Competitive cook turned novelist, Martine Bailey took the 18th Century kitchen as the inspiration for her tale of mystery and adventure in the life of her heroine Biddy. Biddy is a cook in a big country house with a new, young and very spoiled mistress whose favourite sweetmeat is violets. Recipes and culinary history puncuate this novel in a brand new genre: CULINARY GOTHIC! A great and crumbly read, just like a squashed fly biscuit!