About the Book
About the Book
An Appetite for Violets
Irrepressible Biddy Leigh, under-cook at forbidding Mawton Hall, only wants to marry her childhood sweetheart and set up her own tavern. But when her elderly master marries young Lady Carinna, Biddy is unwittingly swept up in a world of scheming, secrets and lies. Forced to accompany her new mistress to Italy, she documents her adventures and culinary discoveries in an old household book of recipes, The Cook’s Jewel. Biddy grows intrigued by her fellow travelers, but her secretive and unconventional mistress is the most intriguing of all.
In London, Biddy finds herself attracted to her mistress’s younger brother. In France, she discovers her mistress’s dark secret. At last in Italy, Biddy becomes embroiled in a murderous conspiracy, knowing the secrets she holds could be a key to a better life...or her downfall.
Inspired by 18th-century household books of recipes and set at the time of the invention of the first restaurants, AN APPETITE FOR VIOLETS is a literary feast for lovers of historical fiction. Martine Bailey's novel opens a window into the fascinating lives of servants, while also delivering a suspenseful tale of obsession and betrayal.
An Appetite for Violets
- Publication Date: January 13, 2015
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction
- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
- ISBN-10: 1250056918
- ISBN-13: 9781250056917