoon a delectable mystery perfect for devouring.