Murder by Meringue: A Vivid Sydney Cozy Culinary Murder Mystery (A Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery)

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By Nicholas Stone

There is a particular kind of reading pleasure that is almost impossible to manufacture and very easy to recognize: the feeling of being completely transported somewhere delightful while something deliciously sinister unfolds around you. Greta Sinclair has built an entire series around that feeling, and Murder by Meringue delivers it with the confidence of a writer who knows exactly what her readers came for and has no intention of disappointing them.

Reading it feels like being handed a front-row seat to Sydney's Vivid festival with a cocktail in one hand and a growing sense of unease in the other. Sinclair's descriptions of the culinary world Darcy moves through have a sensory richness that goes well beyond set dressing. The pavlovas, the lamingtons, the elite dessert competitions, these are rendered with the kind of specific, mouthwatering detail that only someone who genuinely loves food can produce. And then the celebrity judge collapses, and Lizzie's shoes appear where they absolutely should not be, and the warmth of the setting suddenly has a very cold shadow running through it.

What Sinclair does particularly well is balance. The mystery has real stakes, a frame job designed to destroy Darcy's marriage and her best friend's freedom is not a cozy premise to take lightly, and yet the book never loses the warmth and wit that define the series. Mozart steals scenes with the reliable charm of a supporting character who has earned every moment, and the friendship between Darcy and Lizzie gives the investigation an emotional core that keeps you turning pages even when the sugar fraud subplot gets complicated.

The Sydney setting is handled with the same loving specificity that has made each destination in this series feel like a genuine character in its own right. You come away wanting to visit.

For readers who love their mysteries sunny on the surface and satisfyingly twisty underneath, with a bonus recipe tucked in at the end, this book is exactly the kind of company a quiet afternoon deserves.

About the Author

Greta Sinclair

Greta Sinclair is a multiple bestselling Amazon cozy mystery author and foodie whose work earned a Silver Medal in the 2025 Global Book Awards for A Very Sticky Murder. After a successful career in the medical field, she turned her passion for travel, food, and storytelling into writing mysteries filled with charming settings, culinary intrigue, and clever twists. A classically trained pianist and violinist, Greta now plays the harp. Her travels and love of global cuisine continue to inspire the rich atmosphere and memorable destinations found in her cozy mysteries.