A Tasty Review of Milk Tart Murders by Sally Andrew

Have you met Tannie Maria yet? No? Well, it’s time you do.

This is the fourth book in Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria mystery collection, but it’s the first I’m reading. The books are set in Ladismith, a tiny town nestled within the Klein Karoo, South Africa. There’s some nostalgia about being South African and reading a book based in the very country you’ve grown up in.

Sally Andrew is an impeccable writer, taking her readers along on a surprising mystery case. But what surprised me the most was the depth of the characters in Andrew’s book — especially Maria. Her love of food, her hometown, and the handsome policeman that stole her heart, all had me rooting for her to not only find the murderer but to find her happiness too.

Throughout the book, Tannie M mentions, makes, and shares a LOT of delicious Karoo-inspired recipes — so be warned, you need a healthy amount of snacks while reading! But once you’ve helped Tannie Maria and Jessie find the murderer and the treasure, you are rewarded with a few pages worth of those exact recipes! <3

The Plot

In this fourth installment of our beloved Tannie Maria’s mysteries, Sally Andrew takes us on yet another captivating adventure.

Tannie M and her sidekick colleague Jessie try to figure out who is murdering people in town, where Oom Frik’s treasure is, and who they can trust.

In between, Maria continues to help people heal with food – but it turns out she needs some of her own healing. Will she and Henk end up happy ever after? And what about her chickens?!

Besides murder, corruption, love triangles, and a stunning depiction of the magical Karoo, Andrew also dives just slightly into topics like addiction, PTSD, etc. And does it all so well.