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Burton and Lamb #6
The Ambrosia Project
When food magnate Brett Ingram collapses and dies at a public event, his seafood allergy is blamed and the caterer, Nick Demetriou, charged with manslaughter. Nick hires legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb to defend him. They scrutinise the colourful panellists at the event - a food blogger, a beef farmer, a food scientist, a TV chef and a radio host - who all seem to be holding something back. There's something fishy about the allergy story. Did one of the speakers have a hand in the businessman's death? And what of the nasty incidents that keep befalling them? Should the net be cast wider to include opponents of Brett's mysterious Ambrosia initiative? In another of Abi Silver's nail-biting games of courtroom cat-and-mouse, Judith and Constance must find the truth among a smorgasbord of lies and deception.
464 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 18, 2022
As soon as I saw 'courtroom drama', I was in. Legal thrillers are literally my bread and butter. I adore courtroom dramas so couldn't pass this one up!
The prologue started a little slowly for me, I want the prologue to whet my appetite, give me a taste of what happens later and get me excited for what's to come. That being said, it set the scene well for the death and I was looking forward to reading it play out.
I liked the characters- I hadn't seen they were part of a series but I'd love to read the other books. Judith and Constance are just great- funny, clever and full of insightful wisdom
Now the good stuff *rubs hands together*- the courtroom drama was brilliant. Exactly what I hoped it would be. Full of twists and toing and froing from the defence to the prosecution.
This is a fairly lengthy book at 451 pages, and I think it could have been a little shorter to improve the pacing.
Legal thriller fans will love this. As I expected, it was my favourite part of the book.
The prologue started a little slowly for me, I want the prologue to whet my appetite, give me a taste of what happens later and get me excited for what's to come. That being said, it set the scene well for the death and I was looking forward to reading it play out.
I liked the characters- I hadn't seen they were part of a series but I'd love to read the other books. Judith and Constance are just great- funny, clever and full of insightful wisdom
Now the good stuff *rubs hands together*- the courtroom drama was brilliant. Exactly what I hoped it would be. Full of twists and toing and froing from the defence to the prosecution.
This is a fairly lengthy book at 451 pages, and I think it could have been a little shorter to improve the pacing.
Legal thriller fans will love this. As I expected, it was my favourite part of the book.
October 17, 2022
This is the 6th book in the series, and as I haven't read the other ones (although I will now be getting them!) I can say it does work as a stand alone !
Ah this was a great crime thriller which kept my attention hooked the whole way through , the pace was fast, the storyline was engaging , full of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Burton and Lamb are investigating the death of Brett Ingram , owner of a food company. The book is the different points of view of the suspects which gives you a whole new way of reading it and gathering the clues as you read. A really great read!!
Ah this was a great crime thriller which kept my attention hooked the whole way through , the pace was fast, the storyline was engaging , full of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Burton and Lamb are investigating the death of Brett Ingram , owner of a food company. The book is the different points of view of the suspects which gives you a whole new way of reading it and gathering the clues as you read. A really great read!!
October 14, 2022
Brett Ingram has got a variety of food experts out to discuss the future of food technologies and lifestyles after a buffet lunch. When he keels over, the finger is instantly pointed at the hired chef who professes his innocence. Enter the best courtroom pairing (IMHO) Constance Lamb and Judith Burton to take on the case and battle the slightly smarmy CPS appointed barrister. I’ve got admit, I love the way Judith handles her opponent and the witnesses in the courtroom, she keeps her cards close to her chest and leads them up the avenue she needs to defend her client.
Abi Silver has contrived a murder thriller set in the kitchen and courtroom about one of my favourite subjects: food. We can’t live without food and I for one love the stuff. So setting the untimely death of a food magnate in front of an intimate audience made for an interesting start to this read. Was the chef guilty as charged or was this a case of subterfuge and misdirection by another party or indeed an unfortunate accident?!
Silver doesn’t write “normal” legal thrillers, there is always an angle to them. Previous books have looked at your more obvious take on tech such as AI, self driving cars and gaming. This time Silver looks at technological advances in food that are possibly required in this modern age of population growth. She also discusses the various food beliefs of veganism and carnivorous diets. And then there is the title, the Ambrosia Project but my lips are sealed on that one!!!
As always, Silver not only orchestrates a fascinating and addictive legal thriller but she made me think about topical issues. The world’s population is booming, the cost of living in the UK is increasing, and we’re told there is an obesity crisis that could cripple the NHS. Silver’s characters provide arguments for all these issues which got me wondering about all sorts (not liquorice) of food issues. I seriously enjoyed this return to the courtroom with Judith and Constance. Silver’s unique twist on the legal thriller is always a joy to read and I can’t wait to see what awaits in book 7!
Abi Silver has contrived a murder thriller set in the kitchen and courtroom about one of my favourite subjects: food. We can’t live without food and I for one love the stuff. So setting the untimely death of a food magnate in front of an intimate audience made for an interesting start to this read. Was the chef guilty as charged or was this a case of subterfuge and misdirection by another party or indeed an unfortunate accident?!
Silver doesn’t write “normal” legal thrillers, there is always an angle to them. Previous books have looked at your more obvious take on tech such as AI, self driving cars and gaming. This time Silver looks at technological advances in food that are possibly required in this modern age of population growth. She also discusses the various food beliefs of veganism and carnivorous diets. And then there is the title, the Ambrosia Project but my lips are sealed on that one!!!
As always, Silver not only orchestrates a fascinating and addictive legal thriller but she made me think about topical issues. The world’s population is booming, the cost of living in the UK is increasing, and we’re told there is an obesity crisis that could cripple the NHS. Silver’s characters provide arguments for all these issues which got me wondering about all sorts (not liquorice) of food issues. I seriously enjoyed this return to the courtroom with Judith and Constance. Silver’s unique twist on the legal thriller is always a joy to read and I can’t wait to see what awaits in book 7!
October 16, 2022
I do love a good court-room drama and this one had some brilliant twists in too.
It was clear that our main characters, Burton and Lamb - legal duo, had more stories to tell and that this was not the first book in their series - but the back-stories were brief and concise making this a brilliant stand-alone book too.
Our couple are hired to defend caterer Nick who is accused of malpractice when one of a party that he is booked to cater for, dies abruptly on stage during a public meeting.
There are quite a few characters involved in this as we also meet each of the other speakers at the meeting and look into the relationships they had with the 'victim' and each other.
I found this so fast-paced with something in every chapter to get your brain working and try to link together what happened and who was actually to blame for the death.
I loved how all the relationships were linked bit by bit and the twists and deceptions developed throughout. However, I was not ready for the end result! Brilliant!
Burton and Lamb's characters worked so well together given their obvious differences and I was intrigued with how each of their minds worked to fit all the pieces together and individually come to the same conclusion. Very cleverly worked and so well presented.
This is actually book 6 in the series and the first one I've read and I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be hunting out the first 5 books to catch up with the other cases.
It was clear that our main characters, Burton and Lamb - legal duo, had more stories to tell and that this was not the first book in their series - but the back-stories were brief and concise making this a brilliant stand-alone book too.
Our couple are hired to defend caterer Nick who is accused of malpractice when one of a party that he is booked to cater for, dies abruptly on stage during a public meeting.
There are quite a few characters involved in this as we also meet each of the other speakers at the meeting and look into the relationships they had with the 'victim' and each other.
I found this so fast-paced with something in every chapter to get your brain working and try to link together what happened and who was actually to blame for the death.
I loved how all the relationships were linked bit by bit and the twists and deceptions developed throughout. However, I was not ready for the end result! Brilliant!
Burton and Lamb's characters worked so well together given their obvious differences and I was intrigued with how each of their minds worked to fit all the pieces together and individually come to the same conclusion. Very cleverly worked and so well presented.
This is actually book 6 in the series and the first one I've read and I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be hunting out the first 5 books to catch up with the other cases.
October 23, 2022
Having read one of Abi Silvers previous Burton and Lamb books I knew I just had to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and hoped The Ambrosia Project would be as good.
A crime thriller that incorporates some courtroom action to add to the action. This time Burton and Lamb are hired by Nick Demetriou a caterer who is charged with manslaughter when Brett Ingram dies after collapsing at an event he has catered for. They have to use all their skills to discover if it was an accident or murder.
I was as impressed with this book as I was with the first I read. Her characters are solid. Realistic and three dimensional, I was turning the pages to discover if they could get to the bottom of this conundrum.
Her courtroom scenes are skilfully written, with language that isn't overly difficult to understand, so it didn't jar me out of the world she created. With the added intriguing look into food and the technological advances that may be needed in today's world. This brings a difference that makes it stand apart from a normal legal crime thriller. Again an amazing read.
Thanks to Love Books Tours and Lightning Books for the ARC.
A crime thriller that incorporates some courtroom action to add to the action. This time Burton and Lamb are hired by Nick Demetriou a caterer who is charged with manslaughter when Brett Ingram dies after collapsing at an event he has catered for. They have to use all their skills to discover if it was an accident or murder.
I was as impressed with this book as I was with the first I read. Her characters are solid. Realistic and three dimensional, I was turning the pages to discover if they could get to the bottom of this conundrum.
Her courtroom scenes are skilfully written, with language that isn't overly difficult to understand, so it didn't jar me out of the world she created. With the added intriguing look into food and the technological advances that may be needed in today's world. This brings a difference that makes it stand apart from a normal legal crime thriller. Again an amazing read.
Thanks to Love Books Tours and Lightning Books for the ARC.
October 8, 2022
This is the sixth book in ‘The Burton and Lamb series’ . I had heard good things about the books in this series before but I wasn’t familiar with any of the stories having not read any of them, I have a feeling I might be about to become extremely familiar with every single book! Each book can be read as a stand alone as each one focuses on a different case, therefore they do not have to be read in order, so you can jump in anywhere you like!
I found this one to be a very immersive story from start to finish, plenty of courtroom drama, red herrings and also a few comical moments! The chemistry between our star characters Constance Lamb and Judith Burton is electrifying, I love the way they bounce off each other!
The story focuses on a very interesting case concerning a possible poisoning. The story pacing was spot on and I just wanted to keep reading to find out more! I enjoyed every minute of this book and will be picking up more books from this series.
5 stars
I found this one to be a very immersive story from start to finish, plenty of courtroom drama, red herrings and also a few comical moments! The chemistry between our star characters Constance Lamb and Judith Burton is electrifying, I love the way they bounce off each other!
The story focuses on a very interesting case concerning a possible poisoning. The story pacing was spot on and I just wanted to keep reading to find out more! I enjoyed every minute of this book and will be picking up more books from this series.
5 stars
November 2, 2022
I was really invested in this case - I loved seeing every aspect, from the incident, through the unravelling of evidence, to the final outcome.
I found the courtroom both interesting and realistic. As I enjoy puzzles, it was fun to try and figure the truth out before Judith and Constance - I failed, but liked the final reveal. I thought the writing flowed well and I struggled to put it down.
I didn't realise it was part of a series, and whilst the story can stand alone, I think I'd have benefitted from previous books to understand the relationships more. I sometimes found the way Judith and Constance treated each other odd - but this may be explained in the prior books.
Overall, a great read - and seeing the plots for the other books in the Burton and Lamb series, I will be looking out for them.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from LoveBooksTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I found the courtroom both interesting and realistic. As I enjoy puzzles, it was fun to try and figure the truth out before Judith and Constance - I failed, but liked the final reveal. I thought the writing flowed well and I struggled to put it down.
I didn't realise it was part of a series, and whilst the story can stand alone, I think I'd have benefitted from previous books to understand the relationships more. I sometimes found the way Judith and Constance treated each other odd - but this may be explained in the prior books.
Overall, a great read - and seeing the plots for the other books in the Burton and Lamb series, I will be looking out for them.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from LoveBooksTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
January 19, 2025
This is my least favourite in this otherwise excellent series. Brett Ingram, owner of Heart Foods, dies at a sort of round table/public meeting he has organized with a food blogger, a TV chef, a farmer, a food scientist and a radio/podcast doctor. The caterer for the event is charged with causing Brett's death, and Constance and Judith defend him.
The narrative seemed rather unfocussed to me: we spent big chunks of time with each of the panel contributors. Each had their own agenda and these agendas contradicted each other and didn't necessarily advance the plot. Judith and Constance spent much of the story at loggerheads for no real reason, and I have always found they way these women work well together one of the series' main strengths. The court scenes were the best for me. although I found the ending disappointing and underwhelming.
The narrative seemed rather unfocussed to me: we spent big chunks of time with each of the panel contributors. Each had their own agenda and these agendas contradicted each other and didn't necessarily advance the plot. Judith and Constance spent much of the story at loggerheads for no real reason, and I have always found they way these women work well together one of the series' main strengths. The court scenes were the best for me. although I found the ending disappointing and underwhelming.
October 7, 2022
This book is the 6th in a crime thriller series featuring lawyers Judith Burton and Constance Lamb. This can be read as a stand alone but I think I would have enjoyed some of Judith and Constance’s part of the story more if I had read the previous novels.
Nick is a caterer charged with manslaughter after food mogul Brett dies during an event he catered. The prologue introduces all the characters present at the event and ends with Brett’s death. The rest of the book is about the aftermath and, mainly, the trial.
It was not an edge-of-your-seat thriller but the storyline was compelling and kept my interest throughout. I do think it was a little long, but still a solid story with a good ending.
Thank you @lovebookstours and @eyelightningbooks for the #gifted copy.
Nick is a caterer charged with manslaughter after food mogul Brett dies during an event he catered. The prologue introduces all the characters present at the event and ends with Brett’s death. The rest of the book is about the aftermath and, mainly, the trial.
It was not an edge-of-your-seat thriller but the storyline was compelling and kept my interest throughout. I do think it was a little long, but still a solid story with a good ending.
Thank you @lovebookstours and @eyelightningbooks for the #gifted copy.
October 18, 2022
The Ambrosia Project is book 6 in the Burton and Lamb series
The duo are hired by caterer Nick Demetriou when he is charged with Manslaughter when Brett Ingram suddenly collapses at an event and dies. Was it an accident or was it indeed murder...
Having never read any of the authors previous work I cannot compare.
But this is an easy to read and short chapters, the courtroom language is not overcomplicated or gritty and never loses the reader. A good portion of the action is set outside the courtroom. Burton and Lamb are likable characters and it's great to see a female duo in the courtroom.
A few twists and turns along the way.
The duo are hired by caterer Nick Demetriou when he is charged with Manslaughter when Brett Ingram suddenly collapses at an event and dies. Was it an accident or was it indeed murder...
Having never read any of the authors previous work I cannot compare.
But this is an easy to read and short chapters, the courtroom language is not overcomplicated or gritty and never loses the reader. A good portion of the action is set outside the courtroom. Burton and Lamb are likable characters and it's great to see a female duo in the courtroom.
A few twists and turns along the way.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews