Whodunnits unfailingly attract an audience. This explains why M-Net’s new series, “Recipes for Love and Murder”, has viewers salivating at those tantalising promos.
This TV adaptation of Sally Andrew’s mystery novels smacks of intrigue with a small-town charm.
I managed to watch three episodes ahead of the show’s premiere but was terribly underwhelmed, stellar cast notwithstanding.
The quirky series, while shot against the beautiful countryside Karoo landscape (as well as Scotland), is missing a few crucial ingredients: direction and a taut script.
Set in Eden, a fictional town in the Karoo, Tannie Maria (aka Maria Purvis), played by Maria Doyle Kennedy (“The Tudors”, “Dexter”, “Outlander” and “Orphan Black”) is renowned for her delicious food, the recipes of which she shares in her column in the local newspaper, The Gazette.
When the cash-strapped publication decides to axe her column in favour of an Agony Aunt column, Tannie Maria volunteers to do it.
But she isn’t the only one with her hand up. The publication’s tenacious cub writer Jessie September (Kylie Fisher) throws her hat in the ring and editor Hattie Wilson (Jennifer Steyn) resolves the issue by getting them both to prove their mettle.
Tannie Maria decides to help Martine Burger (Tinarie van Wyk Loots), a wife who is at her wits’ end with her abusive husband Dirk (Bennie Fourie).
But her curry recipe fails to do the trick as Martine is later found murdered.
In a town where the “serious” crime cases involve speeding offences of a harmless drunk joyriding in a tractor, a murder gets everyone talking, and rattled.
And detective Khaya Meyer (Tony Kgoroge) could do without the meddling and gossip-mongering in his investigation.
But Tannie Maria, who often drops by the police station with treats that are devoured by Constable Piet (Elton Landrew) and Warrant Officer Regardt Snyman (Arno Greeff), can’t stay away from the case. And neither can Jessie.
As the parallel investigations continue, Martine’s close friendship with her gay friend Anna Pretorius (Daneel van der Walt ) compounds the situation as she becomes a suspect.
Other colourful characters include domestic worker Grace (Lee Duru); Martine’s clock-watching boss Cornel van Wyk (Alan Committie), who is also sweet on a disinterested Hattie; Martine’s sister Candy (Rolanda Marais); and camp local butcher Doep (Terence Bridgett).
Schalk Bezuidenhout makes a cameo as a lousy chef who wants to come clean to the love of his life.
When another murder takes place, the pressure to find the culprit/s heightens.
This 10-part series should tick all the right boxes for a captivating super sleuth series. But it falls short, mostly for trying to be too many things at the same time: a drama, a comedy, a whodunnit and a romance.
It’s like a stew that’s been over-seasoned: looks delicious enough but is far from appetising.
Whatever charm and intrigue the series initially held in episode one starts waning as it becomes somewhat directionless in focusing on the overarching crime-solving aspect.
As such, this show has turned into a recipe for disaster because, although it has all the great ingredients, it is marred by overambitious creatives. Pity!
“Recipes for Love and Murder” premieres on M-Net (DSTV Channel 101) on Sunday, March 20, at 8pm.